Whether or not an eatery is kid-friendly suddenly becomes much more apparent once you become a parent.
That’s why the little nook on the far left wall of The Market Whole Foods & Supplements Café in Greenport — with crates of books and an adorable play kitchenette — is a welcome surprise for anyone looking for a filling, organic and wholesome meal for themselves and their little ones.
The Market offers several things that are surprisingly hard to find on the North Fork. The first is an organic juice bar, which gets a big thumbs up from this green juice junkie.
The second is a play area for the tots. When I was growing up in the ’80s and ’90s fast food restaurants were a draw because they offered an inexpensive way to fill your kid’s belly and then let them burn off all the high fructose corn syrup in the ball pit.
It seems a few health food markets and cafés, like The Market, or if you are up west, Whole Foods in Lake Grove, have figured out that parents still want the play area, but minus the junk food.
So for that, I say thank you to The Market.
But the third and perhaps most important commodity The Market offers is a menu full of healthy, organic and vegetarian options.
In this week’s edition of “What’s For Lunch?” we recommend the eatery’s California Sandwich. Melted muenster cheese, avocado, tomato, sprouts and canola mayo is served on your choice of bread with a side of tortilla chips ($7.95).
I asked the woman behind the counter what was The Market’s most popular lunch item and she told me, without a doubt, that it is the California Sandwich. I believe her because the very next person to place an order after me chose the same thing.
The sandwich, with its thick slabs of cheese, hearty bread, and generous avocado chunks, is plenty filling even without meat. In fact, I couldn’t even finish the whole serving.
The Market’s menu offers many other options to feed yourself, or your child, without feeling guilty.
According to the menu the chicken and turkey are all growth hormone and antibiotic free. The bacon has no nitrates. The items are never microwaved and the dressings are all homemade.
Could a few other eateries please take note of this and follow suit?
What’s for lunch is a weekly northforker.com column highlighting delicious mid-day meals on the North Fork. Suggestions can be sent to [email protected].
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