Quite the bargain, nothing on the menu of C2 Conscious Cafe costs more than $8 — save for an entire pie — and it’s tempting to buy.
The bean pie is a must-have. Creamy and sweet, it’s made of navy beans, a graham cracker crust and tiny, glittery sprinkles of cinnamon, making every bite a cinnamon delight.
To avoid making a beeline to dessert, try the gourmet salmon burger, another sweet delight. The combo of meaty grilled salmon, a special mayonnaise, grilled onions and a sweet wheat bun would make a sublime prelude to the pie. Add a cup of their red Roobios tea, and you have an inexpensive and healthy lunch.
C2 Conscious Café is all about eating to live. Operated by a community of friendly Muslims, they serve a menu that promises fresh food free of preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, bleached sugar and flour, artificial coloring and flavoring and additives. In fact, all of the menu items except the salmon burger are meatless, and even the muffins are made with malt-o-meal instead of cornmeal.
The menu on its website details the benefits of the available teas. Rooibos, for example, has more antioxidants than green tea and can help with digestion, and oolong tea is beneficial for one’s teeth and skin and enhances metabolism.
Alongside teas, the cafe also offers fresh fruit smoothies, organic coffee and juice.
But food and tea aren’t the only things offered at C2 Conscious Cafe.
C2 Conscious Cafe is a quiet place to lounge, listen to the soulful tunes on the radio and catch up on community to national news.
In the middle of the cafe is a shelf with several publications offering African-American news and Muslim news alongside general U.S. news. On the counter are handouts from community members and organizations. On the shelf by the television, which usually displays a news station, are resources such as cookbooks about how to eat to live.
C2 Conscious Cafe is located at 2612 Scott St., about a five-minute walk east of campus, and is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
