Going vegetarian is all the rage these days, so I decided to try out a vegetarian café. The Twisted Tree Cafe is an all natural, organic, and vegetarian eatery located in Asbury Park, NJ. The bulk of the menu includes sandwiches and wraps. They offer wraps like the Focaccia Melt, Soy Chicken Salad, and Tofu Meatball. Sandwiches are made with homemade bread or a flour wrap (they have gluten-free wraps too). In addition, they have their famous Three Bean Chili and a small selection of salads. The Twisted Tree also has a large variety of fresh fruit smoothies.
I ended up ordering the Tofu Meatball wrap and it was delicious! The wrap came toasted with a side of salad. From a distance, I could not tell that the meatball was vegan. It had a nice brown color and the texture was just like a beef meatball! In terms of ingredients, the Tofu Meatball was made of silken tofu, oats, walnuts, fennel seeds, carrots, onions, green peppers, and garlic.
It was a great combination of flavors, but a little dry as I expected. However, the melted cheese and roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato sauce compensated for the dry “meatballs.” As for the salad, I loved the homemade ginger miso dressing. It was creamy but light, and had a punch of zesty ginger.
For dessert, there is a good selection of homemade cookies, cakes, and muffins. I did not get to try any, but my friend got a gluten-free Banana Walnut muffin. From her reaction to the first bite, I presumed it was delicious.
The ambiance was very homey with natural light coming from the window. They had a small bar area, standard tables and chairs, and big comfy couches. Also, I have to comment on the bathroom because it was one of the nicest bathrooms I have ever seen at a café/restaurant. It was nicely decorated and there were stones in the sink, something I have never seen before. Most importantly, the restroom was clean; we all know you can tell a lot about a restaurant from the condition of their bathroom.
I love the mason jar lights!
Overall, I would recommend this café. It is the perfect place to grab a quick but healthy meal. Even though I thought $10 was a little pricey for a wrap, it is worth it. The dishes are organic, fresh, and flavorful. I never thought I could turn vegetarian, but if someone cooked me tasty vegetarian dishes everyday, I could definitely do it! Next time, I will be sure to try one of their baked goods!
Visit www.twistedtreecafe.com for more information.
bake me smile 