Bloom

Just this weekend I tried organic Mid-City spot, Bloom. While I'm not a granola-eating, peace-loving, pot-smoking hippie, I did enjoy this place - well at least the idea of this place. The interior feels so fresh and modern that you forget you're between a liquor shop and an auto garage. Bloom is open breakfast thru dinner and offers a fairly large menu for organic fare. Probably most intriguing is the large list of juices and smoothies they offer, ranging from simple organic apple juice to a beet, apple, lemon, avocado smoothie. I opted for the apple and pineapple juice with bee pollen on top while Griffin had a green chai latte. We were both happy with our drink orders, but I will say that being organic, the juice did have about 2 inches of froth on top that made me doubt it was worth the $6.50 it cost. For our entrees I had the lemon ricotta pancakes with a side of fresh fruit and Griffin had the 2+2+2 (eggs any style, piece of bacon, piece of sausage, and 2 whole grain buttermilk pancakes with a side of roasted potatoes). I've had ricotta pancakes before and loved them, but this time around I was less impressed. The lemon was a little overwhelming and the cream topping didn't seem to match the dish. The fruit salad was a nice change of pace from the melon mix you get at most restaurants, combining purple grapes, mango, papaya, pineapple and kiwi. Griffin seemed more satisfied with his combination plate. The sausage was particularly delectable. I tasted his wholegrain buttermilk pancakes just for a comparison and actually preferred those to the lemon ricotta. The potatoes seemed a little undercooked, but we downed them all anyway. Portions are enough to fill you up, but don't plan on taking home any leftovers. After reading other online reviews of this place, I'd have to agree that the service wasn't particularly first class. The host was amicable, but the waitress was not altogether friendly. If you are into organic food, this place is for you. If eating organic is not top priority, I'm not sure I'd recommend it. I am willing to give Bloom another try for lunch or dinner (the turkey chili sounds delicious!) and I'll let you know how that works out for me.

http://bloomcafe.com/