Overlake Hospital's Stanza Cafe has new menu with fresh bites, organic items

The newly reopened Stanza's Café at Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue offers an all-new menu, brimming with fresh produce, organic fruits, locally-made desserts and fair-trade coffee. The new menu places an emphasis on the health benefits of eating organic, natural foods.

The revised menu offers a wide selection of fresh bites, from flat-bread pizzas to Cucina Fresca natural pastas. Stanza's Cafe has also added a fresh juice bar and Theo's Chocolates made from Fair Trade Certified cocoa beans.

One item you won't find in the cozy cafe space is a caffeine-spiked can of Redbull.

"The shift to serving a menu based on organic and natural ingredients has been a process four years in the making and is more in line with how the hospital approaches health and wellness," said Mark Eggleston, Director of Hospitality Services for Overlake Hospital. "This is our opportunity to create a place of destination instead of just convenience."

The new menu offers a variety of healthy salad and sandwich options including many vegetarian items. The cafe also features Meatless Mondays, the hospitals way of taking part in the international campaign that encourages people to eat less meat to improve their health and the health of the planet.

"There are so many small ways to help better the environment and our own health overall," said Chris Linaman, Executive Chef for Stanza's Café. "A good way to start is by eating organic foods and supporting local farmers. We are trying to do both here at Stanza's Café."

Lindsay Larin can be reached at 425-453-4602.

For more information, visit www.overlakehospital.org.

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