HEAVENLY Bites

Look, I know it’s the time of year when you feel like you should be eating leafy greens and hitting the gym. Well, Tossgreen might be able to make at least one of those resolutions get real for you. Never thought I could rave about a place where the specialty is salads — but hold on to to your soon-to-be-a-size-too-large pants, because here goes.

With a fresh menu showing a wide variety, Tossgreen has been serving tasty fare for three years on Southside Boulevard, and now there’s a new spot at St. Johns Town Center.

If you’re like me, leafy greens may be the least interesting things on the plate — where are my orange slices, chopped nuts and fresh roasted chicken? Therein lies my problem with homemade salad: I want it to be interesting, but it involves too many separate ingredients I have to procure, peel and prep. Tossgreen’s salad bar to the rescue! There are so many lovely options, your head may start to spin. Curling parmesan slices? Check! Fork-escaping edamame? Toss it in! (Get it?) A whole hard-boiled egg? You got it.

Chopped salads — far superior to regular salads — are the focus. Watch a triple-bladed Mezzaluna knife make short work of spicy arugula, egg and avocado. They don’t skimp on fixings, either. If your order includes avocado, you get an entire half, not a few measly paper-thin slices. Not sure which fantastic dressing to enhance your luscious creation? The knowledgeable counter person can recommend just the right one, from 23 choices.

Like most folks, I like options, and there are tons on the Tossgreen menu. In addition to regular salads, rice bowls and burritos, Tossgreen has seasonal offerings that are amazing right now. Dare you to make a final choice from among Brussels + Berries ($7.99), Apple + Pear + Arugula salad ($7.49) and a warm bowl called Ancho Cauliflower ($8.99), with arugula, brown rice, roasted cauliflower, red and green pepper, green onion, corn, and freshly grilled, all-natural ancho chicken.

It was all good, but one dish stood out: the Thai Pao rice bowl — a surprising combo of amazing flavors. Think pad Thai overtones, but without the weight of a whole plate of noodles. It’s attractively built, too — beautiful pieces of chicken on a bed of brown rice and raw chopped veggies. A big eye-opener for me was the flavorful chicken. No weird mass of questionable pale chunks of meat here. Tossgreen’s chicken is loaded with flavor ’cause it’s marinated in the same ancho chili sauce that dresses some salads and bowls. The whole shebang’s topped off with peanuts and a healthy drizzle of peanut ginger dressing, which had magical powers over my fork because I just could. Not. Stop. Eating it.

Take the work out of creating, shopping for and preparing wholesome meals and hit either local Tossgreen. With so much variety, you’ll find a new favorite every time you go!