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This is a previous post that I have been asked about a lot. So I figured it was time to make some updates and re-release it. I would love to hear your thoughts on Kale Bone!
While I was in Atlanta for the weekend, not too long ago, I met a server at First Watch who asked me if I had ever heard of Kale Bone. Now, I love getting into conversations about food and nutrition and finding out new things. So when he mentioned this, and I had never heard of it, I just had to research it! I am excited that I ran into this knowledgeable server and that he imparted these two words “Kale Bone” to me, because it pushed me to look into it.
What is Kale Bone?
Just the name alone is intriguing. Apparently, there is a really cool restaurant in Atlanta called Soul Vegetarian, that serves (you guessed it) vegetarian food. Why haven’t I heard of this place yet? I honestly don’t know how my friend didn’t know about this place, but since there are 2 different locations, there has got to be one that isn’t too far from where they live.
It appears that one of their most revered dishes just happens to be a Super Kalebone Roast. Their description of this dish is:
“Soul Vegetarian exclusive! Nutritious protein packed sandwich made with our homemade wheat gluten recipe.”
Uh oh! My new server friend must have forgotten the whole gluten free thing about me. While the reviews that I tracked down were pretty darn good, this is not something that I will able to partake in, for obvious reasons.
Since the Kale Bone is made with seitan, which is chock full of gluten, this is a no fly zone for me. However, if they could make a gluten free version with tempeh instead, we’d be in business! And I would LOVE to be their guinea pig. I am just throwing that out there!
But my even bigger question is: does it actually have kale in it also? This isn’t listed ANYWHERE on their website or in any of the reviews. I am presuming they put kale in it, otherwise, why would they throw “kale” into the name? This has yet to be determined though.
Other Options
While their menu looks fairly diverse, they seem to favor wheat. A LOT! I can’t say that I fully understand the propensity for the copious amounts of gluten offered, because they weed out a large chunk of us by doing so. But, they do have some offerings that look promising for those of us that can’t handle gluten and are vegetarian.
Some of these potential culinary delights are:
- Jerusalem Rice Dish
- Barbecue Tofu
- Vegetable Plate
- Herb Potatoes
- Eggless Bowl
- Garlic Split Pea Soup
- Carrot Supreme Salad Plate
- Garden Salad
- Eggless Salad Plate
- Hearty Vegetable Patty (depends on the binder used)
- Tasty Lentil Burger (depends on the binder used)
The Takeaway
It is really too bad that I can’t try this supposedly awesome Kale Bone. Because now that I have looked into it, it seems like something that I would be really into. But, the whole gluten thing is going to prevent me from doing so. However, I am glad that I learned about this dish and this restaurant.
Due to looking into this, I am driven to try this restaurant the next time I am in Atlanta. So a big thanks to Kai at First Watch for bringing this to my attention, even though I can’t actually eat it.
I am always open to suggestions and learning about new foods. So if you know of a really good place or specific dish, then please let me know!
Have you tried one of the Kale Bone dishes as Soul Vegetarian? If so, what were your thoughts on it?
Gluten intolerance is really a myth. Only 1% of the population has true gluten intolerance aka celiacs disease.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/ditch-the-gluten-improve-your-health
This restaurant has been around WAY before the gluten free fad.
Thank you for your response to the Kale Bone article. Please see this article that I wrote not too long ago regarding the current statistics of those that follow a gluten free diet: https://www.adaptivenourishment.com/gluten-free-beer-market-skewed/ as well as this article that I wrote about Gluten Intolerance: https://www.adaptivenourishment.com/really-difference-gluten-disorders-part-3/.
While I realize that this restaurant has been around since before “gluten free” became a fad (although I have had Celiac since 1986), my point was that I really want to try this Kale Bone dish. It sounds fantastic but because it is not gluten free, I cannot partake. It would be great if they could create a gluten free option using tempeh instead, so that everybody can try it.
Have you been to the restaurant and tried the Kale Bone? If so, what are your thoughts on it?
I first want to applaud you for the patience you exercised in your response. You’re truly a class act! And after reading your article, I’m certainly going to see what this Kale Bone is all about.
Thank you for your response, Andrew. I greatly appreciate it! If you do try the Kale Bone, can you please let me know what you think of it? I am very interested to hear how it stacks up to all of the reviews.
It was fantastic!
Had the Kale Bone for the first time today and it was delicious. My best friend couldn’t get past the fact that it tastes good, but wasn’t meat. I, however, enjoyed every piece and wanted more. As a recent veggie, I look forward to trying out more dishes with seitan.
That is really great to hear! It is kind of crazy how much like meat some vegetarian dishes can taste with the right seasoning. This is one of the things that I am grateful for as a vegetarian myself. I am happy to hear that the dish held up to all of the hype and would love to hear what else you try in the vegetarian world that stacks up to the Kale Bone. Thank you for sharing!
I’ve tried their Garvey burger, which is made with kale bone and it is delicious. And I’ve been meaning to go back for another burger. The herbed fries are also good, they’re essentially your usual potato wedges though. This is coming from someone who is not a true vegetarian, meat is an out of sight, out of mind thing for me.
Thank you for explaining the kalebone to me! We’re going to ATL this coming week and over the two days will try and hit Soul Vegetarian No. 2. I am gluten-sensitive but do eat some seitan, and plan on trying the kalebone. What’s a little inflammation for a good dinner 🙂 ?
While in ATL we also want to try Green Sprout Vegetarian and Herban Fix. BTW I totally admire how you took the high road in your reply to Adam – civility in online discourse . . .so rare, so beautiful!
That is fantastic, Eric! I would really love to hear about your experience at Soul Vegetarian No. 2 once you have tried it.
I haven’t tried either Green Sprout or Herban Fix, but I have heard of them both. If you don’t mind passing along your thoughts on either of them, that would be great also.
And thank you for the compliment regarding my response to Adam. There is enough negativity in the world without me adding to it and in all reality, I am just passing along information that I have learned and/or lived through. How people choose to interpret it, or what they choose to do with it is completely up to them, and that is just how he chose to interpret the article. Which was not my intention, hence the reply.
Hi Shanah! Okay, so it’s complicated with Soul Vegetarian 🙂 I *loved* the country baked steak (kalebone), the mac-n-cheese, and the cornbread. I normally love collards but theirs were bland. My wife got the pocket pita, and the kalebone was too spicy in that recipe for her but I had a bite and liked it. We also had their ice cream and it was okay. The only weird part was the side of country fries that came with the pita . . .they were disgusting. Kind of jerk seasoning meets dustpan flavor. We couldn’t believe they serve them. Also besides oil and vinegar there is only one salad dressing, kind of a ginger soy but it had a strong, unusual taste that would take some getting used to. Bottom line: I will go back for more kalebone, but my wife probably won’t go with me!
The mushroom soup at Green Sprout was out of this world, but the mixed veggies and butternut squash entrees were not well-prepared. The broccoli was nearly raw and the ginger was overpowering in the plum sauce. We’re going to try and make the mushroom soup and home and probably won’t go back to Green Sprout.
And finally, to make a long comment longer, we went to Cafe Sunflower instead of Herban Fix, and it was the high-water mark in our dining! The tempura brussels sprouts, “meatloaf” and mashed potatoes, fried avacado tacos . . .top-notch!
Eric, I am so glad to hear that you made it to Soul Vegetarian and liked the Kale Bone. It is really too bad about the country fries though. They sound pretty gross, based on your description.
I haven’t made it to Green Sprout yet but it is on my list for my next trip back to Atlanta. We both are huge fans of mushrooms, so I will definitely be checking out their mushroom soup!
I have been to Cafe Sunflower a few times and have loved it every time! Even my friends who live in Atlanta and aren’t vegetarians love the food there. The atmosphere is also great and the staff have always been pretty fantastic.
Hi! Great article! You could have gotten your answer easily by calling the restaurant though 🙂 Kalebone has nothing to do with the vegetable kale and isn’t even an English word. It’s Hebrew and simply means “protein” (חלבון) . Hebrew Israelites started the vegan chain Soul Vegetarian and we often use Hebrew terms throughout the menu. I hope this helps! Perhaps you can update the article so as not to mislead anyone regarding the vegetable lol!
Thank you for reaching out to give us more information regarding the origin of kale bone!