Lunch at Bob’s Red Mill

In my previous posting, I discussed Bob’s Red Mill visitor’s center and store.  What I didn’t mention is that there is also a restaurant in the building that serves Bob’s products.  You order at the counter deli style, pay and then sit in either the loft or off to the back of the store.  Bob’s Red Mill restaurant offers breakfast and lunch menus Monday through Saturday.  They have regular as well as vegetarian menus and many of their menu items are available in gluten free versions.

We arrived at Bob’s about 1PM and we were very hungry!  We went inside the store and walked up to the restaurant counter to order.  I selected a Reuben sandwich and my wife ordered a Veggie Supreme sandwich.  We passed on their offering of great looking desserts and bottled drinks.  We collected some glasses of water, went up to the loft, and found a table that looks out over the store.

While we waited for our sandwiches, I went to explore a little bit around the store.  At the bottom of the loft stairs, I studied a small display on millstones and their origins.  Next, I looked at the demonstration mill setup, things were moving inside, but they were not processing any grain.

Our sandwiches arrived after about a ten-minute wait and we proceeded to enjoy.  My Ruben sandwich contained grilled corned beef, sauerkraut, 1000 island dressing, and swiss cheese on rye bread.  Several raw baby carrots, multi-grain chips and a wedge of pickle accompanied the sandwich.  The corned beef was very moist and tender.  The 1000 island dressing and swiss cheese gave the sandwich a nice bite.  The multi-grain chips were excellent and we ended up purchasing a package to bring home.

My wife’s veggie supreme sandwich contained sautéed onions, mushrooms, and green peppers with tomato, guacamole, black olives, melted swiss, and provolone cheese on gluten free bread.  Baby carrots and wedge of pickle accompanied her sandwich.  She was surprised that when her sandwich arrived it was hot as she was expecting a cold sandwich, this was a pleasant discovery.

I shared a few of my chips with my wife and she shared a bite of her sandwich with me.  I enjoyed her sandwich because I discovered many different flavors within the vegetables as I chewed.

If in the area, I recommend a visit to Bob’s Red Mill store, visitor’s center, and restaurant.  Next time we are in that area we will be stopping there.

Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry Howell