healo :: healthy and clean eating.

Ever since starting Crossfit, I've been on a whole new health kick. I'm sure you've all seen from my Instagram that I've been juicing and eating a lot more clean lately. As such, I'm always on the hunt for a new juice bar or yummy lunch spot where I know I'll get my much-needed dose of veggies. Also, it's nice to not have to sacrifice that meal as a "cheat meal" since it's hard to find tasty, paleo-friendly/healthy places when eating out.

Luckily, Seattle has definitely embraced that go-green, fit living attitude and there have been neat places popping up all over the city. A few of my favorites include Evolution Fresh (owned by Starbucks), Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe, Home Grown (they have gluten-free bread!) and of course, Veggie Grill. Recently after hearing all the raves from friends other peeps in Seattle, my friend Alyson and I had to go try Healeo.

On the corner of 15th and Madison in Capitol Hill, Healeo has cold-pressed juices, smoothies (even dairy-free ones!), salads, superfood bowls and acai treats. Let's just say we were a bit overwhelmed with all the menu items - so much to choose from. Everything sounded refreshing and amazing. We settled on some fresh juices and each her own bowl of healthy goodies. Alyson's Coconut Acai Bowl was really neat and even served inside a coconut!

omg. look how cute alyson is with her coconut!

I opted for the Kale Avocado Quinoa Bowl which also included some cabbage, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, beets, cucumbers and carrots. For my juice, I chose the skin detox.

I was so surprised at how full I was getting from my bowl - especially the fact that I've been eating a lot of meat lately to ensure my protein intake is high enough. I mean... that bowl was large and in charge... and I was stuffed by my last bite. It was a really yummy lunch, and I absolutely adored catching up with Alyson over our nutritious juices. 

Would I recommend Healeo? If you like your veggies, then heck yes. If you don't... start learning.

Let's just say I'm definitely coming back to Healeo soon and am really looking forward to trying out one of their smoothies when the weather gets hot. That Coconut Almond has my name all over it.

Do you have a favorite healthy lunch spot or juice bar? 

Share with me via tweet or in comments below!

xoxo

the wandering goose.

Where to go for a bite to eat after church? That's what the boy and I struggled with this past Sunday after Palms Sunday Mass - we had no idea what we were in the mood for.. we were just hungry, and the belly needed to be fed. We decided to venture to Skillet Diner, but somehow there was water pipe construction happening at the same time resulting in an early closure of the restaurant. About 25 mins into our wait, we were notified that they were unable to seat us - the whole neighborhood's water was going to be shut off.

Eeeek! Hungry.. grumpy... and indecisive of where to go next, I remembered a good friend's recommendation to try the wandering goose.

On the corner of 15th and Harrison in North Capitol Hill, tucked between Ethan Stowell's Rione XIII and the 22 bar without any clear, outside sign except for the faint scribble of "wandering goose" on the front door window and a neon-light outline of a white goose - sits the wandering goose. The thirty seater is home to Southern inspired breakfast and lunch featuring fresh, homemade buttermilk biscuits, cookies, layer cakes, hush puppies, grits and more. The vintage, rustic feel to the cafe is a perfect place for a quiet Sunday morning catch-up sesh to share weekend adventure stories. Even the tables have their own stories to tell -- each table has a beautiful wooden top and etched with a little quote. Ours said "Bug fell in love with goose. Goose fell in love with bug. And they fell in love..." so cute. 

The cafe's ordering process is similar to one of our favorites, Oddfellows - where you order, pay up front and pick a spot in the cafe where you'd like to be served sweet goodness. Upon entering the cafe, I was immediately drawn to the front counter filled with delectable sweets and treats - five-layer coconut cream cake, raspberry thumbprint cookies, chocolate ginger molasses, pear coffee cake, bourbon pecan pie and more...

The boy and I settled on a fresh buttermilk biscuit with raspberry preserve jam to start as we gave into our sweet tooth.

light, buttery flakiness dressed with a sweet fruity goo - a simple melt-in-you-mouth in every bite. 

And for our blunch (breakfast + lunch, I'm a bigger fan of lunch than breakfast.. hence not using brunch) I settled for an Aunt Annie's which I washed down with a hot cup of rooibos tea, while he chose a fresh cup of coffee to accompany his Sweet Blonde.

Aunt Annie's: fried chicken. bread & pickles. house mustard. Heather's homemade honey. buttermilk biscuit
Sweet Blonde: sweet potato biscuit. country ham. egg over-easy. Steen's butter. 

Devoured within seconds, these biscuit sandwiches were absolutely divine. The boy and I are definitely looking forward to eating here again soon... or maybe just to stop by for some sweet treats. I've got my eye on that coconut cream cake.

What yummy eats did you visit this weekend?

Dine Around Seattle | Barolo Ristorante

Yesterday, a friend and I had the pleasure of dining at Barolo Ristorante in South Lake Union for lunch. We took advantage of the Dine Around Seattle special - 3-course lunch for $15 and devoured the delectable goodness.

Barolo offers a mix of northern Italian dishes with a modern twist in presentation, while using natural, organic and local ingredients from the Pacific NW. (For your reference, here are the course options for Barolo's Dine Around Seattle menu.)

Upon seating, we were immediately served warm toasted bread with fresh rosemary and a kalamata olive spread. What a great way to start an Italian meal, and also, the service was fabulous! Our waiter was very attentive and super helpful when deciding what to order.

After going back and forth between dishes, I finally settled on the octopus to start, gnocchi for the entree and   a cannoli to end on a sweet note. The dishes were beautiful and exquisite in color, texture and taste. The octopus was cooked perfectly... tender and soft, and I loved the spicy chickpeas as they added a kick to the flavor. Homemade gnocchi was a fabulous choice as the boar ragu seemed tastier than a simple beef ragu that I've had at other Italian places. Hearty, yet it provided a good balance for the starch component of the dish. Also, the gnocchi, itself, was fluffy and not too dense. Last but certainly not least, I was very pleased with the cannoli - made in true Italian fashion - with fresh ricotta cheese, whipped with a hint of vanilla fragrance, semi-sweet chocolate chips, wrapped in a flaky yet crisp shell and dusted with cocoa powder, chocolate shavings and powdered sugar. I also loved that the chef topped it off with two berries for a colorful appeal. 

After the three courses, I'm more than happy to say that the meal was not heavy nor made me too full. Yet, it was a light, refreshing way to take a break in the middle of my busy day and enjoy a scrumptious bite. I'm sure I'll be paying Barolo another visit, soon.

starter: ceci piccanti con pollpo. octopus and spicy chickpeas. 

entree: gnocchi con ragu' di cinghiale. housemade gnocchi with wild boar ragu' 

dessert: cannoli. 

Dine Around Seattle | Eat Your Local Heart Out

Last Monday, I had the pleasure of attending a private kickoff event for Dine Around Seattle - Seattle's Premiere All Local Dining Promotion. It was a quaint event with scrumptious appetizers, wine and great folks discussing the importance of eating and supporting local restaurants. Enjoy the snapshots of yummy bites I got to snack on during the event - sprinkled throughout the post below! The kickoff was held at Farestart, a job training and culinary placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals that uses "knife skills to teach life skills." Over the past 20 years, Farestart has helped provide opportunities for more than 5,500 people to transform their lives. Their efforts and life-changing contributions to our local community and economy are more than a testament to why they are so well-deserving of being the recipients of this year's Dine Around Seattle's proceeds.

(left: roasted tomato with oregano, garlic basil pesto crostini | right: my sampler plate)

Organized by the Seattle Good Business Network - a non-profit network of residents and local businesses, Dine Around Seattle is a way to connect thousands of residents with the best of Seattle’s restaurants, contributing millions to our local economy and strengthening our community.

(left: zucchini frittata w/ kalamata olives, creme fraiche and roasted peppers |
right: smoked salmon cakes with mango vinagrette)

HOW IT WORKS: 
From March 3 to 28 (Sundays thru Thursdays), participating restaurants will be offering 3-course dinner menus (a starter, entree and dessert) for $30*, with many others also providing a 3-course lunch menus for $15*.
*Tax, gratuity and beverages not included. Not available Sunday brunch.

Here is the list of participating restaurants to choose your next local, gastronomic adventure. (More than 40 restaurants are participating this year!) Tips for the newbie: it doesn't hurt to make a reservation via Open Table or calling the restaurant directly. (Reservations are not required, but highly recommended as these restaurants get super packed.)

lemongrass chicken meatballs

Whether it's date night or if you're looking for a new place to try, this "do good. do local." version of Restaurant Week has got my vote for the next food outing.

(left: dark chocolate brownie bites and lemon cheesecake bars |
right: dark chocolate ganache dipped in almond powder and mint chocolate chip cookie whoopie pies)

While looking at the list of restaurants, I was absolutely ecstatic to see some of my favorites: Local 360 and Toulouse Petit - and even more so, excited to try some new places!

What local Seattle restaurants will you be trying or want to try with Dine Around Seattle?