LYFE Kitchen has claimed a very unusual space for their new site in Evanston: the’60s-era round building that once housed bank tellers.
Now, a different story is being told in the totally rehabbed space, filled with bright, optimistic colors and sunlight. Eero Saarinen would be proud.
Even if the company ethos of LYFE Kitchen is not your prime concern, it’s hard to ignore the thought and effort they put into saving us from ourselves. “We take no shortcuts with sustainability,” their website tells us. The lights they use are low voltage, the furniture is made from 100 percent recycled materials, only chemical-free paints are used, and there’s a huge vertical herb garden smack-dab in the middle of the restaurant.
Celebrity Chefs on Board
No expense was spared when hiring the company’s executive chefs, both Oprah veterans. Chefs Art Smith and Tal Ronnen bring instant credibility to LYFE’s claims to prioritize sustainability and taste. So whether you head in to LYFE Kitchen for breakfast, lunch or dinner, you will find something on the extensive menu to catch your fancy, and chances are it will taste good.
Every dish on LYFE Kitchen’s menus is exhaustively deconstructed for the calorie-, salt- or health-conscious diner, especially those with food allergies and/or sensitivities. And amazingly, every item on the menu is less than 600 calories.
Picky Eaters, Rejoice!
If you follow a vegan, vegetarian, nut-free or gluten-free diet, you are really in luck. They’ve got you covered, and more. Just grab your menu of choice, roll up to the counter, and place your order. When you pay, they’ll give you a GPS-powered locator that lets the runners know your location for food delivery, whether you sit inside in retro splendor or outdoors on the sunny (and windy) patio.
Deep Green
The Kale Caesar ($7.49) is a good place to start. The combination of crunchy romaine, dark green leafy kale, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli and crispy whole-wheat breadcrumbs, topped with shaved Parmesan cheese and an eggless Caesar dressing, adds up to only 360 calories, but a whole lot of tasty.
I couldn’t get enough of the Quinoa Crunch Bowl ($8.99), which featured edamame hummus, quinoa tabbouleh, a raft of fresh veggies and cubes of avocado drizzled with a sneakily spicy chipotle vinaigrette and “fireman’s hot sauce.” The combo is also available stuffed in a whole-wheat tortilla (the Quinoa Crunch Wrap, $8.99) for those who prefer their lunch with a carb delivery system.
Didn’t love the Antipasto Salad ($8.99), where the whole was not nearly the sum of its parts. You’d think that all those leafy greens, fresh mozzarella bocconcini, grilled red pepper strips, eggplant, green bean and golden flax seed crisps with chimichurri dressing would be a “WOW!” taste sensation, but in reality, meh.
In the Middle
A selection of flatbreads ($8.49-9.99) are served on a pleasantly crispy, whole-wheat crust. We opted for the Roasted Mushroom and Goat Cheese variety, which also sported sweet roasted onions, a sprinkling of fresh herbs (grown in house!) and a heavy hand with the too-sweet pomegranate-balsamic glaze. Next time, I’m getting the BBQ Chicken version instead.
I’d heard many plaudits for the Fish Tacos ($9.99), two corn tortillas filled with grilled mahi mahi, chayote slaw, avocado, chopped cilantro and chipotle aioli. In truth, they were tasty, but super messy. At any taqueria worth it’s salt, the tortillas are doubled for containment purposes. Here, with one tortilla per taco, it got soggy quickly and fell apart during consumption. Not optimal, but maybe the additional tortillas would put them over the 600 calorie mark.
I can’t recommend the Grass-Fed Burger ($8.49), despite the tasty oatmeal bun. The meat-to-bun ratio was way off—the 1/4-pound patty was no match for all the toppings and couldn’t begin to compete with the juicy deliciousness that is Edzo’s down the block. But seriously, why come here for a burger when there are so many other options? It’s definitely not the sweet spot.
Hit Entrees
All three entrees that we sampled were hits, especially the Thai Curry Bowl ($11.99), well stocked with broccoli, eggplant, peppers, peas, whole-grain wheat berries and choice of marinated tofu (included) or grilled chicken (an additional 99 cents). The sauce, a lovely coconut-scented yellow curry, makes the dish. You won’t miss the rice.
The Barramundi Noodle Bowl ($13.99), at only 273 calories, is a real find. How many places can you order a plate of sustainably raised sea bass for that price, much less one accompanied by soba noodle and sautéed mushrooms, greens and edamame in a light kimchi broth?
Art’s Unfried Chicken ($12.99, also available in a “Gardein Chick’n” version) was a generous portion of highly seasoned, lightly breaded breast meat served on top of roasted Brussels sprouts and butternut squash tossed with dried cranberries, then paired with cashew cream and Dijon vinaigrette. Sure, it was tasty, but the veggies skewed the dish in a decidedly wintry direction. I’d rather see it paired with a summer succotash, or a green bean or zucchini sauté, at least in June.
I was surprised to learn that the Chocolate Chip Cookies ($1.49 each) were vegan. They didn’t taste like it—and by that, I mean they tasted really good—sorry, vegan readers.
Drink Your Dessert
Don’t miss the house-made Lyfe Waters, which range from the Ginger Mint Chia ($1.99), infused with Ginger, lime and mint and laden with slightly viscous chia seeds, to the über-refreshing Cucumber Mint ($2.99), a not-too-sweet combination of fresh cucumber juice, mint, lime and agave syrup. They will rejuvenate you even on the warmest days. But for those who must (and that would include me), they also serve special herb-infused cocktails (like the Gin & Rosemary or the Cucumber-Cilantro) as well as wine and beer. Go ahead…when you eat at LYFE Kitchen, you’ve got some calories to spare.
4 out of 5 piggies
LYFE Kitchen
1603 Orrington Ave.
Evanston
847-563-8242
Top right photo courtesy of LYFE Kitchen. All other photos by Julie Chernoff.
