Paulius Musteikis
Breakfast nachos are unconventional and exceptional.
When locally owned fast-casual meets sustainable and organic ingredients in a city like Madison, it would seem to be a potential gold mine.
The Green Life Cafe, a self-described “boutique juice bar creperie cafe” in a converted residence on Monroe Street (formerly Macha Teahouse), opts for locally sourced ingredients when possible and even grows some of its herbs and greens seasonally in-house. It’s a Midwestern take on healthy food; the result is a menu with surprising variety for a small cafe.
The permanent menu offers appetizers, sandwiches and salads. Diners can customize their own smoothies and crepes. Salads thoughtfully are offered in two sizes, small and large. Rotating specials are featured on the chalkboard “dish” behind the counter.
Lingering, sometimes seen as a cardinal sin at a cafe, was not only welcomed, but encouraged. Employees were happy to discuss ingredients and answer questions. I was offered a sample of the Sunrise smoothie, a blend of strawberries, orange juice, mango and banana that was pretty standard for a smoothie, but tasty nonetheless.
The tropical rooibos iced tea had a muted, almost earthy flavor rather than being fruity as I expected, but was a refreshing, welcome change from the average flavored iced tea. The iced chai shared that same earthy taste. The cafe also offers locally made Let It Ride cold-brew coffee, full-bodied and delicious.
Still, the smoothies ($5/small, $7/large) and the tea ($4 in a small glass with no refills) struck me as a little steep.
Order at the counter and take a seat at the thick, rustic wood tables in an upholstered antique chair. The cheery orange dining area is decorated with art and plants and feels more like a living room than a restaurant. Green Life serves breakfast and lunch, with breakfast available until 3 p.m. weekdays and until 2 p.m. on the weekend. (The cafe is open for dinner Fridays only).
One weekday morning I opted for the savory crepe-of-the-moment, with roasted portobello mushrooms, sauteed spinach, basil pesto, yellow grape tomatoes and onion. Flavorful and fresh, the vegetables were the highlight of the dish. But it was on the small side, and the filling needed more pesto — the crepe itself threatened to overpower the dish. I fared better later with one of the sweet crepes, Nutella and fresh strawberries. The Nutella was plentiful, and the crepe didn’t dominate.
A definite win was the “breakfast nachos,” with roasted herb potatoes, shredded pepper jack, bacon, avocado, poached egg, cilantro, green onion and a tasty sriracha crema. This dish was less nacho than loaded omelet, which didn’t really matter. Perfectly ripe avocado rounded out this fresh and savory dish.
The appetizer serving of plantains, sprinkled with brown sugar and cut in thick slices, would have been on the dry side if it weren’t for the sweet syrup that accompanied it.
The basil and tomato salad comes on a bed of spring mix and spinach, with basil, roasted bell peppers, grape tomatoes, grilled asparagus, mozzarella and balsamic vinaigrette. The vegetables were fine, but nothing exceptional. And the kitchen didn’t do much to enhance their flavor. The tomatoes were fresh and juicy, but the grilled asparagus didn’t have much taste, not even the flavor you’d expect from grilling.
Green Life offers a soothing atmosphere — sun streaming in the windows, comfy chairs, a lawn full of blooming flowers. But sometimes I felt I was paying a premium for it.
Green Life café: 1934 Monroe St., 608-709-5177, 7 am-3 pm Mon.-Fri., 7 am-2 pm Sat.-Sun., $5-$13
