The Community Counter at The Evergreen Cafe

by: Dustin Heron Urban

If you’ve ever been to the Evergreen Café on highway 24 in Buena Vista, you are surely familiar with the smiling personality of chef and owner Barb Zucker. Her last name is German for “sugar,” which somehow seems appropriate for this dynamic and friendly woman who works her grill with such skill that she had no problem carrying an extended conversation with me this morning while she cooked.

“The Evergreen was founded in 1950,” Barb told me as she held a skillet and flipped over-easy eggs with a flick of her wrist. Pointing out a seam in the ceiling, she told me that the place was originally just five seats, a counter and the grill. The Evergreen has come a long way since that time, undergoing considerable renovations since Barb purchased the business in 2001. But the Evergreen still has that local, café counter feel. Regulars come and go, chatting about local happenings and reading the paper, kibitzing about the weather and drinking coffee.

Beyond the stools and counter, however, the Evergreen has outside patio seating, and a cozy dining room, walls adorned with the work of local artists. On the east end of the dining room, jade, aloe and other succulents grow in a glass-walled sunroom. All this combined with healthy and delicious food hand-made from scratch makes for a high quality dining experience.

Several recent changes at the Evergreen make this café an even better option for the health-conscious customer looking for a tasty breakfast or lunch. All of the Evergreen’s oils are now non-hydrogenated and trans fat free, a crucial factor for customers like myself. And responding to the wishes of a number of customers, the Evergreen now has real butter available as well. Though it may seem like a small change, I know several locals for whom this was the deciding factor in switching to the Evergreen as their preferred breakfast joint.

This season the Evergreen will be purchasing all their greens and produce from local sources. Erin’s Organics of Nathrop will supply Barb’s tomatoes, and Buena Vista’s Weathervane Farm will supply all other produce. All meat served at the Evergreen is supplied by Scanga Meat Company of Salida and is antibiotic and hormone free. Scanga also supplies wild-caught Alaskan salmon for the Evergreen’s several delicious salmon dishes. Finally, all coffee served at the Evergreen is now organic and supplied by the Buena Vista Roastery. With all of these developments, eating at the Evergreen is good for your health and your community.

Asked what has compelled her to use local suppliers and healthier ingredients, Barb said that her intention was not only to attract those customers like myself that appreciate local and healthy ingredients; she also wants to help other customers to realize the importance of eating well. So far the response has been positive and her customers especially love the new BV Roastery coffee.

I’ve never been much of regular customer at the local food joints. But as I sat on one of the Evergreen’s original stools today, watching Barb hand slice her French fries, enjoying good food and good company, I suddenly understood the appeal of the diner counter. It’s here that community is built, stories are shared and news is circulated. It’s here that the countless relationships which make our community so wonderful are cultivated. The Evergreen is open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week from 6:30-2:00. I invite you to saddle up on the stool next to me some time.

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