For anyone who has visited Madison, it would not be far fetched to say that the food here ROCKS. I mean who doesn’t love all things fattening, fried, and cheesy? There is clearly no shortage of amazing restaurants here, but if you’re looking to stay healthy in Madison, it is not as easy.
Then came Forage Kitchen, the seemingly first ever health conscious restaurant in Madison. Serving salads, green juices, and acai bowls (trendy), this is definitely a new go-to place for anyone looking for a healthy, quick option on campus. Just walking into the place will make you feel good about yourself, with the minimalist design, friendly staff, and sleek furnishings. Enough about the physicality, bring on the FOOD.
For the salads, it has your standard make your own (think Chipotle style) topping bar. You can start with your choice of 2 bases of lettuce like Kale or Spinach, or add a grain such as black rice or quinoa to turn a light salad into a bigger meal. After choosing your base you can pick from an array of UNREAL toppings ranging from sweet potatoes to beets and everything in between. For protein, you can add in jerk, lemon style chicken, or a hard boiled egg to make the salad more filling and complete. For the less creative (and lazier) diners, Forage has an array of signature salads that they have created so it takes the work out of navigating the salad bar. The toppings are all local, super fresh ingredients that are sure to please anyone from the picky eater to the health food enthusiast.
Pricing wise, the more toppings you choose and the more premium they get (avocado, chicken) the more expensive the salad gets. The standard make your own price without extra add ons comes out to $6.50, and the signature salads are around $9.50-$12, so if you’re dining on a budget, try not to get carried away with toppings.
Forage offers two pre-designed Acai bowls. For those who don’t know what an Acai bowl is, it’s basically a berry tasting smoothie in a bowl with an unnecessarily hard to pronounce title. I got the Gogi Berry bowl and it comes with banana, granola, and berries to top it off. Good for breakfast or a light lunch, you are sure to feel like the poster child of good health after enjoying one of these. The Acai bowls come out to around $7.50, so as with the salads, don’t go topping crazy if you’re trying to keep the price down!
Overall, Forage is a great new spot for Madison’s health conscious residents. With an amazing location on the corner of State, this place is perfect for picking up a quick meal on the way back from class or the library. Complete with fresh food and a cool dining atmosphere, Forage will definitely be one of my new regular spots!