Edible Food Find: Organic Garden Cafe

Photos by Linda Campos

In its 25th year, Beverly’s Organic Garden Café continues to thrive not only by way of a dedicated customer base but also with an unwavering mission: providing delicious, healthy, organic, vegan and vegetarian dishes as integral parts of a healthy lifestyle.

The tiny space packs a punch with its brazen “ORGANIC. GARDEN. FRESH. LOCAL” on the exterior. The interior delivers an invigorating oasis with serene artwork, abundant greenery and calming tunes to set the ambience.

Robert Reid (aka Chef Rawbert) opened the eatery in 1999 and, as of recently, passed the reins over to Morgan Nadai and Lane Phelps. While Reid remains a guiding figure during this transition, he looks to concentrate more on teaching chef classes and authoring cookbooks.

Nadai and Phelps are no newbies to the café, with Phelps’s association tracing back to 2001 and Nadai joining about two and a half years ago.

“We serve people food that is truly good for them,” says Nadai, and for him the sentiment strikes a personal chord. His advancement towards better health was influenced by adhering to a predominantly plant-based diet. In crafting the menu, the primary goal remains to offer fresh foods with healing properties.

Discussing the beginning stages of the café, Reid reflects, “We were so far ahead of our time; early on, I saw the writing on the wall with a national health crisis due to heavily processed and animal-based diets and the impact of those things on climate change and the destruction of our ecosystems.” Adds Phelps, “We aim to honor and continue what Robert has done and are excited to take Organic Garden Café into its next stage of evolution.”

Most of the menu items are made from scratch with local and sustainably sourced ingredients aimed to debunk the stigma that healthy eating is not tasty. During the growing season, most vegetables will be sourced from First Light Farm in Hamilton, where Phelps worked for five years.

The vast menu—encompassing breakfast, lunch, dinner, hearty salads, refreshing beverages, smoothies and irresistible desserts—caters to every craving. A favorite comfort dish, Baked Mac N’ Cheese, has gluten-free brown rice pasta, cashew cheese sauce, roasted broccoli, herbed marinated sun-dried tomato, house-made millet bread crumbs and fresh parsley. The bowls are also popular. The Mediterranean Bowl has rosemary sunflower falafel, house-made hummus, Little Leaf Farms baby greens, tomatoes, cucumber, pickled onion, drizzled with lemon tahini sauce, topped with sunflower microgreens; the Za’atar Curry Bowl has grilled tofu, cauliflower, crunchy chickpea, raisins, carrots and cilantro on a bed of baby spinach, rice and quinoa with muchi curry sauce, za’atar spice and lemon sunflower tahini dressing. A sampling of sweets round out the menu, including the Whoopie Pie: handmade raw cacao almond flour shells filled with creamy coconut frosting and sweetened with organic dates. Customers can explore the full menu online or in person until closing time.

Says Nadai, “Better life through food” embodies the café’s enduring mission. The continual evolution of the menu, devout fan following and the unique status amidst North Shore’s casual dining scene have been key to the café’s success. The Organic Garden Café’s story is one of innovation and dedication to healthier living, and the team looks forward to its next chapter.

organicgardencafe.com
294 Cabot Street, Beverly

This story appeared in the Spring 2024 issue.