We ate at the High Noon Cafe on a Friday and intentionally went out of our way to try the vegetarian crab cakes cutely named "Seaside Cakes" made from tofu and what I thought might be seaweed. It was a totally new and enjoyable flavor for me. I would readily go back again, but I would also like to experience some other menu offerings, although many people say the Seaside cakes are the best item. They came baked, not fried and topped with swirls of ketchup that tasted homemade and tarter sauce. I was surprised that the coleslaw was only red cabbage and carrots, but really enjoyed the light dressing. The mashed potatoes were topped with a yellow gravy that I honestly thought was mustard. However, upon tasting it, I was startled by a strong garlic and butter flavor. I thought there was too much of all of the sauces and scraped some off, but no one else seamed to have that problem. Kathleen did say that there used to be a white gravy on the potatoes that she liked better.

Wisely, the cafe allows for portion control because it believes in true, healthy eating. At least the special can be ordered as a half or as a whole. The half comes with one Seaside Cake and a little less coleslaw. The whole comes with two Seaside Cakes and more coleslaw, but with the same-sized scoop of potatoes.

Four of us shared a huge slice of fresh carrot cake without raisins, but with a strong ginger flavor. I also tasted a good bit of lemon in the cream cheese icing and thought the coconut sprinkle on the icing was a nice touch. The cake was very moist and delicious.

The High Noon Cafe is part of the Rainbow Co-op in Jackson, Mississippi. It features a health-food store and a vegetarian restaurant among other stores and shops. A sign posted on the bulletin board outside the restaurant said that the co-op had 1400 members in 2004 and is not up to 4000.

Not a member of Slow Food USA because local produce is not a top concern, the restaurant aims to cook with trans-fat free, without hydrogenated oils, and with USDA certified dairy. Local products are available organic or not based on whether or not certified organic foods are available.

The High Noon cafe is clearly popular with a steady stream of patrons throughout the lunch hour. There is a daily entree special, a daily soup special, and a daily dessert special in addition to the regular menu. See below for the current daily food specials. The specials have been know to change because the crab cakes were previously served on a Thursday.

The Specials Menu as of 4/10/09

• Monday-Vegetarian Meatloaf and Gravy
• Tuesday-Angel Hair Pasta with Vegetables
• Wednesday-Caprese Sandwich and Salad
• Thursday-Taco Supreme
• Friday-Seaside Cakes with Cole Slaw and Mashed Potatoes