Wild Game Sausage & Oktoberfest @ Mint Tea Bistro

Mint Tea Bistro is once again offering their delicious wild game sausages in celebration of Oktoberfest. The sausages are all natural/nitrite-free and the sides are made from scratch. There are only three days left to enjoy this special event, so get on down to Mint Tea, support a local restaurant, and treat yourself to a fine meal.

Oktoberfest 2009!

Just 3 days remaining of hosting our version of Oktoberfest during lunch service. If you enjoy a good sausage with homemade sides, we encourage you to hurry in as it ends this Sunday, Oct. 25th.

Deer John (Venison)
Jackalope (Jack rabbit, Antelope and Pork)
Wally’s Gator (Alligator and Pork)
Daffy’s Maddness (Duck w/ Mushroom)

Mint Tea Bistro
http://www.mintteaimports.com/
2014 Main St. Vancouver, WA 98660
360.699.4991

Monday - Saturday
Breakfast 9am to 4pm
Lunch 11am to 4pm

Friday & Saturday
Dinner 5:30 to 9:30 pm

Sunday
Brunch 10am to 3 pm

Delicious Summertime Meals @ Mint Tea Bistro

If you haven't dined at the delectable Mint Bistro, located on Main St. in the very chic Vancouver Uptown district, then it about time you stopped in and enjoyed some fresh and tasty food. Mint is shifting into high gear with their summer menu and they're offering a variety of dishes that are chock full of locally grown produce and are sure to please your palate. Here's the word from Jenna & Abdul:

Heat Bulletin!! Due to the wonderfully warm, some say hot, weather
we're having, all of our daily prepared soups are chilled. Like our
organic Minty Sweet Pea, the infamous Bob Marley's Creamy Asparagus,
or Hugo's Vanilla Mango, they'll keep you cool and utterly satisfied.

We've also come full swing into the wonders of summer with amazing
Snow Peas, Squash (too many summer varieties to name here),
tri-colored String Beans, Lettuce, Onions, Herbs, and Berries
galore!! The gardens and farms we're receiving our produce from are
all local and organic, being picked in the morning and served
screaming fresh to you at lunch and dinner.

And speaking of dinner, a quick peak at what Chef Ashley is prepping
for this Friday & Saturday's dinner service highlights Squash
Flowers, Coconut poached Wild Alaskan Salmon, a special Millet Cous
Cous, Moroccan Lamb w/ Summer Vegetables, and a Sweet Sticky Rice
with Honeydew Gooseberry Mint Salsa. Artist that Ashley is we often
don't know the full dinner menu until Friday afternoon, but not to
worry, because week after week he hits the mark whether it's the
Vegan, Poultry, Meat or fresh Fish dish.

Mint Tea
2014 Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98660
Tel. 360-699-4991
www.MintTeaImports.com
Business Hours:
Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday & Saturday 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m

Spooky Spaghetti @ Mint Tea Bistro

From Jenna & Abdul @ Mint Tea

Hello Friends, Ghouls & Ghosts ~

We're planning an extra-ordinary Halloween Pasta Special to begin
tomorrow, Oct. 31st and will last as long as the Spooky Black
Spaghetti does. Because we love a good tongue teaser, Anna's Scary
Sauce, with a touch of witch's brew, will be left a secret except to
say it is vegan friendly (in other words, NO road kill involved). But
here's the catch, whoever can guess the 3 main ingredients of our
scary sauce correctly will receive a free lunch on us! Yep, a free
lunch on us just for identifying the 3 main ingredients! Sooo easy.

In our endless search for really good, locally made items, we are now
carrying decedent cakes by Piece of Cake, a bakery out of Portland who
specializes in Wheat and Gluten free desserts. True to the season
we've chosen to try her lip smacking Pumpkin Cake and
Apple-Marionberry mini Pies first.
I'm quite certain Anna and Rachel didn't really mean their sample
piece wasn't any good since they finished it all and were checking
the cooler case today to see if there was any left.

And finally, following up on our very successful Oktoberfest we
wanted to let you know that the race to be the winning wiener has
been a tight race indeed. Over the past 10 days since beginning Mint
Tea's first (annual?) Oktoberfest, each of the 4 contestant wieners
has shown a strong lead, only to be overtaken the following day. As
of this afternoon, Daffy's Mushroom Maddness has a slight lead over
Jackalope, but like we said, tomorrow's another day.
If w've piqued your interest here, or simply that you're a sausage
lover at heart, Oktoberfest as were running it ends this coming
Sunday, November 2nd ~ Just 2 days before the real vote occurs!!
So come on in and as this mantra goes, vote with your mouth for the
winning wiener.

p.s.t.t. A challenger has contacted us requesting to take on the
winning wiener once Oktoberfest is over. Baaaaa-d idea or good?...
We'll keep you all posted.

Outside the window from where I sit an amazing explosion of autumn
color captures the eye ~ better go enjoy it while its here.

In health and happiness we hope to see you soon,

jenna & abdul
Mint Tea
2014 Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98660
Tel. 360-699-4991
www.MintTeaImports.com
Hours:
Monday Saturday 8am to 6pm, serving food from 8-4
Sunday 10am to 4pm, serving food from 10-3

Oktoberfest @ Mint Tea Bistro....mmmmm...sausage

From Jenna & Abdul

Oktoberfest at Mint Tea
October 20 – Nov. 2nd

The idea came along in honor of the all-natural, handcraft, artesian
sausage company (no Nitrates, no MSG, no Crap!) we buy from in
Portland. To date everyone has been thrilled with the various lamb,
chicken and turkey sausages we've been serving since opening our
bistro just over 2 months ago. But what about Jackrabbit? Antelope?
Venison? or Alligator sausages? Who knows, right?

So we're taking a vote on these somewhat obscure meats, letting you
try them, perhaps for the first time, complete with a big sausage bun
and toppings/sides of your choice: braised sauerkraut with fennel,
organic grilled onions, warm potato salad or sauteed spinach. You
choose.

Two weeks of Oktoberfest, starting today, October 20th, may even give
you enough time to try out a few of them. And at the end of the two
weeks we'll see which wiener is the winner! Now that's voting with
your mouth.

“Vote with your mouth for the winning wiener”

Jackalope - Jackrabbit, Antelope & Pork
Daffy’s Mushroom Maddness - Duck w/ Mushroom
Deer John - Venison
Wally’s Gator - Alligator & Pork

All of our sausages and sides are 100% natural & hand made

Prices include a 1/3 lb Sausage

Easy does it (plus 1 side) $6.50
Crowd Pleaser (w/ 2 sides) $8.00
Fill’er Up (includes all 3 sides) $9.50

Sausage Bun, Mustard & Fun are all available at no additional cost.

jenna & abdul
Mint Tea
2014 Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98660
Tel. 360-699-4991
www.MintTeaImports.com
Hours:
Monday-Saturday 8am to 6pm, serving food from 8-4
Sunday 10am to 4pm, serving food from 10-3

Mint Tea Bistro Revisited

I told you I was going to Mint Tea Bistro for brunch today and so I did. For those of you who weren't lucky enough to have spent your morning relaxing on a cool patio, sipping mint tea, and enjoying challah french toast served with a cup of yogurt and house made, plum infused syrup...there's always tomorrow.

Mint Bistro
2014 Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98660
(360)699-4991
Serving Breakfast & Lunch
Monday-Saturday 8am to 4pm
Sunday 10am to 3pm
Website
Map to Mint

Hooray! Casa Grande is Dead, Long Live Mint Bistro!

Uptown Vancouver can add another unique and noteworthy place to eat to the list. As if we weren't fortunate enough to have Provecho (who, by the way, just got their liquor license and expanded their tiny cafe into a cozy cafe & cantina), La Botega, and Mon Ami Cafe...now we can also enjoy fresh, simple food at the bravely bohemian and truly tasty Mint Bistro. Mint Bistro is located in the lovely, craftsman home on Main Street that was for far too many years the insipid and gastronomically offensive Casa Grande. The new owners have done a commendable job rehabilitating and redecorating the property. The result is a space that is eye-pleasing and inviting. My two year old daughter and I had lunch there this afternoon and I cannot begin to tell you how much we enjoyed ourselves.

The regular menu was small and uncomplicated. The specials board offered a nice variety of dishes that were carefully crafted using seasonal ingredients. We had a plate of perfectly executed corn fritters (was someone in the kitchen watching OPB's Create channel the same night we were?), a nicely seasoned black bean and corn salad, and a bowl of creamy,spiced winter squash soup. The soup was the only item I thought needed help. It lacked zip. Maybe a swirl of roasted pepper puree or a pesto made with some roasted, salted pumpkin seeds would have lifted the soup above the bar. My daughter predictably chose the natural, all-beef hot dog that was served on what I think was a Surviva bun and came with a small sampling of whole grain chips and crackers.

Everything we ordered was very good and the portions and prices were more than reasonable. But here's is what really made me fall for Mint Bistro. They brought bottles of organic ketchup and mustard to the table for my little girl's hot dog. I was verklempt.

I realize I am obsessing about one minute aspect of the dining experience, but some things about eating out just really get in my head and I can't get them out. For years I've dined at restaurants that proudly and loudly proclaimed they served food that was natural, healthy, organic, local, etc....but inevitably, the same old bottles of Heinz ketchup and French's mustard were on the table and I could see the giant Cisco containers of Kraft Mayonnaise or Wesson Oil in the kitchen. I just couldn't understand why they didn't either make their own condiments or at least serve one of the many, readily available organic products. Well, I am happy to announce that someone else finally groks my thoughts on this subject and I am truly impressed that Mint Bistro obviously cares enough about their customers and pays attention to detail with regards to their food product choices.

The process of getting service was a little confusing at first. There was no one to greet us when we walked in and the bistro shares space with Mint Tea's import craft business. So I'll make it simple for you when you go check it out. Walk in the door and head straight to the counter towards the back of the building. There you will be greeted by one of a number of polite and friendly employees who will take your order. Now mosey on out to the best dining patio on the west side, open your bottle of Sweet Leaf or Orangina and wait for some seriously tasty grub to arrive. If you're not hungry, then just kick back and enjoy the calming fragrance wafting from the pot of loose leaf tea gently steeping at your table. And if people watching is your thing, the vantage point from the patio will be your new favorite place to indulge.

Get on over to Mint Bistro while the weather is still nice enough to enjoy dining al fresco and the tables are still relatively empty. It won't be long before the masses discover this little culinary gem and I predict you will be waiting for a seat before too long.

Did I mention they were open on Sundays? I think I'll be heading there for brunch tomorrow.

Mint Bistro
2014 Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98660
(360)699-4991
Serving Breakfast & Lunch
Monday-Saturday 8am to 4pm
Sunday 10am to 3pm
Website
Map to Mint