Portland207

Recounting a pilgrimage to The Little Lad’s Basket.  Manager Mike greeted me with a handshake and a tour of the recently re-opened space.  This consisted of pointing out the new buffet positioning and gesturing to their recently unveiled sandwich menu.  A quick glance at the board was all that was afforded to me, as my host had already selected my meal.  The first hand burger.  This is no typo.  Their vegan menu is awash in choices that are slightly tweaked to do away with any traces of meat and dairy.  Items such as pizza and grilled cheese on the sandwich board out front do not indicate the restaurant's vegan intentions to those passing by.  What also is not inherently clear from the exterior is the fact that The Basket is a vessel of the Seventh-Day Adventist church.  I had heard rumors of a Christian outpost on Congress Street promoting the vegan lifestyle, but assumed it was a Portland myth, like the supposed bowling alley in the basement of some apartment building on the peninsula.  The rumor turned out to be true.  Contemporary Christian rock provided ambiance and there was plenty of pious literature displayed prominently next to the cash register.  Back to the hand burger.  It consisted of a veggie patty, some sort of soy cheese, the usual veggies, a generous serving of mustard and a whole wheat bun.  The bun was fantastic.  As for what lay between the 2 halves, I was a bit under whelmed.  While my host Mike did provide me with a money back guarantee, I still felt the FHB was worth the $4 or so I shelled out.   It is worth noting that the Basket is more known as a very decent vegan bakery, rather than a true first class eatery.  They had plenty of bread, cookies, granola and other packaged offerings for guests to take with.  Then there is the famed hippie crack popcorn.  No denying that this stuff has some mystical properties bordering on the divine.  I would say that everyone should experience one trip to the Basket.  One is probably all you need.  Unless of course you enjoy your lunch served with a side of God.  In that case, The Basket is for you.  Besides the 482 Congress Street location, they also have a café in Manhattan and a bakery in Corinth, Maine.  The website is impressively robust.

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