One World Cafe

For several months my friend Susan has been telling me about the restaurant that she and her mother like to go to: One World Cafe

I can almost guarantee that you've never eaten at a place like this...unless you have eaten there.

Last week, tired of Applebees and Chili's and all the other places that Ladies Who Lunch seem to frequent, four of us decided to make the trek downtown to this very unique little restaurant.

And I need to stop calling it a restaurant right here and now. It's a Community Kitchen.

These two guys were running it on the day we stopped by:



From their website, http://www.oneworldeverybodyeats.com/, this is what they believe in:

* We are dedicated to eliminating world hunger.
* We are dedicated to serving organic unprocessed food.
* We are dedicated to feeding and including all members of our community.
* We are dedicated to eliminating waste in the food industry.
* We believe that we can trust our customers to be inspired, honest and fair in their exchange of money and/or work for the fresh, gourmet, organic food we prepare both mindfully and in a heartfelt way each day.
* We will keep believing ...

Definitely not Applebees.

Anyway, as we walked through the doors of One World Cafe, we were met with wide smiles and a warm welcome. The guy on the right - who was wearing his hair in a thick braid down to the middle of his back - eagerly explained how it all worked.

The cold food (different kinds of salads) was in small dishes nestled in larger bowls of ice. There were two large pots of soup and a half dozen chafing dishes with all the hot food. He also pointed out a large dish labeled Free Food -- it had dahl (lentils)and brown rice - a complete protein. Some brown bread and and a bowl of butter and two dessert selections rounded out the offering.

Everything was organic, made from what food was available that day, and mostly vegetarian. There were a lot of cabbage dishes, both hot and cold, a few carrot salads, broccoli, a tofu entree, a green salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, orange slices, roasted potatoes, and several more things that I can't remember. The desserts were apple crisp or something called the Everything Cookie.

So if all that isn't unique enough, here's the kicker: There are no prices. After eating, you put money into a wooden chest, whatever you felt your meal was worth. You also grab a button out of a bowl and drop it into the chest - that's how they keep track of how many people ate there that day. If you are unable to pay, you can work for an hour in the kitchen, or, if it's summertime, you can work in the garden. And for those who can't pay or work...there is plenty of the dahl and brown rice.

I swear I almost started crying as he explained all this. It was really quite touching.

Since they are dedicated to eliminating waste, they served up our plates, assuring us that we were welcome to come back for more. The servings were small, just a spoonful or two, but my plate was filled with colorful, scary interesting food. All the plates and the silverware were mismatched. We served ourselves giant tumblers of water, and there was also coffee and tea provided.

We made our way down the hallway to find a place to sit and eat. It was an old house with tiny hallways and dark rooms filled with a hodgepodge of chairs and tables, couches and end tables. Lamps with dim bulbs and a few windows provided the light. Everything was old, but neat and tidy.

We found a table big enough for all of us and sat down and ate. I really enjoyed my food, especially the roasted potatoes and a cabbage dish that I've since duplicated at home. We were nourished.

I was aware of how we looked - different than the other patrons that were eating right then. We had arrived in a very fancy SUV, we were dressed to go "out to lunch with the girls", we had makeup and nails done, and we carried purses from Kohl's and Target. I don't know about the other ladies, but I was wearing a fragrance from Victoria's Secret.

We were different.

After eating a two inch square of the Everything Cookie (delicious!!!) we scraped our own plates, put our money and a button into the chest, thanked our two hosts, and made our way back out the front door. A backpack, the kind that holds every possession in the world, was leaning up against a post on the porch.

We climbed into the SUV (thanks for driving, Marsha!) and went back to our very different world.

So now I've told you about it, but you really do have to experience it for yourself. It was the most interesting, thought-provoking place I've ever eaten. Give it a try. Check out http://www.oneworldeverybodyeats.com/ and be nourished..