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Spread the news! Taste Cafe will be closed for staff vacation starting Saturday, July 30th and will re-open Monday, August 15th.

In case of any Taste withdrawals, plan ahead! We will be accepting phone orders for the week of August 15th onwards. Please call and leave a message, and we will be happy to confirm your order by Friday, August 12th or Saturday, August 13th.

Thank you for your business, we will see you soon!

Jane & Hannah

Tel: 509 468 2929

Fax: 509 315 5300

Even though Gluten-Free does not limit itself to pastries, every so often we humbly surprise ourselves with those one of a kind “modified” recipes. They give us a proud moment to stop and think, until the oven timer goes off and we have to get back to the kitchen fun!

We have been in the search of the perfect Gluten-Free muffin recipe since we opened our doors. Our requirements were hearty but not earthy, sweet but not sugary and healthy but not plain. After a two year self-imposed kitchen test, we are finally there! We’ve added diced Washington apples, fresh pineapple chunks, shaved coconut and shredded carrots. The secret ingredient? Our obsession with good taste, no pun intended. Even though we admit we will most likely continue to modify the recipe, we can only assure you that it will only get better.

So here it is, we are happy to introduce our Taste Gluten-Free Healthy Harvest Muffin, the little muffin that could!

Give your taste buds a wakeup call with TASTE Café’s new $4.95 breakfast deal! It includes the new TASTE Breakfast Sandwich and an 8 oz cup of Doma Coffee for only $4.95. Each breakfast sandwich is prepared on a sandwich-sized English Muffin with peppered ham, fried egg, tomato and cheddar cheese. For vegetarians, order the breakfast sandwich with fresh tomato, fried egg and cheddar cheese.

Breakfast is the first chance the body has to refuel its blood glucose levels,  also known as blood sugar, after eight to 12 hours without a meal or snack. Glucose is essential for the brain and is the main energy source and also helps fuel the muscles needed for physical activity throughout the day.

The sandwich will be available every Monday thru Friday from 7 am to Noon, and will also be available all day Saturday. TASTE opens at 7am so don’t skip out on breakfast anymore and wake up with our hot, delicious signature breakfast sandwiches, muffins, scones, frittata, panini or fresh fruit!

Nature continues to impress us! A week ago we decided to switch all of the sugar used at the cafe to organic sugarcane and here’s some of the reasons why we did it:

FRESH

Sugarcane is any of six to thirty-seven species of tall perennial grasses…yes, sugar comes from a type of grass that go from six to nineteen feet tall. The process to create organic sugar involves only 50% of what is used to create traditional refined sugar. However, this does not affect the quality and taste of the sugar produced, in fact many claims that organic sugar actually tastes better. There are also other benefits to using organic sugar:

- It is healthier for the planet and for farmers. Pesticides and other chemicals used in making refined sugar are released into the ozone layer, contributing to climate change.

- The process refined sugar goes through hardly leaves any vitamins and minerals in the end product. What is left is just a form of refined, pure carbohydrates which the body cannot utilize because of the lack of essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Organic sugar on the other hand keeps the sugar product’s nutrients intact, and easy for the body to digest and absorb.

- When our body digests and processes refined sugar, it basically drains our entire system of vitamins and minerals, which contributes to the phenomenon we know as “sugar rush”. The sudden intake of large amounts of sugar puts the body into shock and therefore gives us a temporary “high”, and this is also why we feel sluggish and sleepy after the sugar rush. Organic sugar has a purer end product, and doesn’t give us that temporary rush and high.

- Sugar is associated to weight gain because the end product is nothing but empty calories. The sugar cane contains minerals our body can utilize, which can only be consumed through organic sugar

BEAUTIFUL

The cane juice, rich in molasses, vitamins and minerals, is extracted, clarified, evaporated and crystallized.  The result is a blond- colored, delicious and natural organic sugar that we believe will enhance all your favorite Taste pastries.

TASTY

The texture and character of organic sugar has more moisture, giving it a nice caramel-like taste that refined sugar can’t match!

Here are some of our very best suggestions for summer lunch delivery!

Sandwiches
-Garden Veggie-hummus, shredded carrots, chopped olives, feta, tomatoes, cucumber and avocado on whole wheat bread $ 7.95
-Pesto Panini- mozzarella, tomato and pesto $ 8.50
-Asian Chicken Wrap- oven baked chicken, red and yellow peppers, green onions and sesame seeds in an Asian peanut sauce. Served in a spinach wrap $ 8.50
Salads
-Pasta, Pesto and Pea
-Potato and Dill
-Curried Chicken with Mangoes
-Fresh Fruit Salad
Beverages
-Iced Cold Brew Coffee
-Arnold Palmer
-Soft drinks

Wedding Cake Tasting

If Marie Antoinette had really been referring to delicious carrot cake or red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, we might agree with her. Cake is one of those magical creations. Children’s faces light up at the sight of it and even adults can’t resist a slice. It symbolizes celebration and the presence of cake marks an event worth celebrating!

Lately Hannah has been busy in the kitchen making cakes for weddings, graduations, baby showers and “just because” events. We’ve been doing lots of wedding cake tastings, Hannah developed a specialty lemon poppy seed cake with lemon curd filing for a wedding and we’ve served up numerous cakes and cupcake platters. As most of you can tell from the photos on Facebook, we have a knack for decorating cakes and we’re quite skilled with fondant.

So, whatever your taste and whatever your occasion, share your dream with us and we’ll be happy to let you eat cake (good cake, too)!

Photo from last year…we’ll need to take a new one soon!

The weather is lovely and it’s time to crawl out of our shells and into the sunshine. We’ve got outdoor seating once again!

Come over to 180 S Howard and soak up the sun while enjoying a panini and Arnold Palmer or Huevos Rancheros and a mimosa. Outdoor seating is available during the week for lunch and during our Saturday brunch. Welcome summer!

We handed out 460  desserts at Taste Washington last Sunday! A great success and a wonderful event!

Dawn, Hannah, Jane and our Rich Chocolate Pot de Creme, Marshmallow Meringue and Artisan Graham Cookie “TAS’MORES”. Photo by Fossa Studio Photography.

We’ve got a new vegan and gluten-free TASTE just in time for summery days. Try our new Lemon Lentil salad-a bright and beautiful dish of lentils, red, yellow and orange bell peppers, green onions, lemon juice and lemon zest. It’s a healthy salad and makes a great lunch option when paired with two of our other salads for a tasty salad trio with roll & butter- $9.50! Bon Apetit!