In Business: G-Zen
Owners Mark and Ami Beach Shadle have a simple purpose when it comes to G-Zen: to expose all people, and hopefully some diehard non-vegetarians, to fresh, sustainable, and mouth-watering vegan cuisine anyone can find delectable. G-Zen offers a variety of plant-based and raw foods as well as a selection of organic and raw beer, wine, and sake. During the blooming months, the owners cook with fresh-picked foods from the farm in Durham they've owned for four years.
Mark Shadle spent 22 years as the executive chef and co-owner of It's Only Natural Restaurant in Middletown. In 2010, he was invited to the White House by First Lady Michelle Obama and is currently involved with the Chefs Move to Schools initiative to bring awareness of healthier foods children.
Ami Beach Shadle is the founder and owner of the Colonic Institute in West Hartford and Gmonkey. Her first cookbook, Nectar in the Raw, was published in 2011. She is a licensed certified holistic nutritionist and certified raw foods chef.
G-Zen
2 East Main Street
Branford
203-208-0443
G-zen.com
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday,
4 to 9 p.m.