Tag: organic food

Giving Tree Cafe shows sign of hope with life size sculpture

Phoenix’s Giving Tree Cafe known for serving clean eating vegan, organic & gluten free food is also known as a community spot in the neighborhood. The cafe at 7th St. near Monte Vista recently installed a life size sculpture of a iconic 1932 photograph by Charles Ebbets. Owner David Warr wanted to find a permanent home for the structure and the message it conveys.

“’Lunch Atop a Skyscraper’ stands as a testament to our resourcefulness and resilience. Our community has been through a challenging couple of years. Yet, we pulled ourselves up from our bootstraps, and we’ve grown stronger,” said Warr.

Getting it to the Giving Tree Cafe

The sculpture was hidden in storage and Warr found out about it from customer David Kirschenbaum who produced the sculpture with sculptor Blake Emory. The 24 foot long and 20 foot high sculpture took 3 days to install after being delivered to the cafe. It took Emory & Kirschenbaum over 2 years to make by hand using clay, fiberglass resin, steel, PVC, wood, textiles, rubber & chrome.

“Many haven’t been able to enjoy the arts scene for quite some time. I wanted to bring this sculpture back to life as a sign of strength, hope and togetherness,” said Warr.

The photograph and sculpture show 11 steelworkers eating lunch on a girder high above the streets of NYC. The 69 story building being built is the RCA building, now part of Rockefeller Center and the erecting of the building was a sign of hope and confidence in the future during The Great Depression.  Each of the 11 replicas of the workers is life size and each weighs about 100 lbs. According to Warr,

“We’re not done yet. Watch the space over the next couple of weeks.” Artist Emory returns to make an exciting addition to the structure.

The Giving Tree Cafe is at 2024 N. 7th St. Phoenix 85004. For more information visit their website.

 

 

Farm & Craft now uses 100% grass fed beef on new menu

Locally owned Farm & Craft introduced eight new dishes for those looking for a healthy holiday season. The new dishes can be found throughout the menu from starters to entrees.

Because what you put in your body is important the whole menu now includes 100% grass-fed beef. The health focused restaurant also added 25% more organic products and 4 more vegetarian dishes that can be made vegan.

The new menu now lists all Farm & Craft’s local and responsibly sourced vendors. The new dishes are available at the Scottsdale restaurant and will soon be introduced at the Phoenix restaurant.

Super Green Salad. All photos courtesy of Farm & Craft and Mack Media Relations

New menu of healthy dishes

The 8 new dishes are listed here.

  • Cashew Chicken Salad: shaved chicken breast, togarashi maple cashews, romaine, red pepper, fresh spiral zucchini, with a sesame lime vinaigrette
  • Super Green Salad: spinach, zucchini, edamame, snap peas, green apple and cucumber in an organic tandoori cider vinaigrette and finished with toasted pumpkin seeds
  • Burrata & Grilled Vegetables: grilled seasonal vegetables with garlic bread and fresh burrata finished with tomato basil vinaigrette. Great for sharing!
  • Vegan Banh Mi: house made pineapple BBQ tofu, pickled cucumber, shredded romaine, jalapeno and a chili Dijon dressing on toasted ciabatta. Also available with BBQ chicken.
  • Probiotic Bowl: warm garbanzos with olive and tomato, quinoa tabbouleh, red beet power kraut, shaved pickled cucumber, romaine hearts and cucumber herb yogurt sauce
  • Chicken Fried Rice: organic farro, shaved chicken, pineapple, jalapeño, egg and toasted cashews, mixed with fresh veggies and a tamari glaze
  • Roasted Half Chicken: half of a roasted chicken served with seasonal vegetables & lemon herb chicken jus
  • Build-Your-Own Veggie Tacos: seasonal vegetables, smashed avocado, pico de gallo & tomatillo salsa served with three warm corn tortillas. Can add shaved chicken or shaved steak.

    menu
    Probiotic Bowl

In addition to the new dishes there have been changes to existing dishes.

  • The nachos made with quinoa flax chips are now vegetarian and can be prepared vegan.
  • There is no more turkey being served to help reduce sodium heavy dishes.
  • The popular Farro Mac & Cheese is back!
  • Gluten free pasta made from corn and rice is now available.

Soon a new kids breakfast menu will be introduced along with a new seasonal menu with seasonal ingredients.

 

New menu and location for Farm & Craft

If you’re air conditioning kicked on this week it means were creeping towards warmer temps and eating lighter & colder foods and drinks to keep cool. In the restaurant scene in means chefs are shifting their menus to lighter seasonal ingredients including  locally grown spring and summer fruits & vegetables. Scottsdale’s Farm & Craft recently added 11 new healthy dishes to their menus.

new menu
Salad

New menu and Happy Hour

Crustless Quiche with cage free eggs, cheddar, chicken sausage, braised kale and chili flake served with a petite salad is one of the two new menu items for breakfast along with Steel Cut Oats with slow cooked coconut milk, turmeric vanilla almond milk, blueberry and apple relish with chia seeds.

On the lunch and dinner menus you’ll find Vegan Ceviche prepared with Golden beets, radish, cherry tomato, avocado, lime, tomato chili sauce, cilantro, served with flax tortilla chips.

Flatbread

An Asian inspired Chilled Raw Pad Thai Spiral with zucchini and carrot, bean sprouts, shredded brussels, raw almond, chili almond butter and tamarind honey and  Seared Cauliflower Steak with smoked paprika coconut butter served with harissa aioli and cucumber yogurt are just a few new dishes.

The Happy Hour menu has been updated as well.

Farm & Craft Uptown

Phoenix fans of Farm & Craft will be glad to know by the end of April the new location will be open on 7th St. at The Colony. The new location will seat more people with a larger patio and bar than Scottsdale and will create their own signature cocktails and menu items.

The Scottsdale location is at 4302 N. Scottsdale Rd. and the Uptown location is 5538 N. 7th St. For more info go to www.ilovefarmandcraft.com/

 

 

 

The Bodhi is packed with healthy food & information

Fast casual and healthy eating continue  to be priorities in the local restaurant community heading into 2018 and the newly opened The Bodhi in Tempe checks both boxes.

For those looking to extend new year resolutions to eat healthy as long as possible this restaurant can help you extend it.

Steak and eggs bowl. All photos courtesy of The Bodhi

In the heart of downtown Tempe on College Ave. will serve more than the  ASU crowd with its organic vegetables and vitamin rich foods at an affordable price.

The Bodhi provides

Whether you’re building a bowl, having salad or taking a cold pressed juice on the run all ingredients are crafted for a healthy and nutritious diet with research to see which ingredients and combinations work best.

Their blog provides information and facts on nutrition and healthy habits for its customers.

521 S. College Ave #112 Tempe 85281. Full menu and more! (480)699-0409Bodhi

 

Farm & Craft to open along 7th Street restaurant row in Phoenix

Scottsdale’s Farm & Craft is set to open its 2nd location in the spot recently vacated by The Herb Box at The Colony along the popular 7th St. corridor in north central Phoenix. Riot Hospitality Group, owner of Farm & Craft and other local restaurants and bars plans to open the new location in early 2018 after the renovations are complete.

Photos Captured by Peter Speyer | Speyer Photography

Farm & Craft offers guests a healthy and sustainable food and drink menu all in a fast casual atmosphere during breakfast and lunch and a full service restaurant experience during dinner.  The menu will be similar to that of  the Scottsdale location and guests will notice a different design to the Phoenix location as the neighborhood it serves is different and the owners like to adapt to those differences.

“We are very excited to open another Farm & Craft in the Valley,” says Ryan Hibbert, CEO of Riot Hospitality Group. “We saw an opportunity to bring this unique concept to The Colony and we plan to continue to grow the brand.”

Farm & Craft
Photos Captured by Peter Speyer | Speyer Photography

The Wellness Menu offered at Farm & Craft focuses on optimal health through four specific philosophies, “anti-inflammatory diet”, “increasing pro-biotic levels”, “maintaining a high level of anti-oxidants” and “reducing overall stress”. This is done by working with local suppliers to create a menu that uses ingredients that are local, gluten-free, hormone free, organic and sustainable.

Photos Captured by Peter Speyer | Speyer Photography

Farm & Craft offers a juice program that features cold pressed juices and “Kombucha Cocktails”. Signature “Cold Pressed Cocktails” use organic spirits are available at the indoor/outdoor bar as are local beers and unique wines poured from the tap.

With the 2016 opening of the Scottsdale location and the anticipated success of the Phoenix location, Riot Hospitality plans to continue to expand the Farm & Craft brand locally and nationally.

Farm & Craft will be at 5538 N. 7th St. Phoenix 85014.

Singh Farms opens Singh Meadows in Tempe with big plans

I just got back from visiting the new Singh Meadows on the old Rio Salado Golf Course in Tempe where I got to meet and speak with Ken Singh farmer & owner of Singh Farms & Meadows. I first heard about this project a few years ago and have not heard anything until this week about its progress and phase 1.  Ken has spent the last few years completely re-soiling the once toxic dirt from the golf course to new fresh, organic soil that will grow much of his fresh vegetables & where kids can roll down the hills free of toxic pesticides.

 

His new market inside the old club house is where visitors find his growings from his farm not far away. A coffee bar with coffee from Press Roasters & bake shop offers people to linger and enjoy all the green lush landscape that has been restored from recent years. After the rains of yesterday water flows out of sight as part of the Indian Bend Wash where it empties to Tempe Town Lake a little ways down. Ken hopes to incorporate a park like atmosphere with paths is already under way as golf cart paths are still in tact and softer wood chip paths have start to be landscaped taking you down to the running water.

The cafe which currently has grab n go items and pastries is being run by 3 experienced chefs Frank Belosic, Jay Bogsinske and Dan Melden. In the future the cafe will offer house made pizzas, pastas and more from scratch. Dinners and farm tours will be available down the road.

Ken has lots of ideas but not sure what he wants to do with all 72 acres he has to play with. Having farmed his family farm for over 40 years this has become a grand endeavor to leave his son, a future farmer.  In listening to Ken he is the smartest person I know when it comes to soil, dirt and growing vegetables in it and listening to him I hear his passion in making sure we leave the earths resources it the right way for future generations.

The farmer’s market is open every weekend from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

I’m as excited as Ken Singh is to have this new farm & market community down the street near the Tempe/ Scottsdale border and look forward to helping keep Ken’s vision alive.

Singh Meadows is at 1490 E. Weber Dr. Tempe 85281