Monday, March 7, 2016

Vibe Health Bar

If you haven't driven up Broadway into Oak Park for awhile, you should set aside some time to make the trip. New retail establishments and restaurants are opening all the time, and most of the restaurants have something good for vegans. Broadway Coffee carries Sassy Oh baked goods, Old Soul has a few vegan or veganizable items, the Oak Park Brewing Company serves a couple of vegan sandwiches and a veggie platter, and just this past weekend, the Roaming Spoon's Chef Sylvanna Mislang brought a pop-up brunch to the trendy new pop-up shop, Display: California.


Last week, I visited an exciting new addition to Oak Park's culinary scene: Vibe Health Bar. This small café offers acai bowls, smoothies, wraps, and other healthy eats.


For my first visit, I ordered the OG acai bowl, a frosty acai and berry blend topped with granola, strawberries, bananas, and coconut. It usually comes with honey, but that can be omitted. The granola is made with maple instead of honey. I'd never had an acai bowl before, and couldn't believe how good it was! I think this will become a frequent breakfast stop for me.




I went back for lunch a couple of days later. There were two collard green or spinach leaf wraps that sounded good, and so did the ginger beet hummus and seasonal veggies. But I just couldn't resist the O.P.P. (Oak Park Panini), which consisted of whole grain bread spread with almond butter and filled with strawberries, bananas, coconut, and cinnamon. I asked them to leave out the honey that's usually part of this panini. A small salad of mixed greens was served with this delicious sandwich.




I also ordered the Mixed Vibes smoothie: a refreshing mixture of mango, pineapple, kale, chia seeds, cinnamon, and almond milk. Once again, I had them omit the honey. Maple can be substituted for the honey in any of these menu items.




I liked the staff, the space, and the food at Vibe, and I'd be surprised if it doesn't become a favorite with local vegans very soon. They serve Chocolate Fish Coffee, Brass Clover Cold Brew Coffee, Revive Kombucha, and Zeal Kombucha.


Vibe Health Bar is located at 3515 Broadway, and their phone number is 916-382-9723. Their website address is http://www.vibehealthbar.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Vibe-Health-Bar-745448462250364/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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