As an omnivore facing a vegan menu, I always bring in a ringer. Unlike sports when that’s cheating, in the world of food criticism it’s more like having a translator in a foreign country. I’ve studied the “phrasebook,” I know the universal design symbols so I can find the toilet, but help is needed to get the jokes.
Chef/owner Greg Koodish and his wife Krissi grew up in New Jersey, ground zero for all the stalwart Italian-American dishes we have grown to know and love. They realized, though, that sometimes those dishes led them to feel less than their best. After relocating to Florida, and with Greg working a decade as a chef, they made the leap to open their dream, Ground Foods Cafe. Everything at their new Seminole Heights location is vegan, prepared with olive oil and house-made almond and cashew “cheese.”
