By now we all know someone who is fasting, cleansing, or has given up eating an entire category of food from meat to sugar to gluten. Eating “clean” has become the new mantra of the health-conscious foodie.
Seed + Salt, a new little spot on Chestnut Street, runs a completely plant-based, gluten-, cane sugar- and dairy-free kitchen using ethically and locally sourced ingredients to turn out a variety of smoothies and juices, sandwiches, salads, and baked goodies that, for the most part, are as tasty as their conventional counterparts.
Seed + Salt was founded by Mo Clancy, a serial entrepreneur and writer who most recently founded Nomade Exquis, a line of artisanal hand-crafted accessories; Ariel Samara Nadelberg, executive chef, a native San Franciscan with a masters in food systems from New York University and former chef and curator of the public food service program at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens; and Lauren Godfrey, creative director of dessert development. Seed + Salt promises their customers “honest, delicious food that your body will appreciate.”
Featuring a sleek design with spare white walls, Seed + Salt has limited seating and does a brisk take-out business. The restaurant offers several breakfast options including gluten-free whole grain crostini or sprouted nut loaf ($4–$5) with a choice of savory and sweet spreads ($3–$5) such as green garbanzo hummus, cashew dill “cream cheese,” raw lemon curd, and balsamic fig jam. The “Gamechanger” green smoothie ($11) combines romaine, dino kale, cucumber, parsley, apple, lemon, ginger, and mint; and the Super Alpha Mega Vanilla Shake ($14) is a filling blend of house-made almond milk, coconut meat, banana, hemp protein, flax seeds, vanilla bean, cinnamon, lucuma (a subtropical fruit said to be a source of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals), and mesquite. Yummy fresh muffins and sweet breads ($5) — like the apple oat almond love muffin and banana chocolate walnut bread — are baked daily, and there is a savory chickpea frittata with vegetables ($6).
From 11 a.m. until closing, Seed + Salt serves a rotating selection of protein-, carbohydrate-, fruit- and vegetable-based salads along with a daily soup and baked goods. One standout sandwich is the beet burger, comprised of beets, walnuts, lentils, mushrooms, brown rice, raisins, spices, and smoked sea salt served on a whole-grain gluten-free bun or as a collard wrap ($14). The cauliflower couscous ($7) looks like the real thing and is made with cauliflower, golden raisins, pumpkin seeds, mint, and sumac; it’s addictive. “Mash-ups,” such as a soup or salad and spread ($13) or two salads and a soup like red lentil ($20), are a great way to sample different specials or as a meal to share.
Seed + Salt serves custom-blended coffee, organic tea, matcha lattes, iced tea, and other beverages. Catering is available, you can place all orders online, and a kids’ menu will debut in the next few weeks.
Whether you’re committed to a more healthful diet or you’re just curious about what all the fuss is about, Seed + Salt offers a great opportunity to sample some new dining options.
Seed + Salt: 2240 Chestnut Street, 415-872-9173, seedandsalt.com; Tuesday–Friday 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.–7 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Seed + Salf does a brisk take-away business. photo: courtesy Seed + salt
