Ray Charles ~ A Fool For You
Imelda May ~ Pulling The Rug
Kevin Kline ~ La Mer
Natalie Cole ~ This Can't Be Love
The Gossip ~ 2012
Slow Moving Millie ~ Wonderful Life
Michael Kiwanuka ~ I Won't Lie
Keith Urban ~ Thank You
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band ~ Trouble Is...
Pearl Jam ~ Last Kiss
Halestorm ~ I Miss The Misery
Nelly Furtado ~ Maneater
Jace Everett ~ Bad Things
ZZ Ward ~ Save My Life
During my recent holiday in Cornwall..I stayed in a little place called Hayle. And fortunately for me it is the home to a wholefood vegan and vegetarian cafe...Johnny's. I couldn't wait to visit and on the way home from a day out we stopped in for a late afternoon cup of tea. I wanted to check it out before committing to a meal..lol. I am used to being disappointed by many places that make the claims that Johnny's do on their website. We were greeted by a smiley face behind the counter as we walked in, we found a table and got settled. And it was a relief to find that the menu was indeed vegan and vegetarian and the cafe itself very peaceful and welcoming. I ordered a Blackcurrant Tea and a slice of vegan gingerbread. I looked around at the various items on sale around the cafe...from paintings to clothes to furniture to jewellery. Fascinating... My tea arrived in a lovely pot and a great cup and saucer and then my cake arrived. I would say slice of cake but it really was the size of a full loaf...I took leftovers away with me and I had cake for the rest of the week..lol. The service was friendly and very chilled..and it made you take a breath and relax too. The waitress really was the epitome of the wholefood lifestyle. It was decided that we would go back for lunch...
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| Johnny's Cafe, Cornwall |
Yesterday was the day for our lunch date and I was really looking forward to it. We arrived around 12 and was relieved to find a choice of tables but this time we went for the sofa area.
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| The lovely little sofa area..very comfortable |
The feel of the cafe is very organic and the cafe is filled with recycled and refurbished furniture. It has that awesome smell that you only get from a good wholefood cafe too..I found myself feeling completely at home.
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| My view into the cafe from the sofa...great light and space |
For ML there was only one option which was a jacket potato and cheese but we already knew that. I scanned the specials board but I knew what I wanted...I wanted to sample Johnny's Famous Bean Burger.
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| Look at all those V's for Vegan...such a nice change to have options |
Our waitress this time was a friendly woman who took our order and then gave us space. Now you don't come to Johnny's in a rush because everything is cooked fresh so you get plenty of time to chill in the surroundings and enjoy your drinks whilst you wait. lol. Being an impatient person and a cook myself...this usually drives me nuts and I find myself saying...Good lord it doesn't take this long to cook yada yada. But in Johnny's you are so at ease and at peace...you are fully accepting in the fact..it will come when it comes. And because you can see back into the kitchen and therefore can see how busy the chef is..you know it's all in good hands.
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| And then your meal arrives and you can't help but smile... |
I ordered the burger and at the waitress's suggestion a side order of wedges with herb mayonnaise...all vegan! Woo! Sorry still a little giddy from all the vegan options...lol. When the waitress bought my lunch out and set it down in front of me I just smiled. A deep smile..one from deep within and felt thoroughly spoilt. The wedges were fresh and not from a packet in the freezer. The burger came stacked with char grilled veggies - red peppers and courgettes...a deep herby soft bean burger inside a soft wholemeal bun. The side salad was a delicious mix of leaves, cherry tomatoes, radishes and cucumber and not soaked in dressings...just a little pot of sweet chilli sauce. I just didn't know where to start and I admit I just sat there admiring it for a couple of minutes. The waitress had been very helpful and also managed to add iceberg lettuce to MLs jacket potato offering. They really do look after you well.
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| Johnny's Famous Bean Burger....gratuitous close up..lol |
So after trying out a herby mayo'd wedge or two whilst I worked out how to tackle my stacked burger...I sliced it in two and went for it. The wedges tasted good and the mayo was enjoyable...but when I took my first bite of the burger I was a very happy vegan. The bread was soft...the burger was soft but held it's own and had a great bean/herby combination and the char grilled veggies were perfectly cooked and tender and melted into the burger as you took the bite. I saved my salad for last and enjoyed the freshness of it...and at that point left the mayo and finished my wedges off with the chilli sauce. lol. Did I enjoy this lunch??
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| A picture is worth a thousand words...don't you think? |
Not one single morsel was left on those plates and I don't think I have eaten so much for lunch in a long time. It felt so good to be able to confidently eat a meal at a cafe without worrying about it's authentic vegan contents. The meal was beautifully presented...and tasted better than it looked. Would I come back again? Crikey if I lived near Johnny's I would be a regular customer...so when I am back in the area I will make a point of visiting and would urge friends, family and blog readers to take the time to visit too.
I also ordered the vegan cake of the day to take away with me and this day it was a delicious looking apple cake. One of my favourite vegan cakes...and one of the first ever I made back in the day.
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| The divine slice of apple cake... |
I enjoyed my piece of cake much later in the day with a cup of chamomile tea after a drive to Lands End where it was so blustery and cold that I almost got blown off of the edge...and I got so cold that I needed intravenous hot tea straight into my veins..lol. So snuggled up on the sofa with my hot tea and slice of cake was another moment of happy. Thanks Johnny! lol.
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| And photo proof...my previous visits cake haul...a very tasty gingerbread |
I had a great time at Johnny's Cafe...the staff helped by being friendly and attentive...the chef for cooking such great food and presenting it in such a way that you couldn't help but feel pampered. I hope you all get the chance to experience this cafe for yourself...places like this are sadly rare so we need to support them when we can.
So thank you to all the staff who contributed to a great lunch experience...long may you all reign...
Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Sunday is a fantastic one...
~Red~
