No butter. No cream. Health nuts who care about flavor, you are safe here. Ellary’s Greens is full of life from the moment you walk-in and see all the happy customers to the moment you overhear owner Leith Hill laughing and raving about her concept and passion for what is her first restaurant. She is from everyone’s favorite city Nola and you should really talk to her- she enlightens the entire experience when you hear her story and how she has been into juicing and clean eating her whole life – before Juice Press was inundating the city and before you knew what a juice cleanse was. Anyway, the menu, which is a bit overwhelming because you start second guessing yourself if you should go with the all veggies direction or try the juicy organic chicken breast or go for a little ole’ sandie. The menu is also labeled with specific characters so that you know what is vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or dairy-free. This way you can take your friends with all those crazy eating restrictions here and you will both be satisfied!
My favorite vegetable option we tried were the Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini with Quinoa and cooked and pureed in Tomato served with yogurt sauce. The visual is extremely interesting and creates you to ponder what exactly is inside but once you cut open this veggie, it is a home run right as it hits your lips. Definitely order this for an appetizer as it sets you off on the right foot. The Brussels Sprouts are very lightly dressed and nothing to race after. Next time I will try out the roasted cauliflower with marjoram and lemon confit. The most memorable dish and by far one that you cannot miss (which I seem to keep obsessing over at vegetarian restaurants these days) is the Green Thai Tofu Curry dish. It comes with sweet potatoes and crisp green beans which makes it smashing. It’s sweet and savory all in one and we couldn’t keep our forks off of it.
As far as other proteins go, the Cajun Shrimp is cooked with a great spice rub and tender. It’s served dry and would be great with a side of veggies. The Smoked Deviled Eggs, which luckily I had to be heavily talked into eating (I’m not a fan of yolk – sorry) were unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. I’ve never had a smoky flavored egg, and what’s incredible about this is that they smoke them in-house downstairs. I mean it’s perplexing, but you must go for this candied gem. The panini’s come on gluten-free bread which is crunchy and toasty on the outside and soft on the inside. This was the best part of the sandwich actually, and it’s really good. The broccoli rabe can be a bit bitter for those who aren’t always rabe fans, but try any of the other sandwich combinations such as chipotle chicken panini with roasted zucchini, ancho aioli and queso fresco.
One thing that’s great here is that there is a drink for any kind of mood that you could ever possibly be in. Wine, Beer, Juice, Smoothie, Ginger Shots, Kombucha, etc. The Samuel Smith Strawberry Larger follows suit being organic and doesn’t even taste like beer. It lacks that hoppy after taste and is a treat with a sweet kick. Ellary’s Green is also open for breakfast Monday – Friday and brunch on the weekend. The thoughtful menu and carefully sourced ingredients and recipes are a true testament to how this restaurant can really appeal to anyone and a spot that is affordable and easy-going when you need to pick-up some food or just meet a friend for a spontaneous bite.