Bob Goldberg and Paul Lewin
With Valentine's Day on February 14, it is only natural that National Heart Month would be celebrated throughout the month. To pay homage to these very important events, we naturally turn our attention to Follow Your Heart, Southern California's landmark heart-healthy cafe and retail store.
Nearly 30 years ago, Johnny Weissmuller's American Natural Foods, one of a chain of stores selling vitamins - with Tarzan's endorsement - had a small juice bar area that caught the eye of 24-year old Michael Besancon. The owners of the store had no interest in food service, so with a meager investment of $250 in cash and 20 books of Green Stamps (redeemed for utensils and other essentials) Besancon opened the modest business that would later become known as Follow Your Heart. Affectionately known at the time as "Johnny's", word of the good food soon spread, and customers started lining up for one of what was then seven stools to enjoy a 65 cent avocado sandwich with a 20 cent cup of soup.
As the business grew, Besancon became manager of the entire store and hired regular customer Bob Goldberg, one of the two current owners, as his first employee. A year later, seating capacity increased to eleven, and two other regular customers and friends became part of the staff, including Goldberg's current partner Paul Lewin. Within a year, the store was put up for sale, and the four friends and co-workers combined their resources to purchase the store. This was the official beginning of Follow Your Heart.
Adding natural foods to the stock of vitamins, the partners ignored advisors and going out on a limb, eliminated meat, poultry, and fish products from the store to express their vegetarian beliefs. Follow Your Heart was not only their name but their philosophy too. With business continuing to flourish and outgrowing the little store, an ideal new location five times the size of the original became available. Ironically, what was formerly Larry's Butcher Shop, became the new and current location of a very successful vegetarian restaurant and store. 70's hippies from local Topanga Canyon and natural food moms with their kids were the original customers. Today you're just as likely to see Hollywood types, fitness buffs, as well as executives from the local aerospace and insurance industries - with some hippies, moms, dads, and kids too.
Follow Your Heart now employs close to one hundred people, nearly half working in the restaurant. Offering both indoor and outdoor dining, the restaurant is still best known for its great selection, highest quality ingredients, huge portions, reasonable prices, and friendly and knowledgeable staff. The warm, wooden decor has provided customers with a cozy, comfortable feeling, with many friendships started at the spacious counter. Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, many customers continue to come to Follow Your Heart for the legendary and hearty homemade soups, many created by former chef Janice Cook Migliaccio, author of Follow Your Heart's Vegetarian Soup Cookbook. A second Follow Your Heart cookbook, authored by Migliaccio, should be out sometime this year.
At Follow Your Heart, you'll find some of the best natural food cuisine available anywhere. Prepared without the use of any meat, poultry, fish, eggs, processed sugar or harmful additives, many items are also available completely dairy free. Menu items include Tofu Benedict, Two Bean Hash with Vegie-Sausage, The Reuben, Greek Salad, Wok Stir Fry, Spinach Fettuccini Marinara, Spanakopita, many other international specialties, and three of the best veggie burgers you'll ever eat. Friday night is Pizza Night, when you'll want to get in early to join the crowd choosing from toppings such as Roasted Eggplant, Vegetarian Italian Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper, Seasoned Tofu, Fresh Spinach and Fresh Garlic.
After a heart-healthy, delicious meal, cruise the aisles of the store and pick up some of the incredible prepared foods like Mock Chicken Salad, Eggless Tofu Salad, Chocolate Mousse (made with tofu), and the All-Natural Salad Dressings and Dairy-Free Mayonnaise that have prompted love letters from customers. A full-range of fresh food items, pantry staples, nutritional supplements, and environmentally friendly household products are also available.
Follow Your Heart takes its name and its philosophy seriously. The weekend preceding Valentine's Day will feature their famous heart-shaped waffles. On February 14, Follow Your Heart will extend their hours to properly acknowledge the holiday of love, starting with Special French Toast at breakfast, and continuing from 4pm to 10pm with a dairy-free Asparagus Mousse filled Manicotti, with Grilled Artichoke, Homemade Bread, a Special Baby Spinach Salad, and Chocolate Crepe topped with Fresh Raspberries for dessert.
Whether to celebrate Valentine's Day or National Heart Month, do yourself a favor and visit Follow Your Heart. Your heart and your tastebuds will be very grateful.
In the meantime, you can enjoy a few of Follow Your Heart's legendary soup recipes.
For a copy of the cookbook, please visit Follow Your Heart's website at http://www.followyourheart.com/
