Healthy times two
Al Hubbard waits on a customer at the Roanoke Farmers Market. (File photo)
Back in March, I wrote an article about Al Hubbard, who tucks healthy ingredients such as zucchini, butternut squash, berries, nuts, flax seed and pureed navy beans into his delicious baked goods and sells them on the Roanoke Farmers Market. Well, Healthy Stuff Cakery has been so successful that Hubbard decided to open a permanent business in the spot that formerly housed Local Roots Cafe at 1731 Grandin Road in Roanoke.
Healthy Stuff Cakery and Cafe, which had a soft opening Sunday, takes up the entire first floor of the house and seats up to 42 people. You’re probably wondering how Hubbard’s small line of baked goods could support such a large space, and Al has been doing a lot of thinking about that, too. He’s come up with a full breakfast and lunch menu while sticking to his mission to provide tasty treats that are good for you, too.
The cafe will offer breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday, along with those popular cakes and fruit juices, coffee concoctions and herbal teas. Lunch will include soups, salads and sandwiches, while breakfast will offer some unique twists on Hubbard’s cake recipes.
Healthy Stuff cakes. (File photo)
For example, he has created a waffle made with butternut squash and pecans, as well as pancakes made with apples, pineapple and blueberries. He’s also been working on his wheat bread recipe and says he has a recipe for light wheat biscuits. Breakfast paninis and omelets will be made with turkey bacon or sausage to cut down on fat, and Hubbard also has created what sounds like a fascinating dish: The oil-free omelet.
To make the omelet, Hubbard and his son, Justin, place all of the ingredients inside a heat-safe bag and simmer it until cooked through. In other words, they are making a boil-in-bag omelet that does not require any oil or butter for frying. True to his mission, Hubbard still does not use any refined sugar, either, opting instead for raw cane sugar or agave nectar.
“Diabetics are very welcome at our place without having to be so selective about what they can eat,” Hubbard said.
Healthy Stuff Cakery and Cafe will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with breakfast being served between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. Lunch is available anytime. On Sundays, the cafe will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hubbard said he is having a grand opening with live music this Sunday, so stop on by and see what kind of healthy ingredients he can sneak into your tummy.
November 30, 2010 - 7:29 AM
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Oh man, that food sounds delicious! Especially the waffles!
I tried one of his breads at the market on Black Friday – VERY good!
Good luck to Al. His cakes are delicious!
If there is anyone deserving of his success, it’s Mr. Hubbard. He is the nicest man, and his cakes are delicious!
Does he offer any gluten-free baked goods? Very hard to find good baked items for celiac ridden people.
Any help would be appreciated!
Bryan, Mr. Hubbard tells me that he is going to try and introduce gluten-free products after the new year. He is still working on those recipes. Meanwhile, you might be interested in these recipes for a gluten-free flour substitute and for gluten-free cookies. Both have been tested and given a thumbs up by Fridge Magnet’s resident gluten-free guru, Other John:
http://www.roanoke.com/food/recipes/details/?rid=1060&sorig=qs
http://www.roanoke.com/food/recipes/details/?rid=1061&sorig=qs
I am gonna have to give this one a whirl at the first opportunity! Good Luck!!
yum yum yum!
Hi Lindsey,
I’d say it’s time to go back and do a formal review of the breakfast and lunch items Al is serving. My husband and I went for breakfast last weekend and had the tasty oil-free omelet and turkey bacon and then went for lunch this past weekend. To my delight he had pulled BBQ turkey! I had the pita with his incredible Pe-Cran Cole Slaw and my husband had it muffaletta style with a feta side salad. Great Food, Great Service, Great Attitude. Our neighborhood is better off with Al here!
I have been enjoying Al’s healthy stuff at least once a week since he opened and wish I could get there two or three times a week. The feta salad is FANTASTIC as is the corn chowder and muffuletta sandwich but if you want the tastiest barbeque around try his barbeque turkey sandwich. He also has good art and his sayings that are right on target. This place is a true winner!
Is anything vegan??
That I do not know, Tabitha. I suspect the waffles and baked goods are probably vegan so long as you don’t use butter on the waffles, of course. You may wish to check out his menu: http://healthystuffcakery.com/site/