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The Weekly Eater
A visit to the newly opened Down to Earth in Kailua affords a lesson as to how the other half -- the gaunt half -- of the population lives. I mean, I thought I was being unbelievably considerate to my body by constructing a nice, healthy salad, only to find my salad four times as big as the one built by a guy in front of me who was twice my size. Down to Earth
is hot and healthyIt's about time that Down to Earth branched out into my neighborhood -- as well as in Aiea -- to counter all the fat I ingest while working.
The Source -- Kailua's long- standing health-oriented co-op -- is a good place for sandwiches, but Down to Earth also offers hot vegetarian fare. Being able to choose from a variety of salads and entrees is more palatable than the idea of having a single salad or sandwich.
DOWN TO EARTH -- KAILUA
Food1/2
Atmosphere
Service
ValueAddress: 201 Hamakua Drive
For busy couples, a takeout salad or soup is perfect to supplement a homemade roast chicken or light meal of bruschetta. Being a meat eater, I feel like a poser among the holier-than-thou, Mother Earth throng. But I figure they can't know all that much about nutrition when I see them eating meager platefuls of lettuce with a teeny bit of pasta. A meal like that contains water and calories, but few nutrients.Such reserve could be a matter of money. At $5.99 a pound, meals don't come cheap. An entree plate and salad I built added up to $15, the cost of a medium pizza. Oh well, you can't put a price on good health.
THIS satellite branch features about a third of the offerings of the King Street original, and only a handful of baked goods, delivered daily. Visit early in the day if you want to try their muffins, fruit-and-nut breads or cookies.
Those on a budget might consider your basic lettuce salad. Toppings that are light in weight but heavy in nutrition include sunflower seeds (potassium, phosphorus and protein), sprouted seeds (vitamins A, B and C and detoxifying enzymes), shredded beets (potassium and amino acids), and shredded carrots (vitamin A).
Then there is the heavy stuff that comprise $15 salads. Spinach Manicotti and Sabji are winners. The former needs no introduction. The latter is a vegetarian curry of potatoes and cauliflower, made smooth and silky with organic tofu that stands up to curries you'd get at a Thai restaurant. Vegetarian fare isn't known for being exciting, but chilies in this dish add just the right amount of heat.
Pesto Linguine is mild-mannered though, and suffers a bit of bloat from sitting. Vegans need to be on alert for dairy cheddar that tops Potatoes Au Gratin and goes into sandwiches from the deli fridge.
The menu changes daily, so you'll have to let them know what you want to see most frequently. The Tofu Lasagna and Cumin-Spiced Enchiladas that are already popular in town may be candidates.
I trust you won't want dessert if you're trying to be healthy, but in case you do, there are fruity smoothies at $3.99 for 16 ounces and $4.99 for 32 ounces.
You'll leave feeling proud of yourself for eating right. While bad dining habits won't change overnight, Down to Earth does succeed in making change at least seem possible.
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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews run on Thursdays. Reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
-- excellent;
To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to nkam@starbulletin.com
