Brenda Langton began her career in the early 1970’s at the cooperative vegetarian restaurant, Commonplace in St. Paul, Minnesota. This era saw the birth of popular American vegetarian cooking. Working there for five years as the youngest employee, determined to learn vegetarian cuisine and the nuts and bolts of running a restaurant.

Brenda left Commonplace as its manager in 1976 to live for a year in Europe where markets, restaurants and cooking with the local ingredients are a way of life. Upon her return at the age of 21 she opened Cafe Kardamena as a gourmet vegetarian and fresh seafood restaurant. Over the next 8 years she built her St. Paul cafe into the preeminent vegetarian restaurant in the upper Midwest.

Demand out grew the space and in 1986 she opened Cafe Brenda in the heart of Minneapolis’ warehouse district — twice the size of Cafe Kardamena. In the following years, Cafe Brenda has received national recognition as one of the finest restaurants in the country and as an innovator in gourmet vegetarian cuisine. Most recently mentioned in the January, 1999 Gourmet Magazine column “Two For The Road” Where Jane & Michael Stern’s newest book “Chile Nation” cites Ms. Langton as a significant force in the health food movement. In an earlier review (May, 1996) they comment that Cafe Brenda is “where elevated nutritional consciousness inspires the best kind of creativity — the kind that tastes good.”

In 1992 Brenda published “The Cafe Brenda Cookbook” with Margaret Stuart. Subtitled — “Redefining Seafood and Vegetarian Cuisine,” these recipes reflect vegetarian and seafood cooking of the 1990’s. The book has become a popular standard for those seeking a healthy alternative in their own kitchens.

From the beginning of her career, Brenda has been largely self taught, having studied amongst cooks and nutritional professionals with roots in Macrobiotics, Eastern philosophies and ethnic cooking techniques.

Operating the restaurant and the natural food business with her husband, Timothy Kane, Brenda also teaches cooking classes and consults as an authority on natural foods and diet. They live in Minneapolis with their daughter, Celina.