There’s no shortage of meat and cheese in Danville. Susan Virgilio, who raised her four kids there with her husband, knows this as well as anyone—which made her decision to open a plant-based restaurant in the heart of Danville’s downtown all the more “crazy.”

“It was definitely a risky thing to do here in the land of steak and pizza,” she says with a laugh.

But it also made her decision not to serve the now-ubiquitous meat alternatives an easy one. After all, if anyone would be able to tell the difference, it would be Danville diners.

“Meat can be meat and plants can be plants,” says Virgilio. “We feel no need to try to re-create meat, to make mushrooms look like a steak.”

And while there is a burger on the menu at Blossom and Root, the patty is composed of chickpeas, black beans, and shiitake mushrooms (versus soy protein, methylcellulose, and cultured dextrose). It echoes the texture, substance, and comfort of a real burger but in a more natural way. It’s not beef. But it’s not trying to be beef, and the nutty, slightly tangy chickpeas and earthy shiitakes lend a pleasant, wholesome undertone to go along with garden-fresh little gem, creamy tomato aioli, a spongy bun, and gooey vegan “cheese.” That being said, I actually preferred the Funghi Sando. Crispy fried maitake mushrooms are slathered with a house-made slaw and sweet, addictive charred chili jam, the richness of which is balanced by spicy hits of pickled jalapeños. It reminded me of the Thai Chili Hot Sandwich at Oakland’s Hawking Bird, but in this case, the feathery threads of maitake simply melt in your mouth, offering deliciously squishy, satisfying bites.

It’s a nice example of Virgilio’s mission statement for her restaurant: to provide a diverse range of satisfying dishes made of natural ingredients that are approachable to vegans and nonvegans alike. Executive chef Ro Dugar’s menu isn’t just rice bowls and lentil soup (although it includes both), nor is it artsy, high-minded cuisine (although the masa cake is gorgeously executed and presented). Rather, it’s stacked with recognizable items like sandwiches, pastas, Caesar salad, chowder, and bread plates.

“I wanted people who were just walking in without knowing anything about us to be able to understand what was on the menu,” says Virgilio.

It’s an approach that makes sense when you understand the Danville restaurateur’s background. The mother of four was an admittedly mediocre home cook for her husband and four kids when her then-15-year-old daughter, Sally, went vegan. Virgilio began translating some of her family’s favorite meals into plant-based versions.

“It turns out that I am way better with lentils than chicken,” she says. “The food actually tasted better and had more variety. I began using spice profiles and different fruits and vegetables that I had never cooked with or grown up eating.”

She and her family also saw immediate health benefits—sinus problems and allergies disappeared—and eventually transitioned to an entirely plant-based diet that has lasted to this day. Sally went on to culinary school and is now a chef at the Michelin-starred plant-based Restaurant KLE in Zurich. Virgilio, who has a degree in chemistry from MIT, toyed with the idea of pursuing a master’s in nutrition before deciding on the “crazy” idea of opening a plant-based restaurant in her hometown.

One factor in Blossom and Root’s favor is the setting. Located in the renovated Danville Hotel complex, it’s a beautiful, comfortable spot. There’s a cozy front patio overlooking Hartz Avenue, while a long bank of windows lining the side alley lets in ample natural light to the interior. Charming wallpaper and artwork, dotted with bees, hummingbirds, carrots, hedgehogs, and the like, promote a cheery natural theme, while the dishware and furniture emphasize a relaxed, informal, homey vibe (there’s even a kids’ menu). The beverage program is another standout and reason to visit. Besides wine and beer—with an emphasis on “environmentally sound” producers—the bar serves delicious and colorful cocktails and mocktails that emphasize in-season ingredients. Our spiced pear soda, fragrant with lemon, clove, and vanilla, practically screamed autumn, and the refreshing seasonal shrub featured an intriguing, balanced mix of beetroot, strawberry, and citrus with a margarita-like salted rim.

The food, meanwhile, is mostly very good. The grilled Caesar is a winner with two heads of toasty petite romaine lettuce accented by sweet brioche croutons, feathery shaved “parmesan,” and delightfully light and crispy spiced frizzled chickpeas. A drizzle of herbed oil lends flavor, while the bed of Caesar-style dressing adds citrusy, creamy tang to dip into at your discretion. It’s also a robust salad, something echoed by the other dishes on what is a surprisingly hearty fall menu. (Virgilio is committed to swapping out the majority of the menu with the seasons but did lament the passing of the summer’s bounty so soon after launch.) The coconut lentil soup offers the red legume’s familiar thick earthiness, nicely brightened with a light Thai flair that includes coconut, lemongrass, and Thai bird chili, plus lemon zest. I enjoyed the richly flavorful roasted bell pepper and tomato romesco sauce on the gnocchi. Unfortunately, the gnocchi itself was undercooked, with its small, hard lumps of dough the opposite of the light and pillowy texture I was craving.

Ultimately, I thought the kitchen was at its best when centered on dishes that are uniquely vegetable-focused—the masa cake, for example, or that delicious fried maitake mushroom—versus mimicking something nonvegan. But for the most part, Blossom and Root succeeds in its mission to make a plant-based restaurant seem, well, normal—even in an unlikely place like Danville.

After all, points out Virgilio, “everyone needs to eat more veggies, even omnivores.” blossomandrootkitchen.com.