The idea of an all-vegan menu doesn’t excite most people. But that’s exactly what makes Savory Leaf Cafe one of The Best New Jersey Food Trucks (and physical cafes). They serve more than salads and potatoes, offering a plant-based menu even hardcore meat lovers will, well, love. You might say it’s a form of healthy, comfort food.
As a brick and mortar, Savory Leaf Cafe operates at the Trenton Farmers Market. Here, you’ll find unique twists on traditional vegan dishes such as their VIBS, vegan ribs made soley from plants. In fact, everything from the “cheese” to the “beef” at Savory Leaf Cafe is made from plants. The goal, however, is to craft dishes with subtle flavor changes even meat eaters will enjoy.
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Eduardo Calderon and Marie Barber are the owners of Savory Leaf Cafe. Calderon left his full-time job to dive completely into this business; meanwhile, Marie balances other work while remaining hands-on throughout the week and weekends. In 2020, the team started operating a food truck in order to bring their diverse menu to local events. In addition to festivals and fairs, Savory Leaf Cafe also caters for special occasions.
Best of NJ spoke to Savory Leaf Cafe to learn more about both their food and truck. Continue reading below for the full interview!
The Best New Jersey Food Trucks: Savory Leaf Cafe Interview
Best of NJ: What came first: the truck or the Cafe?
Savory Leaf Cafe: The cafe came first in February 2019. We realized from our own experience that there are not many options for vegan comfort food in our area; so it was important for us to open a cafe and share our food with others. A year after opening our Cafe, we wanted to expand to another location in New Jersey. We soon realized a food truck would be the best option so we wouldn’t be limited to one fixed spot; instead, we’d be able to share our food at multiple locations across the state and surrounding areas.
We always felt there was more of a need at events, festivals, and concerts to offer more plant-based options. Unfortunately, we purchased our food trailer in February of 2020, right before COVID-19 hit; which delayed or canceled many events we had scheduled. But we are looking forward to a great 2021.
BONJ: What made you want to start this business?
Savory Leaf: As we continued our career as corporate professionals, we both knew that one of us would need to continue their professional career while one of us pursued our dream of opening a vegan establishment to continue to promote our products. After mastering our “Vibs”—vegan ribs—we knew it was time to share them with others. We started small with events on the weekend, promoting the ribs, and they quickly became a hit! That motivated us to continue to make other products and to consider opening a cafe.
We started the business for multiple reasons. Since we enjoy cooking it was only a matter of time before we mastered flavorful plant-based comfort food. Being from backgrounds of Columbian and Italian descent, authentic and flavorful food was always the center of family gatherings. So our goal was to accomplish the same with plant-based ingredients. Today, we pride ourselves on making and serving products that are meat-, dairy-, and egg-free; packed with protein, flavor, and the added benefit of no cholesterol—just good food for good souls.
BONJ: What was business like when you first started out?
Savory Leaf: It was a true learning experience, and we were overwhelmed by the positive response. We had to quickly adapt to the business model to keep up with the demand that we were experiencing. We knew that there was a need in our area for plant-based comfort food; and it showed by the wonderful customer response received.
BONJ: Your menu is much different from other food trucks, being completely plant based. What types of items do you offer?
Savory Leaf: Famous Cheesesteak, which is on par with the best Philly cheesesteak without the fat and cholesterol. Veuben, which is a Reuben made with our house-made pastrami. Our Key West Cuban, house-made Chickpea “Tuna,” and our very popular mac ’n cheese.
The main features we will always carry on the truck are the Famous Cheesesteak; all of our burger specialties; the Buffalo “Chick’n” Sandwich; and the Key West Cuban. We pretty much will rotate our selections around from our main menu.
BONJ: What are some fan favorites?
Savory Leaf: Our most popular, which is second to none, is our house-made BBQ “Vibs” ribs. This was a huge hit at the Vegan Pop-Up Shop we started and just grew from there. Top sellers on the trailer are usually the cheesesteak, burgers, specialty sandwiches, and, of course, fries. Also, we strive to keep things “fresh,” so we usually will have specials; like lasagna, meatball parm, and other plant-based converted specialties.
BONJ: What made you adopt a vegan diet?
Savory Leaf: Our decision to go plant-based was a personal decision based on family history of chronic illnesses. At first, we did not know much about plant-based cooking; but after trying a vegan detox eight years ago and learning how to make delicious foods out of plants, we never looked back!
A lot of people seem to feel there’s this stigma associated with the terms “vegetarian” and “vegan”; so a lot of people write off those types of diets and dishes without giving them a chance.
BONJ: Tell us about the benefits of eating these types of foods (even for non-vegetarians or non-vegans).
Savory Leaf: Creating recipes sourced from fresh vegetables is extremely healthy and good for the planet. It helps reduce high cholesterol and lowers blood pressure. Also, removing meat from your diet can reduce the risk of certain types of cancers. I always share my personal experience with years of battling high cholesterol; within a short amount of time my cholesterol moved from high risk to low risk after starting my plant-based diet. A well rounded plant-based lifestyle is truly the fountain of youth of diets.
BONJ: What types of catering options do you offer?
Savory Leaf: We can cater anything from our menu upon request. Some of our favorite items catered are the BBQ ribs, cheesesteaks, and mac ’n cheese. We also have new items that seem to be a big hit, such as trays of lasagna and vodka rigatoni.
BONJ: Where can we find your truck this spring and summer?
Savory Leaf: Coming up this spring, you can find us at the U-Pick Tulip event at Holland Ridge Farms in Cream Ridge. We will be there starting Saturday, April 10. We also will be at a number of other festivals and events throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
To learn more about Savory Leaf Cafe, click here to visit their website.
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Food Truck Photo: © Savory Leaf Cafe / Facebook
All Other Photos: Patrick Lombardi / Best of NJ
