August/September 2017 85
FROM TOP: COURTESY OF LYFE KITCHEN; COURTESY OF SWEETGREEN
VEGGING OUT
SWEETGREEN
Sprouting like spring vegetables,
this sustainability-oriented chain is
picky about the provenance of its
ingredients—farmers are highlighted
in signage—and has locations
across the East Coast, Midwest and
California, including four in the Bay
Area. Like many other fast casual
restaurants, Sweetgreen uses the
build-your-own approach popular
at Chipotle and poke bars as patrons
select a gluten-free base (greens,
wild rice, quinoa, etc.), pick up to
four ingredients that are mostly
prepared veggies like spicy broccoli
and hot chickpeas but also include
nuts, dried fruit and sprouts,
pop on what the restaurant calls a
“premium” (cheeses, roasted tofu,
chicken, shrimp and more), then
select one of more than a dozen
dressings made, like everything, in
house. Decision-challenged guests
can choose a pre-picked assortment
like pesto portobello that,
besides the mushrooms and basil
dressing, includes quinoa, greens,
chicken, hot chickpeas and spicy
broccoli. These have calorie counts,
which can be a bit disconcerting for
those who’d rather not know. Palo
Alto; 415/212-7385; Mountain View;
650/753-7300. sweetgreen.com
VEGGING OUT
LYFE KITCHEN
Famously founded by a former McDonald’s executive
with a guilty conscience, LYFE is an early
healthy fast casual restaurant in the region, with
its original spot in Palo Alto still going strong after
six years. More so than its brethren, LYFE appears
to want to do something about obesity—
the average
American woman now weighs 166 pounds,
according to the CDC—so reports calorie counts
for everything, with all items under 600 calories
and 1000 mg of sodium. Interestingly, some bigeater
guests have complained about the food not
being filling and some skimpy portions—those
lower calories have to come from somewhere—
but many enjoy healthful options like faux fried
chicken, gluten-free flatbreads, airy but flavorful
fish tacos, spicy buffalo chicken strips and
quinoa crunch bowl filled with veggie goodness.
The “herb wall” (the flavorful greens lit up like
a starlet), modern, well-lit interiors and earnest
approach to dining have made this little chain
a hit, with a few locations now sprinkled across
the country. Palo Alto, 650/325-5933; Cupertino,
669/231-4910. lyfekitchen.com
Quinoa
Crunch
Bowl
Mexican
Corn Elote
Bowl
