The Honey B has been buzzing lately, and with good reason. Chef and owner Katie Belanger’s bright, hearty, unexpectedly inventive vegan and gluten-free offerings continue to draw flavor favorers from around downtown with a menu that expanded this summer, helping fill the meatless-meal void left in Sojourner Café’s wake. Here’s a look at three of the newest menu offerings.
Chia Pudding: A surprisingly substantial way to begin or reset your day, this creamy coconut-almond milk chia pudding is dense and protein-packed: It contains 10-15 grams of protein per serving. A strata of strawberries, sliced almonds, and coconut tastily and crunchily sweeten the middle, while atop, a brûléed bunch of banana slices elevate this recently trendy vegan dish from humdrum homemade comfort to haute, healthy indulgence.
Little Monsters Spring Rolls: Belanger said she wanted to do something different with the spring roll, and she fills hers with “funky stuff”: wild mushroom, asparagus, carrots, kale, black rice, and mango. Named perhaps both for their robustly filled interiors and their cutely caterpillar-like length mottled with mango yellows and cilantro greens, these monsters certainly have a heft, especially with the considerable kale-rice chew factor. They taste monstrously good when dipped in the Ethiopian peanut sauce on the side, with its cardamom spice and slight heat.
Red Superfood Smoothie:Also new to the menu, this smoothie is most welcome in our recent heat waves. Pomegranate, strawberry, and Greek yogurt provide a nice tang, and avocado smoothes its frothy pink—a happy companion to either of the above bites.