For almost 20 years, Consciousness-Blossoms was a staple in the Palm Harbor community. The peaceful restaurant inspired by the philosophy of meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy served as one of the few, if not the only, eateries known for both vegetarian and vegan cuisine in the general vicinity of 3390 Tampa Road.
Owner Tilvila Hurwit closed Consciousness-Blossoms in June, right about the time newlyweds Nicole Becker and Rafi Yezli were in the market for a space to launch a similar concept.
The couple was originally looking for a site in Trinity that would allow them to “build something from the ground up,” according to Becker. But during the search, their realtor reached out about the Consciousness-Blossoms property. It was for sale.
“Once we visited the space, we just knew,” Becker said. “Even after looking at other places we kept coming back to this one.”
As Becker tells it, the late restaurant’s existing customer base was a big incentive; the duo could essentially pick up where Consciousness-Blossoms left off. So they did. Yezli and Becker bought the building in late July, opened its doors the next month and gave their place a new name: The Green Table Restaurant.
To assist with marketing, the owners have temporarily kept the old signage out front.
“We want people to know that there is still a vegetarian/vegan restaurant still in the area, and within the next month or so we will hang our own signs,” Becker said.
The Green Table’s menu is generally the same as what came before it. However, Becker — who leads the kitchen, making each dish from scratch as the chef — also rolled out a chalkboard of weekly specials behind the bar. Guests seem to be responding well to it.
“Our top sellers are mostly dishes that have been introduced since we’ve taken over,” she said, “like my mock chicken salad wrap.”
The chef’s non-mock chicken salad is showcased at a restaurant in her hometown of Howell, Michigan. A retail store up north sells her original recipe in packaged form, too, so it’s no wonder the veg-head-approved version is a popular order.
Other customer favorites are the revamped vegetarian Neatloaf sandwich, a Moroccan tomato peanut soup, and the vegan Jump for Joy burger that incorporates more than 30 ingredients — and takes hours to make. The illusion of a meaty patty is achieved through the burger’s beets, which are combined with a drizzle of sweet-and-sour sauce for some tang.
“I usually make the base for that on my day off to ensure that there is little wait time when customers order it,” Becker said.
As for the look of the restaurant, a recently executed makeover gave the 900-square-foot, 38-seat Green Table an even homier feel. Features of the updated space include handwritten labels on jars of tea, hanging lanterns and decorative fall accents on every table.
Becker says the community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive during their first nine weeks in business. The Green Table hopes to continue securing Consciousness-Blossoms’ former regulars and then some.
What’s more, within the next three years, the owners aim to expand their flagship location while adding an outpost in the Trinity area and another south of Palm Harbor
This article appears in Oct 18-25, 2018.