Review: Common Ground Cafe, Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia

Jun 28, 2011
Jasmine Crittenden

Common Ground Cafe is in Katoomba, The Blue Mountains, one of Australia's most well-known tourist attractions - www.freeaussiestock.om

A review of the popular Common Ground Cafe, located in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

The Common Ground Café is run by The Twelve Tribes, which is a commonwealth of communities in Europe, the Americas and Australia. The movement was established in the 1970s in Tennessee, by Gene Spriggs. As described on their website, members of The Twelve Tribes “follow the Messiah, Yahshua, the son of the living God.” They live in communities, where property is held in common, children are educated at home and emphasis is on work ethic, prayer, music and dance. In Australia, the Twelve Tribes communities are located in Picton and Katoomba.

Regardless of one’s views on religion, there is no doubt about the goodness of the food served at The Common Ground Café. It is one of the most popular cafes in the Blue Mountains. On this busy Sunday night, customers are hard pressed to find a free seat.

Rustic Atmosphere

We find one on the mezzanine level, at the “kookaburra” table. The wooden table is hand painted with delicate designs of native wattle and bottlebrush. A low-hanging, handmade wooden and paper lantern provides soft lighting. Brightly coloured murals of natural scenes adorn the walls and mellow folk music, featuring pan pipes and violins, completes the rustic feel.

Organic, Free Range Menu

The hand written menu offers an array of healthy, hearty options. The Twelve Tribes organic farms provide the majority of fruit and vegetables and the free range meat comes from local sources.

The most expensive meals on the menu are barramundi fish and grilled, free range chicken, with brie, both served with salad and garlic bread, for $18.50. Salads, the stand out being the cashew and cranberry, are between $7.00 and $10.00, and it is possible to order a half-serve. Other meals include a variety of cooked breakfasts, nachos for $6.00-$10.00, melts for $4.00-$7.00, hot sandwiches for $9.00, burgers for $11.50 and a delicious soup of the day for $5.00-$8.00, today being potato and broccoli with sour cream. All meals offer a gluten free option, for an added $1.00 or $1.50.

Drinks include a very special independently designed energy drink, containing chlorophyll, spirulina, apple and pineapple juices and vitamins, and mate teas – dandelion, roasted and green. A tasty selection of treats, baked on location, is available, an enormous slice of cream cheese pie, macadamia and apple crumble or carrot cake costing only $5.00.

The Common Ground Café, Katoomba, is open Sunday to Thursday between 10am and 8pm and on Friday between 10am and 3pm and is closed on Saturday.

Source

http://www.twelvetribes.com/whoweare/