Nourish Restaurant: Update

Hope this finds you all well and with power in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy! Although we had 24 hours without electricity at home, we are grateful that the restaurant did not lose power. whew.....After testing a couple of recipes for an upcoming column in Spirit of Change Magazine - literally cooking by candlelight as well as dining by candlelight, we did manage to make the best of the darkness. Six of us took a long, walk in the rain after dinner with dogs in tow and flashlights in hand. A board game by the fire with lots of laughs finished off the evening. As fun as last night was, really happy to have the lights back on and more importantly the power to my freezer with all my berries for the winter back on! Enjoy this week's update.

Welcome!

We are a family-owned business and have been in the hospitality industry for the past 30 years. Our sister restaurants, Big Fresh Café and Tennessee's BBQ, have happily served up real food at a reasonable price to the people of Framingham for over 20 years. And now we're delighted to be offering the best of both restaurants to the Lexington community.

We believe the word ‘nourish’ is about more than sustenance. It is also about feeling welcomed. In the spirit of both nourishment and hospitality we offer a diverse menu that reflects a wide variety of tastes. We are bringing both Big Fresh and Tennessee’s BBQ under one roof to bridge the divide that often results in families or amongst friends when it comes time to decide where to eat. The inevitable question of ‘what does everyone want’? often results in a compromise for someone. The vegetarian ends up scanning a meat laden menu hoping to find something other than a salad while the kids are hoping for pizza and someone else has their heart set on ribs.

Our menu was created to offer a diverse selection of well-chosen protein options. We believe that a healthier, balanced plate has a reasonable protein portion along with generous amounts of vegetables and grains. We have tried to make our menu as flexible as possible to accommodate our customer’s individual dietary requests.

But we also recognize that as much as we all are trying to eat well and maintain a healthy lifestyle there are also times when we’re going to choose some ribs or a yummy dessert over a plate of brown rice and veggies. So we have done our best to offer you a selection of some of our favorite dishes.

SAY WHAT?! (some terms you may or may not be familiar with)

Tofu – tofu is made from soy milk that takes on the flavor of any sauce it is served with. It is high in protein with little fat and contains all eight essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized in the body and are vital for the renewal of cells and tissues. It also contains phytoestrogens (a chemical that mimics the role of estrogen in our bodies) which can be both helpful or not depending upon the individual. As with most things, moderation is wise!
Tempeh – is made by fermenting cooked soybeans with a cultured starter and has a nutty, somewhat mushroom-like taste. A more acquired taste than tofu, tempeh is high in protein, relatively high in fiber because it is a whole soybean food, and therefore contains all the B vitamins and amino acids. It has a higher nutrient content than tofu and the added benefit of being an enzyme rich food because it has been fermented.
Tahini – a paste made from ground sesame seeds commonly used in middle eastern cooking. It is the main ingredient in our tahini sauce and also makes an appearance in our hummus.
Falafel – is made from cooked, spiced chickpeas. It is considered Middle Eastern fast food and usually served in a pita or flat bread with salad, tahini sauce, pickles and hot sauce.
Taboule – another middle eastern dish that is made with bulgar wheat, mint, lemon juice and parsley.
Harif – a hot sauce often added to middle eastern dishes but can be used to spice up any dish.

We have a dual mission which is best expressed by the line RESPONSIBLY SOURCED – RESPECTFULLY PRICED which you will see printed on the menu. That means that we will do our best to purchase as much organic food as possible, and support our local growers during the New England growing season. It also means we will strive to keep our prices reasonable so that we may invite a diverse group to our table. But it does not mean we are 100% organic, we juggle organic, local, regional, national and conventional food purchases to maintain prices that allow more people to walk through our doors. Our food philosophy incorporates not just responsible sourcing but also the understanding that consuming more plant foods is an important aspect of nourishing our bodies. This is reflected in our plate presentations which generally will have smaller protein portions and larger vegetable and grain components than some people may be accustomed to. But we also respect that we all eat for a variety of reasons and each one of us has a different idea of what constitutes the perfect meal. We know you'll love our food. Stop in today and find out for yourself.

Some of our farm/local business partners –

Tangerini’s Spring Street Farm, Millis
Blue Heron Organic Farm, Lincoln
Vermont Quality Meats Rutland , VT
21st Century Foods, Jamaica Plain
High Lawn Farm Lee,Ma.
The New England Cranberry Company

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SAY WHAT?! (some terms you may or may not be familiar with)