Healthy Eats at Dr. Smood
Last week, I was invited to a VIP pre-opening party of Dr. Smood’s Madison Avenue location in NYC. This Miami-based brand and chain of cafes is known for their organic menu, healthy products, and even offer their own detox programs. Although I had never heard of Dr. Smood before, I couldn’t wait to check out the new cafe and sample the menu with my favorite plus one, Rae. (We’re always looking for healthy eats to offset the effects of our vodka-soaked nights out.)
Purely from a branding perspective, I loved Dr. Smood from the moment I walked in. Every photo on display looked like something Instagrammers spend hours trying to achieve, the space was large and roomy (especially for NYC), and the minimal light fixtures paired perfectly with the all-black walls and fixtures. To be honest, I half expected Dr. Smood to be like all the other organic health restaurants in the city – overpriced, corny, pretentious, and catering to hipsters. So I was pleasantly surprised to find the ambiance was more like a cool, posh coffee shop. Even Rae liked the music they were playing.
Once Rae and I headed to the back of the cafe, there were trays of tasty nibbles being passed around. We sampled a selection of salads, sandwiches, live juices, and healthy sweet treats made of ingredients like carob and dates. My favorites were:
- Organic Quinoa Salad – quinoa, spinach, pine nuts, cranberries, green onion, coconut oil, Himalayan salt, curry, and a bunch of other spices
- Immunity Live Juice – pineapple, apple, turmeric and lemon
- Vegan Sandwich – hummus, avocado, baby spinach, and Dr. Smood’s signature pesto dressing
Let me tell you something – the turkey and tuna sandwiches we tried were delicious as well, but that vegan sandwich was AMAZING. I’m not sure if it was the creaminess of all the ingredients, or the perfectly pressed panini-style bread they used, but I couldn’t believe the vegan sandwich was my favorite bite of the night. Rae and I ate at least a half dozen each.
Since I’m now on the West Coast for the time being, I was excited to find out that Dr. Smood delivers – because I definitely need to order the espresso beans (according to Dr. Smood, it’s “probably the best coffee in the world”) and the organic Beauty Tea blend with Fujian white tea, pomegranate and ginger. I feel like a cup of that in the morning would definitely set the tone for a healthy and productive day.
If you’re in NYC, check out Dr. Smood asap! And if you work close to one of their locations, you’re in luck. Dr. Smood also delivers on Seamless – I really can’t think of a better (or healthier) lunch to have delivered right to your desk.
Dr. Smood
285 Madison Avenue
WEBSITE
