Crossroads Café to serve healthy food

The venue that formerly housed The Juice Bar will be reopened under student management as the Crossroads Café. The new café, which plans to open its doors the week of March 14, will feature a menu showcasing local ingredients in customizable light and healthy dishes.

The student management team, made up of David Dolifka ’13, Kate Strangfeld ’12, Sarah King ’12, Ben Blackshear ’12 and Jessi Stevens ’12, is engaged in the final stages of preparation before the Café’s grand opening later this month.

Far from traditional, the menu will give customers the opportunity to combine components into unique creations.

“Our menu will give you the chance to create your meal by picking and choosing ingredients, and that’s a focal point of what we’re doing; giving customers the chance to really get what they like,” said manager Dolifka.

This menu will feature several categories from which customers will draw ingredients to compile their dish. Options will range from traditional foods to local organic ingredients that are not common on campus or in town.

“We are trying to provide choices and ingredients that students and faculty members cannot find at the dining halls, to fill a niche that is left unfilled elsewhere on campus,” said chef Strangfeld. “It’s all about nutritious, fresh food and lighter fare. I am really passionate about healthy food that tastes great; food that doesn’t sacrifice flavor for nutrition.”

In crafting a meal, patrons will start with a base, such as soba noodles, quinoa, wheatberries or sticky brown or white rice. Next come the vegetables, available both cooked and raw. Options will include cucumber, red peppers, roasted sweet potato and caramelized onions. Following the vegetables is a protein-rich item, like grilled chicken, Asian tempeh, black beans or spiced chickpeas. Customers can then add toppings such as caramelized pecans, local goat cheese and mozzarella, cranberries or home-baked pita chips. Finally, dressings include creamy peanut, guacamole and pesto. These ingredients will then be assembled in a sandwich, wrap, bowl or panini.

Less daring customers can opt for preset options on the menu, such as “the Teriyaki,” which will feature sticky brown rice, red peppers, broccoli, grilled chicken, sesame seeds and teriyaki sauce.

The dessert menu will function similarly and will include bases such as waffles and Greek yogurt, complete with toppings like homemade granola, shaved Middlebury Chocolates chocolate, fresh berries, toasted coconut and maple syrup.

Like the Juice Bar, the Crossroads Café will offer an expansive drink menu, including smoothies, coffee, tea and espresso drinks. It will also host theme nights, featuring specialty dishes such as sushi, fondue, breakfast foods and frozen yogurt.

Many of the Crossroad Café’s ingredients, when seasonally feasible, will be sourced locally.

Beyond vegetables, “we are also trying to showcase as many local businesses as possible,” said Strangfeld. “We’re getting cookies from Vermont Cookie Love, chocolate from Middlebury Chocolates, bread from Klinger’s Bread Company and local cheeses, too.”

While the menu is finalized for opening night, it is by no means static.

“This is a student initiative, and we want the students to be able to decide what they’re eating,” said Strangfeld. “Take local organic food for example. There is a lot of it on our menu, but not everything falls under the category. It’s more expensive, but if that’s what Middlebury wants, we will absolutely serve it.”

Once open, the Café will operate from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday.  Saturday’s hours will be 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Should the Grille change its hours, the Crossroads Café will follow suit.

“I think that people are excited for this,” said Dolifka. “I hope that we can maintain that level of excitement and enthusiasm, and that we can provide that level of food and atmosphere that will keep drawing people back in.”