The Green Cafe in Edgewater Park is now open

Edgewater Park has a new cafe that relies on local and organic foods to make up the bulk of its menu. The Green Cafe @ Whitebriar opened earlier this week. Carole Moore, who owns and runs the place with her husband Bill, answered a few questions for SJ Locavore about this cafe that will use organic produce and eggs from its own gardens and supplement with organics from farms around the country.

You’ve recently opened The Green Café @ Whitebriar. What makes it green?
1st Reason: I've been organic since age 14 when I got my father's Organic Farmer and Gardener, by Rodale Press. (I memorized every article, and lived it since then raising our twin daughters with home made, organic, home cooked, "canned", dried & fresh garden foods)

2nd reason: It's at the end of Green Street,

3rd Reason: My husband is Irish and likes green, Fourth Reason: We're hoping it will bring in some "green backs" so we can pay the enormous mortgage. We originally named the cafe, THE SOUP BANQUE, a play on the "past life" of the building as the Old Fleet Bank, but friends started "volunteering" to serve the "unemployed, and homeless", thinking it was something that it wasn't, so we had to change the name to The Organic Green Cafe @ Whitebriar. Although we are not "incorporated", our "trade name" for our Bed and Breakfasts, Our Childrens and animal Mentoring Program (C.A.M.P. Whitebriar), our Murder Mysteries At the Dunk's Ferry Inn at Whitebriar, always includes "Whitebriar" which is the name of our 300 year old home, next door to the cafe, and we didn't think after three centuries, that we should change it's name. We often answer to Mr. and Mrs. Whitebriar, although we are really, Carole and Bill Moore.


What are the sources of many of the foods you use at The Green Café?
Albert's Organics in South Jersey specializes in what we need, so he supplements us in winter, and what ever doesn't grow in our organic gardens. Our organic -free ramge- chickens provide the eggs for our quiche, cakes, muffins, etc.

Give us an idea about what’s on the menu. Will items change with the seasons?
The organic vegetables in the salad might change, but basically, everything is organic from other parts of the country that have nice weather all year round. Our sandwiches could be either organic beef,pork, or chicken/turkey, which ever one I can find "organic" or "healthy-range fed" or any combination of the above. The sandwich is served on an herbal/oatmeal roll that is about 4" round. We serve it "healthy with a slice of organic tomato and lettuce, but we also have "barbq" sauce, etc. to "doctor it up, if you don't want it sooooo healthy.

We pride ourselves on our Cheese quiche or the bacon/ham quiche, which is served on a bed of organic fancy lettuces, with a few other seasonal vegetables. It's great with our own Pear/raspberry vinegrete but you can also choose traditional creamy italian, french or balsamic vinegar dressings. Home made macaroni & cheese, cucumbers vinegrette, fruity waffles, etc. will be added as we go along. Our Pastry area includes different treats each day. Today it is an applesauce walnut/raisin ring cake, chocochoco cake, Our Prize Winning "Cinnamon coffee cake", Blue berry or pumpkin pie, spice cupcakes, to mention a few.

Besides food, what else will visitors to the Green Café find?
You can find your friends here because we are not trying to be "apple bees". We want to be the "home town cafe", as a matter of fact, that was my second choice, after "Green Cafe". There is a tourism center if you want to travel any place around this state and the 2 or3 states that join us. Everyone brings me back a couple brochures, so we can keep our inventory active. We also have a "welcome center" so if folks would like to leave us with their "new Neighbor's name, address & contact phone or e mail, we will deliver a "welcome basket" from the local business' as well as our cafe.

When are you open?
Well, it took God 6 days to make the earth, but after waiting 9 months to jump thru all the hurdles of this buracracy, it's gonna take me 7 days to pay the mortgage. We're open 7 days a week from 7am to 7pm, so you know where to find me, for the rest of my life....

1101 Cooper Street
Edgewater Park, NJ 08010
phone: 609-871-9555

I want to thank Carole for taking the time during her busy opening week to answer questions. When I get a chance to get to The Green Cafe @ Whitebriar, I'll put up another post. Until then, if you're in the Edgewater Park neighborhood, stop by and give it a try. Then let us know how it was.