LIFE

Clean eating more than just a trend on Delmarva

Hannah Carroll

hcarroll2@dmg.gannett.com

Rachael Long and Dan Reshef enjoy lunch at Nectar Cafe and Juice Bar.

Every day, new health food eateries open for business, and not just in major metros and bustling cities.

Within the last 10 years, nearly a dozen have been added to Delmarva's landscape.

These eateries, offering menus featuring fresh, homemade, local and healthy foods, are giving fast food joints a run for their money.

"I think it's wonderful," said Logan Willey, owner of Real Raw Organics in Ocean City. "Delmarva's clean eating mindset is beginning to develop. And it's exciting to see."

But what took so long? Unlike the handful of health-conscience eateries now in the area, major cities like Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles and Miami have hundreds.

When it comes to major movements, she said, Delmarva is always just a little behind.

“Most trends seem to gain momentum in the cities before trickling out,” said Willey, a Salisbury native. “If I had to speculate, I would guess that local business owners know that burgers and fries are going to sell here. People don't want to take the leap of faith to open a health restaurant when many of them have failed, yet so many sub shops have flourished.”

Willey opened Real Raw Organics, an all-natural kombucha brewery and cafe last December. It is the first and only kombucha brewery on the eastern shore. The winter season has been slow — as expected during the offseason in Ocean City — but Real Raw Organics have already cultivated a strong, loyal following, she said.

Blueberry ginger kombucha available at Real Raw Organics.

READ:Keeping it Real and Raw in OC

In addition to kombucha, a powerful, fizzy drink made with fermented black tea, live probiotics, vitamins and electrolytes, the eatery offers menu items like yogurt bowls, artisan cheese boards, fresh salads, black bean tacos and handcrafted sandwiches. Her menu is vegan, gluten, vegetarian and Paleo friendly, and also features organic meat options.

Willey's inspiration for the eatery came from living in Florida during college, and afterward in Maui.

“Kombucha was sold on tap at grocery stores and was for sale in every gas station," she said. "There was a vegan restaurant on every street corner. I was surrounded by health, and it was contagious.”

"I'm glad it's happening"

Willey isn't the only one whose travels have inspired owning a health food establishment.

Lisa Daisey opened one in Ocean View after several years of living in Hawaii. Her eclectic eatery, Juice Box, features brightly painted walls, fresh organic juices and a small, handcrafted menu.

Daisey also offers "The Boyfriend" sandwich, loaded with turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, sprouts and mayo, and good ole' fashioned chocolate chip cookies, made with real butter and real chocolate chips, because "life is all about balance," she said, with a smile.

READ: Healthy juice bar doubles in Rehoboth Beach

When she opened Juice Box in 2012, business was slower than expected, but she knew there was a demand for such a place in coastal Delaware.

Lisa Daisey, owner of Juicebox in Ocean View, will soon open a second location in downtown Rehoboth Beach.

The word got out about her juices and loaded veggie wraps, and Daisey quickly built up a loyal clientele. Business has been booming, she said, so much so that she plans to open a second location in Rehoboth Beach later this month.

"I'm glad it's happening," said Rachael Long. The 21 year old from Seaford was purchasing a smoothie at Nectar Cafe and Juice Bar in Lewes.

"I want more healthy options here. And I know I'm not the only one," she said.

Other local restaurants, like Liquid Assets, Shark on the Harbor and Nage, which recently changed its name to Fork and Flask at Nage, are leading the way in fresh and local sourcing, featuring innovative menu items that people in the area wouldn't usually go for, like quinoa and free-range.

Fresh, whole food stores are springing up, like the Fresh Market, an upscale grocery store chain with an old-world vibe offering local produce, prepared eats, wine and more, and the Good Earth Market, a locally-owned storefront that offers organic products ranging from coffees, teas and infusions to all natural beauty products and earth-friendly cleaning solutions.

Tyler Bailey, 21 of Lewes, is also grateful for the recent surge of health-conscious eateries. Her younger brother, Colson Moore, 4, is allergic to a lot of common foods, making dining out difficult.

The two frequent at Nectar Cafe and Juice Bar in downtown Lewes.

"I know he's eating safe, fresh foods here," she said. "He loves the smoothies."

READ:Nectar is juicing up Lewes

Colson Moore, 4, enjoys a fresh fruit smoothie from Nectar Cafe and Juice Bar in Lewes.

Nectar specializes in homemade, whole foods and freshly pressed juices. Everything is made from scratch, including the cafe's salad dressings, soups, sauces and pickles. The items have become so popular that owner Sarah McKeown now sells them in the restaurant.

Just the beginning

While numerous health fads and trends have come and gone, the category appears to have serious stamina this time. Global sales of healthy food products are estimated to reach $1 trillion by 2017, according to Euromonitor.

All demographics — from Generation Z to Baby Boomers — said they would pay more for healthy foods, including those that are GMO-free, have no artificial coloring or flavors and are deemed all-natural.

READ:More on the report here

So what triggered the shift?

Sharon Collison, clinical instructor in nutrition at University of Delaware, believes social media has facilitated it, and will only continue to accelerate it.

"Recipes and nutritional information are readily accessible now, right at our fingertips," she said. "People are making healthier choices as a result."

Owner Lisa Carlotta gets orders from Kevin Samsal, Miranda Garliss and Gianni Carlotta at the Juice Shack located at 1607 Philadelphia Avenue in downtown Ocean City, which serves healthy juices & smoothies.

Lori Beinhauer, manager at the Good Earth Market in Rehoboth Beach, is enjoying the change in dynamics she is seeing in her customers, the shift she is seeing on Delmarva.

"People are starting to pay attention," she said. "People are talking, reading, becoming more educated in what they are consuming. Our customers used to be very specific. But now, we have a wide variety walking through the door."

"Delmarva has always been just a little behind," she added. "But I believe this is the beginning. The area is embracing healthy lifestyles, healthy food, healthy choices. It's only a matter of time until we too, like the cities, see a true explosion."

On Twitter @hcarroll_1 and Facebook at Facebook.com/byhannahcarroll

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