First impression: Café Tarragon

Despite Milwaukee's ill-deserved reputation as a curmudgeonly naysayer when it comes to vegetarian eats, environmentally conscious dining has been on the upswing here in town. That’s good news for Swee and Lisa Sim, who just added Café Tarragon to their Bay View eco-friendly home goods shop, Future Green (2352 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., 414-294-4300). The A.V. Club stopped by to grab lunch and soak up some good karma.

The space:  Tucked in the cozy back corner of Future Green's sales floor, Café Tarragon is positioned near a fully assembled, all-organic mattress, blanket, and sheet display, which gives diners the slightly off-putting sensation of being inside a stranger's bedroom.  A handful of ornate outdoor patio-style tables and chairs run alongside the brightly-lit deli case, which displays examples of the day's available entrées, desserts, and specials.

The service:  Café Tarragon's attentive staff is friendly, talkative, and full of information about everything from which Puerto Rican fair-trade farmer grew the beans for your coffee to how the worm-composting setup in the basement of the store is going.  Sitting down for a meal here was not unlike visiting some fresh-out-of-culinary-school friends and being surprised with a dinner party.

The A.V. Club's food:  The day we visited, an earthy, lush rosemary-mushroom soup and hearty vegan chili were offered as starters, with a build-your-own panini selection as the entrée. After a quick stop on the panini grill, the Italian bread (gluten-free bread is available for $1 more) was soft inside, spread with a delicious sun-dried tomato aioli, and golden-brown and crunchy outside. Heaps of seared sweet red bell pepper, portobello mushroom, and spinach created a great fresh-from-the-garden flavor, though we found smoky taste of the mushrooms slightly overwhelming.  Spicy Asian papaya slaw was the best side dish, providing a ton of crunch and, thanks to a heavy dose of hot chili, a slow-building spicy kick. The homemade pickle swung a bit too much to the vinegary side, but the accompanying multicolored baked vegetable chips provided a nice upswing in texture. 

The verdict:  People who are drawn to soft new-age music, wind chimes, and chemical-free bath and body products will be captivated by the mostly raw menu, but Café Tarragon probably won't change the minds of any meat-and-dairy sycophants.