The Food Snob’s job description is not a complicated one, minus section 24, clause 8 in our contract, which stipulates that the Snob Mobile must receive the choicest parking space in the office lot. But when Live Juice opened at 5 S. Main St., specializing in fresh juices, smoothies and salads, there was question on the Snob executive committee as to whether we should stop by. Is any of that really, you know, food? (There’s a Snob school of thought that a salad is only “food” if it features some combination of meat, poultry or cheese.)
Alas, sometimes you have to step outside the box, so we climbed out of the cardboard box we were deliberating in and decided to give Live Juice a try. We grabbed a companion, made the short jaunt to the Snob Mobile (next negotiating tactic: office valet), and set out for downtown.
We were struck immediately by the atmosphere in Live Juice. Sleek and clean, with dark hardwood floors, shiny silver counters and exposed brick walls, it was very inviting. We sauntered up to the counter and were greeted by a pair of smiling staffers who were awaiting our order.
Our companion opted for The Lover, a signature smoothie on the menu featuring strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, vanilla and organic Goji berries. It’s the latter from which the smoothie derives it’s name, as a staff member informed our companion that Goji berries have been known to boost the libido (a comment that caught the attention of an otherwise zoned-out neighbor in line). The Snob opted for a new smoothie not yet on the regular menu, the Eye of the Tiger, which featured a creative blend of sweet potato, dates, cocoa, almond milk, vanilla, bananas and agave, and added a Greek salad to go with it.
Important note here: the staff at Live Juice was tremendously pleasant and helpful. When our companion inquired as to what exactly a Goji berry was, they offered him one to try. And when we asked for opinions on the Eye of the Tiger, the staffer helping admitted she was allergic to one ingredient and couldn’t drink it – refreshing honesty in place of false promotion. For what it’s worth, another staff member sang its praises, but she seemed trustworthy, so we dove in.
As for the results, two words: de and licious. The Lover was a “nice medley” of flavors, according to our companion, with none of the flavors overpowering the others. And the Eye of the Tiger was equally good, dominated by a cocoa flavor that made it taste more like a chocolate shake than the exotic ingredient list would lead one to believe. Those who would otherwise be afraid of unusual ingredients like sweet potato or dates in a smoothie have nothing to worry about.
Also, both smoothies were blended to a perfect consistency; not too thick so you couldn’t drink them through a straw, but not too thin as to be watery.
Now for the salad. We find salads too often poorly mixed, making them essentially inpidual piles of different ingredients, and doused in heavy dressing. Live Juice’s Greek salad was no such thing: the elements – mixed greens (you can choose from several varieties of greens in your salad), tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese and black olives – were all chopped to perfection, including the olives, allowing for every taste to appear in every bite. And it was tossed in olive oil and salt, a flavorful and light dressing. We are not easily swayed by a salad, but this was an exception: delicious and super fresh. We will be eating it again.
Essentially, what started an existential discussion about what food is ended up a tasty and satisfying excursion. There’s plenty to enjoy for just about anyone at Live Juice, and it’s worth a stop for sure.
Live Juice also specializes in – spoiler alert – juice, and also offers tonics, teas and soups, and uses local and organic ingredients when possible. They also have breakfast options. You can find more information at livejuicenh.com, or on Facebook at facebook.com/livejuice.
