Mother’s feeds with an organic touch

Doug Tabbert

Yes, the grub served up in Mother’s Kitchen and Juice Bar inside

Mother’s Market is probably healthier than you’re used to. Typically

opting for the heavier, devil-may-care side of the diet spectrum, I

cringed when walking past bottles of bee pollen, flax seed oil,

lecithin and Siberian ginseng. I anticipated a tough, dry dinner with

flavor to rival my own saliva.

My assumption was soon proven foolish, to the point of ludicrous.

My dining partner and I mowed easily through some scrumptious nachos

($6.95) as an appetizer. The organic corn tortilla chips were heaped

with melted white cheddar cheese, seasoned black beans, generous

portions of guacamole and sour cream, green onions, diced tomatoes,

green chilies and sliced black olives. Perhaps it was the junk food

nature that helped erase my prejudices, but it soon became obvious

that the clearly fresh ingredients and careful preparation, so

central to this restaurant’s goal, would not need any assistance in

exhausting my preconceptions.

There are a number of cuisines available in the cool aqua-lighted

restaurant that has a nostalgia-evoking view of the Newland House

museum. There are American sandwiches and grilled burgers, Greek

salads, Italian pastas and Asian dishes.

The simple fact is that no meats are offered, save tuna. For

example, you can choose among five types of sizzling burgers with a

further choice between three types of patties. There is the garden

patty, a blend of mushrooms, grains, cheeses and spices; the Boca, a

textured soy and wheat gluten patty; and the tempeh, a marinated,

fermented soy patty with a chewy texture.

A sense of adventure helps for those new to this alternative,

Earth-friendly cuisine, but your taste buds will quickly be rewarded

if you leap.

I maintained my chosen cuisine with one veggie cutlet and one

soyrizo taco. The taco plate ($6.95) comes with seasoned organic

Mexican basmati rice.

The National Board for Organic Standards claims, “the principal

guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices

that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems.” This type of

farming is opposed to genetically modified foods, most pesticides,

and injections of hormones as well as antibiotics. In short, this is

some highly socially conscious, almost Zen-like food at Mother’s. The

rice, miso, spinach, lettuce, tofu, beans, buns and two types of

pasta in the restaurant are all organic.

Even though the taco shells weren’t fried, the tacos were big --

stuffed with lettuce, tomato, fresh cilantro and real cheddar cheese.

Soyrizo is akin to ground beef, and with its ample spices and oils,

mimicked the classic taco well with a new appeal. The slightly

blackened veggie cutlet -- a breaded patty made with soy protein,

wheat gluten, yeast, cornmeal and spices -- was tender and moist,

resembling a thick piece of grilled halibut. It was by far the best

fish taco I never had.

In short, if you can surge past the crates of wheat germ and jars

of spirulina, a brave, new and tasty genre of food awaits the modern

savage.

* DOUG TABBERT is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have

comments or suggestions, e-mail hbindy@latimes.com.