Unleavened Fresh Kitchen’s açaí bowl is one of the restaurant's only breakfast items that’s served all day, and for good reason. It’s packed full of enough wholesome ingredients to grind through even the roughest of mornings, but decadent enough to feel like you’re cheating for dessert.
"Our whole deal here is that we really try to make the food fresh and clean, and it’s kind of healthy by default more than anything," says co-owner Tom Dynan. "We don’t have to focus on the health portion, so to say. We go more towards making it the way that we’d wanna eat it, and then a lot of it turns out really healthy."
While the Lakewood fast-casual concept generally provides healthier alternatives, including a host of gluten-free options, the açaí bowl is one of the few vegan-friendly items on the menu. But even if it weren’t packed with superfruits, the bowl’s perfect balance of cold, sweet and crunchy is enough to warrant a trip.
Frozen acai puree, strawberries and bananas are blended with peanut butter, almond milk and agave to an ice cream-like consistency.
The mixture is placed in a bowl, where fresh strawberries, bananas, gluten-free granola added.
A final touch of chia seeds, brown sugar and cinnamon is sprinkled over the dish.
Stir, and bask in the holy matrimony of smoothie and parfait.
See how this good-for-you treat comes together, as captured by Eater photographer Kathy Tran.
