Crisp, light, refreshing and green.  These words not only describe the scrumptious salads at Mixt Greens, but indeed depict the entire lunch-only eatery itself. At all three of the downtown locations, the natural lighting, friendly staff and bright display of organic veggies are a perfect antidote for long hours spent in the office for most of their busy customers.  The efficiency of Mixt Greens also speaks to the lunch break crowd; simply place an order with a staff person behind the glass counter (which displays innumerable mouth-watering salad ingredients) and they prepare the salad or sandwich in front of you with a smile.  You then move down the line to grab a drink, pay the cashier and find a free table or –if you are at the new Mission Street location – a sunny patch of grass to sit upon.

Although the ‘design your own’ salad is a great option (and a good deal at $6.95), the salads especially designed by chef Andrew Swallow are hard to beat.  These ten salads cater to a variety of palates;  from the “maui”  which includes mango and coriander-encrusted seared ahi tuna topped with macadamia nuts to the “bachelor” which features grilled prime flatiron and herb roasted Yukon potatoes atop red leaf lettuce.  I thoroughly enjoyed the Japan-inspired flavors of the “fusion” which includes cold, fresh edamame, soba noodles and marinated tofu (ahi tuna is the other option) with a sesame soy vinaigrette.  All dressings are house made, and although I found the sesame soy vinaigrette too light in flavor, their balsamic vinaigrette is a solid standard if you choose to design your own creation.

Sandwiches and other goodies are worth exploring, as I tried the “farmer,” which is a vegetarian delight with oh-so-creamy Italian Burrata cheese, grilled zucchini, roasted portabella, roasted red pepper, grilled mushrooms, fresh basil, aioli and balsamic reduction.  The best part of this sandwich is the bread- an Acme herb slab -  which is a thick and spongey like focaccia but more hearty and mild – perfect for complimenting the richness of the other ingredients.  It is definitely worth trying one of their house made drinks; the “green tea Arnold Palmer” is a light, tasty combo of lemonade and mild green tea which is delightfully not too sweet.  The one dessert Mixt Greens offers – homemade cookies – are a perfect medium size for lunch and the chocolate chip cookie was moist and fresh, with plenty of chocolate chips and not too much fluff.

With “lettuce rock your world” inscribed on their window, it’s not surprising that Mixt Greens is run by fun-spirited folks who aim to “set the bar in environmentally responsible fine food.” Not only is their food sourced from organic, sustainably raised and sources, but the spaces they occupy were built along USGBC’s guidelines with environmentally friendly materials, such as Eco-timber FSC-certified floors.  Although the take away containers are compostable at Mixt Greens, this is my one gripe.  The day I visited, about 90% of the customers were sitting at the restaurant eating their salads in large take-away containers.  Sure, these guys might want to save some for later – but perhaps there could be an option to box up leftovers in a much smaller container.  (And sadly, many compostables end up in the trash after people leave the well-labeled bins of Mixt Greens).  Nevertheless, I commend Mixt Greens for diverting 80% of their waste from the landfill and I adore their tabletops that have “you are eating on recycled detergent bottles” inscribed tastefully along the side. 

All in all, it is no wonder that Mixt Greens often has lines of people out the door.  They are simply good at what they do, and their “Eco gourmet” restaurant is certainly setting the bar higher.

(Details of Mixt Greens’ menu, green business practices and more can be found on their website.)
 

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