Holy sweet Jesus! I found my absolute favorite restaurant in Texas today. I pass this place often, usually on my way in a rush somewhere so never with time to stop, but its always caught my eye. Potager. I can't believe I have been missing out on this place for over a year. I walked in and almost instantly got teary-eyed. I felt like I stepped through a portal into Vermont. It looked, smelled and felt like a mesh of several different Vermont bakeries, restaurants and cafes that I love and miss. Everything about this place evoked happiness and made me want to cry happy tears. You get in line to approach the counter where a big easel chalk board lists all the menu items of the day, most of which are vegetarian! The menu changes daily depending on what is available at the market during their twice daily trips there! Everything is organic and purchased fresh from local farmers and friends of theirs. So amazing. At the counter the cook greets you with a big genuine smile, (no doubt because he is proud of his food and loves what he does) and asks what you would like to try. You get your initial portions and are invited to come back for seconds, or to try something else. It feels as though you are eating at some one's home rather than a cafe. Its very informal, all the chairs are different and are various mismatched colors (just like at the Sunshine Bakery in Richmond VT) the tables are all different, you take your cloth napkin at the counter from a pile of all different colors and types, no two the same, same with the plates and silverware. Then as you sit down with your amazing meal and take in the ambiance and surroundings some more, it dawns on you that they didn't charge you at the counter and there is no cash register or clear place to pay when you're done either. A woman had asked to join me at my table (which she says often happens there since it gets busy and there are limited tables) so I asked her how you were supposed to pay. She pointed to a watering can nearby on a chair and then to a basket in the counter full of brightly colored envelopes made out of recycled magazine pictures, and finally to a chart on the wall. This is my favorite part. The chart offers price SUGGESTIONS for various items. You put what you want in the envelope and drop it in the watering can. They also have a credit card machine available if you prefer, which you run the card in yourself! I feel like I was given a gift today, of delicious, healthy, organic food right down the road, at a price I can always afford since I decide it, in an ambiance reminiscent of home and with a fun sense of community. Wow. I found a gem! My excitement over it all has made me realize how homesick I really am starting to feel, but for now, yay for Potager!
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