Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

Organic Karma Caf?
707-252-6400
1030 Third Street, Napa

After a rigorous yoga class, where does a hungry yogi eat? Sometimes the answer is at the closest place, yet principles and good intentions sometimes prevail. The Organic Karma Caf?, which I discovered in Listen & Be Heard?s Eating Independently guide, had to be tried.

Situated near the intersection of Main Street and 3rd, the [tag]Organic Karma Caf?[/tag] has a great location. It is at the edge of the downtown shopping area and across from the courthouse. There is plenty of on-street parking as well as nearby parking lots.

The front of the O.K. Caf? is a large window. There is nothing to distinguish it from any other sandwich shop in any other downtown, until you start reading the fine print. Aside from the word ?Organic,? are signs that this is a place of cheerful attitude and good intentions. Just another day in paradise.

Inside there are some surprising artistic touches, like the beautiful tile floor and ornate light fixtures. Half of the shop is the kitchen where grilled sandwiches are made to order and an espresso machine is dedicated to organic coffee drinks. On the day we went, the few tables were surrounded by display cabinets of drinks as well as boxes of organic snack food. The Caf? was stocking up for the 4th of July.

The menu is not limited by the small space, and it is well organized. There is the expected Vegetarian sandwich, which includes dream cheese, cucumber, tomato, pickles, avocado, provolone and lettuce on wheat bread. Listed next to it is the ?Unfaithful One,? which adds bacon to the Vegetarian sandwich. The most popular sandwich may be the [tag]?Heaven on Bread[/tag],? chicken, bacon, avocado, and pepperjack cheese on grilled sour panini bread. Other choices include Hot Dogs, salads and organic pasta.

We tried the ?Best Damn Breakfast,? a sandwich of scrambled eggs, melted cheese, and bacon on grilled sour panini bread, and Mama?s Pesto Chicken, grilled chicken, fresh pesto, tomato, red onions on grilled sour panini bread. The bread was tangy and just the right size for the fillings. Overall the breakfast sandwich was the better choice. The eggs were moist. The bacon cooked well without being too crisp. The chicken breast in the other sandwich came in strips that tended to be dry. You can never have enough pesto in my book. The tomato and red onion tasted fresh and real as organic produce should.

We also had a very smooth, warm latte made to my partner?s specifications. The use of 100% organically grown coffee from single estate farms and organic milk made it all taste even better.

Right now the Organic Karma Caf? is open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. They do a lot of business with people working in the nearby offices. They are hoping to expand to include Saturday and Sunday. With their positive attitude, ?We can do it all!? the O.K. Caf? may become more of a destination place.

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