The Green Door Restaurant- A Vegetarian Restaurant That Cares

Twenty- five years ago my life changed. It was a scary time for me as I was diagnosed with an auto immune condition and found out I was allergic and sensitive to many foods I had been eating my whole life.

The list of foods that were no longer okay to consume was long; dairy, eggs, corn, soy, chicken, wheat, yeast, sugar, pork, tomatoes and potatoes.

Raised on meat, potatoes and sugary homemade desserts I wondered what the heck I was going to eat, let along if I would ever be able to eat out again. Bye bye pasta, pizza, take- out chicken and Dairy Queen!

A friend suggested I visit a new restaurant that had opened up in Ottawa- he said there is lots there you can eat, be sure to check it out.

So off I went with my Mum and when we walked in to the restaurant my heart sank. It was this small little hole in the wall that offered Vegetarian cuisine in a buffet style. Now remember I was a meat and potato girl and this was twenty-five years ago. I had never had brown rice, lentils, beans, tofu or a lot of what I called ‘weird green things’ (vegetables like zucchini, kale and okra)

There was a whole counter of green salads made from vegetables, beans, lentils, rice and other foods I had never eaten nor wanted to eat.

Let’s just say I was one disappointed girl. I put a little brown rice, cooked squash and green bean salad on my plate. Took it to the cash and sat down at a table. I started to eat it and thought hmm, this isn’t that bad.

What I soon realized was that I had to give my taste buds time to change. They had been so programmed for the foods that I ate that they rebelled at anything else. Plus, I had to be open to new possibilities as well- something that was rare for me back then.

The beauty of the Green Door is that they allow their customers to choose specific dishes and pay by weight which helps reduce waste and enabled me at a time to sample a little of everything they had to offer, to see what I liked best .They also list top allergens on all the dishes, so if you have allergies or sensitivities you know what is in the dish- how amazing is that?

Fast forward to today, hard to believe I am 25 years older, but I am, and yes so is the Green Door Restaurant. With really only one renovation in 1990, this is by far the best and so duly needed renovation for them.

What I have not told you is that the Green Door Restaurant has been both a teacher and a Savior to me. It has feed me when no others, not even my mother nor I could feed myself. It has taught me about organic produce, macrobiotic cooking, eating seasonally and Vegetarianism -things I knew nothing about that first day I walked through their green door.

There were times when I was so sick that friends would visit the Green Door and bring me take out- as it was the only food I could eat.

Their homemade vegetable soups and avocado salad were so soothing when I was not well and I knew that bite by bite I was feeding my body what it needed. Slowly I knew I would heal and throughout these past 25 years I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the owners, Poppy, Ron, and now Jenny, as well as all the staff who were always so kind to let me know if there was something in one of the dishes I could not have. I even took cooking classes with Poppy and learned how to prepare healing, organic foods for myself which then in turn helped me to write a cookbook and help others to heal themselves through diet and nutrition. I know love Vegetarian cuisine and am so glad I walked in through their doors.

Their desserts, well I will let you be the judge, but this girl loves all of them from the vegan tofu chocolate mint cheese cake to the lemon pie- made with only natural ingredients and maple syrup to sweeten- they are tough to match.

This past weekend I visited the newly renovated Green Door Restaurant. It is a beautiful open space that gives everyone room to peruse the delicious food buffet area, and then find a seat at a table looking out through the beautiful big windows which let in so much natural light.

Oh how I have missed you Green Door and am so glad you are open once again for business!

For those of you who have not visited the Green Door Restaurant be sure to check out their newly renovated digs, you will be glad you did. If you are a regular patron like me be sure to check out their new look and space. Dig into dishes like vegetable curry, tofu and broccoli stir-fry (one of their best sellers), vegan sushi, Japanese noodle salad and red lentil soup one of my favourites.

While you are there take the time to admire the beautiful counters and tray rails which have been constructed from a giant Douglas Fir tree that was brought by Ron’s son and his partner all the way from Pender Island BC- The story goes that this beautiful tree fell down in a neighbours yard and not wanting it to end up as fire wood it was given to Ron’s son who brought it all this way to be used in the restaurant. Such history and such a wonderful way to honor a 160 year old tree, being put to use in my opinion in the best Organic Vegetarian Restaurant!

Here is one of their recipes from their Green Door Restaurant Cookbook

Buckwheat Noodles with Ginger Garlic Sauce

2 litres (8 cups) water

225g buckwheat , udon, or rice noodles

In a large pot bring water to a boil. Add noodles and cook 5-7 minutes, or until cooked. Do not overcook. Stir once or twice during cooking. Drain

Sauce:

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

2 tsp garlic, crushed

4 tbsp olive oil

5 tbsp tamari

Mix all sauce ingredients into a bowl big enough to hold noodles. Add drained noodles to sauce and mix.

Serves 8-10

The Green Door Restaurant is located at 198 Main St, Ottawa and is open Tuesday to Sunday 11:00- 9:00pm- they do serve both organic and conventional wine and beer as well as offering healthy juices.

For more information visit www.thegreendoor.ca