Spring Cafe
Vegan restaurant · Chinatown ·
Vegan Asian fusion bao buns, burgers, bento boxes, and smoothies
Vegan Asian fusion bao buns, burgers, bento boxes, and smoothies
"Many of the city’s earliest veggie burgers deployed mushrooms, and the result was often stunning. At Spring Cafe, a vegan spot just west of Chinatown, king oyster mushrooms — the ones with a tubby stem and smaller cap — are sauteed and draped over a hamburger bun. This mushroom variety proves to be one of the most flavorsome and densely textured." - Robert Sietsema
"For a brief, shining moment at the gorgeous pavilion next to Como Lake, Spring Cafe delivered great food and family-friendly vibes: Matty O’Reilly (of Bar Brigade and Republic) teamed with notable chef JD Fratzke to serve fantastic finger foods, tart lemonade, and pulled-pork sandwiches made from quality ingredients, all served by incredibly helpful and knowledgeable staff—perfect for a stop after the Como Zoo or a paddle on the lake. The run was short-lived, and the space is now operated by Lancer catering, which also runs the deplorable food-peddling zoo eatery." - Joy Summers
"At Spring Café the ube sandwich — made with purple yam beloved by Filipinos and others, slathered between two layers of whole grain bread — is certainly the most colorful sandwich I tried; the bread and yam are a marriage made in heaven, but wear sunglasses." - Robert Sietsema
"Just west of Chinatown on Centre Street, I found a bright-white spot with big picture windows that provide a bustling, Olde New York panorama; seating is minimal but adequate, and sandwiches, burgers, salads and bao dominate the menu. Go there for the ube sandwich ($5.95) on toasted multigrain bread, which features a thick layer of coarsely pureed purple yam laced with dried cranberries for tartness and pumpkin seeds for crunch — the flavor is loamy and slightly sweet — and though it's classified as a breakfast sandwich I recently coaxed the staff to make one for lunch. There are also lots of interesting vegan burgers on smallish buns; my favorite so far features king oyster mushrooms in black pepper sauce." - Robert Sietsema
"Inside the Como Pavilion, I found Spring Cafe, which Matty O’Reilly and then-chef JD Fratzke opened in the midst of last April’s historic spring blizzard; Fratzke parted ways with the restaurant in November of last year. Although the Pavilion’s previous restaurant incarnations operated year-round, Spring Cafe had closed for the winter this year. O’Reilly said he was happy to sell the restaurant while business was going well, noting that too many businesses don’t get to pick the terms of their exit, and the operation has now been sold to Lancer Hospitality, a national corporate catering company that also runs the cafeterias at Como Zoo and the Minnesota Zoo. The new incarnation of Spring Cafe is slated to reopen in the spring." - Joy Summers