Ready for something healthy and unexpected in Sin City? Just head to the scruffy fringes of downtown Las Vegas and, yes, the gleaming new LGBTQ Center, with a lovely front garden patio. That’s where you’ll find the Bronze Cafe, where Carmen greets me with a thousand-watt smile.

Beautiful front garden at the Center

As I’m perusing the breakfast options, she asks if I’d like a sample dixy cup of soaked-overnight Swedish oatmeal, served cold with fruit and agave nectar. Yum. As I’m polishing this off, she hands me a taster of an Ethiopian teff cereal (interesting!) and a swallow of ice-brewed coffee. At this rate, I won’t have to order anything.

Finally, I  succumb to a half Tree of Life, a pita flatbread containing a cornucopia of roasted peppers, avocado, house-made pickled onions, cashew crema, Brazil nut crumble and a mango-ginger vinaigrette. It’s a delightfully different wrap and vegan to boot, like much of Bronze’s scratch-made menu. But fear not, carnivores, there’s a much-lauded maple-glazed bacon sandwich, slathered in bacon jam.

Tree of Life goodness with a healthy side salad

As I’m leaving, another server gives me a sample of a refreshing watermelon-chia drink. Oh, and it’s a hot day, so here’s some ice water for the road.

The LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender, Queer/Questioning) Center supports a lot of neighbourhood social projects and offers meal discounts to area residents. And apparently free samples to road-tripping bloggers.

Bronze Cafe
401 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas
Weekdays 7 am-10 pm, weekends 10 am-8 pm