Nature's Table, Orlando

As I was on my way home from a skydiving event in Florida, I had few hours to kill in the Orlando airport. After walking around for a while, I found Nature's Table. I think it was the word "nature" that drew me to it as I was expecting to see healthy food.

There were a variety of salads, but as it was late in the day, it all looked a little old and sad--like it made you wonder how long all of it had been sitting out. But, I was hungry and I needed something hearty. I asked if the Chili-cado protein bowl was vegan and they assured me it was.

Then, they informed me they were out of chili, which was the heart of the meal. They said they could give me black beans instead. Fine. It ended up being a pretty boring bowl of brown rice, black beans, corn, spinach, and quinoa and no flavor. I doused it with some cheap hot sauce they had and ate it. It felt like five pounds of food!

After I looked into it, I found that Nature's Table has been in business since 1977 and there are now more than 75 franchises across the U.S.

Based on this experience, I don't know if I'd ever go back. I have to assume the chili was tastier than the bowl I got, so maybe it is worth a try.

Nature's Table

Orlando International Airport
(407) 851-1334

Dandelion Communitea Cafe, Orlando, FL

I had the pleasure of heading down to Orlando for an event recently and reached out to my friends to ask if there was one place I should visit in Orlando, where would that be? Without hesitation, they told me to go to Dandelion Communitea Cafe. Founded in March of 2006, Dandelion Communitea has become a gathering place for the community as they not only offer delicious, fresh, organic, vegetarian food, but also a number of weekly events as well.

When I arrived on a dreary Wednesday afternoon, I was pleased to see that it was a cute, funky, stand-alone house painted green with a white porch. So, so cute. It was dark inside as I picked up a menu and tried to figure out how things worked. You place your order, pay up front, then wait at a table for your meal. I asked what was vegan and they said most things other than those specified with cheese were vegan. Wonderful!

After perusing the menu of salads, sandwiches, and classic dishes for a while, I finally made a decision, paid, took a number, and sat down. The dining area was really dark and on this dreary day, there was little sunlight to illuminate it. The dining room was minimally decorated with a wood floor, brown tables and plush chairs along with white curtains and wildly painted walls. As I waited, I had a sip of my Buchi Kombucha in Fire -- so spicy!

After a while, my meal came out. I ordered a simple Classic Dandy dish. You choose either a bowl or a wrap and with spring mix and/or quinoa. I chose a bowl of the Abundant Harvest with both spring mix and quinoa. I found it a bit amusing that it was on a plate not a bowl, but whatever. The dish was huge and was loaded with fresh organic ingredients such as garbanzo beans, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, corn, celery, broccoli, and scallions. It was tossed with sesame seeds and their homemade Green Goddess dressing. I loved it. I topped it with their Cashew Tempeh Tenders for an extra $3, which were pretty good. They also include your choice of a side so I went with the Whirled Peas Guacamole with chips -- again pretty good.

I was in quite a hurry so I ate as quickly as I could and left as I had to catch a plane. I was so happy to find fresh, organic meals in Orlando in a place where I could eat quickly and go. And for $17 for the entire meal and drink, I think it was appropriately priced. I will definitely be back to try other items on the menu the next time I'm in the area.

Dandelion Communitea Cafe
618 N. Thornton Avenue
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 362-1864

Garden Cafe, Orlando

It was finally the end of our trip to the Treasure Coast, an area in mid-south Florida on the east coast. Since we were flying out of Orlando, we decided to stay at a hotel near the airport and searched for vegan-friendly restaurants in the Orlando area. To my surprise, we found a nearly all-vegan Chinese restaurant located right in Orlando. After suffering in a non-vegan friendly area all week, this was a real treat.

The Garden Cafe reminded me of other wonderful vegan Chinese restaurants I've been to in the past like the Loving Hut chain and the now defunct Vegetable Garden previously located in Maryland. The outside appearance and inside decor left much to be desired, but that wasn't why we went there. From the outside, the bars on the windows might be a bit off-putting, but don't let that deter you as good stuff awaits inside. Inside, there was a television showing Asian movies and paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. But, the oddest thing was really the random sci-fi nature pictures on the wall like the horse below. Odd.

The menu was pretty extensive with faux seafood, poultry, pork, beef, and lamb dishes as well as vegetable- and tofu-based dishes. We started with an order of steamed dumplings filled with cabbage, served with an unusual sauce that I just couldn't place.

For my entree, I ordered the house chicken, which was described as delicious on the menu so how could it not be?! Oh, and it was delicious although, as usual, not spicy enough. The "chicken" was made of soy protein and had a nice, chewy texture. It was served with cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, and broccoli in a black bean sauce.

Zach went with the Orange Beef, which was also soy protein in a brown subtle orange-flavored sauce with carrots, mushrooms, bamboo, and broccoli.

We both couldn't decide which one we liked better because they were both delicious. The portions were huge though and afterwards we felt like we could have just split one entree. I'm glad we didn't though. Plus, there are no desserts so it isn't like we missed out on anything by eating large entrees. Oh, and I should mention - I told the waitress that I was aware that they didn't have a website. She told me that they did and gave me a take-out menu that showed www.gardencafevege.com as their website, but when  I went to it, it was all in Chinese other than the word "BMW." I don't think this is their website. I find it funny that they don't know if they have a website or not, but whatever.

The entrees were both $12.95 and for the portion size, I think that was a pretty good price. Overall, the food was great, the service was fine, and the prices were right. Recommended if you are in the Orlando area.

Garden Cafe
310 West Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 999-9799