Week #24: Dining Out Local

It was interesting to me that almost all of the healthy dining suggestions presented in my meetings this week were chain restaurants. To some extent, this makes sense: these are the kind of establishments that are either required to post nutritional information, or find it in their best interests to do so. So I guess it's natural for us to gravitate to the easy choices: ones we can look up ahead of time.

So if you're a real foodie who loves trying a place that's off the beaten track, you probably didn't come away with as many new ideas as you might have liked. I thought I'd share some of the places that I go to - some are smaller chains, some are single unit stores. Many of these are going to be in the Clairemont area, just because that's where I live, but not all of them.

Kitchen 4140 - this is actually the place that Kim suggested on Wednesday morning. And their splash page says that they are now open for dinner during the week! Hooray, because a lunch-only place is probably one I'm hardly ever going to get to visit.

Tender Greens - okay this has been the best blog entry ever, because by visiting these sites to get you links, I'm learning. Tender Greens has nutrition information! I never knew that. This is a restaurant in Liberty Station, and from what I understand, once the renovations are done at University Town Center mall, there will be a location there, too.

Sipz Fusion Cafe - this is actually in the same strip mall as our Clairemont WW store (and there is a second location in North Park just off University avenue). Yes, this is a vegetarian restaurant, but I know several carnivores who have dined here and loved it. Please note that not all items here are healthy - the noodly saucy bowls will add up fast, but you can do things like sub brown rice, choose steamed over fried, etc. They even do sushi (vegetarian) in the evenings!

The Linkery - this North Park restaurant is probably a bit of a splurge. But we like them so much we had them cater our wedding! They use lots of local produce, so there are always unique things on their menu. Portion sizes are reasonable, too. If you are a wine or craft beer fan, save some of your PointsPlus values for that, because they have a good beverage list.

Niban - this sushi restaurant is just across the 805 from our Clairemont WW store, near the Souplantation. They offer brown rice (although not in the sushi to my knowledge). Sushi in general can be a low PointsPlus meal, and we like this local joint.

Crazy Bowls and Wraps - this is a good fast food option in Mission Valley. Their website is kind of a pain in terms of finding complete nutrition information, but I like that they offer things like quinoa, lots of veggies, and tofu options.

Any other local or non-chain favorites you'd recommend?