Chaco Canyon Organic Café : Consciously Delicious

Chaco Canyon Organic Café in Seattle's University District offers consciously and artistically handmade vegan dishes, smoothies, juices, desserts, baked goods, and espresso while striving to build community and support sustainable, organic, eco-friendly, and local farming.

The café's namesake is the spiritual center of the Ancient Pueblo people, to whom the Man in the Maze motif, seen in the restaurant's logo, meant "through all of our struggles and lessons, we grow wiser and stronger as we progress towards the center of the maze." Chaco Canyon weaves this into its food philosophy—namely, that we each have a personalized diet that works best for us. Its goal is to help people on their dietary path by providing healthful and unique options. Food transparency matters at this café, and a comprehensive, up-to-date list of all ingredients for the entire menu is available upon request. The kitchen staff will accommodate any food allergies or sensitivities whenever possible, and gluten-free options are clearly marked on the menu.

Warm desert tones, wooden furniture, and potted plants give a natural and inviting feel to this unique café, which has the rare distinction of being a Certified Organic restaurant. An impressive 95 percent of their ingredients are organic, and they are dedicated to sourcing the very best quality foods. Special menu items rotated by season, month, or week enhance the diverse core menu with even more flavors and variety.

The popular lentil burger is a tender patty with a hint of cumin and a delicately crisp outside, served on a grilled potato roll with zesty vegan mayo, marinated onion, cucumber, sprouts, and pickles with the choice of soup or salad. The raw enchilada plate features two flavorful tomato-flax wraps filled with spicy, creamy cashew cheese, marinated vegetables, and avocado, topped with mango pico de gallo and served with a beautifully adorned salad.

For breakfast lovers, Chaco Canyon's hearty, signature gluten-free bread is transformed into the comforting French toast, served with whipped maple butter and maple syrup. On weekends, the brunch version includes your choice of delicious maple chia pudding, scone, or potato pancakes. Banana, raw cacao, raw maca, agave, salt, and house-made raw hemp milk are blended together to make the rich and creamy Choco-Maca smoothie, deemed the "Smoothie of the Gods."

Their array of desserts, muffins, cookies, and other treats will entice even the most vegetable-phobic diner. The coffee bar serves Stumptown organic, free-trade espresso and coffee, as well as organic teas. During happy hour, discounts on select alcoholic beverages, smoothies, coffees, teas, and baked goods are offered; the discount applies from 4 to 6 p.m. every weekday.

In the spirit of community and stewardship, customers bus their own tables. A central station provides dining essentials and a selection of natural hot sauces, including the Lopez Island-based Chicaoji Chipotle Chile Sauce infused with raw cacao and goji berries.

For those interested in trying the raw food lifestyle at home, the café sells sprouting supplies, specialty raw ingredients, packaged raw foods, and kombucha starters. The retail section also has teas, spices, handmade soaps, and natural gift sets.

Whether you want to experience some delicious plant-based dishes for a change or are already fully immersed in a vegan or raw vegan lifestyle, Chaco Canyon Organic Café has you covered. In supporting them, you also make a positive impact on the community and organic food movement. They support local farmers and businesses, partner with local organizations and community associations on meaningful projects, nurture community engagement, and spread awareness about sustainability.

Chaco Canyon also has a location in West Seattle, and a new location in Greenwood is planned for fall 2014.