World Class Flavor | New Dixon eatery offering mindful eating

February 13, 2019

Jessi Marshall is all about creating experiences.

Jessi Marshall, born and raised in Dixon, Illinois, has traveled domestically and internationally for her career in the hair world. Her family once owned their own business in Dixon for 82 years and she knew that she would follow in those entrepreneurial footsteps. Jessi wanted to return home and fill the void of health-conscious food options in Dixon. That business, Curate Kitchen Dixon, supports and enhances the community.

An old laundromat situated on a corner lot on Dixon's downtown riverfront came up for sale and she had the perfect vision. What started out as an idea for a 20-person café turned into a 99-person restaurant with a drive-thru, full menu, event space, and riverfront patio.

When I asked Jessi where the name “curate” originated from, she explained that it was about “bringing unique and different things together to create a holistic collection.” The table and chairs don’t match – but everything seems to fit together.

A taste for travel with locally sourced bakery items

Jessi brought a taste of her own travels to the menu with options such as prosciutto and brie sandwiches, sweet potato and chickpea salad, breakfast quiches, a full coffee bar, and bakery items that are sourced locally from “The Village Bakery” in Oregon, IL. All of the coffee grounds are from Intelligence Coffee - a family owned business based out of Illinois who use a reverse roasting process to make the coffee smooth and not bitter.

Curate is all about mindful eating with menu options that are not only good to eat but also good for you. In fact, 70% of the menu is gluten-free and vegan with a small item change. All foods are prepared with as many fresh, non-processed ingredients as possible.

More changes coming

They plan on adding online ordering this Spring as well as opening up their patio for dinner appetizers. Currently, they are open as a breakfast and lunch establishment. They will also start renting out a separate room of the building for events, meetings, etc. The drive-thru offers a full coffee bar as well as quick to-go options such as turkey rollups, veggie wraps, and their popular broccoli apple salad.