The Cutting Board Bakery & Cafe

In every city there are those "hidden gem" restaurants you hear about and always want to try. The Cutting Board Bakery and Cafe in Mesa, AZ has been on my list for over a year after I met the owner, Krystal. The cafe offers a menu full of fresh, organic ingredients that cater to the vegan and vegetarian lifestyle. When you are in the cafe, you get a sense of local love since Krystal likes to adorn the walls with art from local artists. There are signs announcing upcoming classes and music nights too. Thankfully, LifeCreated will be showing some photographs on the cafe walls in the coming months!

The menu was full of so many things I can't wait to try when I go again, but for this recent trip, we ordered:

the roasted veggie sandwich with a side of cabbage slaw:

"roasted zucchini and red bell pepper, macadamia-basil pesto, heirloom tomato, cucumber, onion, whole grain mustard, mixed salad greens and vinaigrette on sprouted whole wheat sandwich bread."

and the bruschetta board:

"house-made french bread toasted and topped with diced tomatoes marinated in balsamic vinegar and spices, parsley micro-greens, fresh lemon, balsamic glaze and your choice of crumbled feta or tofu"

Even though I brought my mom to enjoy the dishes with me, I feel like I ate almost all of the bruschetta by myself. I will definitely be getting that again. My daughter got the sweet potato muffin, and I had to try some of that too (not pictured)...yum!

Thank you to Krystal and her co-workers for making such delicious meals in a beautiful space and supporting other local small businesses.Don't forget to be sure to check out their website and follow them on Facebook too!