Magic Mix: Can Juicing Save Your Skin?

As women, we spend a fortune on fancy creams and cleansers (and even prescriptions) in search of clear, glowing skin. But what if the solution was as simple as what we were consuming? This week, our friends at Clean Plates NYC  talked to  Jil Larsen of Magic Mix Juicery who healed her skin problems by changing her diet. She shares her secrets and power of taking in the good stuff!

Lena Latin Grill : Fast, Flavorful, & Healthy!

Quick and easy does not always equate with quality when it comes to “fast” food. However, we found the perfect pit spot to re-energize and get nourished while running around town.  Lena Latin Grill turns out fast, fresh, delicious fare for a great price.

As soon as I entered Lena Latin Grill I was instantly impressed by its simple yet stylish decor. Clean hard wood floors, sleek benches, and  these great overhead bins filled with fresh wood used to feed the wood burning ovens. Lena is a fusion of a fast food place and table service restaurant, catering to those of us who want great healthy food and appreciate atmosphere, but don’t necessarily have the time for a long sit down lunch.

With a whole host of healthy choices, the menu offers everything from wraps and salads to full platters. A BIG bonus is that many or the items are organic, hormone-free, and naturally grown. Who’s heard of that with “fast food”? Lena is truly an exceptional place.

The menu allows you to craft your own meal offering selections of proteins, sauces, sides that can be combined in any fashion you like. Choose from steak, chicken, fish, or tofu, and then jazz them up with any of their flavorful sauces like chimichurri, lemon & butter or mojo. Pick your favorite side — coconut rice, sweet plantains, grilled corn, or more and decide whether to throw it all in a wrap, in a salad, or on a platter. There is something for every discerning palate, and Lena is a place you can truly have it “your way”.

However, if you’re like me and can’t decide when there are so many delicious options, Lena also gives you the choice of having it “their way.” I chose one of the house specialities, a wrap with grilled tilipia, lemon & butter, lettuce, tomatoes & avocado. Fresh, flavorful, and packed with good stuff, it was one of THE BEST wraps I have ever tasted… and it under $10! Beyond worth it.

Top off your meal with one of their fresh juices. They’ve got great tropical flavors like mango and papaya that are filled with antioxidants and flavor!  Oh–and there’s a divine little coffee bar where you can grab columbian coffee, a cafe con leche, or a fresh pastry any time of the day. You can get it all at Lena (including an exclusive deal at the end of this article).

So whether you are in search of great food in a hurry, or a flavorful meal just the way you like it, head to Lena Latin Grill. It’s worth the stop… any time of the year.

Insider Info: Tell them HealthyStyleNY sent you and get an extra free addition when you purchase of wrap + fresh juice, or and extra side when you purchase of a plate + juice.

City Food Find: SLICE

How much do you love a fresh slice of pizza? There is nothing like a fresh out of the oven pizza, oozing with cheese and other tasty toppings. In the world of celiac disease and gluten intolerance there are some choices for gluten free pizza (Pizzeria Uno on a national level and numerous local establishments across the country). Here in New York I know of at least a dozen Italian restaurants/pizza places. Besides being gluten intolerant, I also am dairy and tomato intolerant, which definitely can be a challenge when it comes to enjoying pizza.

I recently had the opportunity to eat at a restaurant in the city called Slice, a magical pizzeria that caters to the vegan,vegetarian, wheat-free and gluten-free communities. Now you are probably thinking how I ate pizza if I am allergic to tomatoes! Lucky for me Slice has 2 non-tomato sauce options; homemade hummus and pesto (which happens to also be vegan and nut-free). The biggest dilemma for me was which one I should put on my slice. I chose to do one with hummus and one with pesto. Let me just say, WOW!!

Slice is located on the Upper East on 2nd Avenue between 73rd and 74th street, and in the west village on 535 Hudson Street (Perry/Charles).  All of their slices and pies are made to order so you can eat as crazy or simple as you want. My pie of choice was half hummus, half pesto with mushrooms, broccoli, goat cheese and arugula. Don’t worry if you are not gluten free, there are several whole wheat pizza options as well. All meat options are free-range. Vegans can delight in rice or vegan mozzarella.

Even the menu is fun at slice. You can choose appetizers from the “prerequisites”, pizzas from the “core curriculum or “honors” sections. Feeling daring, become a “genius by building your own pizza. If you are looking for “extracurricular” activities how about ordering one of their egg and dairy free desserts. Are you ready to customize your slice but don’t live in the area? Not a problem because Slice offers a homemade pizza kit online www.healthypizzakit.com. Slice really does offer the perfect food! For more information on slice visit their website www.sliceperfect.com

Morning Pick Me Up: The Scoop on Coffee (& Our Top Spots!)

Coffee seems to be hot on the scene of late. Everywhere I turn there’s multiple mentions about new brewing techniques, single-origin roasts, fair-trade practices, organic blends, decent decaf on the rise (finally!), and more. So what’s the real bottom line with coffee? Healthy? Not-so-healthy? Uber-caffeinated? Eco-conscious or eco-consumption?

Here’s the DL:
* Health factor: Go ahead and drink up! Coffee’s loaded with antioxidants. In fact, studies find that it’s the greatest source of daily antioxidants for most Americans (tells you something about our fruit & veg intake!). Both decaf and regular coffee provide the same amount of antioxidants. Coffee may also help lower risk of developing diabetes and Alzheimer’s and can increase energy and mental focus.

* The downfalls: Too much of a good thing and you’re jittery, anxious, possibly dehydrated (if you’ve completely foregone water for coffee all day). Coffee may raise blood pressure and throw off sleep patterns if you’re consuming excessive amounts. Stick to 1 to 3 smallish cups a day, curb caffeine after 3 or 4pm if you’re sensitive and you’re golden.

* Calories??: Coffee on it’s own, plain and simple is a whopping ZERO calories. Tack on sugary sweet syrups, whipped cream, have a venti-sized latte made with whole milk every morning and yes, you’ll take a 0 calorie coffee to 200, 300 or 400 calories in no time. Go black, or stick with a small amount of whole milk (or half & half on indulgent occasions!), low-fat, skim or soy. Less milk allows you do grab the whole milk without doing much damage. If you’re doing a latte, make it a small and go low-fat or less frequently whole milk for an indulgent – yet filling – beverage. If you like your coffee light and sweet, 1 packet of sugar in the raw has a mere 16 calories…grab it and leave the artificial sweeteners behind.

Our Favorite NYC Spots
*OST Cafe – A shout out to my neighbors Alex and Aaron, the owners of this cozy, comfy spot that’s always buzzing thanks to the free Wifi. Serving up free-trade Intelligentsia coffee (so good!). 441 East 12th Street (Avenue A), (212) 477-5600, ostcafenyc.com

*Gimme! Coffee – My newly found obsession. Hipster coffee, small space, cool crowd on Mott St. Perfect coffee break spot when you’re shopping around Nolita. 228 Mott Street (Prince Street), NoLIta, (212) 226-4011; 495 Lorimer Street (Powers Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 388-7771; gimmecoffee.com.

*Stumptown Coffee Roasters at the Ace Hotel – Super-cool spot tucked next to the Euro-chic Ace Hotel. Great direct trade coffee out of Portland. 18 West 29th Street (Broadway), no telephone, stumptowncoffee.com.

*Abraco – another East Village gem, I’m not partial or anything, serving up stellar cappuccinos and drip coffee in a tiny (constantly packed) space. What would you expect in the East Village?! 86 East Seventh Street (First Avenue), no telephone, abraconyc.com.

*Mojo – Ok here’s one for the west side folk! Great coffee (not to mention great sandwiches & homemade soups) and an overall relaxed, cool vibe. Plenty of peeps on their mac books thanks to the free wifi. Located in the West Village at 186 Charles Street. (212) 691-6656.

The NY Times also has an opinion. Check out their favorite New York City Java spots here.

Photo: Flickr

Marissa’s new book, The Cheater’s Diet is now in bookstores everywhere ! Find out where to get a copy or order it for your Kindle at  cheatersdietbook.com. Become a fan on Facebook for more sneaky tips, tactics and recipes. Happy reading…life is too short not to start cheating!

Dining Out Without Tossing Your Diet

When it comes to being healthy and losing weight, let’s be honest-New York City presents a whole new set of rules. Along with the countless gyms, spas, yoga studios and organic grocery stores there are also hundreds of bars with delicious, sugary cocktails, a cupcake shop on every corner, and an infinite number of exquisite, delicious restaurants.  With all of these temptations waiting to sabotage our good intentions at every turn, losing weight in Manhattan can be very tricky.

A good place to start in navigating Manhattan’s many trials is learning how to make healthy choices at restaurants.  Below I lay out six steps to remain true to your healthy intentions when dining out.

Step 1: Be choosy about the restaurant.

Obviously, it will be a lot harder to eat healthy at Dallas BBQ than Angelika’s Kitchen, but we can’t drag our friends to a vegan restaurant every Saturday to dine on seaweed and daikon radish.  Try to choose a restaurant that focuses on locally sourced, high quality ingredients. There are a ton of restaurants in Manhattan that are moving to the farm-to-table model.  A fabulous guide for finding these restaurants is the new book Clean Plates.

To write this article, I tried out these tips first hand with a few girlfriends who are focusing on being healthy, and have a tendency to over-do-it at restaurants.  We went to Hundred Acres, a restaurant that focuses on good food, not “health” food, knowing that it would be a good prototype for the average diner.

Step 2: Before looking at the menu, decide what you want to eat.

Just take a few moments before reading the menu to think about the following things:

• Do you want something hot or cold?
• Creamy or crunchy?
• Spicy or mild?
• How hungry am I?

Our cravings are very connected to what nutrients our bodies need.  If we pay attention to these needs, we will feel satisfied sooner.

It is important to realize that menus are created to entice you to spend money and choose the most decadent foods, so it is very important to stay true to what you want and not get too romanced by your options.

Step 3: Be picky

None of us were particularly starving and weren’t in the mood for heavy protein.  The entrees were all very intricate with lots of heavy sauces, so we asked the waitress if the chef could prepare a simply grilled piece of fish with his freshest veggies for us to share.  Allison felt a little uneasy being so demanding and picky.  I reminded her that if we are going to spend money (not to mention that new yorkers are expected to be picky) then we might as well get exactly what we want.

Step 4: Don’t get caught up in social obligation.

To supplement our fish, we ordered a few apps: lentil soup, beets with feta and arugula and a kale salad.  We didn’t order any alcohol.  Kelsea mentioned that she felt bad that we weren’t ordering wine or very much food.  Servers can be pushy about getting patrons to spend a lot of money.  Instead of over ordering, we just gave our waitress a really good tip.  We were pleasantly surprised by how gracious and wonderful our waitress actually was despite our skimpy order.

We also feel pressure to over eat to “match” what our friends are ordering.  There is a very strong feeling of comradery in drinking the same amount of wine and ordering the same number of courses.  I encourage you to find comradery in conversation and connecting.  It’s a lot healthier to fill up on conversation instead of chocolate lava cake.

Step 5: Enjoy your food.

Receiving maximum enjoyment from our meals allows us to eat less to feel satisfied.  To really perfect this important step, do the following:

• Take three deep breaths before you eat to calm your nerves
• Smell your food to fire up your digestion
• Eat slowly! Taste every bite, chew thoroughly and put your fork down in between bites
• Stop eating when you feel you have reached maximum energy – there is always that one bite that makes you feel just a little weighed down, just a little sluggish – stop there regardless of how much food you have left on your plate

Step 6: Get your money’s worth.

We all have this idea that if we spend money on food, we can’t let it go to waste.  But remember this: all food goes to waste – it doesn’t need to go through you first.  If you still have hang ups, get your food to go and eat it for lunch the next day.  There is absolutely no reason to stuff yourself just because you spent money.  Then you are just spending money to feel like crap – now that is a waste!

My little experiment proved successful.  By examining our eat-out patterns we were able to start creating positive healthy habits.  We filled up on great conversation, were nurtured by healthy food and left with out guilt or a stomachache.

Photo: Flickr

Northern Spy: More than just great local, seasonal food

Looking for a foodie’s favorite spot to check out this weekend? Well, if you haven’t been to Northern’s Spy’s EV restaurant (or tasted their good stuff at their Highline kiosk), it may be time to check out this delicious little gem.

Northern Spy Food Co. is one of NYC’s most prominent hot spots for seriously excellent, authentic local and seasonal fare. The brainchild behind Chris Ronis, and SF transplants Christophe Hille (formerly of A16), and executive chef Nathan Foot (formerly of Myth), Northern Spy merges a cozy restaurant vibe with a small neighborhood-friendly marketplace, featuring local artisanal products from yogurt, to Brooklyn Brine pickled vegetables to maple syrup and tasty treats by Liddabit and Nunu chocolates.

Not only are these guys committed to shopping it up at the farmers market, changing the menu on a weekly basis, showcasing great quality seasonal and local ingredients and farmers, but they’re also making a point to bring good, fresh food staples and sundries out of their restaurant and into your own kitchen. Read: they’re helping us get a little closer to our food source and consider where and who it’s coming from. And that’s what makes Northern Spy one of those game-changing neighborhood spots where you can sit, schmooze, nibble and sip for hours on end (I’m speaking from personal experience here…multiple times over).

As for the food itself, Foot is serving up some of the best flavors and refined yet simple and well-balanced food I’ve ever had. Killer salads and seasonal vegetable dishes, ridiculously creamy Wild Hive polenta, nutty grains like red quinoa and wheatberries, a class Bobo roasted chicken and crazy good pork dishes. Luckily, I live in the neighborhood and have experienced most of the menu – and I can confidently say you can’t really go wrong. Here’s a handful of my favorite dishes:

Butternut squash soup

Kale salad with Clothbound cheddar, kabocha squash, almonds and lemon dressing

Wild hive polenta with braised greens, roasted mushrooms and creme fraiche

Freekah risotto with squash

Bread & winter squash salad with baked eggs (for all you brunch lovers, it’s freaking awesome)

…and though it’s not pictured below, please, please, please indulge a little and have the pear and frangipane tart (I promise, it’s well worth a few extra calories!) One final note, get the pickled eggs, might sound odd, but they’re a must-have starter dish or snack. Happy eating in the East Village…

Have a favorite neighborhood find? We want to know! Please do share (below)!!

City Food Find: Chobani Yogurt Bar Opens In Soho

Word on the street is one of our favorite greek yogurt brands just opened a different kind of yogurt shop in NYC.  Yep, this isn’t your typical fro-yo, but instead the real deal when it comes to yogurt and toppings.

Chobani SoHo is a first-of-its-kind Mediterranean yogurt bar, located on Prince St in Soho. The store serves artisanal creations featuring Chobani’s authentic strained Greek Yogurt as the core ingredient. Each creation is made-to-order and served up by “Yogurt Masters” intent on making you the perfect combo for your palate. Toppings include gourmet sweet and savory options that are seasonally-inspired and hand-selected.

I’ve yet to step through the doors, but just checking out their menu online has my mouth watering.  Pistachio + Chocolate, featuring Turkish pistachios, dark chocolate, clover honey, oranges and mint leaves? Um… yes!

Opa to this opening!

 

 

The Best Raman in NYC…With a Side of Customer Service.

Being that the last couple days have been on the chilies side (for spring!), I was reminded of the delicious bowl of steaming hot ramen I had a few weeks back at one of NYC’s best spots for the traditional Asian noodle soup — Momofuku Noodle Bar (1st Ave & 11th St.). I’ve eaten at Momofuku a number of times, both at Noodle Bar and Ssam Bar, but on this particular Sunday evening, I was more than impressed not because of David Chang’s inventive, flavorful fare, but because of some pretty incredible customer service. Here’s the backdrop:

8pm – pop into Noodle Bar and order the traditional ramen soup with pork shoulder, pork belly and a poached egg for take-out

8:30pm – get back to my apartment starving ready for some soupy goodness and to my shock and dismay, there was no pork shoulder or pork belly in my soup. I had paid a nice penny for a container of broth, noodles and an egg…clearly I wasn’t too happy!

8:35pm – make a call back to the restaurant, but couldn’t get ahold of anyone and was directed to a voice message. left a calm, semi-stern and disappointed m

essage.

9:00pm – received a surprisingly quick and very nice call from Eugene Lee, Noodle Bar’s on-the-ball manager. Eugene was kind enough to not only refund my credit card, but without any prompting, insisted that I receive a gift certificate card (for more than double the cost of my order mind you). The card would be mailed to my address the following day. Eugene thanked me for my business, hoped I would return to Momofuku for another meal, and wished me a good night.

Three days later I received that gift card in the mail…along with a lovely hand-written note from Eugene himself. That’s what I call some serious customer service, it really does make a difference. I returned to Noodle Bar with a friend the following weekend and per the usual, the food was absolutely outstanding. Thanks so much Eugene, I’ll be back very soon!

*And for all you David Chang groupies, check out his new cookbook, Momofuku

Weekend Line Up: A Food Adventure In Williamsburg

Q & A with Gramercy Tavern’s Michael Anthony

After cultivating his craft in Paris’s best kitchens and working at New York restaurants Daniel, March and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Michael Anthony was named Executive Chef of Gramercy Tavern in 2006. Since then, the award-winning American eatery has received countless accolades and is consistently ranked as one of Manhattan’s best.

Chef Michael’s farm-to-table approach focuses on using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. With an ever-changing menu showcasing Greenmarket produce and sustainable products, Michael’s simple, straightforward cuisine inspires a connection between diners and their food.

More than just a chef, he is a devoted educator, father, philanthropist and active member of the community. Whether participating in charitable events, visiting farms with his staff or teaching elementary school children in his kitchen, Michael’s passion extends far beyond the plate.

As Executive Chef of Gramercy Tavern, you focus on using sustainable and local ingredients. Why is this philosophy so important to you?

Sourcing foods locally, for me, is the most distinctive way that we can tell our story. New York City is the most stimulating dining city in the world and we have the benefit of working with chefs and embracing ideas from all over. However, the best way to tell our story is through the ingredients that are here locally. Eating in New York is different than eating in any other city.

There are many benefits in supporting the local community and establishing one-on-one relationships with the people that grow our food. When a guest tells me how much they loved the swiss chard, I can tell the grower specifically why people love it. When someone asks about the grass-fed beef, I can give them an informed answer about what the animal was eating. Not everyone wants to know those details, but it certainly makes for an interesting story. Diners want to feel more connected and want their dining experience to be valuable—and value, these days, not only means being delicious, but also healthy and smart.

Now that Spring has finally bloomed here in NYC, what types of seasonal flavors can we see make an appearance on the menu?

Well, two weeks ago was the first day that asparagus showed up at the Union Square Greenmarket in enough quantity that restaurants could actually buy it by the case. It was almost like it was opening day at Citi Field! Right now, we have four asparagus dishes on the menu, but that will change as other seasonal ingredients come to our markets. Certain ingredients explode during certain times of the year, so why wouldn’t our menu explode with those ingredients as well?

We’ve also reached out to a couple area producers to buy small quantities of some special, hard-to-find things that they come across while foraging. We’ve been able to get some great wild ginger, toothwort and other ingredients that you typically won’t find at the markets.

When you find these ingredients, are there certain methods that you use when conceiving a new dish?

Dishes are inspired by the new ingredient. We want to keep it simple enough that it’s memorable and layer it so that it has an echoing effect through the dish—meaning handle it in a couple different ways on a single dish. Avoid over manipulating the ingredient. The flavor combos, techniques and plating have to create intrigue, a lovable quality. We want guests to experience something they have never experienced before.

I know you’re a father to three young daughters. Has having children influenced your mindset as far as the causes and charities you support?

It’s definitely instigated me to push things further. The principals that we use at the restaurant ignite the way I eat at home, and when it comes to little kids, every bite matters even more.

Over the last hundred years, we’ve grown further away from our culinary and agricultural history for convenience and modernization. I’m not saying that you have to go back in time and adapt an old-fashioned lifestyle—I love living in fast-paced Manhattan, I don’t want to slow down—but I do want to preserve the right to eat a wide variety of healthy, delicious and nutritious foods. Since I do this for a living, I’ve learned a lot of tricks along the way that I use at home and at the restaurant.

Can you tell me a little bit about your ongoing efforts in educating public school kids?

One of the most important roles of a restaurant in the community is that of an educator. We have a responsibility of sharing our enthusiasm and knowledge with those who are eager to learn. Not bombarding kids with propaganda, but giving them the tools to make healthy choices and to understand the fun and weird things that happen around food. We partnered with an elementary school 5 years ago and we schedule 18-20 days a year to teach the children, whether it be a class at the school, in our kitchen or at the green market. Most importantly, we want to create a vocabulary with the kids to find their likes and dislikes. If you make them a part of the process, they’re more likely to give it a taste.

I understand you’ll be in Toledo next week participating in their Taste of the Nation event and are an avid supporter of Share Our Strength. What about this organization moves you to get involved?

Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation represents a long running tradition with our company and the charitable organization. It’s a huge fundraiser for them, but it’s a culmination of a lot of symbiotic initiatives between Danny Meyer and Billy Shore. It’s done a lot to transform the neighborhood in which Danny’s businesses operate and also the landscape of the way people eat. Share Our Strength’s mission statement is to end childhood hunger and this is a major part in helping make that happen.

We love doing the large scale events, but some of the smaller ones, like Just Food’s Let Us Eat Local and Brooklyn Uncorked, are dynamite events as well! Especially with a company like Clean Plates, where you’re talking about a specific type of restaurant—these restaurants are very idealistic. I love being involved with these events, it’s a really cool thing.

Note: Pastry chef Nancy Olsen will be representing Gramercy Tavern during NYC’s Taste of the Nation on May 23rd. To purchase tickets, please visit www.newyorktaste.org.

Is there anything else on the horizon that you’d like to share?

Well, I do have some exciting news to share. It may be a little premature and it’s just right out of the gates, but we will be coming out with the story of Gramercy Tavern as a cookbook. It’s years away from publication, but it will become a big part of our lives here at the restaurant. This is a beloved place for a lot of people and I think that it’s a story that has yet to be told. I think people will be really excited to learn more about the history of the restaurant and to see, hear and feel how we’re pushing its evolution along.

Photo credit: Ellen Silverman

By Megan Murphy of www.cleanplates.com