Julia's Juice Bar - Grover Beach

                                                                      

Juicing has been apart of my life for years now.  We purchased a Jack La Lane power machine and each Saturday bought a basket full of greens at farmer’s market.  Adding apples, Meyers lemons, carrots, beets and oranges, the greens were almost palatable. The practice made us healthy, provided abundant scraps for our chickens, but completing a 12-ounce cup of juice was a marathon of washing, squashing and washing some more. When we first met Julia Gomez at Saturday Farmer’s Market in Arroyo Grande, I nearly hugged her. She was doing all the heavy lifting and offering us a cold pressed juice that only required the exchanged of money.  I call it superb green fast food. 

Julia now has a storefront bistro in Grover Beach called Julia’s Juice Bar. Providing tasty combinations of vegetable and fruit juice along with coffee, tea and inspiring edibles.  I started with the Veggie Blast that is Kale, carrots, fennel, celery, arugula, cilantro, apple and lemon. Gary went for the sweeter Tropic Fusion that had strawberries, carrots and pineapple and guava. They were both refreshing and delicious along with being good for you.  They offer different combinations of red or green veggies that are super detoxifying. They range in price for 12-ounce cup of fresh juice for $7.00 to 32 ounce Mason jar of fresh juice for $16.00.

Julia told us some of the benefits of drinking cold pressed juices. They promote digestion, are anti-inflammatory, detoxes the body, strengthens the immune system, lowers cholesterol, prevents arthritis, it’s good for autoimmune disorders and asthma. All the juices she serves are high in antioxidants, strengthens blood vessels, lowers blood sugar, balances PH, they’re good for kidneys and the nervous system. And with Julia’s deft hand, they taste delightful. 

Most of the produce comes from the Red Barn farms in Husana Arroyo Grande. Julia and Javier live on the farm. Javier and Rogelio work hard to rotate 20 acres without the use of pesticide or fertilizer. Javier creates his own emulsion of raw garlic, peppermint oil and chili that he uses to to rid the plants of pests. A passionate farmer, Javier also runs the City farm in San Luis Obispo. This family comprehends food from the source and delivers it in the most natural and wholesome fashion.  I am a big fan. 

Julia’s Juice Bar is located at 960 W Grand Avenue in Grover Beach, you can call them at (805) 481-4100.
They are open Monday, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm, Tuesday, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm, Wednesday, Closed, Thursday, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm, Friday, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm, Saturday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Sunday, Closed.

Bliss Cafe - San Luis Obispo

I tried the Bliss Café, because of their mantra “United through a shared yearning to practice selflessness and to engage in serving others”. They offer a delicious Yogi style, karma free vegan menu to provide healthy options for those seeking a conscious and compassionate life style. I was intrigued, as I had been juicing everyday from my own organic garden. Owner Paulaka told me by embracing simplicity, patience, and compassion, Bliss Café strives to provide recipes, a “blissful” state of mind.

I started with the Happy Shiva a cold press combination of carrot, cucumber, beet, ginger, and lemon. It was refreshing and clearly designed by a culinary mind. My friend has the Omega Shakti smoothie that was a combination of coconut milk, banana, strawberry, chia, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, and dates. This smoothie was unique in that it contained both blended and whole fruit. Small bite size pieces of Apple were added to the puréed mixture of banana and strawberries. The small apple chunks infused with the smoothie flavor were fun to crunch in between sips.  The cardamom was a surprise taste that infused and enhanced the fruit flavors. 

For my main course I had the Farmers’ Market Salad with mixed greens with shredded carrots, beets, purple cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, sprouts, avocado, sauerkraut, and=d Almond Nutritional Yeast dressing. It was clearly local ingredients and the dressing was a delight.  My friend tried the Baked Samosas with Hummus and Chutney that was three Indian samosas.  Which is a baked pastry filled with spiced potatoes and seasonal vegetables, wrapped in a whole wheat crust. It was served with house made hummus and chutney and garnished with cucumbers. 

Then I tried the Baja Chipotle Bowl with rice, grilled protein strips of Tempeh (Which is is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form) with black beans, green cabbage, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, lemon juice, and chipotle dressing. Paulaka told me they are dedicated and devoted to serving food and creating a space in the mood of goodness, love, and compassion that is delicious, energizing, and empowering in order to create an optimal and joyful experience that elevates the individual and community. 

  My next visit I tried the Kombucha on tap – the jasmine/rose flavored. I have been a fan of Kombucha for years and excited to see it one tap. Kombucha is a lightly effervescent fermented drink of sweetened green tea that is used a functional food. It is produced by fermenting the tea using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast.  It is delicious and good for you. I tried the Peace Plate, while my companion had the delectable lemonade and Classic Bliss Burrito, that was a flour tortilla with rice, pinto beans, hummus, green cabbage, tomatoes, cilantro, lemon juice, salt and chutney. It was served with a small green salad with the cilantro jalapeno dressing. My plate was a combination of saffron rice, curry vegetables, black beans and a sautéed kale and a green salad. 

The Bliss café has wonderful seating out by the creek and many pleasing choices for the vegan in your life. Located in The Network, 778 Higuera Street in San Luis Obispo, you 

can call them at (805) 547-0108. They are open every day from 11:00am to 9:00pm (except Sundays and Mondays when they close at 6:00pm).