The Growing Season, An Eclectic Menu with Organic Roots

The Growing Season Juice Collective
201 Algoma St.

Tara laughs when I ask how The Growing Season got started. Tara is one of four women of the collective that own and operate this “shop” as they refer to it. All four were surprised at how quickly their little restaurant became a success. They took their time getting the place off the ground. They made dishes they liked, combining ideas for a menu that has become popular with locals in Thunder Bay.

Originally the collective thought they were catering to a niche market. “We thought only our friends and relatives would support us,” Tara states. “We had no idea so many people were into sprouts and lentils,” she laughs.

It helps that the food is so good and the atmosphere so comfortable. It’s tight, yes, but it’s like being in someone’s house for a nice lunch. They have a patio space in the summer. The food is reasonably priced, trendy, filling, made from scratch, and they try to make the food as local as they can get it. Quality local art hangs on their walls. Half the food they make is for takeout orders, so you can pick it up and take your lunch to the marina.

A few of the favourite foods at the Growing Season are the Hummus Plate, the Harvest Salad, Venus Rice Bowl, Chipolte Chicken or Tofu Unwrap. And of course, there’s the juice bar! With names like Tropic Thunder, Big Blue, and Strawberry Fields, it’s fairly easy to figure out what the mixes are. Others like the Immune, Energize, Stress Buster, and the Gin Elixir require a bit more guesswork. Or you can go and squint at the menu board.

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