Greenlife’s organic options full of flavor

ANNE BRALY: If you haven’t been to Greenlife Grocery since it moved from Hixson Pike to Manufacturers Road a couple of years ago, you must have been living under a rock. This is the most dynamic grocery in town.

It also has a fabulous restaurant beneath its roof, one that serves organic creations that are as beautiful as they are full of flavor. It’s the kind of food that packs a punch. I’ve always been a fan of the tofu curry, but with so many choices, I had to go with something I hadn’t had before.

Organic doesn’t always translate into low-calorie and low-fat, and the salad bar is no exception. I could have gone with lettuce, spinach, carrots and a light dressing, but there was simply no way I was going to bypass the guacamole with blue tortilla chips, chunky chicken salad or tamale casserole. How many salad bars in town come with such a variety of offerings? That’s one thing I really like about Greenlife. There’s just so much from which to choose.

HOLLY LEBER: I’m a big fan of Greenlife. In fact, my future colleagues made a point of telling me about it when I interviewed at the paper. They have plenty of options to keep me happy without having to rely on boring salads. I also like the opportunities to sample different soups and tastes of whatever they put out. Yes, Greenlife can be pricey, but the simply prepared foods with fresh ingredients make me feel better than fast food on days I don’t feel like cooking.

Anne went Mexican style with her salad, so I decided to eat from another part of the globe. While the Tuscan bean soup looked tempting, I went Japanese-style (emphasis on the “style”) and hit up the sushi case. I love the fact that Greenlife has a brown rice option on its sushi. It’s much more flavorful, in my opinion, even if it’s not genuine.

ANNE: I don’t care for sushi, but will admit yours looked good with the brown rice. May have to give it a try because everyone I know raves about it. I love the fact that after lunch you can walk over and do your grocery shopping.

The seating areas are fun, too, whether its outside, upstairs overlooking the store or by the buffet area, where we sat. Owner Chuck Pruett and all of his people have done an outstanding job with the design of the space. And people seem to love it. There was little room left to sit inside when we were there.

HOLLY: Greenlife has a few vegetarian roll options, but I stick to the basic veggie selection with avocado, cucumber and carrot. I also got a Vietnam veggie roll with cellophane noodles with shredded beets, carrots and a few other odds and ends. It’s served with a cup of chili almond dressing, sliced almonds in a sweet and spicy sauce. It’s good, unusual and satisfying without being overly filling.

After lunch I stopped by the gelato bar for a taste of the blueberry sorbetto. Very refreshing. The chocolate gelato with cinnamon and chilies also looked great, for those not minding their fat intake.

ANNE: Greenlife’s restaurant is a really quick way to get a good, filling meal, particularly for those who don’t have a long lunch break. I really don’t have anything bad to say about our experience except for one thing that was a little confusing. The salad and hot bar were advertised on a sign above the buffet at $6.99. I guess I didn’t see the “per pound” on the sign. So be careful what you add to your plate. Luckily, mine was right at one pound.

HOLLY: Since moving to Chattanooga a year ago, I’ve been to Greenlife at least once a week and still have more to try out. Big ups from me and Anne both, it seems.

E-mail Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com and hleber@timesfreepress.com.