Local Love: The Cutting Board Cafe

Local. Organic. Yummy.

I met Krystal MacDonald casually in the breastfeeding support group that I have talked about a couple of times on the blog (P.S. her son William is one of the cutest little boys you'll ever see).  In the group, she always spoke knowledgeably when nutrition or cooking questions would come up, and then we learned it was because she is quite the health-foodie and also writes Fresh and Raw Blog, AND that she and her husband were in the process of opening a restaurant!

Even though we are not vegetarians in our fam (nor are we extremely committed to healthy eating), we love our veggies and I absolutely love supporting local/family businesses.  I couldn't wait to visit.  Cut to now, it's open, and Dan and I were able to go check it out this past weekend!

The place: The Cutting Board Bakery and Cafe

Website: cuttingboardcafe.com

Location: Mesa, Arizona (On Power Rd between Baseline and Guadalupe)

What: Quaint bakery/cafe serving vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, whole foods -- and coffees too. 

The Cutting Board Cafe had its soft opening this month (September 2013) 
and I believe their Grand Opening is scheduled for early October.  

Sunday lunch ticket.

Setting: Simple/modern decor features cool colors on the walls, fresh plants as table center pieces, and a giant cutting board surface at the register counter and another one along the window for bar-stool seating.  They have ready-made baked goods for sale at the counter, as well as some local merch on shelves to the side (books and local basics).  The music playing was just the right volume, and just the right mood.

Food: I had the vedg-head sandwich (with no onion because onions aren't my thing), and Dan got the tacos duo.  Dan scarfed his down so fast that I didn't even get to taste the tacos, but he said they were delicious.  And my sandwich was so fresh and surprisingly filling, I felt like my body was saying "thank you" to me as I was eating it.  Dan also ordered a latte, which I didn't taste because I don't drink caffeine, but he said it was a good one.

My favorite part about our dining experience was the kids menu.  How wonderful to eat somewhere that has healthy options for kids!  Awesome!  Penny got the finger foods platter and it was perfect for her.

The tofu bits included in Penny's lunch were so delicious (of course I tasted it) that next time I think I want to order something with the tofu in it.  

trying tofu for the first time

that's a mouth full of tofu.  

checking out daddy's tacos. (by the end of lunch, her finger foods were "all gone!"

Future: In addition to ordering the tofu, I also look forward to going back for breakfast some time to try the baked goods and juices.  I predict this place will become a hub of activity for the clean eating community of the east valley.  As far as I know, the vegetarian scene is pretty lacking when you venture this far from downtown Phoenix, so this restaurant came just in time.  Krystal told me about some cool events they have in queue so keep an eye on their events page!  How exciting!

So, Hooray for the MacDonald Family.  If you go check it out, tell them I sent you :)

[P.S. I'm giddy... BJG is in the Top 25 on Top Baby Blogs... I've never been here before!  Thank you so much to all of you who are supporting Becoming Julie Griffin with your vote everyday!]