New Healthy Fast Casual Dining Hot Spot Opens in Chelsea

Quick, healthy sustenance is the lifeblood of this city: a New York minute requires premium fuel. But thriving in the city is new easy task where statistics show 80 percent of restaurants and bars flop within five years.

Elliot Hara, a busy owner who just opened Something Green at 39 West 23rd St. between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in the heart of Chelsea, thinks he has hit on a formula to beat the long odds on the road to success. That is: build a restaurant that appeals to himself as the target audience.

The Brooklyn native who grew up with a father in the restaurant industry, said he began developing this concept as a place “for folks like me.” He claims he “is literally our target market,” a frenetically busy workaholic parent that can get so overwhelmed they forget to eat.

He said he reached a point where he was so improperly nourished his “body and mind started yelling” at him, and those cries were the perfect motivation to create an eatery that is quick, healthy, affordable and delicious.

“We have enough decisions to make throughout the day and the thought of adding a healthy regime to the mix was so daunting” that he came up with Something Green as the obvious solution.

Basically, his goal was streamlining the task of finding nourishing food without the hassle often associated with it. His competitors, so to speak, focus more on customization, which not only takes a lot more time to execute but escalates costs substantially as well. There is also less consistency, so Hara utlizes a commissary kitchen in Brooklyn to make everything fresh daily, with a rotating roster of over two hundred dishes that vary due to ingredient availability and seasonality.

Regardless of what’s on the menu, he says it is “always fresh, always clean, always delicious,” and the most expensive items on the menu are never more than $16. No items are carried over to the next day; in fact, unpurchased merchandise is donated at the end of day to lucky patrons who happen by while there’s still anything left.

Constructed for an on-the-go lifestyle, Something Green’s inaugural location in Chelsea has limited counter seating and two small tables... maxing out at about fifteen at capacity. But of course the plan is for expansion, pending the original’s success.

While it is primarily intended for take-away, the ambiance inside is convivial, minimalist, but inviting: cool, soothing tones of pale green and white, and most afternoons find the tables full with smiling guests enjoying their chosen repasts.

And what are they choosing? “Our lettuce wraps and rice wraps are changing the sandwich game here in the city,” boasts Hara, his favorite of which being the Salmon Rice Wrap, an ingenious riff on Vietnamese summer rolls. Glass-like translucent rice paper swaddles chopped collards, baked salmon and kinky little rice noodles, perfect to dunk in the accompanying homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Jakob, one of the shop’s charming clerks, is a huge fan of the egg and cheese panini (sic), a rare item that offers customization with your choice of Mediterranean veggies or cheese. He said he likes to pair it with a green smoothie, of which there are three varieties, among a rainbow of other fruity frappés.

The Vanilla Date is also a favorite of his, which “tastes like a milkshake” but is whipped up with a healthier combination of Medjool dates, banana, almond butter and almond milk. He says the soups have been super popular, too. As the weather cools, their offering of Butternut Squash, Mushroom Barley and Red Lentil seem a perfect winter potages.

Jeremy, his coworker, recommends any of the chopped salads, or for a heartier option, the Tuna Avo Panini (again, sic), and raves about their coffee. The small-batch, Melbourne-based Niccolo coffee is used exclusively in all its coffee drinks, from a simple espresso to mochas, lattes and cortados. They also serve some specialty soft drinks, like their Limonana, blended with mint, or a refreshing passionfruit iced tea. No liquor license, but if the need for that arises, Empire State of Wine is conveniently located just a few doors to the west.

In addition to the aforementioned, there are also bowls and pizzas, which can be heated in-store to eat on the spot, or hustled home to warm up at your convenience. There is also a smattering of breakfast items that could also double as healthy desserts, like muffins and fruity acai bowls, and snacky, healthy-ish delicacies like dark chocolate Quinoa Crunch Bark and a creamy vanilla-infused Chia Pudding.

As if all of the above weren’t enough, Hara has implemented a charitable component, which he hopes to expand upon. At this point, all the composed food that has not been purchased is donated at the end of the day. That’s right: if you hit the timing right, you could score some of Something Green’s scrumptious comestibles for free. But he’s working on pairing with No Kid Hungry and/or City Harvest to organize the no-waste initiative to direct those leftovers to those truly in need, which would benefit the local community. Even its packaging is sustainable. So if you’re seeking sustenance that is delicious, healthy, affordable, good for the planet, and good for the community, Something Green sounds like something great.

https://www.somethingreen.com/

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