Right, top to bottom: Among the offerings at Inn Season Cafe (above): Szechuan stir fry, the Fourth Street Burger and hot fudge brownie.
25 YEARS L
Inn Season celebrates a silver anniversary of vegetarianism.
BY DAVID MOSS I PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN
ometimes, it's good to
check back on an old
friend. And Inn Season
Cafe has been a Royal Oak main-
stay.
While other vegetarian eateries
have come and gone and the coun-
try's health-food phase fizzled and
returned, Inn Season has served up
fresh, organic cuisine without skip-
ping a beat. The homey, cozy (read:
close seating) atmosphere is still
alive, along with the restaurant's
down-to-earth waitstaff, who still
serve comfort foods like pizza and
several Mexican items, too.
But the level of sophistication
has been turned up a notch, with
offerings that treat the eye as well
as the palate.
Mushrooms are a highlight in
quite a few dishes, so my com-
panions and I began with mush-
room soup that was chock full of
chopped mushrooms and carrots
and blended with a nice helping of
dill. The soup was thick but not as
heavy as bisque. Other appetizers
include hummus with roasted red
peppers, sauteed mushrooms and
several salads.
Among the entree offerings are
seven different pizzas, including
spinach-walnut and portabella-
walnut. All pizzas come with
dairy or soy cheese atop an herbed
whole-grain crust. We tried the
Thai Coconut Peanut Stir Fry — a
mix of broccoli, zucchini, yellow
squash, red onion, sweet potato
and tempeh (cultured soy patty, a
healthy source of protein) in a Thai
ginger sauce — alongside a mound
of saffron basmati rice. This dish
was full of flavor and spice, without
being too hot. We also chose the
Brown Rice Salad, which mixed
organic brown basmati rice with
sweet red pepper, cucumber, car-
rots, pine nuts, currants and herbs
in flavorful vinaigrette.
Other entrees include Mexican
classics, like quesadillas, enchiladas,
burritos and botanas; and stirfries,
with peanut sauce and tofu, sea
vegetable or ginger and cashews.
Noodles may be substituted for
brown rice.
A trip to Inn Season wouldn't
be complete, though, without the
original Fourth Street Burger, a
hearty whole-grain patty with or
without cheese, served with your
choice of a tangy BBQsauce,
Dijon mayo or sesame tahini dress-
ing. This burger is filling and deli-
cious. Now, if you're hankering for
Johnny Rockets, you may be disap-
pointed, but this healthy option
is still filling and delicious — and
leaves more calories for dessert.
Inn Season bakes its own
treats, made with the freshest
ingredients and organic flours and
sugars. Favorites include the car-
rot cake, apple crisp, Grandma's
Vegan Chocolate Cake (although
my grandma wouldn't have known
a vegan if she bumped into one)
and a rich brownie drenched in
hot fudge, served with either Soy
Delicious or Stoneyfield Organic
ice cream.
Inn Season is a friendly and
lively place that serves up vegetar-
ian fare satisfying enough for even
those who look for a meat meal.
After 25 years, they still know what
it takes to satisfy an ever-growing
clientele of happy diners. ❑
Continued on page 10
8 •
NI A Y 2006 • JNPLATINUM
Inn Season Cafe
500 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak
(248) 547-7916
Monday, closed
Tuesday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday, 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Saturday, noon-9:30 p.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.