In May, Isabel Currey?s bustling breakfast,lunch and dinner destination One World Cafe for vegetarians and vegans won PETA?s “Restaurant of the Month” award at VegCooking.com. This local coffee shop, which grew over the years to become a full-fledged restaurant and bar, was one of the first in the city to commit to brewing “fair trade” java when it opened in the early 1990s.
A recent dinner visit provided a great opportunity to explore this conscious cafe?s substantial vegetarian and vegan menu.
The soup of the day, a roasted potato and leek ($3.50 for a cup, $4.50 for a bowl), was more of a stew. It was only mildly flavorful and was quickly pushed to the wayside as we dug into tastier fare. The homemade falafel ($8.95), served with lemon tahini, romaine lettuce and tomatoes alongside fresh, warm pita bread, was challenging to chew but healthily satisfying. A great quesadilla ($7.95 for regular cheese, $9.95 for soy cheese) served with salsa and sour cream was filled with black beans, tomatoes and onions. The hummus ($4.95), often tasteless and bland elsewhere, is worth saving room for.
But the portobello sandwich ($8.95), perfectly paired with caramelized onions, feta cheese, tomato and sprouts and served open-faced on rye bread, was hands-down the meal?s winner. Well-seasoned and meaty-tasting, this dish deftly proves that vegetarian cooking, properly executed, can be most gratifying, even for committed meat eaters.
One World offers premium beers, wine, liquors and mixed drinks. That being said, we might have been better served ordering beer or wine, as the drinks we requested took an astonishing 20-plus minutes to arrive. It would be unfair to blame the service, as our waitress was flawlessly courteous and efficient to the best of her ability. Quite a feat, as she seemed to be constantly scrambling to manage responsibilities at the coffee counter inside as well as the tables outside.
The end of the meal found us hankering for a cup of the famouslyfresh fair trade coffee and delicious-looking desserts. However, not wanting to risk having to wait until the sun came up to receive them, we opted to return the next day. We were glad we did, because ? as touted at VegCooking.com ? the German chocolate cake is to die for, and the biscotti and cookies are delectable as well.
More on the Cafe
» Located at 100 W. University Parkway, Baltimore, 410-235-5777, www.one-world-cafe.com
Hours of operation: 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Saturday (kitchen open to 11 p.m.)
