I can’t claim this meal. I ate this at a local vegetarian restaurant in Green Bay. Kavarna has been around since 1999 when they opened in a small storefront less than two blocks from our home. We got to know their food, coffees and teas very well. At the time, I worked half time as a registered nurse at a local hospital, and took care of our sons the rest of the time. We walked a lot (generally they rode in a wagon that I pulled) and we made Kavarna a frequent stop. I got a good cup of coffee, and they both learned that Canada Dry Ginger Ale is a wimpy example of that type of ginger ale because they grew to love Reed’s Ginger Brews.
But this post is not about soda, coffee or tea. (Their coffee is fair trade coffee from Alterra, based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Really good coffee!) This post is about one of their vegetarian sandwiches. I can’t give the exact recipe, but based on the menu description this is close.
Kavarna’s Black Bean Burger
1 soft whole wheat bagel
1 spice black bean veggie burger
1 slice pepper jack cheese
1 tablespoon herbed cream cheese
1 slice tomato
Red onion rings
Leaf lettuce blend
The bagel is not toasted, but the cheese is melted onto the black bean burger. I know they grill the burger and then let the cheese melt before assembling the sandwich. They won’t tell me if they make the burger or buy them. I have eaten them many times and the patties are always perfectly round and the same thickness. I think they are premade frozen patties, unless they are really fussy about production.
Approximate nutritional data, based on educated guesses:
Calories: 493
Fat: 15.5g
Sat fat: 7.3g
Chol: 36mg
Sodium: 889mg
Carbs: 73.7g
Fiber: 8.7g
Protein: 20.4g
The sodium content is high in the sandwich and is nearly unavoidable. I don’t eat here often, so I consider this a special “splurge” meal. On the other hands, I anticipated this meal and ate accordingly, and still have a sodium intake of 1940mg for the day (which is less than half of the normal US diet.)