Food Love at Peace Tree Juice Café

Peace Tree Juice Cafe

516 N Main Street
Monticello, Utah, 84535

Phone: (435) 587-5063

Website: http://www.peacetreecafe.com/Home

 

 When it comes to the restaurant business, true success is based upon the love and passion owners, cooks, chefs, and employees have for what they do.  No one knows this better than Karen Whipple, owner of the Peace Tree Juice Café – Moab and Monticello; loyalty from customers and employees speaks volumes on this subject. 

Twenty-one years ago, Karen began her venture with the first Peace Tree in Moab; based solely on the concept of fresh and healthy.  

Before opening the Peace Tree Menu, make sure to read the story behind the name; but it’s the Vision and Mission Statement that seals the deal.  “The Peace Tree Juice Café celebrates this promotion of goodwill and harmony.  It is our goal to provide healthy, flavorful sustenance using natural, organic, and farm-to-table foods when possible.  Additionally, we believe in the strength of our community and we strive to offer top-quality food and products that are locally grown and made.”  Wow, local businesses and residents promoting and supporting each other; what a great vision and mission in itself!

Karen worked hard at doing and learning, not just the business aspects, but how to make juices and smoothies; hands on experience overall.  That’s right, she didn’t just purchase equipment and books, hand them over to the employees and tell them to figure it out; she needed to perfect it within herself first.  Little by little food items were added to create breakfast and lunch menus.  A second location in Monticello opened and several years ago, a dinner menu emerged with additions of Mexican and Italian cuisines to the American fare.  Whether breakfast, lunch or dinner; the menus at Peace Tree are designed for everyone, no matter the dietary need or life style choice.  It was not always easy, but the rewards are being reaped with great reviews, repeat business, and folks wanting to experience the food love.

Again, Karen is a hands on type of owner; she told me a story of being at the Moab restaurant and how she would go in after hours and clean.  One day, while employees were still there, a new employee asked another, “Is that the cleaning lady?”  “No”, she was told, “That’s your boss!” and let me tell you, I can relate to that assumption.  But that’s Karen for you, even though she has staff, getting down and dirty for her restaurants is just the way she is; and Karen is appreciated and loved for who and what she is!

Then again, Karen appreciates and loves her staff; she knows they’re as much the backbone of the Peace Tree dynasty as she is.  From the servers to the prep cooks, everyone has an important part to play; take, for example, Chef Allea Garcia.  Allea was a military wife living in Italy for four years; perfect environment for a woman with a love and passion for cooking.  Not being one to simply sit on her duff and wait for something to do, she became assistant to the chef at the officers chow hall.  She learned by watching and doing; learned intently the ins and outs of running a kitchen, using the tools, tasting the flavors, smelling the scents.  Like any true Italian cook, she learned quickly that the best measuring tools were the hands and eyes.  

Having my personal specialty style in Italian cuisine, trying out Allea’s dishes was definitely a true test to her ability; she passed with flying colors!  Her meatballs are made with pure, high quality ground beef, no bread in the mixture for those who are gluten intolerant.  Her flavor intense, freshly made sauce is served over the meatballs and perfectly cooked spaghetti; garnished with herbs and parmesan cheese.  The garlic bread, sprinkled with roasted red pepper flakes for a little heat, is definitely necessary to sop up every drop of that delicious sauce.  As with the spaghetti, the fettuccine is perfectly cooked and draped with the creamiest, decadent Alfredo sauce; also freshly made.  Alas, the pasta is not handmade as it takes so much time to create those handmade, fresh sauces; believe me, I can relate to that as well!

Oh, but Italian is not all that Allea can do; her Mexican dishes are amazing as well.  Her Chile Rellanos are, well, they are so wonderful that I no longer have to make them for my husband, Roy.  He said, “Honey, as good as your Chile Rellanos are, I’m sorry, but I am coming to Peace Tree whenever I want some.”  Does that bother me?  Oh heck no, Allea, thank you so much for getting this chore off my meal to-do list.   I had Allea’s version of Fish Tacos, using Tilapia; the fish was so tender and flaky; the coating so perfectly seasoned, I didn’t even have to add any of the accompanying sauces.  Next time I must try the tacos with shrimp; oh yes, I do expect many a next time; and bringing others with us as well to enjoy the feasting. 

Appetizers like Roasted Red Pepper Hummus or Jalapeno Artichoke Dip are so creamy, rich and full of taste bud thrilling flavor, and served with grilled Naan bread.  Needing a small meal? Try a side or Caesar salad with one of these appetizers; it will do a body good!  We also made sure to leave just enough room for a dessert, Brownie Ala Mode, oh so warm, chewy, gooey and good!   Hey, not everyone’s definition of healthy is the same, don’t judge!

But wait, there’s more, breakfast is an incredible feast to start the day off with.  Start off with two types of freshly roasted coffees before diving into Jo’s Omelet full of veggies, and meat of your own choosing, or stick to vegetarian style.  The Panini Sandwich is a mouthful of eggs, cheese and meat; omelet and sandwich both served with seasoned, roasted red potatoes.  French Toast sprinkled with coconut or cinnamon, or Sweet Cream Pancakes for those seeking a sweeter good morning.  A lovely group of tourists, from England and the Nederlands sat inside “the cave”, and feasted on breakfast while we were there.  One item was the Lox Bagel loaded with cream cheese, smoked salmon, roasted red peppers, red onion, capers and tomatoes…it was just too pretty to eat!  That was a Sunday morning when, suddenly, a snowfall of about ¼ of an inch fell.  While others around us were in distress, we simply said, “Give it 5 minutes, the sun will be out”, and we happily continued to eat.  How could we not laugh though, when the sun came out shining, and the visitors to our area were amazed at the correctness of our prediction.  Welcome to San Juan County, where the weather changes every 5 minutes or thereabouts.  Enjoy the entertaining weather while eating, it surely is a wakeup call.

Here it is, late spring and the warmer weather is slowly creeping in.  With our beautiful Abajo Mountains, eye popping blue sky, what perfect way to enjoy meals at Peace Tree Juice Café than on their patio?  Which means, with the use of the patio seating, don’t be afraid to have your well behaved, friendly pet dining with you.  Oh dear, I almost forgot about lunch; a yum-fest of salads, wraps, Angus beef burgers, hot, or panini, sandwiches like the Southwestern Chicken.  Don’t forget about Peace Tree’s ever popular variety of Smoothies, Juice Drinks and Coffees to go along with that veggie packed wrap, or panini stuffed with turkey, avocado and bacon.  

Which brings me to Allea’s newest additions to her condiment/sauce collection; Bacon Jam (close in texture to a chutney) and a Bacon Glaze containing smoky bacon, strawberries and sriarcha; so good on chicken with the heat and sweet mixture.  She is hoping to bottle and sell this latter one, and it would go great on that other white meat, pork.  Oh my, the lunch menu just happens to have a Cuban Melt listed too; roasted pork, mouth-watering.

The front entry way also has a gift shop area featuring jewelry, paintings, metal décor and sculptures, pottery and more from local artisans.  Don’t hesitate to browse as you more than likely will find that perfect gift for yourself, or someone else.

What else can I say except, “Go to Peace Tree Juice Café and have a food love adventure!” 

Peace Tree Juice Cafe Video by

Desert Stone Studio

Mary Cokenour

Menus:

2nd Annual Abajo Enduro; Race to the Food.

Andy Platt

On Saturday, August 1st, mountain bike enthusiasts took to Monticello’s local mountain range for the 2nd Annual Abajo Enduro Race (website: http://theraceexperts.com/endurorace/ ). Organized by Andy Platt (husband of San Juan Record’s Merri Allyson Platt), and with the aid of fifteen sponsors from both Grand and San Juan Counties, it was, once again, a huge success!!!









Using the Monticello Welcome Center as a staging area, racers were afforded a shuttle service to the 13.3 mile start of the Robertson Pasture Trailhead; ending at the Foy Lake area. Racers endured terrain of a hard packed, dirt trail twisting and turning throughout the majestic Manti-La Sal forest. With the recent rains the mountains had been gladly receiving, no biker was spared a mud free experience. A fall here and there? No major mishaps thankfully; and I bet a good excuse was “taking time to admire the beautiful, natural plant life along the trail”.





Foy Lake on a stormy day.

The racers may have been exhausted, but the happiness on each rider’s face was beaming! On to the food tent they either continued to race, or at a leisurely speed. Peace Tree Juice Café (of Moab and Monticello) provided a well-deserved meal of five different wraps (Turkey, Club, Thai, Chicken Caesar and Veggie); plus five fruit packed smoothies (Strawberry Twist, Tango Mango, Pina Colada, Watermelon Burst and Berry Banana). The volunteer servers for this day were employees Kaitlin and Brandin; with help from their friend, Andrew….give these three a round of applauds.

Even Mountain Bikes Need a Rest.



Andrew, Brandin, Kaitlin

Brandin Serving up a Wrap

Here’s a description of each wrap to entice you to visit one of their establishments.

Club Wrap House - sliced roasted turkey, ham, bacon, avocado and spring mix with your choice of ranch or cilantro dressing on a whole wheat tortilla.
 
Turkey Wrap - Avocado, sprouts, tomato and red onion with your choice of ranch or cilantro lime dressing and spring mix on a whole wheat tortilla.

Thai Wrap Chicken, - rice noodles, tomato, cucumber, raw peanuts, chow main noodles, spring mix and Asian dressing on a whole wheat tortilla.

Chicken Caesar Wrap - Chicken, romaine, croutons, parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing on a spinach tortilla.

Veggie Wrap - Tomato, shredded carrots, cucumber, crisp lettuce, avocado on a spinach tortilla (Note: not listed on the menu, but ingredients from observation)

Chicken Caesar Wrap

Club Wrap

Thai Wrap

Turkey Wrap

Veggie Wrap

…and the Smoothies.

Strawberry Twist - Strawberry juice, pineapple sherbet, strawberries, banana.

Tango Mango - Peach mango juice, orange sherbet, peaches, banana, coconut.

Pina Colada - Pineapple juice, non-fat frozen yogurt, pineapple, coconut.

Watermelon Burst - Note: not listed on the menu, but full of watermelon goodness!

Berry Banana - Raspberry juice, non-fat frozen yogurt, raspberries, banana.

Perfect Lunch - Club Wrap and Pina Colada Smoothie

Smile, you're on Candid Camera!

Exhilarating mountain bike racing, great food, awards, and sharing the experience with family and friends; the Abajo Enduro Race has a long life ahead of it. Ride On!!!

Mary Cokenour

Peace Tree Juice Cafe in Monticello, Utah.

Peace Tree Juice Cafe

516 S. Main Street
Monticello, Utah, 84535

(435) 587-5063



Website: http://www.peacetreecafe.com/  (Main focus is on the Cafe located in Moab, Utah)




 
Located on the Main Street of Monticello, Utah, sits the Peace Tree Juice Cafe.  A former residential home, the Cafe is brightly colored with their signature lizard on the front wall.  There is another Cafe located in Moab which was just newly renovated in 2012; the Cafe in Blanding closed about two years ago, so that location should be removed from their sign. Whether sitting on the patio or the interior dining area, you have a wonderful view of the flowering plants and herbs; hummingbird feeders attract the aviary jets; it is an overall soothing environment. 


One hardship about being located on a main thoroughfare; the view of the Abajo Mountains is obstructed by a car wash and Texaco station. 







Due to the high winds and dark clouds moving in from the mountains, we thought it better to dine inside.  The dining area is divided into two sections, "The Cave" which has room for three small tables; and the main area which is roomier and brighter due to the large windows.  There is also a small area for the Cafe's shop of t-shirts, postcards, mugs and various knick-knacks.


Upon entering we were immediately asked if we were there for dinner, and then seated at a table by one of the large windows.  The waitress did not introduce herself, and I only recognized the owner, Karen Whipple, who served us our drinks, because I had once been introduced to her.  Smoothies, coffees and fruit juices are not served during dinner, "It is too busy at dinner time to make them", I was told.  Didn't make much sense to us, since they are often packed for lunch, yet those drinks are available.  They would have made a better profit on the Chai Latte I was craving, instead of the diet Coke I ended up with.  They do serve beer and wine, so my husband was happy with his bottle of porter.

We both ordered the Fish Tacos; three Tilapia fish tacos on your choice of corn or flour tortillas, guacamole, salsa, cilantro lime dressing and green salad, was the description on the photocopied menu.   We were not asked our choice of tortilla, so received flour ones on both orders.  Instead of green salad, we received a salad of corn, black beans, tomatoes and cilantro (fresh, but cilantro was the only seasoning).  Pickled purple cabbage stuffed the small tortillas, so the two ounce (2 oz) portions of fish were overwhelmed.  The guacamole and salsa were both zesty and helped to give the vegetable salad a nice zip when mixed together.

On a side note, the menu states that all dinner entrees come with grilled vegetables and a choice of: coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni and cheese or a dinner salad.  We received, and were offered, none of those items (the vegetable salad was not grilled); I will presume that there was a lack of training and knowledge on the part of the waitress.

Now one thing you have to understand is that Utah is a landlocked state, so fresh fish is not going to be available.  It's either heavily packed in ice for same day delivery, or frozen and thawed out for use.  The fillets for our tacos were nicely browned on the outside, cut into 3 portions for the 3 tacos; however, the fish was a bit on the dry side.  The dressing from the pickled cabbage helped add the needed moisture; removing some of the cabbage and adding the vegetable salad gave a fish taco a whole fresh flavoring to it.





We finished out our meal sharing a slice of Chef Llew's cheesecake, made in house, creamy, yummy with a lemony sour cream topping and garnished with fresh fruit.





Overall, while the breakfast and lunch items, smoothies, fruit drinks and coffees are raved about; the dinner menu at Peace Tree Juice Cafe is not something I would recommend.  The lunch menu is offered through dinner time, but no smoothies, juices or coffees which is very disappointing.

Mary Cokenour