TOP 5 Dining

Healthy Optionsby Dawn Anderson | photos by Danny Alexander

Under the hot summer sun, our appetites turn to all things light, fresh, and cool. Get refreshed, keep your energy up, and stay hydrated. Eat clean without sacrificing flavor or satisfaction with these healthy local dining and carry-out options. After all, health and beauty begin from the inside out!

Green District

Atrio of former soccer players came up with the Green District concept as a healthy quick-service destination, with the St. Matthews and downtown Louisville locations opening in 2017. Green District makes its 13 dressings from scratch daily, setting it apart from local competitors. “We specialize in chopped salads with approachable ingredients,” says Rob Rice, Vice President of Operations & Food Innovation. “Customizable with over 50 ingredients, your salad is hand-chopped with a mezzaluna rocker knife. Every bite is a masterpiece. There is nothing quite like this. You get a healthy option that fits your budget and tastes great.” Can’t decide? No worries! Green District offers 12 salad combinations, including the superfood Kale Storm, Forbidden Fruit, Thai One On, Tequila Mockingbird, What About Cobb, and Hide & Go Greek. All salads are also available as a wrap. According to Rice, “Everything is intentionally on display to highlight the freshness of our ingredients. We provide an entire customer experience. With the quality of the nutrients and two-thirds of customers customizing salads, this concept is poised to scale nationally. We will be in six states with thirty units by the end of this year.” Louisville-area locations include St. Matthews, Downtown, Highlands, Middletown, Old Brownsboro Crossing, and Jeffersonville, Indiana. The company is looking to partner with small, local farms for leaf and head lettuces. “We are relentless about pursuing sustainability. Even with additions and upgrades to ingredient lists, Green District is committed to maintaining value for the customer. “We haven’t changed our prices or portion sizes, even as we navigate supply chain disruptions and inflationary impacts.” Previewing fall and winter at Green District: warm grain protein bowls with more grain and protein options. Current grain offerings are brown rice/quinoa blend and forbidden black rice.

Visit gdsalads.com and follow @gdsalads on Facebook and Instagram. Download the GD app to order ahead, track order status, and earn rewards.

The Salad Chic

After 25 years in the medical field, Tanya Mangrum has always been about the business of helping others. After a neurological incident following foot surgery, Mangrum had to go on medical leave for ten months. As the bills piled up, the single mother of four needed supplemental income to provide for her family. During the pandemic, she began making salads for her own health and as a healthy alternative to other homebased food businesses. Demand grew, and The Salad Chic gained a storefront in Shively. One year later, Mangrum opened a new, larger location in downtown Louisville. Mangrum’s entrepreneurial contribution to the local economy is significant in that she is the first single, Black woman in at least two states to open a restaurant of this kind. The Salad Chic has a recently revised menu, refreshed decor, and new employee uniforms. “It starts with freshness,” says Mangrum. “The daily produce is hand-picked by me and freshly cut each morning. Presentation and taste are everything.” The Build Your Own Salad is the cornerstone of The Salad Chic menu, with dozens of available ingredients, toppings, and dressings. Mangrum also recommends the Homemade Chicken Salad served on a croissant and TSC House Favorite Soup with shredded chicken, kale, and potatoes. Fresh Fruit Cups and Kabobs are refreshingly light dessert options. Mangrum’s children concoct delicious Energy Tea Drinks with Herbalife Nutrition formulas.

The Salad Chic recently launched a new summer menu and expanded its hours to 9 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday. The latest offerings include açai bowls, yogurt, plant-based breakfast foods, high-protein wraps, and parfaits. For more information, visit thesaladchic.com. Follow Salad Chic LLC on Facebook and @thesaladchic_20 on Instagram.

Flora Kitchenette

Flora Kitchenette owners Nancy Smith and Jeremy Brown are Army veterans who have followed a plant-based diet for over twenty years. They began as vegetarians and turned to veganism just two months later. Jeremy lost 20-30 pounds in 60 days, his knee issues went away, and he had an overall improved sense of well-being. He and Nancy raised their children on plant-based foods. As the pandemic hit and the children reached adulthood, the couple began sharing recipes on social media through Sultra’s Vegan Kitchen concept. When Flora Kitchenette’s former owner closed up shop in late 2020, Nancy and Jeremy’s entrepreneurial spirits seized the opportunity. Their breakfast, lunch, and brunch restaurant uses fresh produce and organic ingredients, offering vegan options and gluten-free baked goods. Biscuits and Gravy, vegan biscuits “smothered in a savory mushroom gravy,” are available in half and full orders. The gluten-free Breakfast Taco Salad is romaine lettuce, tofu scrambles, black beans, pico, queso, avocado, and tomatoes, with Soyrizo available for $2 more. Glutenfriendly Classic Breakfast Tacos feature tofu scrambles, roasted potatoes, and seasoned black beans topped with queso and pico and served in corn tortillas. Choose from five Flora Kitchenette sourdough Toasts. BLTA Toast has vegan mayo, avocado, shredded lettuce, tomato, and tempeh bacon. The Avocado Toast is wellseasoned and topped with heirloom cherry tomatoes. Try Lox Toast with carrot lox and cream cheese. Tofu scrambles, mushroom, bell pepper, onion, and vegan cheese pile on the Loaded Scramble Toast. The Flower Child Toast gives elevated PB&J vibes with sunflower butter and strawberry jam. Flora Kitchenette is open Thursday through Monday with expanded summer hours of 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Join them for Bluegrass VegFest (bluegrassvegfest.com) at Mellwood Arts Center on July 9. For on and offsite catering and event information, visit floravegankitchen.com. Follow @florakitchenette on Instagram and Facebook and @FloraKitchenet1 on Twitter.

Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen

The Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen concept using local produce from Lexington farmers has grown over the past eight years to six locations, now including the Louisville and Cincinnati markets. At the end of April, the company celebrated five years in Louisville near the intersection of Hurstbourne Lane and Shelbyville Road. Regional Manager Ben Jones is excited at the company expanding in his hometown, with the recently opened Bardstown Road location and a third Louisville location coming soon to the Paddock Shops. Local chefs curate salads and dressings to elevate local produce. “Everything is made in-house,” says Jones. “All soups are from scratch, and dressings are specially created for each salad. Each salad is a complete meal that is filling but guiltfree, leaving you satisfied.” Jones recommends menu favorites for healthily celebrating summer. The lowest calorie option, the Chicken Taco salad, also happens to be gluten-free. This salad starts with a romaine and iceberg mix, topped with red onion, roasted chicken, black beans, grape tomatoes, crispy tortilla strips, and avocado cream. The accompanying Salsa Vinaigrette is only 50 calories per serving. The dairy-free and gluten-free Vegan Power salad features a spring mix with chopped superfood, quinoa, chickpeas, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, red peppers, sunflower seeds, and edamame with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette. Be transported to Greece with the Santorini salad. A bed of chopped romaine is piled high with red onion, crumbled feta, quinoa, chickpeas, red peppers, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and pita chips, all drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil. Containing the most Kentucky Proud™ ingredients is the popular Bluegrass Blackberry salad. Kight’s pecans and a Blackberry Sorghum Vinaigrette are the highlights, along with spring mix, red onion, crumbled feta, strawberries, and apple chips. For another taste of Kentucky, try the BLT Deluxe salad with Bourbon Smoked Paprika Ranch Dressing. ”Packed with nutrients,” the Harvest Kale salad is perfect for late summer transitioning into fall, with quinoa, sweet potatoes, parmesan, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pita chips, and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette. Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen also offers carry-out and catering. For more information, visit vinaigrettesaladkitchen.com and follow @vinaigrettesalads on Instagram.

Safier Mediterranean Deli

Safier Mediterranean Deli opened in Louisville in 2002 as a halal restaurant serving delicious fare from the Middle East. Owner and Head Chef Youness El Mesyah took over in 2016 and gave the restaurant, branding, and website a fresh new look. The primarily Lebanese menu with Indian specials is not only a draw downtown but a destination for customers throughout metro Louisville. El Mesyah came to the US in 2011 at 20 years old and started working in Louisville restaurants. The restaurant’s recipes reflect his upbringing in the Moroccan countryside and are all made from scratch and cooked fresh to order daily. “We use healthy ingredients - olive oil, fresh herbs and spices, chickpeas, lentils, good quality rice, halal chicken breast, with very few fried items.” El Mesyah treats his employees as family and supports them however he can, including offering free food to them and others in the community during Ramadan. Among the many salads, vegetarian options, and entrees on the lighter side, El Mesyah highlights the most popular healthy choices. Hummus made from chickpeas, garlic, lemon, and tahini (sesame sauce) is served with fresh pita bread from a local bakery. The world-famous Lebanese Tabbouleh salad has cracked wheat, diced tomatoes, onion, parsley, and lemon. Try the Greek Salad with ripe black olives, feta cheese, and house dressing. Fried onions and yogurt sauce top the Mujadara lentils and rice. The Chicken Shawarma entree is beloved with grilled chicken breast marinated in light spices with a side of garlic sauce. All Main Dishes are served with House Salad, basmati rice, and pita. Substitute hummus, Greek Salad, or Tabbouleh for $1. Daily Lunch Specials add variety with dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala, Korma, and Saag, Chicken or Lamb Biryani, and Lamb Shank. Safier Mediterranean Deli offers carryout, downtown delivery, and third-party delivery through DoorDash® and Postmates. Let Safier Mediterranean Deli cater your next event! Visit safierdeli.com and follow @SafierDeli on Facebook.