collage || restaurant
Organic Invasion Two Twin Cities eateries effortlessly marry healthful eating and eating well. | by Ivy Gracie
I
t’s 2012. We know more about healthful eating than ever before. Even so, there are more than a few holdouts who cringe at the very mention of the word “organic.” But two Twin Cities restaurants are helping evolve the idea of organic food beyond the mud-colored mush naysayers envision. Serving creatively crafted organic food and thoughtfully selected organic wines, French Meadow Bakery & Cafe in Uptown Minneapolis and Peoples Organic Coffee & Wine Café in Edina’s Galleria are proving that healthful eating and eating well can be one and the same and that organic wines can be as flavorful as their conventional counterparts. “When people hear the word ‘organic,’ automatically they think ‘no taste,’” says Lynn Gordon, owner of both French Meadow and Peoples Organic. “Or they think it’s dirty,” adds Juell Roberts, general manager of Peoples Organic. Gordon says it’s no different with wine; many popular wineries produce organic wines but don’t label them as such because of the misconceptions associated with the word. “There’s a stigma attached to it,” she admits. Even so, there’s a simple reason winemakers choose organic grapes. “They’re juicier [and] sweeter, and they produce a better wine,” Gordon declares, noting it’s the same with food. “Look at the chefs on TV. They buy organic fruits and vegetables because they taste better.” Taste has been Gordon’s top priority since she opened French Meadow more than 24 years ago; it continued to take precedence when she launched Peoples Organic in 2010. And while Gordon has made an indelible mark serving imaginative, refined food to the city’s vegan, vegetarian, locavore and gluten-free contingents, she’s never overlooked the mainstream audience. Even the most carnivorous organic-phobe would be hard-pressed to resist a juicy grass-fed burger or turn down a hearty Wild Acres turkey potpie. And oenophiles might be surprised to learn that favorites like Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc and Duxoup Syrah are organic wines
eco-friendly ABOVE Owner of French Meadow Bakery &
Café and Peoples Organic, Lynn Gordon relaxes at a sidewalk table. BELOW Beer flights at Peoples Organic offer the chance to compare and contrast five artisanal beers at a time. Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living
| Spring 2012
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