I recently went to Green Bar & Kitchen for the first time to meet up with a group of health coaches who also attended Integrative Nutrition. We enjoyed some amazing eats and discussed positive ways to help others through clean eating and healthy living.
Here we are with GBK co-owner and fellow health coach, Elena Pezzo. Feeling happy and healthy after eating delicious and healthy food.
Photo courtesy of Jackie Jacobs Read more →
Farmer’s Table in Boca Raton is a new farm to table restaurant located adjacent to the Wyndam Hotel.
I was really excited to check out this restaurant because their focus is on sourcing local ingredients, including grass-fed beef, free-range poultry, and sustainably sourced fresh seafood. Clean eating at its finest and tons of great options for dairy free, gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian.
We arrived at 6:30pm on a Saturday night. My advice is to get a reservations, they were completely booked. We were able to get a table in the bar area, but next time we’ll have reservations for sure.
They have a large variety of wine by the glass or by the bottle. If you enjoy beer, they feature micro brew beers in the bottle and a couple on tap.
The menu is loaded with fresh ingredients, clean proteins, tons of veggies served up in delicious and creative ways to please your palate. You’ll find new favorites here and want to keep coming back to check out every dish on the menu.
We started with drinks and with so many delicious options, it wasn’t easy, but we were both happy with our decisions.
My husband chose the Mad-Hatter cocktail, he really enjoyed the brandy soaked cherries. This is a strong drink so one was all he needed with dinner.
I chose the Beet It Cordial made with Swami cold-pressed juice, pomegranate, and club soda. It was delicious and refreshing!
We decided to try the 19th street short rib tacos for a starter. Quite simply, these were amazing! The beef was tender and juicy with great flavor and topped with crunchy marinated cabbage, pico de gallo, and creamy avocado slices. I could make a meal out of this and a salad. Ordering these are a must when you come to Farmer’s Table!
For dinner, I chose the grass-fed beef burger without a bun to make it gluten free. The burger was delicious and cooked to medium as requested. It came with a wonderful fig jam and cabbage slaw. The soft sweet potato hash was a nice addition. It needed a little sea salt, but I welcome this side instead of the usual French fries most restaurants offer. My husband also got the grass-fed beef burger with bun and cheddar cheese on top. He liked the fig jam spread for the burger and we also requested ketchup and mustard (they have a spicy dijon available only, wish they had regular yellow mustard) on the side.
This was a memorable meal and I cannot wait to check out more of their menu!
Brunch will start in January, this is not to be missed. They also serve breakfast and lunch during the week.
Delicious and high quality food at reasonable prices served up in a nicely decorated and welcoming establishment. I think we found a new favorite!
Farmer’s Table
http://www.farmerstableboca.com/
1901 N. Military Trail (adjacent to Wyndam Hotel)
Boca Raton, FL 33431
info@farmerstableboca.com
P: 561-417-5836
Have you been to Farmer’s Table in Boca Raton? What do you think and what’s your favorite dish there? Please share in the comment below.
Vegan night at Mellow Mushroom was held tonight in Downtown Delray Beach. Those who eat vegan or those curious about vegan eating came by to sample delicious vegan eats made fresh at Mellow Mushroom. Guest speakers, Health Coach Pam Higgins (yours truly), and Vegan Triathlete and Trainer Richard Wygand were present to speak about the benefits of eating vegan, answers questions and speak with customers.
Here’s a little of what I covered:
When going vegan, focus on eating more plants. I say this because many people start out by eating more carbohydrates and processed vegan proteins. By eating more plants including leafy greens, the rainbow of colors in produce, and root vegetables, you get a wide variety of nutrients.
A few of my favorite vegan foods are avocado, kale, sweet potato, sprouted quinoa, lentils, and pumpkin seeds. You don’t have to be vegan to eat this way, I eat these foods all of the time and many of my readers already know that I’m not vegan, but I do enjoy lots of vegan meals every week.
Remember that food is not a religion, it’s about eating what foods work best for your own body. Know that may change from time to time as well. If you are looking to figure out what foods work best for your body, contact me for a free 15-min strategy session. I work with clients who want to feed their body food that tastes amazing and works well for their bodies to achieve optimal health.
Some benefits of going vegan are:
Photos courtesy of BlueIvy Communications
Here I am chatting with customers about healthy vegan options, benefits of eating more plant based meals, and best ways to meet protein needs.
Hungry customers happily enjoy vegan samples made fresh at Mellow Mushroom!
Photo with Mellow Mushroom owners The Platt Family!
Pictured with Rich Wygand of RW Training (second from the left).
Hummus with veggies (one of my favorite vegan apps at Mellow Mushroom)
At home with a gluten free veg-out pizza compliments of Mellow Mushroom.
Stop in at Mellow Mushroom for great food and delicious vegan options plus gluten free too!!
One of my favorite local places to grab a slice and a drink.
My top picks for vegan meals at Mellow Mushroom:
Mellow Mushroom https://www.facebook.com/MellowMushroomDelrayBeach
25 SE 6th Ave
Delray Beach, FL 33483
561-330-3040
Event made possible by Melissa Perlman of BlueIvy Communications!
Juicing seems to be everywhere and now Boca Raton is home to a new juice bar called Raw Juce.
Raw Juce serves up organic cold-pressed juice. They use a masticating style juicer that presses juice out of fresh fruit and veggies. Many juicers you may have seen are centrifugal where produce goes down the chute and juice goes one way and pulp goes the other way. Masticating juices simply press the produce to squeeze the juice out, there is far less pulp waste, so you are getting more nutrients in the juice. Typically this type of juicer is more expensive as well.
For more about different types of juicers here’s great article:
http://www.juicingbook.com/centrifugal-masticating-juicers#.Uoq6W-Ilj0P
or here: http://www.harvestessentials.com/whatjuicisri.html
Raw Juce has delicious creations such as Carrot Cake, Raw Green, Haute to Trot, and Coconut Kale-Ada to name a few. Stop in a try a few samples before deciding.
I met up with a girl friend this weekend at Raw Juce instead of meeting up for coffee. We started off sampling juices and yes they have cold-pressed coffee too. All juces tasted great, but I found a few favorites right away that I love. They also make smoothies, salads, oatmeal parfaits, acai bowls (like a dairy free banana split), and coffee drinks with almond milk.
Sample a bunch of flavors, then pick your ready made bottle of juice. This type of juice does not separate and stays delicious for up to 3-4 days.
On a chalk board opposite the menu board shows their story and creed. They are really dedicated to serving up healthy and delicious foods with integrity. The ingredients are organic and they source local as much as possible.
Menu up on the chalk board and comfortable seating area inside and outside.
Sample barrels with tons of flavors to try. Drinks and food to eat there or to go. The advantage of this is that you can get in and out if you’re in a hurry.
Love all the pretty colors and amazing flavors! All natural and vibrant colors made by nature, nothing artificial, no preservatives.
Disclaimer: All Juces are unpasteurized and could contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.
Raw Juce http://www.rawjuce.com/
(behind Brewzii off Glades Road, next to Fly Wheel)
2200 Glades Road
Glades Plaza
Suite 403
Boca Raton, FL 33431
561.424.JUCE
On Saturday night, my husband and I decided to venture out on the town a little further from home. Typically we dine anywhere that’s within a 10 minute drive. We decided to head down to Fort Lauderdale to see what was new and good. We consulted with Yelp.com of course and Google maps. After reading some reviews of places we wanted to try I read about Market 17 that someone mentioned in their Yelp review of another restaurant. I yelped Market 17 then jumped over to their website, they had me at local, organic, and farm-to-table(!!). They also have an outstanding happy hour 4:30-7pm seven days a week, so my husband was willing to check it out.
We arrived around 6pm and there was one other couple at the bar. That worried us a little, but we decided to at least stay for a drink and appetizer, why not for half off! Creative cocktails and a beautiful ambiance set the mood for a wonderful evening, we ended up staying a few hours 
. By the time we left around 9pm, there restaurant was quite full! We were surprised more people did not arrive early for their outstanding happy hour specials.
Here’s a photo of the mostly devoured charcuterie we ordered. You can get 3 items for $15, 5 for $25 and 7 for $32. It was absolutely delicious, almost forgot to take a picture! We ordered the chicken pear sausage (my favorite), andouille sausage (Heman’s favorite), and chocolate stout cheddar (Heman really like this one, no cheese for me). The chicken pear sausage was juicy, sweet, and a little crispy on the outside, I loved it! My husband preferred the andouille sausage, it was flavorful but not too spicy as sometimes andouille can be. He really liked the cheese as well, the chocolate stout was different but the flavor combination was delicious. Drink pictured below is the Partridge in a Pear tree made with pear vodka and pear nectar, I asked them to hold the fennel syrup. We also sampled the M-17 (a take on an Old-Fashioned), and Prickly Passion Martini, fruity but not too sweet.
On the side of the menu, you can see where your food comes from…veggies, meats, cheeses, eggs, seafood, it’s all there!! This aspect of Market 17 had me jumping up and down. To top it off, the meal was amazing with kind and generous service. Very impressed and happy we ventured down to Fort Lauderdale to check this place out!
Menu with starters, salads, charcuterie, entrees (petite and regular portions, which I love), and sides/snacks.
The menu changes often, check out their website for the latest and greatest: http://www.market17.net/menus.htm
Gorgeous ambience at Market 17. We dined at the bar, there are high top tables in the bar area as well. Dining available outside and, indoors next to glass doors so you can feel like you’re outside. They have another dining area as well away from the windows with dim lighting. This restaurant is fairly large so they can accommodate larger parties. Decorations are beautifully done!
Complimentary bread served with dinner. Butter with garlic and chives.
My husband ordered the Pan Roasted Guinea Hen (regular portion) with aged cheddar grits, rainbow carrots, heirloom tomatoes, and kale. Heman loves grits and said the meat was tender and perfectly cooked, and he said the tomatoes were very flavorful as well. Typically he only like pasta sauce or salsa, so the tomatoes were definitely tasty enough for my picky eater.
I enjoyed the Grilled Grassfed Beef Striploin (petite portion – 4 ounces meat) with braised greens instead of the yukon mashed potatoes (since they contain milk and butter) along with roasted cauliflower and sauteed kale. This dish was incredibly good, I love a high quality piece of meat with greens – my favorite! They had me at grassfed beef and it was quite tender and perfectly medium rare as requested.
We finished the evening with espresso and then headed home having fully enjoyed this dining adventure.
If you are really adventurous, they have a food event called Dining in the Dark. You can call to reserve and the concept is exactly that, dining in the dark. You tell them your likes and dislikes and notify them of any food allergies. They create the menu and you dine in the dark, not knowing what is on the menu. It’s a way to expand your palette safely in a gourmet meal. This method is to heighten your other senses while eating, rather than just eating with your eyes. Smell, taste, texture play a bigger role when dining in the dark. Call 954.835.5507 to make your reservations.
Good Bye and Good Night Market 17, we will be seeing you again soon!
1850 SE 17th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Located on the SW corner of the 17th St. Bridge, parking next to the Convention Center.
Years later, as I young adult, I changed up my diet. I removed dairy and found that I was no longer in pain every day. >> Read More
