Salad and soup lovers rejoice!  There is a new place in town to get your fix of customizable, fresh salads and delicious soups and it’s called Grateful Greens.  Owned by Jim Larson, Grateful Greens opened in September at 1451 O Street, Ste. 200, perfect for the downtown lunch crowd.  We visited Grateful Greens on a Wednesday afternoon and just missed the lunch rush that has already discovered what a great place this is to eat.  We immediately loved the clean, spacious atmosphere that follows through on the ‘green’ theme.  There is also local artwork throughout the restaurant that is available for purchase and adds splashes of color to the space.  Décor also includes brightly colored flowers that add a nice touch.

Grateful Greens offers two different options for their diners.  You can either choose one of their wonderful signature salads or you can create your own from their fresh ingredients.  For the signature salads, we tried the Cobb and the Greek, both of which were large, filling and topped with plenty of delicious ingredients.  Other choices include the Nicioise, Crazy Hawaiian, Taco, Caesar, Chinese Chicken and Chef.  If building a salad is more up your alley, there are plenty of options here.  You can create your own salad or wrap simply by choosing your size, picking your greens (arugula, iceberg, mixed greens, romaine or spinach), then choosing up to five regular ingredients which include options like olives, black beans, feta cheese, roasted peanuts, jalapenos, chow mein noodles, hard-boiled eggs and broccoli.  You can choose extra ingredients from this list for $.69 apiece if you’d like more than five.

You then have the option of selecting premium ingredients for an additional charge.  These include choices like shrimp, candied walnuts, artichokes, salmon, dolmas and avocado.  Finally, select your dressing from a list that includes organic ginger miso, Italian, Greek, organic goddess, and blue cheese.  You can also choose extra dressings for an additional $.69.

Want something to go along with your salad or wrap or in the mood for something hot instead?  Grateful Greens can help you out here, as well!  They offer two to four soups a day, which rotate depending on the day of the week.  When we were there, the choices were the roasted red pepper and smoked Gouda bisque and the roasted poblano with white cheddar and tomatillos.  These soups are delicious and make the perfect complement to your salad or a light lunch or dinner all on their own.  Side items and desserts are also available, including chips, hummus and crackers, cottage cheese, cookies and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Grateful Greens also serves a variety of soft drinks as well as beer and wine.  Happy hour is from 4-7 each day with $1 off any bottles of beer or glasses of wine, which is perfect for a nice, relaxing dinner.

Grateful Greens is a welcome addition to the downtown restaurant scene with their fresh, healthy options and they are well worth the drive if you don’t live or work in the downtown area.  Stop in for a light lunch as a break from work or bring your significant other in for a healthy, relaxing dinner with a nice glass of wine.

For more information about Grateful Greens, please contact Jim Larson at (402) 261-8388 or visit them online at www.gratefulgreenssalad.com.