
- Sally Pollak
- Rice bowl at Vergennes Laundry by CK
These brunch options at Vergennes Laundry by CK are $12 each, tax and gratuity included. The donuts, $4 apiece, were mighty tempting, but I thought I should start my Sunday with a little nutritional balance. As it turned out, I was rewarded with a creatively delicious meal built in a bowl.
A fried egg, garnished with microgreens, topped a bowl of rice and kidney beans. The rice was sautéed with achiote paste, coloring it a pale orange and flavoring it with a touch of nuttiness. Tomato wedges, cucumber slices and kimchi were set around the bowl's perimeter, lit up by a scoop of lusciousness: avocado pureed with onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. The spoonful of avocado, thick and smooth, served as a paste to be apportioned with each bite. The rice bowl is here to stay, said Christian Kruse, 34, chef-owner of the restaurant.
“I’ve taken it off the menu one time,” Kruse said. “And I was told [by customers] not to ever again.”
Kruse grew up in Westford and graduated from Rice Memorial High School. He became interested in cooking when he lived on Church Street and watched the action in the open kitchen at the New England Culinary Institute restaurant that was on the Marketplace. He then enrolled at NECI.

- Sally Pollak
- Menu board at Vergennes Laundry by CK

- Sally Pollak
- Cappuccino at Vergennes Laundry by CK
The former executive chef at Basin Harbor Club, Kruse is cooking at both ends of the day. He arrives at Vergennes Laundry by CK at 5 a.m. and is typically there until 10 or 11 at night.
“The labor pool of cooks is tough in this area,” Kruse said. “There are a lot of restaurants, and we’re all fighting for the small amount of cooks that are available.”
There’s another reason Kruse spends so much time in the kitchen: “I love what I do," he said.
Comments
Comments are closed.
Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we’ve appreciated the suggestions and insights, the time has come to shut them down — at least temporarily.
While we champion free speech, facts are a matter of life and death during the coronavirus pandemic, and right now Seven Days is prioritizing the production of responsible journalism over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor. Or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.