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21.

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88

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•

WHERE WE EAT!

on page 85

had forgotten about the
Inn Season Cafe.
Years ago, in my Earth
shoes days (they're mak-
ing them again, by the way), I
ate at the Inn Season in Royal
Oak, Seva in Ann Arbor and
even bought a chipati on the
street occasionally. But many
years and many food fads have
passed by, and I had forgotten
about traditional health-food
dining.
Now that I have a reawak-
ened interest in organic foods
(along with much of the coun-
try), I remembered the Inn
Mexican Botana
Season Cafe and found that it is
still going strong some 20 years
later. I was pleased to find that not only
cashew pancakes with coconut sauce
are they still serving fresh vegetarian
presented beautifully with a standing
food, but it was also quite flavorful and
papadum and fresh cilantro garnish.
delicious.
I particularly liked the Beggar's Feast
On my first return visit to Royal Oak, stew of root vegetables topped with a
I took my husband and 12-year-old son.
hearty Fourth Street whole-grain burger.
The decor was lovely. The antique
For dessert, the Michigan blueberry
tables, wood floors covered in oriental
cobbler and banana pudding were light
rugs and eastern art evoked a warm,
and tasty. Unfortunately, the cobbler
calm feeling.
was not heated through, but we enjoyed
The chairs and booths were both
it nevertheless.
hardwood, so on the cold winter day we
The Inn Season buys from local
dined there, we could have used a cozier organic farmers during growing season
seat. No matter, once I was served the
and uses mostly organic products. In
hot, brewed house tea and fresh, whole-
other words, all of the grains, beans, tor-
grain bread, I settled in.
tillas, etc., are 100 percent organic, and
The menu offers a wide range of
everything is made from scratch, all of
foods, all house-made, and many with
the salsas, sauces, soups, etc.
an ethnic influence. There are many
The owner, Nick Raftis, purchased
vegan and wheat-free. choices and a
the Inn Season from his friend, George
choice of soy cheese or low-fat cheese,
Vutetakiz, in May of last year. Changes
added on request.
to the restaurant have been minimal.
We started our meal by enjoying the
Nick already owned the Ann Arbor
thick, hearty squash soup, but found the Sunflower restaurant with a similar
Budapest mushroom soup a bit too
menu and changed the name of that
gravy-like. The lighter vegetable soup
location to the Inn Season Cafe.
was filled with fresh vegetables, although
The same calm, romantic feel perme-
it was not really served hot enough. The
ates both locations. "We did a feng shui
Inn Season does not use microwave
analysis and the way the energy flows
ovens and the constraints of the small
through the rearranged space is fascinat-
Royal Oak kitchen are sometimes appar- ing," said Raftis.
ent with the temperature of the food.
And I thought it was just the food.
The Ann Arbor location has a larger
kitchen (which allows them to serve
Bottom Line:
fish).
Although
my no-carb, Atkin-dieter hus-
The salads were gorgeous. Garnished
band
did
not
find a lot to eat, and my
with star-shaped carrots, parsley, sprouts
Doritos-eating
vegetarian son only faired
and a choice of tofu, low-fat cheese, soy
a
little
better
with
the whole wheat
cheese or avocado, the Inn Season salad
crusted
pizza,
I
would
be quick to go
was fresh and ample. We especially
back
with
my
healthier
friends. I also
loved the house-made tahini dressing,
think
that
many
folks
who
keep kosher
although the other, more-common
but
eat
vegetarian
out
would
find it
choices were equally flavorful.
reassuring
to
know
that
meat
was never
Entrees went from simple to the more
cooked
in
the
Inn
Season's
kitchen.
adventurous, with tasty Asian stir fries of
They, and anyone else that enjoys
fresh vegetables served with brown rice,
healthful, fresh food, will find the Inn
to an Indian feast of zucchini and
Season Cafe a real gem. 17