Celebrating Over 35 Years
ORGANIC PIONEER
Now celebrating our 35th year, French Meadow Café represents the life work of founder Lynn Gordon: Serving our customers food that is pure, wholesome, and crafted with integrity and passion.
As a pioneer in organics, French Meadow was a farm-to-table establishment long before that term became a catch-phrase, and we remain passionate about the strict organic and environmental standards that have been a guiding force since Lynn founded the country’s first certified organic bakery in 1985.
Never sacrificing freshness or quality, French Meadow still crafts all our dishes and baked goods from scratch, from hand-rolled pasta to our signature sourdough pain levain; our fresh organic produce and meats are supplied by regional small-farm partners we know and trust —producers who share our commitment to humane, organic, hormone-free, and sustainable practices. Our wine and spirits menu reflects this vision as well, with an emphasis on biodynamic, sustainable, and small-batch producers, including seasonal on-tap craft beers and kombucha.
A central tenet of French Meadow remains offering guests a comforting environment and an eclectic, seasonally-inspired menu with “something for everyone” — whether vegan, omnivore, vegetarian, or gluten-free — where a group with mixed culinary needs can dine together, and everyone comes away feeling indulged and satisfied. Through our food, French Meadow communicates respect for our shared home on earth.
Lynn Gordon, Founder
"French Meadow Bakery & Café represents my life’s work of providing people with food that is pure, wholesome, and crafted with integrity and passion. It’s something that my guests recognize and instantly connect with on a deeper level. We never sacrifice quality, and have total respect for our guests by working hard each and every day to provide an environment where everyone comes away feeling healthy, indulged, and satisfied.
"In this era of 'greenwashing,' French Meadow remains passionate about 'walking the walk': Staying true to the same organic and environmental standards that we began with in the 80s. We still craft all our dishes and baked goods from scratch, and from our hand-made pasta to our fresh sourdough pain levain and farm-fresh vegetables, we believe in communicating a cycle of respect for our shared home on earth."
French Meadow founder Lynn Gordon
with Dr. Andrew Weil at his home in AZ
Cafe History
French Meadow began in 1985 as the first certified organic bread bakery in the U.S.A., baking traditional organic, yeast-free bread that was as delicious as it was healthy.
We opened the popular Uptown Minneapolis cafe in the early 1990s by customer demand, and have been serving deliciously natural, local, organic food -- including vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan -- ever since.
With the growing demand for fresh and innovative food, we expanded the cafe in 2013 to include the elegantly designed Bluestem Bar, where we offer full table service, a selection of sustainable wines and local taps, and a private dining room.
Months later, in early 2014, we extended our reach to the other side of the Mississippi River, as we opened the second French Meadow Cafe on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul near the Macalester College Campus.