It's a sad commentary, I think, on the state of our society when obesity is striking lower income families, and one of the most healthy, clean places to buy food is hoity toity Cherry Creek. But that's where we're at, and don't let the art galleries and designer clothing stores disuade you from foraging here on a summer Saturday. Admittedly, I'm happy there's primal eating to be had in Cherry Creek because I work here. Here's the ins and outs:
Cherry Creek Farmer's Market ~
An institution in the parking lot of Bed, Bath, and Beyond, right off Speer and University, this farmers market is open Wednesdays and Saturdays until 1pm from May through October. On my last visit, one of farmers, without any prompting, busted open a tasty purple bell pepper for us to sample. This sort of interaction is what makes farmer's markets so much fun. You can connect with the source of your food. Grass-fed beef, Alaskan Wild Salmon, and so much more is available. If you're a regular in Cherry Creek, you've probably got enough cash to plunk down on a bottle of Black Truffle Olive Oil from the EVOO Marketplace, but for the rest of us, we can enjoy plenty of other affordable olive oils, freshly roasted Hatch green chilis, and a ton of organic produce. One sensible indulgence not to be missed is the raw honey.
Cherry Creek Whole Foods ~
The typical grocery store rule of thumb applies to Whole Foods - stick to the outside of the store and you'll be okay (skipping the bakery, of course...and how is this considered a "healthy" store?). Greatly appreciated, though, are the pastured eggs available from Grant Family Farms. For primal dairy folks (not me), Morning Fresh Farms products are also available. Morning Fresh won't be certified organic for another three years, but this is good, preservative-free, organically-produced milk. The salad bar is expensive but often carries a huge variety of produce. Kale, spinach, watercress, artichoke hearts, chopped asparagus, berries, eggs, and a variety of vinegars are some of my favorite highlights. It's easy here to throw more than twenty ingredients into a box. You pay for it, but for me, its worth the convenience. A word of warning - the chicken at the salad bar is cooked in canola oil, so go for the eggs, tuna, etc. for your protein.
Eco-Burger ~
A new restaurant that, unfortunately, is in a goofy space, which is why I think the tapas bar before it failed. Hopefully Eco-Burger will last. Here you can have a 100% grass-fed burger wrapped in lettuce. It's tasty. It's juicy. It's eco-friendly! The side salad has wonderful sprouts, just eat around the corn. It's nice to indulge in a grass fed burger while out and about, and I'm glad that there are places like this popping up.
Cherry Creek Mall/Cherry Creek Trail ~
Great place for walking or a bike ride, the area along the back side of the Mall is one of my favorite stretches of the Cherry Creek Trail and has plenty of adjacent lawns for sprint workouts.
No comments:
Post a Comment