Walk away full, but feeling flavorfully satisfied, guilt-free and healthy!…read more
After a week of eating out for a conference in Norman( all tasty food mind you, mind you, but the kind of food that leaves feeling like "ahhh, I need to workout, purge, diet, fast, yadda, yoda, yedi!!!") I needed a break from the guilt! Not to mention, the older we get, successive ventures into the fried and fatty world of rich foods start to have a deleterious affect on my mood and mental sharpness as I feel more slugggish, bloated and "blechhy" by day 4 of my id locking up my superego in a basement closet.
So, I opted out for going to a brewery with a co-worker and instead suggested this place which had some good reviews already and also the kind of menu that your heart and soul (as well as your guilt-muscle) can all smile about and relax.
It is close the OU campus and is on a side street in the most literal sense that you pull in to the 4 space lot with your bumper inches away from the main road. Safe, but close. Street parking appears to be the alternative. We got lucky as it was late on a weekday (they close at 8) and found parking.
It used to be a health food grocery store only but added a kitchen not too long ago after having success with another eat-in store on the OU campus.
It is narrow, self-(and limited seating with pub-style ordering from counter where you fine their menu. The menu is laminated 10x14 I think, 2 sides including drinks so their menu is ample enough that you could find anything hot or cold, liquid or solid. The have shakes and juices made-to-order as well as a variety of deli and finger food options. Since it would be my last night in Oklahoma I tried several things to share and ended up eating them all. I had a beet, carrot and spinach juice (your choice of 8 or 16 oz)-- ahhhhhhh. There is nothing added so if you are not into juices, you will taste what ingredients you add and I love beets!
While there are many vegetarian and vegan options they do include some meat. I had the bowl of veggie chili which was a hearty rendition with several types of beans, carrots and corn. It was not bland but had spices that gave it an addictive flavor. They also had a creamy soup that I declined.I also had the hummus which appeared to be white bean and was chunky as well as creamy but altogether with a mild flavor that did not conflict with the chili. I opted for carrots vs. corn chips but they do offer tortilla chips for their "build-your-own nachos" part of the menu. From the sandwich section I picked a tuna salad (that had dolphin-safe tuna and not a substitute) but I did get a taste of the not-really-chicken chicken salad and that was good too. In addition to a variety of groceries and desserts to purchase and take home they sell fresh bread. I had a slice of the 3-seed bread and it made me want to stuff myself by ordering another sandwich just so I could put anything between two pieces of their fresh bread. They had 4 kinds of bread including a honey wheat and 2 vegan offerings but I selected their 4th choice which was the 3-seed (chia, sunflower and pumpkin maybe??)
My only regret was knowing that I would not be able to return until I made the trip from the east coast to Norman, Oklahoma...but it does give me a big reason to return :)
