Plant life

Pavarotti observed, “One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating,” and he knew how to eat. This place is in the last unit of that little strip mall just south of the Wild Orchid.

Gino and Juli Scala opened five months ago, and they both have an uncompromising commitment to develop and offer only the highest quality foods with excellent taste profiles. Gino was on the sales/distribution side of the food business for 27 years, and Juli runs the café at University of Nevada, Reno. It’s got a wholesome, funky feel when you walk in. There are high, exposed ceilings, simple tables and a few booths seating about 85 people. The staff is warm and full of energy.

Organic and natural is the goal here. They have their own garden in south Reno, a green house, and they buy wild fish. And there’s gluten free, organic, GMO free and dairy free options, and you’ll find Applewood smoked bacon, turkey, Angus beef, hickory smoked ham and pastas too. Vegan and vegetarian offerings are throughout the menu.

Breakfast is served until 11:30 a.m. with prices from $5.99 to $14.99. I went for the “funkytown” Liege waffle ($8.95): sliced warm apples, crumbled blue cheese, cinnamon and local honey. This waffle is made of dough and not batter. It’s firmer and has chunks of pearl sugar bits from Belgium folded into it that melt as the dough rises giving a crispy, caramelized exterior to the waffle. This treatment was created in Belgium in the 1700s, and the savory, creamy sweet marriage of these ingredients with pure Maple syrup is a delightful taste fantasy.

Gino is known as The Soup Guy, and he lives up to his reputation. His approach, starting with raw ingredients and creating something amazing. I tried total tomato and split pea (cup $3.50, bowl $4.50). The flavors screamed at me in perfect taste profile. Then came the wasabi vegetable bowl ($8.99) with wild sockeye salmon, plenty of fresh vegetables and heirloom tomatoes from Gino and Juli’s garden. It was firm and flaky, mild and sumptuous with the wasabi cream sauce atop, the salmon was a perfect complement to this vegetable medley with a simple lemon and olive oil dressing.

Really, a vegan Reuben ($10.99)—holy smokes! Soy, wheat and spices replace the meat. But the kraut, Thousand Island and a vegan cheese made the flavor tart and savory—this could fool any pastrami aficionado.

The latest features added to the menu are fresh wild-caught fish and shrimp. From Mexico comes wild shrimp served in pasta with white wine, garlic, red onions and shallot ($22.99), Italian through and through, and the wild shrimp holds the flavor of the broth providing total satisfaction for your palate.

There’s a Chilean sea bass with a light soy drizzle ($26.99), accompanied by remarkable mashed sweet potatoes and carrots and zucchini that are prepared by blanching and then roasting. This treatment made me enjoy carrots like I haven’t in years. The texture was smooth with a savory freshness rather than the earthy, boiled taste.

Simple but enjoyable wine list, all by the glass ($7-$10); beers ($4.50-$5) include a couple gluten free ($4.50) and a ginger beer with slight alcohol ($5). I tried the organic Suprafuta Sangria ($7) with organic blood orange and pomegranate: not too sweet, with lots of fruit in the flavor and in the glass.

There’s a lot of passion and feeling in the food and from the people here. In this era of remarkable culinary creativity, simple and fresh can still be the best approach. And as I was reminded, when the world wearies, and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden, and for that, we should be grateful.