madcity girl

Another great Cafe Lunch from the students at Slow Food UW. Here’s what I chose from today’s menu (all for $8.50):

-Meatloaf sandwich on roasted garlic potato bread
-White bean, squash and apricot salad served over bed of kale
-Chilled borscht (beet soup) with Greek yogurt, cilantro and lemon zest
-House-made apple cider doughnuts

I loved the meatloaf sandwich (it wasn’t totally clear to me, but I think the beef was sourced from the Priskes at Fountain Prairie Farm). And the apple-cider doughnuts were among the best I’ve ever had. So fresh. Luckily, Slow Food e-mailed the doughnut recipe to its listserve earlier this week (it’s an adaptation of a recipe from pastry chef Lauren Dawson at New York’s Hearth Restaurant). I’m definitely adding it to my “must bake soon” list. In fact, donuts have been on my list for quite a while. This might be just the push I needed.

The white bean salad wasn’t bad, but I found myself instead yearning for the Brussels sprout salad (which was the other side option) on the plates of my neighboring diners. And the beet soup, while fabulously inventive and colorful, seemed just a bit off in terms of texture and flavor (I’m not sure the Greek yogurt helped—it added an oddly sour flavor, and the lifeless dollops created textural inconsistencies in the otherwise smooth and velvety soup.

I think I just might be on my way to becoming a “regular” at Wednesday’s Slow Food UW Cafe Lunches. If you’d like to join me sometime for a inventive, locally-sourced, affordable lunch that is conceptualized, prepared, and served by passionate, food-loving UW students, let me know!

Category: Madtown Lovin', Restaurant Reviews