Spring brings change. Flowers, bugs, birds, and crops all burst forth anew. Amelia Island renews, too. The school year ends, beaches open, visitors arrive from all over the country, and the world. The air is sweeter and tastes are brighter.
Good ideas are also blooming at Amelia Fresh Café. The other day I grabbed lunch there with my friend Arden Haigly. Since 2015, he has enjoyed the Ginger Chicken Salad regularly, on a croissant and now with greens. Combining this with my Kale Power Bowl would make an excellent burrito, he says. The Curried Chicken Salad, another house favorite, I enjoyed in a spinach wrap, with a Pea Salad that was quite flavorful. All of this with beets was deliciously satisfying.
For our dessert, Chef Ashley recommended a Morning Glory Muffin. Far from its Nantucket origin in 1978, this popular muffin is a favorite at the café. Named for a symbol of renewal (the morning glory blooms in the morning and wilts in the evening), having this muffin in the morning at Amelia Fresh Café is a truly glorious experience.
When Arden arrived in 1991 to be on staff for the opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, he sought out good food of all kinds for many years. Age has brought wisdom, and now he only looks for food that is fresh, clean, and organic. A current favorite subject of his is food provenance, e.g., the documented journey of food from origin to consumer, with emphasis on safety, transparency, and sustainability.
He was in luck this day! Mark Tortora, the new owner, knows this subject deeply. To Arden’s delight, he took time to talk with us about it. Mark’s life in food began at Cornucopia Health Food Store on Long Island, New York when he was a boy. Now he has grown up, and so too has what is now called Amelia Organic Market.
When it opened in 1985, Nassau Health Foods was the only place to buy “health food,” meaning weird stuff like brown rice, blackstrap molasses, whole wheat, or yoghurt. Today these products are mainstream, but not all of it is as clean as its producers would have us believe. Mark cares about this. The new Amelia Organic Market concept will include several small markets within the store: dairy, grocery, produce, beer and wine, and supplements and remedies. I have found products there that I previously needed to order online, things for my home, animals, and skin.
The name Amelia Fresh Café will be absorbed into the rebranding, and favorite foods, chefs, appearance, and generous outdoor seating will all remain the same. Look for a few changes, like a seafood market and a butchery. Mark thinks big and is excited to build relationships with vendors. Many of these relationships are already in place. A regular at Riverside Arts Market for years, he is always on the lookout for people who are growing or raising in a sustainable manner. If you have a special request or need an ingredient, just let Amelia Organic Market know.
Meanwhile, stop in for breakfast or lunch. Get the kids a healthy muffin, or be like my friend who goes there when she doesn’t have the kids so she can eat well and relax. Amelia Fresh Café is located at 833 T.J. Courson Road.