In California, there are hundreds of Mexican food restaurants ranging from the very small and authentic establishments to large chains, with everything in between. Californians love their Mexican food, and so do we here at Grow in Wellness.

So, what sets La Sirena Grill apart from the other Mexican restaurants out there? La Sirena brands themselves, as “the mex-eco eatery.” They use quality ingredients from local, organic farms and use sustainable practices. Their motto is “to preserve the planet, minimize waste, and maximize sustainability while serving outstanding food.” They serve grass-fed beef, organic free-range chicken, all natural pork, sustainable seafood and wild caught salmon. They also use organic greens, organic eggs and even organic milk for the horchata.

La Sirena Grill uses only trans-fat free oil and does not use lard in making their beans. The restaurant’s effort for sustainability goes beyond the menu with earth-friendly to-go packaging and their menus are printed on 100% recycled paper with soy-based ink.

It’s a casual, “order at the counter” restaurant with a welcoming atmosphere. The restaurant uses reclaimed wood in the dining room and there is bench seating outside. The South Laguna Beach location has about 20 craft beers on tap and most are from local breweries, which are changed daily.

This is all wonderful, but how does the food taste? The food is very good. A favorite item is the blackened wild salmon salad. Made with organic mixed greens, avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, papaya salsa and roasted bell peppers with lime-cilantro dressing. The delicious papaya salsa adds a slight sweetness and cools down the spice of the blackened salmon. The avocado lime salad is another very popular dish made with a variety of vegetables, crispy onions and your choice of protein.

They have traditional Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, taquitos, burritos, tacos, fajitas and tortas. They also have a nice variety at the salsa bar including mild to spicy salsa and fresh cilantro, onions, lime wedges and the spicy jalapeno carrots.

All the vegetarian items on the menu can be made vegan. The pinto and black beans are cooked slow and seasoned, without using lard. Dishes are made with pure vegetable stock instead of beef or chicken.

The freshness and quality of each dish is evident in every bite, which is the ultimate in “fresh-Mex.” There are four locations, two in Laguna Beach, one in Irvine and one in El Segundo. It is definitely a healthy option worth trying for all you Mexican food lovers out there.

(review originally posted 11/30/16)

Do you already know about Urban Plates? With Orange County locations in Brea, Irvine, the Tustin Marketplace, and Aliso Viejo, Urban Plates is a great place to eat a healthy meal that looks and tastes like it was made at home. It may even taste better than homemade if you are a bad cook (wink-wink).

Urban Plates has a mission to bring ingredients with a purpose, sustainably sourced proteins and made from scratch cooking, to a restaurant environment. You can dine on the same healthy choices you would cook at home without all the clean up.

Urban Plates (UP) selects proteins that come from sustainable sources: grass fed beef, Jidori chicken and wild-farmed fish and salmon. Some of their main entrees go beyond a simply cooked protein but still keep to “cooked like home” creations, like with the Turkey Meatloaf, Red Curry Chicken Braise and the Roasted Root Vegetable Braise.

Vegetarians will smile here since UP offers an abundance of satisfying vegetable dishes, many which are organic. You can load your plate with a variety of delicious sides like their harissa cauliflower and zucchini, roasted Brussels sprouts, miso mushroom sweet potato sauté or roasted rosemary potatoes from their hot sides. Or choose from cold sides that include beet and goat cheese salad, sweet potato-kale quinoa, and kelp noodles with tamari and ginger. Hot main dishes include vegetarian curry, roasted portobello mushroom and roasted root vegetable braise. They also offer vegetarian soups.

UP offers a “Family Meals for 4” where you get a main course, two large sides and grilled rustic bread wrapped up and ready for take out (or delivery when available). If you plan right, you can trick your family and pretend you made dinner.

The “plates” part of their menu is the best choice for a meal that feels like home. You choose your protein, two sides and the option of a chargrilled slice of rustic bread. They have a dozen salads, several sandwiches and a few comfort food items to choose from as well. If you are vegan, vegetarian, gluten free or dairy free, the menu is labeled for easy selection. Paleo eaters will be happy here, too.

The options at this casual dining place provide something for everyone, kids included. And the options aren’t boring, in fact, they may be more flavorful that what you would cook at home: like a kimchee aioli that can top your chicken or grass fed beef with a house-made chimichurri.

The menu will change seasonally based on what the head chef finds when visiting their purveyors. They pass the test when it comes to oils, using only olive oil, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil… right down to their salad dressings, which they make themselves.

One of the wonderful surprises about Urban Plates is their efforts to actively support the communities where they do business. They support local schools, children’s hospitals, youth outreach programs and food and agriculture based programs through an application on their site.

Have you already eaten at Urban Plates? Plan to go soon? Either way, we want to hear what you like best from Urban Plates…. And it will give us an idea of what to try on our next visit.

(review originally posted June 2017)