Fifteen years ago, my life was rapidly changing. I graduated college, moved to Dallas, started my dream job, and ate at Cosmic Cafe for the first time. I associate this eclectic vegetarian spot with the beginning of wonderful things, so when I heard about its closure in 2021, I was heartbroken. I hadn’t been in years—life moves on—but I despaired of ever getting a mug of the house chai and a Pizza Mystica ever again. The announcement of their reopening in March felt like I had been given a second chance. I wasn’t about to let that mug slip through my proverbial fingers again.
The century-old little house on Oak Lawn hasn’t undergone any renovations during the hiatus, retaining its colorful, unpretentious charm. Murals and Indian decorations still adorn the walls and ceiling. The floor might slant a little more. The parking lot has graduated from the second to the third circle of hell as SUVs have become everyone’s daily driver. (Seriously. Find street parking or prepare to do your best Austin Powers impression.) Most of the old-school fast food booths on the patio were already filled with happy diners when I walked up the steps early on a Tuesday evening. The self-serve chai station, cluttered with sweeteners and mismatched mugs, stood beckoning near the counter.
Nostalgia is a powerful drug, so I tried to temper my expectations. The menu hasn’t changed, and I selected one of my 2012-era favorites—I Hate Eggplant, a flavor bomb of eggplant, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and basil—while my dining companion opted for Rumi’s Falafel. While the food was perhaps not as transcendent as my memory had built it up to be, the core magic of Cosmic Cafe is still there. Soft naan enveloped perfectly cooked eggplant and enough cheese to offset the health benefits. The falafel was nicely fried, not mushy or greasy, with a pronounced chickpea flavor. And the unsweetened chai, of course, was delicious: creamy, warm, and rich with cardamom…