Marie and Giuseppe Tufano visiting Utah from Charlotte, North Carolina, enjoying a mini bowl and roast “beef” sandwich at Gaia’s Garden Cafe, St. George, Utah, Sept. 17, 2022 | Photo by Becky Stein, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — While eating a plant-based or vegan diet at home can be more easily controlled, dining out means vegans must question whether the establishment cooks with ingredients like butter or animal fats and often leads to special requests: Can you hold the fish sauce? No cheese, please. Can you make it with oil?
Fortunately, in St. George, there are several restaurants catering to those dedicated to plant-based diets, and the list is growing.
Gaia’s Garden Cafe
Gaia’s Garden Cafe, located at 695 S. 100 W., is St. George’s first “conscious eating” restaurant. It opened in the height of the pandemic in May of 2020 for takeout only, then opened its doors for in-house dining in February 2021 and has since taken off.
While utilizing the term “Gaia,” which is a Greek goddess personifying Earth and known as mother of all life, Gaia Garden Cafe was the creation of a mother, Samantha Orvin, and her daughter, Rena Gabriel.
Before they opened the cafe, Orvin said she was going through life changes and longed for a creative outlet. She also missed the company of her daughter who was living in the Salt Lake area at the time.
Despite some hesitancy due to a lack of career experience, Orvin and Gabriel decided to seize an opportunity to fill a gap in the St. George community by creating a business for the plant-eating demographic. The family business also includes Samantha Orvin’s husband, Lorin, and manager/owner Justine Mendoza.
“I went vegan on a challenge to lose weight,” Lorin Orvin said when describing his passion for the lifestyle. “The health benefits are undeniable. I have increased mental clarity, more energy and longevity.”
The key to a successful vegan lineup is creativity and flavor. It is not just raw and undressed.
“We make our own ranch dressing, horseradish mayonnaise, siracha aioli, date caramel, sauce and our own peanut butter,” Samantha Orvin said.
And you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy their food, she said, adding that the food is so rich in flavor that the staff is frequently asked whether there is meat in some of the offerings because the seasonings used in the recipes taste like the real thing.
Her inspiration for creative recipes comes from her Italian and Middle Eastern background. The Godfather Toast is a nod to the Italian influence.
“I just grew up cooking,” she said.
The menu includes a variety of acai bowls, toasts, salads, sandwiches, baked goods and coffee bar. Their acai is unique for they procure acai that is raw and organic which is not common, most places use powders.
One of the most popular sellers is the BLT, a recipe invented by Gabriel.
“I eat a BLT every single day, “ Gabriel admits.
In addition to providing St. George with a source of vegan eating, the owners of the cafe say community partnering is essential. They partner with Perks Coffee to secure locally roasted coffee and encourage local artists to submit their works for display and sale.
Gaia’s indoor dining is bright with ample seating and has a warm coffee shop feel to its atmosphere. It also has an inviting spacious patio with tables and sofas for leisurely lingering.
Aubergine Kitchen
New to the 435, Aubergine Kitchen, located at 613 S. Mall Street in St. George, is planning a grand opening in late October.
Elcio Zanatta and his wife Mirian, moved to Utah from Brazil after their children came to Utah for college. During this time Elcio Zanatta attended a seminar that emphasized the impact of diet on one’s energy and health.
“It was a turning point in my life,” he said. “Oh, it made so much sense. Most of the things were related to what we eat.”
He said he returned to his family and helped engage them with this clean diet lifestyle, while his wife led the trajectory by creating inventive healthy recipes, a turning point that would change their lives forever. They felt better and had more energy. However, similar to Gaia’s founders, they were constantly challenged to eat well when dining out.
“Why not open a café with the same foods we eat at home, with the way we cook at home? That is helping the community,” Mr. Zanatta said.
Aubergine Kitchen became the family business to fill the void. The Zanattas with the additional staff of their daughter, Julia and son, Eduardo, to help with marketing and planning, have expanded their footprint: the St. George location will be their seventh restaurant. Aubergine Kitchen is not a strictly vegan restaurant, but the menu offers plenty of vegan options and many delicious choices for their non-vegan friends.
“Our mission is to change people’s lives by teaching them to eat better. Eat better, feel different is our tagline,” said Jason Osborn, who serves as vice president of marketing for Aubergine Kitchen.
To keep the menu enticing and far from bland, the Zanatta family conducts international “research” trips. This year they went to Italy, France and Switzerland and came back with some seasonal creations to add to their staples and steady menu. Cauliflower rice risotto and spaghetti squash with mushroom cream will soon be folded into their offerings. Next year they are considering a trip to Israel and Lebanon for some Middle Eastern inspiration.
“It starts with great ingredients, make them the right way, such as baking versus frying, “ Elcio Zanatta said.
Aubergine’s menu also steers clear of refined sugars and processed ingredients.
To substantiate their strong belief in their mission, he said they documented a volunteer subject who ate their food for 30 days after a starting baseline of blood work and health markers, which turned out great results.
“We were able to prove that our food can actually change people’s lives,” Osborn said.
The documentary is in final production and will be coming out soon. In the meantime, Aubergine Kitchen is expected to open Oct. 31.
Notable mentions
Red Fort, located at 148 S. 1470 E. in St. George, has a classic Indian cuisine menu that is expansive and almost any dish can be prepared for vegans and vegetarians.
Mixed Greens, located at 2275 Santa Clara Drive in Santa Clara, is a hidden gem for healthy fast food. St. George and its surroundings have a few restaurants that share space with gas station/convenience stores which can be easily overlooked or discounted. This family-run business has an impressive menu including curry and Thai combinations.
Though it is not strictly vegan, patrons can go through the assembly process and make their own vegan or vegetarian plate, bowl or salad. They have tables for dining in for those wanting to stay a while.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.