The mommy set are abuzzed with the opening of Start Restaurant. They serve real food and there’s a drive thru? Yes, it’s all true. The new fast slow food restaurant next door to Rusty Taco’s and a few doors from Central Market (Lovers location) had been jammed with mommy vehicles packed with hungry tikes making the drive through not so fast in the first few weeks.
We decided to dine in and found the wait less trying. In fact, the bright modern dining room was very pleasant for all of us. A large tree motif with birds spread over the games corner where we picked up a box of Connect Four and coloring sheets for our table. The clean and fresh decor designed by Plan B Group (who also did Bolsa Mercado, East Hampton Sandwich Co and Oak) fit the healthy eating concept.
On our first visit we went with two other mommies and their ittybittyfoodies. Lollo enjoyed the Chicken Bites which were breaded and baked (not fried). The Kids Menu item came with a fruit cup or sweet potato tater tots and a mini muffin. I had the baked empanada stuffed with chicken, herbs and goat’s cheese enveloped with delicious whole wheat crust. The fresh cilantro cream sauce for dipping balanced the flavors beautifully. Lollo and I shared the generous sized Blueberry pomegranate smoothie blended with organic vanilla yogurt and local honey.
We brought Beefcake and Pikelet on our second visit for dinner. Pikelet opted for the grilled chicken bites while Lollo ordered his usual. My baked sweet potato was generously stuff with chicken, blue cheese and buttermilk dressing.
Beefcake opted for the Cobb salad with chicken, Applewood smoked bacon and veggies tossed in a scratch made buttermilk dressing. The dinner offerings were the same as lunch and for us, it wasn’t substantial enough. Perhaps it’s also that time of the day where our whole family communes and slows down or that the lovely cafe-like setting made us forget it was fast food concept, we didn’t enjoy the experience of sitting down to dinner with plasticware and eating out of disposable containers. Next time, we’ll follow it’s namesake and go at the start of the day.
For information on location, opening hours and all that good stuff, click here.
Till our next Happy Meal!
ITTY BITTY INFO:
- Food: Healthy fast food
- Ambiance: Contemporary cafe like setting
- Service: Counter service
- Kid Friendliness:
- Itty Bitty Foodies Tip: for the little ones, check out the Kids menu
- Parent Foodies Tip: Busy parents can use the drive thru to pick up meals on the go
