If your New Year’s resolution is to eat healthy and you fear you’ll have trouble staying on track, the Organic Corner—a café/juice bar/health food shop in Massapequa—is a great place to get the inspiration to keep going. At Organic Corner, chef Rowan Shifrin prepares vegetarian and vegan food: soups, salads, sandwiches and hot dishes.
It was four-and-a-half years ago that Massapequa residents Craig and Jasmine Margulies, with Rowan as a partner, opened Organic Corner in the spot that had been Eden’s Way, a natural food store. Health and sustainability are the hallmarks of this cheerful, brightly lit café.
“We want to show people that fast food doesn’t have to be unhealthy,” said Margulies.
And it also can be delicious as evidenced by the various kale salads I was tasting.
“Kale is one of the top greens to put in your body,” said Margulies, as I tried the three dressings—spicy ponzu, tahini almond and miso lime—created by the chef.
Each had a distinctive taste. I couldn’t decide which I liked best. There are plans underway to bottle the dressings, which they hope will be available by June.
Menu items change daily but you can always count on getting a burrito, perhaps with broccoli and black beans. One of the most popular dishes is raw lasagna made from zucchini, walnuts, sun dried tomatoes, tomatoes and various spices and herbs.
Their soup of the day might be carrot ginger, potato leek, black bean, tomato rice with mint or vegetable alphabet. Or perhaps Shiflin will have prepared his award-winning chili that won against six competitors in a contest last year. Margulies said that many non-vegans come to the shop and he hopes to open their eyes to the possibility of not eating meat.
A major part of the business is the juice bar where there are tonics, smoothies and cleansing programs. Baked goods such as muffins, cookies and s
cones are prepared by Rachel Rappa at Wholesome at Heart in Oceanside.
Organic Corner is located at 37 Broadway, Massapequa.
