Lately, it seems like “juicing” and “cleanses” are taking over the world one flax seed at a time. The juice bar craze is expanding from celebs to chefs to us regulars, but Liquiteria, a popular juice and smoothie spot, has been around the East Village since 1996. Talk about being ahead of the curve! I will admit it took me a while to give in and try these hyped up concoctions that didn’t involve any sort of cooking or chewing. After reading about Empellon’s Chef Alex Stupak’s three-day juice cleanse challenge on Grub Street New York, I had to see what was brewing in there. I discovered that I LOVE the Berry Powerful liquid meal. It is deep purple, sweet and fruity and not thick like a smoothie or milkshake. It’s extremely refreshing, and the frozen texture is addicting. This drink is perfect for an afternoon snack while strolling throughout the city or great for a post-workout meal. For something lighter, that reminds me of a popsicle, go for the Orangasm Refresher which is smaller and doesn’t contain protein. Green Monster, which consists of blueberries, strawberries, bananas, apple cider, Super Green Food Powder and Vanilla Vegan Protein is also popular but tastes a little too earthy for me. The liquid meals come in 20 oz. cups and range in calories from 300- 350. Drinks average around $7 a pop.
The Mean Green Acai Bowl is a treat with acai blended with spirulina, super green food, apple cider, vanilla almond milk and banana topped with sliced banana, fresh blueberries and granola. This is the most refreshing fruit and granola bowl you’ll ever put into your mouth. Forget those cheap fruit and yogurt parfaits at your corner deli and go for this.
At Liquiteria you order at the counter and wait to hear your drink announced. If in a hurry, you can grab the bottled pressed juices in the refrigerator that are ready to go. The space is bright, clean and fruity looking with blue tiles and sunny yellow walls. Be careful at Liquiteria: once you go juice, you may never go back. For you skeptics, if anyone was ambivalent about this trend it was me. Go for it and enjoy the health burst.
