Modified August 25, 2005
Vegetarian focus with fantastic results
Avanti Cafe offers a new choice in vegetarian dining, but co-owners and chefs Mark Cleveland and Tanya Fuqua don't advertise Avanti's meat-free menu.
There aren't any billboards supporting People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, no "Vegetarians Rule!" signs pasted on the window, and no frightening brochures about mad cow disease.
Instead the owners entice meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans with the dishes themselves -- such as a fresh focaccia sandwich with shiitake artichoke pesto and Emmenthaler cheese, a bowl of organic tomato and lentil soup, or a spicy triple ginger cookie.
The focus here is fresh and flavorful gourmet foods made from mostly organic ingredients.
And the location doesn't hurt. It's just a few doors down from the natural foods mecca, Mother's Market on East 17th Street in Costa Mesa.
Avanti ("forward" in Italian) was created by Cleveland and Fuqua, who met six years ago while working at Whole Foods in Costa Mesa. The duo share a love of European and Asian foods, organic produce, wines and whole-grain baked goods.
They host seasonal wine and food-tasting events at the restaurant, support South Coast Farms -- a San Juan Capistrano-based organic farm -- and collaborate on changing menu items. The creative pair even made the pottery dishes for the small cafe, which seats 25 inside.
Avanti is not just a place to find healthy meals.
You can also buy a jar of freshly-made jam or preserves; packets of pepper blends and spice rubs; and rosemary sea salts and aromatic scrubs. And for those in a hurry, there's a freezer of delicious soups, cookie doughs, frozen puff pastry, sorbet, granita and even holistic dog food.
Cleveland, 44, grew up in Chicago cooking alongside his Italian grandmother. Fuqua, 35, was raised in Houston and learned to cook from her mother.
Cleveland lived for a dozen years in Japan, where he developed a flair for Asian cooking techniques. He has worked as a personal chef and taught cooking classes throughout Southern California, including at Sur La Table and Laguna Culinary Arts.
Fuqua was classically trained at the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena. She's worked on joint projects at Whole Foods with the "Too Hot Tamales" chefs -- Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger -- and has also cooked with chef Suzanne Goin of Lucques and A.O.C. in Los Angeles.
Avanti serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with a selection of fresh bakery items, artisan cheeses, herb focaccia sandwiches, soups, salads, bruschetta and pizza. The fresh bakery items and deli items change daily.
The bakery menu features a delicious selection of freshly baked breads, muffins, scones, cookies and cakes. Fuqua bakes with natural flours, whole grains, organic sugars, eggs and butter, using organic palm shortening for vegan items.
Breakfast choices include sweet cake ($2.75 a slice), a breakfast frittata ($5.50), and homemade granola with soy milk, organic milk or yogurt ($4.75). Homemade ciabatta bruschetta and focaccia pizzetta can be custom ordered with a selection of artisan cheeses, gourmet olives and homemade tomato marinara sauce ($4.50 for half and $8.50 whole).
Soup choices and include chipotle black-eyed pea; cream of cauliflower with Okinawa purple potato; and oven-roasted tomato with fava, herbs and soy ($4 small, $7.50 medium and $13 large).
Deli items include shiitake miso couscous; organic pumpkin souffles with red quinoa, amaranth, ricotta, parmesan and toasted pumpkin seeds; tempeh Bolognese, a pasta with tofu, tempeh (an Indonesian food staple made from soybean, grain and rice) and red sauce; and vegan burgers.
Sample platters from the deli range from $7.50 to $13, and you can include bread, cheese and olives as an appetizer.
Avanti's next champagne brunch is on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The special menu includes a glass of Spanish Cava (a sparkling wine) or Italian Prosecco. The starter is a choice of oatmeal or multigrain hot porridge with your choice of fruit compote or spicy hot South Asia congee (a rice gruel mixed with vegetables).
Then there's a choice of buttermilk and walnut waffles; organic egg breakfast bruschetta with seasonal vegetables; herbs, olives and artisan cheeses; or falafel-crusted red organic tomatoes.
Brunch is served with coffee, brewed leaf tea, sweet potato and sweet pepper fries, fresh-baked breads, scones and fruity pico de gallo. The cost is $22 per person.
The restaurant's wine- and foodtasting event will be on Sept. 22 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Stop in Monday through Saturday for Avanti's happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. When you purchase a glass or bottle of wine or beer during happy hour, you can sample tapas for $3 per person.
* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at greerwylder@yahoo.com; at 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626; or by fax at (714) 966-4679.
