By the Gastronomes

Grateful Kitchen Company – Here’s To Your Health!

Well…..I’m going to have to confess that neither of us has frequented many eateries that cater totally to healthy cuisine. This is obvious if you ever see us in person. This year, however, one of us has decided to “try” to take a healthier approach to what we eat. I am, however, a fan of all of the parts of healthy eats – kale, avocado, tahini, granola, leafy greens, etc. – so I have an advantage there. My problem is that I don’t seek out these foods on a regular basis. Grateful Kitchen is a mecca of healthy food and drink options.

Grateful is the brainchild of Kimberly Sickmen of Zweet Sport Hot Yoga fame, Stephen Hardy and Ashley Ott.  Sickman – who launched her now popular Grateful Juice brand a couple of years ago – told me that she had always wanted to add a healthy food and fitness component to her business and was fortunate to come upon the space on Henry and Madison last year. It is the perfect size for both the eatery and Zweet Sport Total Fitness and compliments the Yoga location just up the block. Hardy is the resident Chef while Ott takes on the managerial duties and puts together their popular house-made Chai tea. Kimberly told me that a passion for organic and healthy food is what brought the three of them together in the first place. They all three subscribe to the same types of food created at the restaurant in their homes. Guess one could say “they practice what they preach”.

We all know that food trends are still leaning toward “organic and locally sourced” and Grateful Kitchen certainly does its part. It is one of the few DMV locations that are totally organic. Everything they make is made on the premises including the juices. In fact, they are the only local outlet that will custom make juice for you while you wait.  The menu is pretty simple and straight forward with four Smoothies that can be made into bowls by adding granola, coconut and bananas (I am going to try this next time) and a host of other healthy stuff you can order to jack up the health factor; five Breakfast offerings ranging from an egg sandwich to Chai pudding; three Snacks including the popular Egg ‘N Hot Sauce and six Savory offerings that include their other popular item, the Forbidden Black Rice Bowl. Also in this section are the Avocado Toast, two sandwich and three salad offerings. There is a Kids Menu – that also says “Adults Welcome” – that features Ants On a Log, Cheesy Eggs ‘N Toast and a Peanut Butter, Honey and Banana sandwich. To be honest all three of these sound really good to me. Also on the menu are Vigilante coffee, tea, their version of hot chocolate and a latte. Pricing is very reasonable and the portions are “just right”. Portion control is an important component of healthy eating and they subscribe to it.

This restaurant is small with a main counter that seats 4 or 5 and a window space that seats about the same. It isn’t really designed for sit-down dining. It feels like more of a “hanging out in the kitchen” at someone’s home kind of experience. It is a very welcoming place to say the least. They are, however, applying for a permit for sidewalk seating this spring. Another fun thing about this place is the walk-up window! I’m going to use that option next time since I think it’s cool.

I love smoothies and berries so I picked the Berry version that included mixed berries, banana, almond milk, yoghurt, Chia seed, ground flax and vegan protein powder. It was delicious and I immediately began to feel healthier as I sipped it ! I decided to let Kimberly and Stephen pick something for me to take home and try. They chose their two most popular savory items – Egg ‘N Hot Sauce and the Forbidden Black Rice Bowl. I sampled them both later that evening and was really impressed. Both dishes are anchored by seasoned steamed kale and involve a soft boiled egg so you have to be into both of those items. The seasonings on the rice bowl (salsa macha, cilantro and shallot) made for a very tasty treat. The 717 Hot Sauce on the Egg ‘N Hot Sauce has a bit of a kick and I really liked it a lot but it isn’t for someone who is spice sensitive. I am looking forward to going back and trying the Avocado Toast, the sandwich and the salads.

As you embark on your New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, eat healthy and get in shape…….Grateful Kitchen and Zweet Sport Total Fitness are a one stop shop on the corner of Henry and Madison here in Old Town.

Grateful Kitchen is open for breakfast, lunch and snacks.

Hours of Operation:

M-W-Th-F – 7 am – 3 pm

Closed Tuesdays

Sa & Su – 8 am -3 pm

Grateful Kitchen Company

727 North Henry Street

Old Town Alexandria

571-867-9121

GratefulKitchenco.com

contact@gratefulkitchenco.com