A healthy beautiful

Beautiful veggies: Liquidology started serving food last month in addition to its cold-pressed juice. No surprise, chef Jackie Howard says the food and drink options pair together exquisitely.

Naturally, Howard got her start at the vegan, raw pioneer Green Boheme. Though she primarily belonged to the front-of-the-house and community engagement worlds, she dreamed of making her job feeding people. She launched a pop-up dinner series earlier this year called “Dinner in the Garden” in Grass Valley and, as soon as she heard Liquidology was purchasing an off-site commercial kitchen, approached the owners about creating Liquidology’s first food menu.

“We’re focusing on this whole fast food mentality in a very healthy, nutritious way,” Howard says. “A beautiful plate, but quick.”

Currently, everything is grab-and-go: seasonal salads, mojobols (quinoa topped with a bean, local veggies and a creamy sauce), veggie spring rolls with an almond-ginger dipping sauce, protein bites and almond-milk yogurt turned hot pink thanks to dragon fruit. Meals go for $7-$12. Howard said she expects to introduce more hot food, like soup, in the near future. Everything is gluten-free, soy-free and, for the most part, vegan. There’s an option to add feta cheese to the mojobols, for example.

“I’m vegan, but I don’t want people to feel like that’s all we serve,” Howard said.

Ready, set, gyro: State workers have yet another Mediterranean lunch option. The former owner of Gyro Supreme is back downtown with Vela Cafe (1000 I Street), which opened last week. In addition to gyro and falafel sandwiches, Vela Cafe offers several egg-based breakfasts, deli sandwiches, soups and a hot-food-slash-salad bar. As far as the bar goes, think international: lasagna, teriyaki chicken, rice pilaf, pot stickers. The sandwiches are similarly diverse: eggplant parmigiana ($6.99), avocado B.L.T. ($6.99) and roasted carnitas with queso fresco and salsa ($7.99).

Good, cold news: It’s that unfortunate time of year when the weather starts getting legitimately chilly and Ginger Elizabeth removes frozen treats from its menu. Goodbye, frozen hot chocolate. Goodbye, monthly ice cream sundaes. Goodbye, macaron ice cream sandwiches. Oh wait! For the first time, Ginger Elizabeth is offering its salty caramel macaron ice cream sandwiches year-round. And, just in time for the holidays, Ginger unveiled an online store for chocolates, sauces, candies and boxed gift sets. Happy shopping!