There’s a vegan diner in Cascade.
That’s it. That’s the story.
OK, that’s not actually it. But that in and of itself is newsworthy for a mountain-pass town of around 1,000 people. Also noteworthy is the story of how the diner came about.
As we reported in January, Cody Rilo and Tyler Scheidel, the couple behind the all-vegan bar Burrowing Owl, shared their plans to renovate Mildred’s Diner in Cascade and create an eatery serving only plants. They did just that, and Fern’s Diner + Drinkery — named for one of their rescued dogs who fought valiantly before succumbing to cancer recently — is now hopping in Cascade. I just had to ask Rilo why a diner concept was their next vegan venture.
“Simply put, diners are rad,” she says. “There is definite nostalgia with old diners and that sense of coming together with your community.”
I can tell you that’s definitely happening, because every single time I’ve visited, the diner is bustling inside and so is the huge, delightful and quirky beer garden where it seems no one is a stranger.
Diners are known for breakfast, or dinner, any time and that’s what you’ll get. Note: Vegan breakfast, anytime, is a big damn deal. “I think a huge thing is that being vegan and trying to get breakfast around town is tough,” says Scheidel. “And when you find a place that has vegan options it’s often a granola bowl or oatmeal with fruit or things that just don’t quite hit the mark. Tofu scramble is common and delicious, but not quite that eggy scramble thing you remember. I think Martin’s Moon Egg hits that mark.”
It does. Chef Martin Ukes has created a whole food plant-based “moon egg” made simply with moong dal (mung bean, a legume) and oat milk and baked into a patty. And that’s the charm at Fern’s: the incredibly creative culinary techniques used to bring about the familiar in both flavor and texture.
So let’s start with breakfast and that egg. Sure, you’ll find the classics: a short stack of pancakes simply served with maple syrup; French toast with an offbeat banana coconut syrup paired with just a wee bit of savory salted vegan butter; and breakfast burritos and brunch wraps too. And then there’s the ornery Tommy Chonga, a breakfast chimichanga stuffed with Moon Egg, tater tots, sausage, veggies, cheese, green chile (Rilo’s creation) and green chile maple salsa by local vegan chef Aaron Posey. Crisp on the outside and devilish on the inside. But oh, that Country Skillet has my heart. Moon Egg and tater tots smothered in gravy, Beyond sausage links, onion and peppers with a big ole slice of Texas toast on the side ($13). Yee haw!
Tater tots are Fern’s spud go-to, and you’ll find them as appetizers or as a side. Why have poutine in the form of fries when you can smother tots with house-made cheese curds? Wait, what? I know! Ukes didn’t stop at that creative egg. With tapioca starch and cashews he’s created an ooey gooey comfort food staple that not only shows up over fried spuds and chile, but as a burger topping. The Fiery Curd burger starts with the house seasoned Beyond Burger and ends with the curds, and you’ll find some hot sauce, lettuce and tomato in between. The ’80s burger — starring A1 (hello, Dad, is that you in the kitchen?) and blue cheese crumbles tastes ridiculously on point. Trust me, you have not eaten a Beyond Burger like this anywhere else. Ukes uses earthy seasonings to elevate that plant-based burger.
Speaking of blue cheese, if you want to go a little “lighter,” try the wedge salad with the traditional iceberg lettuce and the nontraditional vegan version of blue cheese crumbles, diner-made blue cheese dressing and bacon crumbles. The tomato bisque — roasted tomatoes and coconut milk — rounds out the wholesome meal.
Fern’s offers delightful diner sweets too. Baker Coco Lucerno provides cinnamon rolls and cookies daily. But these are not your everyday cookie, folks. Lucerno explains: “They are my vegan and gluten-free take on traditional tea cookies, combined with the nostalgia of a Pop-Tart. I use colorful herbs and teas to dye the crusts and frostings and pair them with fruit jam fillings.”
I’m telling you, you’ll go down memory lane of Saturday-morning boxed breakfasts with those cookies.
And speaking of gluten-free, nearly every item on the menu, from breakfast to dinner to dessert, is or can be made gluten-free. Soy-free options are available, too.
Beyond the diner fare, Fern’s also operates as a drinkery. You’ll find beer (and N/A beer), wine, kombucha, mocktails and cocktails. The Tava is a fun twist on the breakfast mimosa: tequila, orange liqueur, agave, mango and pineapple. I mean it’s practically juice. Therefore it’s healthy. Or not. Whatever.
Anyway, the diner is cozy inside — four booths and 12 barstools — and the huge beer garden is filled with tables, chairs and picnic tables. And of course, polite and well-behaved dogs are welcome. Because Fern wouldn’t have it any other way.
So. How’s a vegan diner going to do in Cascade, with so many Ute Pass tourists popping in with no idea that meat’s not on the menu?
“We always strive to convince naysayers to stay and just give it a try, whether at Fern’s or Burrowing Owl,” Rilo says. “Most people are pleasantly surprised.”
On my most recent visit, I observed just that. A disappointed diner woefully asked, “You can’t just add meat to my order?” Nope. But he stayed. And that’s just what Rilo and Scheidel have been hoping for and what Ukes was striving to create in some of the dishes. “I want to give vegans a place to have homemade comfort food and to show non-vegans that being vegan is not impossible. It’s actually quite easy and delicious,” says Ukes.
Mission accomplished. Because when that slightly disappointed diner finished his meal he exclaimed, “I would have never known it was vegan! I’ll be back.”
I’ll probably see him there. Because yeah, Rilo’s right: diners are rad. And finally there’s one devoted to us vegans — but good enough to win over the carnivorous crowd. In Cascade, I’ll remind you.