Who says eating organic has to be bland and boring? Well, Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop in Beverly Hills is anything but boring! In fact, owner Jonathan Rollo could really be on the verge of a revolution, making people want to eat healthier and actually prefer it. The food at Greenleaf is not only fresh and organic, but it is packed with delicious flavor in every bite. That's because Greenleaf isn't just about promoting healthy food, it's about promoting a healthier lifestyle. They feature the freshest, organic ingredients available every day in an affordable, casual atmosphere. Greenleaf uses organic, locally-grown produce to prepare its delicious soups, salads and sandwiches in an open-display kitchen.
Greenleaf was created by chef Jonathan Rollo, an L.A. native who grew up in Pasadena and graduated from Loyola High School. Rollo trained at the Culinary and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, and worked as Assistant General Manager of Patina at the Hollywood Bowl and moved on to other developments in Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Palm Springs. He left the Patina group in Spring of 2007 to start Greenleaf. Rollo has traveled extensively and wanted to share his knowledge and expertise of fine eating with people, so decided to open up his own restaurant and I'm so glad he did.
The salads at Greenleaf are probably the best I have ever had, and I have had a lot of salads! I tried two of their salads...Zorra the Great with romaine hearts, baby arugula, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, olives, red onion, and fresh herbs tossed in their garlic herb vinaigrette. It is served on hummus and topped with pita and crispy artichoke chips, made at Greenleaf. It is absolutely fantastic and very big...at just 10 bucks it's a steal! It is pure quality and full of scrumptious flavor. I had it with grilled chicken, which they suggest, for an extra $3. You can also add tofu to any salad for the same, or steak, salmon or ahi tuna to any salad for $4. They also suggest wine pairings with each salad. For Zorra the Great, they suggest a pinot grigio: alma rosa, organic.
I also tried the The Antioxidant Orchard salad with scarborough farms baby mixed greens with grapes, celery, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, crumbled blue cheese, mint, red onion, cucumbers, and strawberries, tossed with pomegranate whole grain mustard vinaigrette. They suggest adding pan roasted salmon to this one, but I had it plain and it was so fresh and delicious! I felt cleansed after eating it and great after knowing I was not only doing my taste buds good, but my body too. ;-)
Greenleaf has many other delicious salads to choose from including their specialty salads, which they consider "the not so obvious salads", like the Steak "Sandwich" Salad with crunchy iceberg and baby arugula, pickled red onions, grilled corn, tomatoes, jalapeño jack cheese and basil tossed in charo’s balsamic vinaigrette...topped with slices of fresh cornbread and grilled flatiron steak. It may not be as healthy as the other ones, but you can feel assured that it is a lot healthier than a steak salad at your average restaurant. They even have a Buffalo "Wangs" salad with crisp romaine hearts, crispy chicken tossed in their chipotle orange bbq sauce, crumbled blue cheese, bacon, carrots, celery, and their low-fat ranch dressing. You can even build your own salad from a long list of ingredients.
Greenleaf also makes delicious, gourmet soups, which vary seasonally. I had a delightful tomato soup, which came in a generous bowl with a side of grilled cheese panini to dip in it...yum!
Greenleaf also makes fantastic specialty grilled sandwiches, including the BBQ chicken panini, turkey burger, cobb panini, grilled cheese panini, grilled veggie panini, and a tuna melt quesadilla. Greenleaf also offers weekly specials which oftentimes feature individual-sized pizzas, which are fabulous ...and most imporantly healthy! I tried their weekly special pizza made with whole wheat tortilla, Pecorino Romano cheese, mushrooms, arugula, chili flakes and a killer ingredient which just puts it over the top in flavor...truffle oil! Wow! As chef Kristi Ritchey explains, at Greenleaf they're always looking for healthier ways to prepare comfort foods and they do a fantastic job of it. They will be adding more pizzas to their regular menu soon.
For dessert I tried their delicious carrot cake with cream cheese icing. Chef Ritchey told me this treat is not necessarily a healthier version, but she does use agave nectar to sweeten instead of regular sugar, making it lower calorie and gluten-free.
Greenleaf also delivers to the Downtown Beverly Hills area, and they deliver on bikes, keeping in line with promoting a healthier lifetsyle. They ask that you allow 45 minutes for delivery as they are on bikes. You can also choose to dine there on their outside patio and watch the hip, Beverly Hills shopping scene. They do get quite busy around lunchtime, though, so be prepared. They recommend parking in the structure behind Saks. Greenleaf also caters. Greenleaf is located at 9671 Wilshire Blvd. They are open Monday to Friday from 11 am-4 pm and Saturdays from 11-4. For more information, call them at 310-246-0756 or visit their website at www.greenleafchopshop.com.
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