New year, new you! Finally, you had the surgery done and got your brain put in a new body. It was your little Christmas present to yourself, and except for stitches around the skull (thank goodness for bangs), you look fabulous. But now comes the hard part: taking care of that new body! That’s why we made this list of great places to eat right — before the inevitable killing spree occurs.
— by Greg Elwell,
photos by Garett Fisbeck and Mark Hancock
Nourished Food Bar
131 Dean A. McGee Ave. #115
740-7299
Cabbage Carrot Fig is a pretty whimsical name for the character in your new short story, but it might work.
“One day Cabbage Carrot Fig wandered into a building on Dean A. McGee Ave. and found Nourished Food Bar. Feeling a mite peckish, she perused the offerings when, to her surprise, she found a salad made just for her.”
Nebu
280 W. Sheridan Ave.
228-8386
Mahi mahi is the fish so nice they named it twice. You never hear trout trout getting this much love. But even it only has one name at Nebu (the cafeteria inside Devon Energy, but open to everyone). It’s always cooking up fish and other healthy dishes as its Well Bistro entrees. Because if you try to order salmon salmon, there’s a good chance you’ll get two portions of salmon and, hey, that’s not a bad idea.
Saii Bistro & Sushi Bar
6900 N. May Ave.
702-7244
Sigh. Isn’t that bistro dreamy? It’s not about being Asian — not that Asian bistros aren’t cute! I find all kinds of bistros attractive! It’s just, there’s something — sigh — about Saii. Is it the mood lighting or the super friendly staff? The way it serves everything from noodles to sizzling stone pot bulgogi beef and those cool slices of deliciousness in the sashimi variety plate? Whatever it is, I’m head over stomach for Saii.
Smoothie King
5921 SW Third St.
603-6992
There’s nothing wrong with chunky. Let’s get that straight right away. But that doesn’t mean you don’t sometimes crave something a little smoother — like Smoothie King’s vegan mango kale smoothie. Sure, you could eat a vegan mango kale salad, but what if you’re driving to work? You’ll poke your eye out, kid! Better to let them blend all those healthy ingredients into a tasty drink that’s as filling as it is easy to eat.
Bistro38 Thai Green Cuisine
2903 NW 36th St.
948-2788
Thai food is dangerous. Not just because it can get hot in a hurry, but because it’s hard to know what’s healthy and what’s loaded with calories. Noodles? Kind of heavy. Coconut milk? A bit fattening. But the delicious pad vegetables at Bistro38 are just a big old pile of tender-crisp greens (and oranges and off-whites) in that sweet and spicy sauce that makes everything — even fiber-rich, nutrient-dense plants — taste so good.
Coolgreens
204 N. Robinson Ave., Norman
600-6444
“Pesto is the best-o!”
“Really, Ed? That’s what you’ve got for the new Coolgreens account? We’re trying to sell delicious turkey pesto sandwiches here. Why not talk about all the healthy fats, the lean meat, the delicious whole-wheat roll?”
“Because … it rhymes.”
“Fair enough.”
Native Roots Market
131 NE Second St.
310-6300
Soup is so healthy that, as a category, we try to give it to anyone we know who is sick. Cold? Chicken soup. Fever? Vegetable beef. So hungry you’ve forgotten how to speak? Just point at the sign at Native Roots Market so you can get a big bowl of spicy tomato basil that’s packed so full of healthy stuff it’s almost a solid. There are even beans in that soup. Beans! They’re magical.
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2016.