While other gourmet grocers are spreading out beyond organics (jumping onto and over the “green” trend), Mother’s Market has kept its shelves healthy. The market has always done that, though—the place has long been as much a vitamin and supplement shop as it is a traditional market. So it’s not surprising that all the typical frozen foods and ready-made meals eat better at Mother’s, surprisingly healthy items that are usually worth the premium. But what’s sometimes overlooked is that you can have a real meal at the market’s café, too. There’s breakfast (blue corn pancakes, soy-battered French toast), lunch (a portobello mushroom melt, a tempeh Reuben) and even dinner (Thai tofu with udon, spinach lasagna). Mother’s also blends its own juices and preps its own desserts, making for a full-bodied meal big enough to fill even non-vegetarian appetites. And that’s actually important, because the more the little chain expands, the more competition it’s going to pick up from bigger brands. But Mother’s has gone this long on its own, so it certainly has enough to stand on—and more than enough to fill you up, too.

MOTHER’S MARKET 19770 BEACH BLVD | HUNTINGTON BEACH 92648 | AND 225 E 17TH ST | COSTA MESA 92627

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