This one is for all of the vegans and vegetarians in the house. Megan Stewart, a recovering vegan from Michigan who now calls Buffalo home, is opening a vegetarian café in Allentown dedicated to those who love good food, but could do without eating animals.
You see, while living in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Megan fell in with the health and planet conscious vegan community, and lived on a plant-based diet for eleven years. While she lived in Ann Arbor, she worked at Starbucks and became close friends with another barista who hailed from Buffalo. The two talked about the day when they would open up a café. When the time came to call it quits in Ann Arbor, Megan decided that San Francisco was calling her name. Upon having a job opportunity in SF fall through the cracks, Megan turned to her roommate who was hightailing back to Buffalo. In a spontaneous move, she packed her bags and jumped on the Buffalo bandwagon.
One of the nice things about Starbucks is that the company is very good about helping its workers relocate to other cities. When Megan first arrived to a soy bean farm in Marilla, and then bounced to East Aurora, and then found her way to Allentown, she had the security of a Starbucks job the entire while.
Once in Allentown, Megan immediately discovered that Buffalo was one of the more friendly places that she had ever been to. “I’m a friendly person,” she told me. “Since I have been here, everyone that I have met has offered to help me. I have found it easy to meet people, and became friends with the coffee community.”
As Megan began to make friends, explore the local music scene, and learn about Buffalo, the idea of owning a café took hold again. “When I moved to Buffalo in 2009, I went from being a vegan to a vegetarian,” she said [laughing]. “It was while eating with my friend at Amy’s Place (University District) that I strayed… I was eating a BBQ vegan sandwich and my friend was eating the lentilberry sandwich (with provolone cheese). I decided that I had to have some, so I ate a quarter of it. It was then that I got very emotional and actually cried, partly because I was so happy, and partly because I knew that I was saying goodbye to that chapter of my life. It had been ten years since I last ate cheese… I was over the moon. Now I make a point to eat cheese and crackers for dinner once a week!”
While Megan may have strayed from her vegan ways, her passion for the lifestyle’s ideologies remains true. Grindhaus Café (nothing cutesy here) will bring a number of Ann Arbor’s hippie flavors to Buffalo. Combined with playful twists on some of Buffalo’s own food-lovers’ favorites (until landing in Buffalo, Megan had never even tried blue cheese).
Grindhaus, yes, there’s a Tarantino reference there, will serve breakfast and lunch items throughout the day, and into the night, along with some serious vegetarian comfort food. The menu will sport items such as hippie hash browns, a veggie Reuben (with house made seitan), a veggie cheese “steak” hoagie, a veggie pulled “pork” sammy with slaw on a roll, mac and cheese, pb&j, grilled cheese (with twists), hearty salads (nothing wimpy), soups, and don’t forget about the Burrito of Happiness (Indian inspired). Diners can expect house made butters such as maple almond with black current jelly (Megan’s favorite). Most important (to this writer) is that Megan will not be offering gross jelly packets like many local diners serve.
As for the café part of the business, the coffee will be hand cranked and prepared pour-over style. The espresso will also be hand cranked. There will be six different roasts offered at a time. The four talented baristas will be making all of the syrups in-house. Fresh baked pastries will be offered daily (think scones with cheese, maple and coconut “bacon”).
Grindhaus will seat upwards of 50 people. Music will range from blues to Pixies. The menu is dedicated to non-meat eaters, though the spins on the food will surely appeal to just about everyone who appreciates wholesome delicious food.
Let’s welcome Megan to Buffalo. Let’s high five to a great vegetarian-friendly restaurant. Let’s celebrate another dead corner storefront in Allentown dedicated to a fun new business. And let’s get ready to eat some yummy food and coffee drinks prepared by a girl who loves Buffalo, and whose favorite season is winter.
Grindhaus Café | 160 Allen Street | Buffalo, New York | (716) 725-6300 | Facebook