Navigating the vibrant food scene of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Williamsburg, Virginia, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be a delightful adventure. Whether you're a local or a visitor, this guide highlights some of the best restaurants and cafes that offer delicious and nutritious options.
Williamsburg, Virginia: A Focus on Fresh, Local Ingredients
Williamsburg, Virginia, boasts a charming culinary landscape with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients and scratch-made dishes. Here are a few standout establishments:
Lokal Cafe: Farm-to-Table Freshness
Located near Merchants Square, Lokal Cafe stands out for its commitment to sourcing the freshest seasonal products from local farmers. Everything on their menu is made from scratch, including condiments like ketchup and mustard. This dedication to quality ingredients ensures a flavorful and healthy dining experience. The menu is entirely plant-based, offering a wide variety of options for those seeking vegetarian or vegan fare.
Carrot Tree Kitchens: A Local Favorite with a Story
Carrot Tree Kitchens has been a Williamsburg staple since 1995. The story behind its creation is almost as famous as its scratch-baked desserts. It all started in 1984 when the owner was challenged to create a carrot cake that surpassed the one served at her workplace. This charming spot is known for its delicious and wholesome offerings.
Kephi Greek Kitchen: Vibrant and Healthy Greek Cuisine
When it comes to healthy cuisine, vibrant colors are a great indicator of fresh ingredients. Kephi Greek Kitchen offers an expansive selection of traditional and contemporary Greek dishes. From Taramasalata to Spanokopita and Gyros, you'll find a variety of flavorful and nutritious options.
Read also: Healthy food access with Highmark Wholecare explained.
Food For Thought: Creative and Conscious Cuisine
Food For Thought is known for its creative dishes, with a focus on vegan and gluten-free options. They also offer kombucha, homemade hummus, and inventive salads. This restaurant caters to those seeking health-conscious choices without sacrificing flavor.
Coastline: Unexpectedly Delicious Grilled Cheese
Even seemingly indulgent options can be healthy at the right place. Coastline's grilled cheese is a standout, offering a unique and satisfying experience. It's a testament to the fact that healthy eating can still be enjoyable and comforting.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn: Diverse Options for Health-Conscious Diners
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, offers a diverse range of restaurants catering to health-conscious diners. Here are some top picks for healthier food delivery and dining experiences:
The Butcher’s Daughter: Plant-Powered Dining
The Butcher’s Daughter, a popular plant-forward café and restaurant near Bedford Ave and Domino Park, is known for its fresh, seasonal vegetarian and vegan dishes. Serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, they also offer house-baked breads, cold-pressed juices, organic coffee, craft cocktails, and natural wine. Executive Chef Samia Behaya crafts a menu that celebrates vegetables in a bright, modern space with a sunlit patio. The Butcher’s Daughter has also won the OpenTable Diner’s Choice Award multiple times and offers private dining and catering services.
Bis Bas: Affordable and Customizable Bowls
Bis Bas on Driggs Avenue offers an affordable and fast option with customizable bowls and unique sides.
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Example Order:
- Base: Mujadara (lentils) & Sweet Potato
- Protein: Chicken Shawarma
- Dips: Hummus & Labneh
- Toppings: Sumac Onion Parsley, Pickled Turnips, Jalapeño, Toum (garlic sauce), Tomatoes, Red Cabbage
- Sauce: Tahini
- Total Cost: \$13.49
Quinoa Kitchen: Healthy Options with Caution
Quinoa Kitchen offers several healthy options, but also has less healthy choices, so diners should be mindful of their selections.
Example Order:
- Protein: Chicken Breast Bowl
- Grain: Brown Rice
- Side: Waldorf Salad
- Sauce: Basil Pesto
- Total Cost: \$16.05
Springbone Kitchen: Nourishing Soups and Bowls
Springbone Kitchen focuses on real food with minimal grain and sugar, emphasizing vegetables and high-quality meat. They avoid processed foods, refined sugar, and seed oils.
Example Order:
- Broth: Immunity Broth
- Add-ins: Chicken, Zoodles (noodles from zucchini)
- Total Cost: \$15.62
Springbone believes in the power of real food and ships their bone broth and hot sauce nationwide. Co-founders Sam & Jordan, as young professionals in New York, struggled to find wholesome, nutritious meals and created Springbone to deliver simple, nourishing food. Springbone’s bone broth contains collagen, gelatin, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, amino acids glycine, proline, and hyaluronic acid.
Glaze Teriyaki: Customizable Bowls with Caution on Sauces
Glaze Teriyaki offers delicious bowls with a small salad. However, be mindful of the sauces, as they can be calorie-dense.
Example Order:
- Main: Combo - ½ Chicken thigh & ½ Salmon
- Rice: White rice
- Salad dressing: Sesame
- Sauce: Regular Teriyaki
- Total Cost: \$15.22
Dig: Fast and Delicious Bowls
Dig is a fast and delicious option for customizable bowls with healthy bases, sides, and proteins.
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Example Order:
- Base: Farro
- Sides: Sweet potato & Broccoli
- Protein: Chicken thigh
- Total Cost: \$16.08
Cava: Customizable Mediterranean Bowls
Cava is a well-run Mediterranean restaurant offering customizable bowls with a variety of bases, dips, proteins, and toppings.
Example Order:
- Base: Brown rice & Super greens
- Dips: Tzatziki, Red pepper hummus, Roasted eggplant
- Main: Braised lamb
- Toppings: Corn, Pickled onions, Tomato + Cucumber, Tomato + Onion, Lentils
- Dressing: Tahini
- Total Cost: \$17.56
Additional Options in Brooklyn
- Westville: A warm and relaxed neighborhood spot for simple, delicious food.
- Cecconi’s Dumbo: A modern classic Italian restaurant specializing in hand-made pasta and wood-fired pizza.
- Little Ruby’s Cafe: An Australian cafe offering approachable all-day fare, specialty drinks, and a full coffee program.
Other Notable Healthy Dining Options in New York City
Beyond Williamsburg, several restaurants in New York City offer healthy and delicious dining experiences:
- Market Table (West Village): Farm-to-table cooking in a vibrant setting.
- Cafe Mado (Prospect Heights): Seasonal vegetable dishes in a charming space.
- Lola’s (Nomad): Fresh, light cooking with deep flavors.
- Uzuki (Greenpoint): Hearty soba noodles with plenty of vegetables.
- Bunna Cafe (Bushwick): Vegetarian Ethiopian cuisine with flavorful stews and lentils.
- ThisBowl (Noho and Nomad): Fancy salads with perfectly cooked protein.
- Beet & Carrots (Bay Ridge): Farm-to-table spot with vegan options.
- Atla (NoHo): Casual Mexican fare with flax-seed chilaquiles.
- Loring Place (Greenwich Village): Upscale dining with a focus on vegetables.
- Shuka (SoHo): Middle Eastern dishes with kebabs, salads, and beet hummus.
- Elias Corner (Astoria): Simple grilled seafood with fresh Greek salads.
- Miriam (Park Slope): Israeli mezze plates and fish.
- Ruby’s (Various Locations): Australian cafe with grain bowls and chicken sandwiches.
- Banter (Greenwich Village): Australian cafe with quinoa bowls and chia pudding.
- Baba Cool (Fort Greene & Williamsburg): Grain bowls and sandwiches with a focus on fresh ingredients.
- Cookshop (Chelsea): American restaurant with vegetarian options and seafood dishes.
- Soba-ya (East Village): Buckwheat soba noodles and rice bowls with sashimi.
- Pura Vida (Nomad): Wellness-oriented chain with kale caesar wraps and chicken sandwiches.
The Importance of Homemade Meals
While dining out can be convenient, it's important to remember that restaurants often add extra oil, salt, and sugar to enhance flavor. The best way to control your diet is to cook your own food. However, when time is limited, the restaurants listed above offer healthier alternatives to traditional fast food.
tags: #healthy #restaurants #williamsburg