Finding Time for Food at Cafe Flora

Question: Is it just me, or is lunch a slightly bizarre concept within the context of American culture? In another culture, one where afternoon naps were normalized, or one where stopping for tea in the middle of the day has been practiced for generations, maybe lunch would be a more logically sound idea. But here in the U.S., as far as I am aware, afternoon naps (even ones induced by food coma) are looked down on for anyone between the ages of 7 and 70, and rather than afternoon tea, we have grab-n-go coffee. Lunch . . . doesn't make sense.

Today I blocked out my early afternoon for a meeting. As meetings so often do, this meeting changed times. Consequently, I was left sitting with an hour of near-freedom, not far from a cafe I've been wanting to check out. So in spite of the conviction that lunch is illogical, today turned into a lunch-eating day. And here I sit at Cafe Flora in Madison Park.

When you live in constant motion, lunch becomes a mere mandatory refueling at some point in the day, easily forgotten, and even more easily mismanaged. I'm pretty sure the majority of self-health magazines thrive on this very topic. Prior to my gluten-free days, lunch was easiest as a sandwich, or a Clif bar, or anything else I could eat while walking between [appointments, meetings, classes, insert word of choice here]. Now, in the gluten-free era of life, lunch is frankly easiest just forgotten. I'd rather not think of all the glorious sandwiches I can't eat, or deal with the angst of trying to find an acceptable meal-bar at a gas station. I don't have time to read all the labels in the deli on my lunch break.

Cafe Flora has brought me to a full stop today. At best description, this is a winsome space. While traffic steadily streams by the sidewalk, outdoor plants obscure diners' view of it, and an indoor fountain adds the elements of music to traffic's white noise. An enclosed sunroom allows for "patio" seating, even on rainy days, and burlap coffee bags line the restaurant's wall, giving it an earthy feel. It doesn't feel particularly Seattle. And, although they normally have wireless, it currently is not working. It's just me and the menu for lunch today.

The cafe itself is exclusively vegetarian, but makes an effort to reach beyond that and cater to other specialized diets as well, including vegan, soy-free, and gluten-free. I browse the menu for a bit, and compile a battery of questions for my server. She doesn't mind, knows the answer to most of them off the top of her head, and makes a quick run to the kitchen for the rest of the information. With her assistance, I settle on falafel in a gluten-free (housemade) pita, with the side of red quinoa, but without the side of tahini.

Falafel is not generally a food known for being moist, so the fact that the falafel at Flora is a little dry (especially since it would normally be served with an accompanying sauce I've bypassed due to sesame allergy) doesn't especially upset me. The texture is on the tough side, but the flavor is pleasantly nutty, less spicy and more savory on the falafel flavor spectrum.

It is the pita I'm most interested in. Bread products tend to either fall apart or break in half in the gluten-free world, and I'm curious which this will do. Turns out, it does neither. It actually wraps quite successfully. Otherwise, most of the adjectives that apply to the falafel apply to the pita as well. Great flavor, mediocre texture. It mostly excels at delivering a very pita-y experience.

Cafe Flora's two greatest selling points, aside from atmosphere, are excellent service and quick service. Lunch was served with so few flaws and so little delay that I ended up eating dessert as well. (Making the third great selling point the huckleberry sorbet with its gluten-free, vegan shortbread cookie accompaniments.)

I still don't really get the lunch idea. But it turns out, I kind of like it. Perhaps I'll make a trial habit of mid-day breaks for food and see how it goes. It's actually (surprise!) considerably more fulfilling and enjoyable than a meal-bar.

Cafe Flora is located at 2901 E. Madison St. and has a detailed list of summer hours on their website, here.

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