If you’re in the right frame of mind for a “fish-less” fish sandwich, a “beet-ball sub” or a home-made breakfast, point your car in the direction of Bethel and head over to Erin’s Cafe on Main. Owner Erin Hall will have it all covered.

At the new cafe, located at 63 Main St., “breakfast, lunch or coffee” can mean all things vegan and vegetarian . . . or not — especially if you prefer a hefty dose of Canadian bacon with your eggs, or fancy a cheeseburger every now and then.

Erin Hall and her husband, Matt, also own the Route 2 Diner in Rumford. They’ve had a several-year vision to branch into a more health-conscious menu, and when they discovered the availability of the restaurant space previously occupied by Isabella’s Sticky Buns, they knew it would be the perfect spot, the ideal community and the right clientele.

After a bit of renovation work and a few upgrades, the cafe opened on April 17. The ambiance in the historic building is casual, homey, old-fashioned and down-to-earth, and offers outside dining during nice weather.

Saving her traditional diner food menu for the Route 2 Diner, Erin’s Cafe on Main offers a wide variety of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meals. About her personal diet, Erin said, “I try to follow a raw food diet 75 percent of the time,” meaning no gluten, no dairy and few, if any, other animal products. To honor her body (or “temple,” as she called it), she prefers to eat a lot of raw veggies, makes a lot of falafel, uses almond butter as a protein, drinks and cooks with coconut milk, and does a lot of juicing.

Many of her personal food preferences are either found on her menu or appear as daily specials. Since she loves to tinker with food, she said, “I’ve really invented a lot of recipes.” One of which is the recipe she shared for a cream-based (non-vegetarian!) bacon/spinach/parmesan soup, about which friends and customers alike have raved. She also shared one of her favorite recipes for a raw chocolate cake that is vegan, gluten-free and (even better!) requires no baking.

Vegetarian sandwich options on the menu include Erin’s portobello mushroom bomb (made with sauteed onions, peppers, topped with melted cheddar cheese and decked out with a red pepper mayo) and a black bean burger topped with salsa, avocado, lettuce and cheddar. Another fun-sounding sandwich is Erin’s own invention, the “beet ball” sub — a vegetarian turn on the good, old-fashioned meatball sub. Made with fresh beets, it is slow cooked in an Italian marinara sauce and topped with Swiss cheese. There’s also a chick pea salad sandwich, otherwise known as her “faux” chicken salad. Most sandwiches at the cafe cost under $8.99.

Her line of breakfast items includes a host of traditional foods (classic Belgian waffles, create-your-own omelets and traditional eggs Benedict) along with quirky variations: bananas Foster, waffles gussied up with lemon cheesecake, pineapple coconut cream or raspberry/white chocolate chips, and less common options for eggs Benedict, such as salmon drizzled with a dill hollandaise sauce, pesto accompanied with vegetables, and sausage capped with a spicy hollandaise sauce.

Her signature “smashy patty” complements many of her basic breakfasts — a seasoned and herbed smashed potato patty, which can be ordered with ham and melted cheddar for an additional $1. Breakfast prices range from $2.99 to about $8.99 for her more complex dishes.

For more breakfast fun, Erin serves duck, turkey and goose eggs when available, bakes her own breads and muffins, and offers quite a few gluten-free bread options, too. Meals at Erin’s Cafe on Main can be supplemented by assorted soups, salads, freshly made Italian sodas and notable desserts: pies, cakes, whoopies and cookies.

Try sipping one of her many specialty coffee drinks, too, while surfing the ‘net. And if you follow the cafe on Facebook, you can receive alerts such as this recent one: “Coming soon: gourmet shaved ice . . . flavors such as blueberry cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, banana split and many more.”

Erin Hall’s Raw Chocolate Cake

For the crust:

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup carob powder

1/2 cup finely ground almonds

1/3 cup agave or real maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut butter (same as coconut oil)

Pinch of sea salt

For the chocolate filling:

2 cups cocoa powder

1.5 cups agave or real maple syrup

1 cup coconut butter (same as coconut oil)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

Combine and mix all ingredients for the crust. It should have a dough-like consistency. Press the dough evenly into a 7-inch spring form pan. Chill in the fridge while preparing the filling. Blend all the filling ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Poor into the cake crust. Put the cake back in the fridge and chill for at least another hour before serving. Hall said you could easily substitute cocoa for the carob powder, if you prefer or if that’s all you have on hand, for a total of 1 cup. Garnish with fresh fruit before serving.

Spinach bacon parmesan soup

4 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into 2-inch strips

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds fresh spinach, chopped

1-1/2 tablespoons chicken soup base

1 quart half-and-half

1 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon slices and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until brown. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach and parmesan cheese and cook, stirring continuously for 4 to 5 minutes, until the spinach begins to wilt. Add the chicken base (found in the grocery aisle next to the bouillon cubes), and the half-and-half. Stir well. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, until the spinach has broken down. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Erin’s Cafe on Main

Hours of operation: Monday through Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Telephone: 824-3746.