BEST NATURAL FOOD/VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

BEST NATURAL FOOD/VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTThe Honey Tree5138 Biscayne Boulevard

Miami

305-759-1696 This natural-food store, vegetarian and vegan deli, juice bar, and organic-produce market is a one-stop shopping oasis for those who believe that eating well is a prerequisite for feeling well. Some drop in for an organic smoothie and quick browse of the books, music, vitamins, supplements, body-care items, and other paraphernalia attendant to the vegetarian lifestyle. But it would be a shame to leave the Honey Tree without sampling the freshly cooked, nutritionally sound cuisine. The menu is testament to the wide range of herbivorous meal options: hearty soups, splendid salads, ingenious variations on rice, vegetables, seitan, and tofu -- the last alone might come grilled with tamarind peanut sauce, stir-fried Indonesian-style, or carved into curried triangles. Other noteworthy specialties of the house, available for eat-in or take-out, include kale and potato patties, penne pasta with spicy soy sausage, a luscious macaroni and cheese (the only nonvegan item on the menu), and carob-and-walnut-studded banana bread. The food here is so truly tasty, the staff so friendly that after finishing lunch, you may find yourself approaching strangers and saying nice things about Paul McCartney.

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