If you're a fan of the build-a-salad concepts that are taking over the Twin Cities and beyond, well, rejoice because your cause just landed another victory.
Crisp & Green, a casual salad concept from Bar La Grassa restaurateur Ryan Burnet, debuted on Thursday in the North Loop as the neighborhood's first eatery of its kind.
The new addition, which is housed in the former Sapor Cafe location at 428 N. Washington Av., is the second Crisp & Green location, following Wayzata's Lake Street flagship. Burnet also owns Burch Steak, Barrio, Eastside and the new Station Pizzeria in Minnetonka.
The menu includes eight signature salads – ranging from the Yacht Club, which combines arugula, shrimp, avocado, tomato, radish, sunflower seeds and a jalapeno-lime vinaigrette, to the Gangnam Greens, a spinach salad with ginger-citrus tofu, bean sprouts, pickled mushrooms, kimchi, cucumber and a chile-cashew dressing. There also are four grain bowls. They don't come cheap, starting at $10.50 and topping out at $12.75, but patrons can create their own bowl starting at $7.25, while walking through the Chipotle-like setup. Gluten-free and vegan options are labeled, and there are a handful of hearty kid meals as well.
For beverages, a handful of pea protein smoothies are joined by iced tea, coffee and a variety of on-tap offerings: several flavors of locally brewed kombucha, including lemon rosemary, and aqua frescas – fruit and water infusions with a touch of sweetness.
