Pretend you want to go out to eat with your meat-loving father, your vegan sister, your gluten-free mother, and your juice cleansing brother; your options are limited.
Over the past year or so we've seen an uptick in the amount of health-centered restaurants catering to dietary choices and restrictions in Broward and Palm Beach Counties.
Adding to the roster is Green Spot Kitchen in Fort Lauderdale.
The small eatery recently expanded its menu and will be adding breakfast items to the offerings soon.
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Opened on July 4, the restaurant has been serving a selection of gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and meat dishes to local gym members, families, and hospital patients and staff at nearby Holy Cross for just over six months.
"We're trying to become the place where everyone can meet and get what they want," says general manager Natalie Zaragoza.
The menu includes a selection of salads, sandwiches, snacks, juices, smoothies, desserts, and kids items.
Free-range chicken and bison are used in items like the tacos ($11 to $12) with shredded cabbage, cilantro, and fresh salsa; the achiote chicken chop ($14) with achiote, lettuce, chopped cabbage, bulgur, and spiced pumpkin seeds; and the kale "bison-wich" ($15) with an eight ounce patty served between multi grain Ezekiel sprout bread with kale, oven cured, tomatoes, and GSK sauce.
Clearly marked on the menu, vegan options include dishes like the vegetable ceviche tacos ($8) with chopped veggies in ceviche sauce, fresh cabbage shells, and hulk house-made tzatziki sauce; veggie sliders ($9), a house made veggie patty with oven cured tomatoes, lettuce, and chili lime aioli on Ezekiel bread; and artichoke fries ($6) flash fried and served with citrus, parmesan, cayenne pepper, and parsley.
Although catering has been available for quite some time, the restaurant recently expanded its services with meal plans. Starting as low as $10 per meal, the eatery develops custom plans serving two to three meals a day for all sorts of diets, including Paleo ($15 per meal), vegetarian ($14 per meal), meat-intensive ($19), sugar free ($10 to $19), and low-sodium ($10 to $19) options.
"We'll do whatever our customers want," says Zaragoza. "We'll customize meal plans for those looking to lose weight, reduce sugar or sodium. We cater to celiacs. Most of our seasoning comes from natural herbs and spices. We use as little salt as possible."
The eatery works closely with a dietitian to ensure the plans and individual dishes are nutritionally sound. In the near future, the menu will feature the nutrition breakdown of each item served.
Within the next month, breakfast will be offered with options ranging from an egg white fritatta ($6.95), bison chorizo and egg breakfast ($7.95), steel cut oats ($5.95), and Rock Star ($8.95) with organic eggs, homemade bison chorizo, and seasoned sweet potato wedges.
Green Spot Kitchen is located at 1506 E. Commercial Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Call 754-223-5558, or visit greenspotkitchen.com.
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