Healthful Bites

As much as I try to not be partial to my New York City boroughs, Manhattan is the place to be for healthy eats. (Case in point: On my two block walk home from the subway to my apartment in Queens, I pass a donut shop, two fried chicken joints, a pizza parlor and a Chinese takeout stop.) So I often grab dinner in Manhattan before heading home after work if I’m not cooking for myself.

So I was more excited than is probably reasonable when I discovered Ripe Juice Bar & Grill in Forest Hills, Queens, just a few short stops away on the train. Why? This is no greasy fast food restaurant. Ripe claims to serve meals made “fresh to order” using “only the highest quality ingredients.”

The bright, modern-looking spot certainly brought across that fresh vibe, and one look at the menu made it clear that it was going to take a while to decide which of all of the delicious options I would order! Eventually, I opted for the Mexicali Bowl: Brown rice topped with grilled chicken, turkey bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and cilantro, then spiced up with hot sauce.

Despite the less-than-fancy table settings (see Styrofoam plate and unpictured plastic utensils), the meal tasted flavorful, delicious and packed plenty of heat—which I appreciate! The crunchy lettuce provided a nice contrast to the chewy brown rice, and the whole dish had a nice balance of protein, a bit of fat, whole grains and some veggies. As a salsa-lover, it would have been awesome to include some of that as a topping as well, but that’s my only complaint!

Don’t live near Ripe? You could easily recreate this meal at home with some quick-cooking rice, chopped veggies and grilled meats.

What draws you in when searching for new restaurants to try?