Mission Beach Cafe

Let me start with what I remember most about the Mission Beach Cafe; the chairs. Tall, and skinnier than just about anyone's back could ever be, they make quite an impression. You immediately know you've entered a much different place than the gritty northern mission streets outside. Overall, the decor (neutral tones, wooden tables, hourglasses on the walls) is very warm and inviting. In addition to being "pretty", MBC scores extra points for doing the one thing I wish EVERY restaurant would do: They list their vegan entree proudly on the menu. They avoid the confusion that a "vegetarian" label can cause and come right out with it. Love it.

Onto the food. I saw they had an "herbed flatbread of the day" and was psyched until I found out that the bread that day was decidedly unvegan. Oh well. I went ahead and ordered the house salad. Put cherries and nuts in a salad and I'm there. Yum. In fact, all my dining companions loved their salads as well, so I would highly recommend starting with one when you go. Moving on, my properly labeled "Farmer's Market Vegan Entree" arrived as a semi-stack of veggies surrounded by a sort of teepee of carrots. Beautifully rustic, it was the shabby chic of food presentation. Everything was cooked and seasoned wonderfully, and my only complaint would be that I could have eaten more. (For the record, I almost always can). My companions all ordered the fresh pasta entrees, though the 2 that are newly vegetarian almost got a little too wrapped up in how good all the meat selections sounded. In the end, everyone, even the animals, were happy.

No clue if this place will keep with its practice of having a vegan entree at all times, so check the menu online first. If so, you're good to go. Vegans, bring your others.