Park + Vine added a vegan lunch counter Aug. 15, 2011. The menu debuted with smokey potato salad, sesame noodles, cucumber petite, fresh kale, and barbecue sliders, alongside local favorites Blue Oven Bakery and Shadeau Breads. Melissa Cox Howard develops our menu and relies on local and seasonal fare. Favorites include the Rubinator, Missy’s BBQ Sammy Sliders, macaroni and cheese, Hail Caesar and Raw! Raw! kale salad. All items are available gluten-free. Lunch counter is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and features a separate Sunday brunch menu.

HOURS: 11 A.M. TO 3 P.M. MONDAY – SATURDAY

• Sandwiches ($6): Sammy Sliders (BBQ or Vegan Goetta), Rubinator, Bella Burger, Temptress
• Salads ($7): Bowl of Greens, Hail Caesar, Senor Seelbach Bowl
• Soup and Veggie Chili ($3.75/$5)
• Sides ($3/$5): RMacaroni and Cheese, Raw Raw!, Baby Bear side salad, Smoky Potato Salad
• Drinks: La Terza Coffee ($1.75/$2), Herbal Sage Tea ($1.50/$1.75), The Berry White: Strawberry or blueberry smoothie ($5), plenty of cold drinks in our fridge

BRUNCH HOURS: 11 A.M. TO 2 P.M.

• Biscuits and Gravy: Biscuits (flour, Earth Balance buttery spread, salt, soy milk) soaked in gravy made from mushrooms, vegan sausage, sherry, soy milk, flour, herbs spices and arrowroot ($8)
• Tofu Scramble: Veggie tofu scrambled with broccoli, carrots and scallions ($5)
• Spud Delicious: Fresh garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes ($5)
• The Danny: Messy combination of Tofu Scramble, Spud Delicious and one biscuit with gravy ($8)
• Gluten-free pancakes and waffles ($6)
• Happy Chicks Bakery coffeecake ($3)
• Whirlybird Granola parfait w/ almond milk yogurt and fruit ($5)
• Vegan Roots goetta ($3)
• Drinks: La Terza Coffee ($1.75/$2), Herbal Sage Tea ($1.50/$1.75), The Berry White: Strawberry or blueberry smoothie ($5), plenty of cold drinks in our fridge

Happy Chicks Bakery Coffeecake

We love local foods. Here’s a short list of some of the local businesses and farms we work with at our lunch counter:

• Beiersdorfer Orchard (Guilford, Indiana)
• Blue Oven Bakery
• Blue Oven Bakery (Williamsburg)
• Carriage House Farm
• Daisy Mae’s (Findlay Market)
• Grateful Grahams
• Happy Chicks Bakery
• The Kitchen Factory
• Madison’s at Findlay Market
• Shadeau Breads (Over-the-Rhine)
• Sweet Peace Bakery
• Vegan Roots Cincinnati
• Whirlybird Granola

REVIEWS

“…the excellent eco-friendly shop/cafe in Over-the-Rhine (1202 Main St.), recently introduced its summer menu — crafted by another awesome local musician, Melissa Cox Howard (Fairmount Girls) — which includes the Jesse Hee Haw, named for (Heartless Bastard) Mr. Ebaugh.” ― Mike Breen, Cincinnati CityBeat (May 2012)

“…one very green emporium with a vegan lunch counter.” ― Donna Covrett, Cincinnati Magazine (March 2012)

“I had been meaning to try the vegan lunch bar at Park + Vine for some time now. With the sun shining and a meeting that took me to the 1200 block of Main, the stars were aligned. All I can say now is what took me so long? Yum! If the rest of the menu is anything like the ‘Rubinator’ I’m hooked. Granted, the menu is short, but it’s perfect in that it offers items you don’t readily find elsewhere.” ― Downtown Cincinnati Inc. (Feb. 20, 2012)

“There are plenty of restaurants that serve products: factory-prepped, fat filled, giant portions. Better choices? …The café at Park + Vine (1202 Main St., Over-the-Rhine) has vegan and vegetarian fare that doesn’t feel like you’re ‘giving up’ anything.” ― Cincinnati CityBeat (Jan. 11-17, 2012)

“…it’s definitely a can’t-miss. Park + Vine puts its money where its mouth is with their new menu. It features local farmers and artisans, like Blue Oven Bakery, Brighid Farms, and Shadeau Bakery. The plates and utensils are all compostable…” ― wine me, dine me (Aug. 30, 2011)

Steve Paszt