Restaurant Reporter
Jan Butsch Schroder
As a child, I met any vegetable other than green beans and fried okra (if that even counts) with violent resistance, and only ate salads under duress if I was unable to stuff them in a napkin when my mom wasn’t looking. Fortunately for my health, my eating habits have vastly changed, and although still a confirmed carnivore, I love vegetarian dishes, particularly those at Café Sunflower.
The menu is a combination of Asian, Caribbean and Mediterranean with the common element that all dishes are vegetarian and are seasoned with freshly ground spices. There are two locations – the original one in Sandy Springs and a second in Buckhead – each with its own menu but with many shared items.
If you go for dinner, don’t miss one of the starters, the Sunflower Box, which is slightly different in each location with both having spring rolls, pot stickers and hummus served in a bento box. As a huge fan of the black bean quesadilla, I have to sometimes steer myself to other dishes, including the veggie burger and eggplant lasagna. Wine lovers, take note that no alcohol is served at either location and if you’re taking the kids, only the Sandy Springs location has a child’s menu.
If you’re tempted to try your hand at a few of the dishes at home, you’re in luck. Chef Lin Sun published Atlanta’s Celebrated Vegetarian Restaurant, Cafe Sunflower: Recipes You Can Cook at Home, with many of their most popular dishes. The book is $30, available on the website at www.cafesunflower.com.
Buckhead:
2140 Peachtree Road, 404-352-8859
Sandy Springs:
5875 Roswell Road, 404-256-1675