Cafe Flora

• Cuisine(s): Vegetarian
  Hours: Sun, Sat 9am-2pm, Sun 5pm-9pm, Mon-Thu 9am-9pm, Fri 9am-10pm, Sat 5pm-10pm
  Price: $$ $$
• Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout, Delivery, Private Party, Catering, Wheelchair Accessible, Prix Fixe
  Serving: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
• Alcohol: Beer/Wine
  Reservations: Accepted, Recommended for Large Parties
  Parking: Lot Available

Description

From the outside, Madison Park's Cafe Flora looks a little like a converted greenhouse, which is a savvy marketing strategy: sidewalk bystanders can peek right in and check out what everyone's eating, and it's only slightly creepy. The interior is adorned with plants and colorful paintings of birds, and the granola factor that plagues some vegetarian establishments is notably absent here. Though the menu is exclusively vegetarian, Cafe Flora doesn't rely on processed, fake meat products to come up with imaginative menu items even the most devoted flesh fiend can admit to enjoying. The Oaxaca tacos are a masterful combination of taste and texture: Creamy, cheesy potatoes come rolled up in crunchy corn tortillas and slathered in more cheese, black bean stew, and sundry salsas. If you absolutely must consume something that tastes like meat, the portobello Wellington, a flaky pastry filled with a finely chopped mushroom-and-pecan concoction and topped with Madeira sauce, is the meatiest vegetarian approximation of beef you're likely to encounter without resorting to fried foods.