Really, I don't have a fixation on root vegetables. But I can see why you might wonder. Last month, this column spotlighted the unshakable Blue Beet Café, an old-timer on the dining scene. During my hunt for its North County counterpart, I unearthed the original Rutabegorz, a self-described "hippie joint" currently celebrating its 35th anniversary. That it's named for a lowly turnip is just a creepy root vegetable coincidence.
Choosing the rutabaga as a culinary mascot somehow made sense in 1970. Replacing the "baga" with "begorz" seemed clever and of-the-moment in 1970. So did mood rings, shag carpet, and The Partridge Family. Clearly, Rutabegorz had the most staying power.
Rutabegorz's original Fullerton venue opened in 1970 as a funky, laid-back coffeehouse in what had been the downtown home and office of Dr. Olsen, a popular local physician. "Back then, people would buy a $1 item and hang out for five hours," recalls owner Paul Berkman. The cool vide attracted locals, and plenty of college and high school students from the several campuses nearby.
After the first few years, a compact menu was added, focusing on healthful, wholesome soups, salads, sandwiches, and vegetarian archetypes like ratatouille, enchiladas, and a cheese-covered steamed veggie pot. The menu has grown to 24 pages of newsprint describing a couple hundred items, most of which are vegetarian. And today that menu is also offered at two more Rutabegorz sites - Old Town Tustin (1978) and Old Towne Orange (2001). The only difference being that no hard liquor is served at the Orange location.
Rutabegorz strives to serve healthful food, not health food. The menu lacks fried food, heavily processed foods, and pre-prepared stuff that comes from a bag or bottle. It also doesn't serve "modern" health food, like tofu, tempeh, soy milk, and flaxseed, or as Berkman says, "we're old school vegetarian." Ingredients are plain but fresh; the preparations are straightforward and down-to-earth - expect no fussy sauces or fancy plating here.
Starting with espresso-based coffee drinks (Rutabegorz's first raison d'être), the menu rolls out appetizers and snacks like nachos, hummus, quesadillas, and pita pizzas. Then on to homemade soups and chilis ("nourishment for the body, joy for the spirit" the menu tells us in ?70's prose). The Chicken Tortilla soup is satisfying, but I always enjoy the Cockie Leeky soup, the restaurant's creamy, yet non-dairy, version of the Scottish classic with chicken, leeks, and rice.
Salads and sandwiches are big sellers, no doubt because they're really big and indisputably fresh. The salad roster is 26 long, running the gamut from a massive Mediterranean (feta cheese, artichoke hearts, salami, olives, and more) to The Cobb (veggie and non-veggie versions) to Garlic Chicken (avocado, crunchy noodles, caramelized walnuts, greens). They average about $8 each, but most are linebacker portions served in gargantuan bowls. You can tell all nine dressings are made from scratch, not ordered from a supply house.
Sandwiches ($5-$8) come in many forms: on bagels, wrapped in tortillas, or built on various breads. Fillings can be simple (cream cheese and olive) to ultra-simple (ham and Swiss). Or they can be slightly exotic (falafel patties with tomatoes, cucumber, onions, and hummus) or slightly less exotic (shrimp and avocado). Kids and junk food junkies be warned: No fries or chips are served here. In fact, nothing is fried in these kitchens.
Hot, entrée-type dishes ($7-$10) are called House Favorites on the menu and certainly cover a lot of culinary territory. Or course, there is the obligatory pasta (marinara, primavera, cacciatore) served with garlic bread. Various enchiladas, burritos, and tacos make predictable use of chicken, shrimp, cheeses, onions, avocados, black beans, and such. None are taqueria-authentic, but they're healthful translations of Mexican fare, minus the pork, lard, and charred chilis.
When Rutabegorz fans started bringing their children, Berkman wisely catered to them with a kid's menu featuring go-to favorites like quesadillas, pizza bagels, and the required PB&J sandwich. Each includes a drink for a tab of $4.20, so it's no wonder why those early customers now have their grandkids in tow. And what kid (old or young) doesn't like dessert? Rightly renowned for its silky, tangy cheesecake, the kitchen also bakes up a worthy carrot cake and a homespun apple pie. Or design your own sundae from a small selection of ice cream, syrups, and toppings. Health geeks can choose non-fat frozen yogurt.
In addition to the menu, each Rutabegorz also shares a quirky, history-laden site. When Berkman re-purposed the low-slung Spanish-style Fullerton doctor's office in 1970, he found a crucial touchstone for the locations that followed. Each of them inhabits a historical old building in the heart of its city. Tustin's Rutabegorz occupies a 1924 neoclassic colonnaded structure built by the son of the son of Columbus Tustin. Rutabegorz Orange (the trio's newbie) is shouting distance from the traffic circle and Chapman University, but it was built in 1915 as the home of citrus ranchers Daniel and Annie Crawford.
Each location seats about 150, though patio seating varies according to the buildings' design. Fullerton is the sentimental favorite for me, but I do confess I adore the spacious, lovely courtyard patio in Orange (plus the handsome turn of the last century cabinetry inside). Don't be misled by the advanced age of the buildings, the aura at each Ruta's (as regulars call them) isn't old and creaky, but rather, quirky and spirited.
Thirty five years ago Rutabegorz struggled to provide an "alternative to traditional restaurant offerings." Success has shown these homegrown eateries can outlive the fads and won't be going the way of troll dolls, eight-track tapes, or macramé plant hangers.
Rutabegorz Restaurant in Old Town Tustin has always been a gem of a place. Not only is it picturesquely located in a historic building that dates back to 1914, but it features some of the tastiest (and largest) salads in town, along with other hearty and healthy dishes such as Killer Chili, zucchini stuffed with vegetables, rice and cheeses, and falafel sandwiches. But Ruta's new special salad tops them all. Aptly titled the Apple Spinach Salad, this enough-for-two extravaganza features caramelized walnuts, chicken breast, apples, bleu cheese crumbles, shredded carrots, celery and a fresh, perfectly textured spinach base. All of this is topped with a delicious red dijon vinaigrette dressing. The salad is a fantastic medley of textures and tastes: The caramelized nuts provide a kind of burnt sweetness that is offset by the tangy bleu cheese. The soft texture of the spinach leaves is contrasted with the crunch of the celery and carrots, and the apples provide a burst of tangy fruitiness. The dressing gives the whole dish its delicate finishing touch. The Apple Spinach Salad is more than a meal ? either bring a friend or save some for later. Popeye would go nuts over this one. Call Rutabegorz Tustin at (714) 731-9807; two other locations are in Orange and Fullerton.
