GREEN LEAF

QUOTE:  If you were a cannibal, an Olympic sprinter would be considered fast food.  –Jarod KintzAre you tired of fast food but want healthy food fast?  Try Green Leaf, an eatery in Coronado Village, across from Machetazo, which opened in September.  Natalia, who originally is from Russia, owns Green Leaf.  Her son, Daniel, a handsome, friendly, soft-spoken young man took our order and served us quickly and efficiently.  With its lime green color, bamboo wall stenciling, and wooden placemats, the restaurant itself gives a strong impression of fresh, tropical, and earthy. The menu is small but has nice choices:  crepes (both entrée and dessert), pitas, tacos, burritos, paninis, wraps, and a Greek salad.  They have two breakfast items:  fried eggs with crepes or an English breakfast, which is an omelet accompanied by beans, sausage, and tomato.  The prices range from $4.99 to $6.75, so Green Leaf is definitely easy on the wallet. 

They have specials everyday, usually borsht (a Russian soup) and another item, possibly something like fish tacos.  On Wednesdays and Fridays, they make pizzas from scratch.  Desserts are the handiwork of a Dutch friend of the family, and could include homemade cheesecake, brownies, and banana cake.  Fresh juices are important at this establishment.  They offer pineapple, lime, papaya, banana, maracuya, mango, carrot, orange, watermelon, strawberry, melon, and pear juices in many different combinations in a $3.50-$4.50 price range.  Also offered are soft drinks and organic teas.  Daniel explained that the emphasis is on freshness and quality, and they purchase some of their products from a special Italian distributor, thus they serve Italian coffee.  The Green Leaf owners are currently working on obtaining a permit to serve wine with their food.

My partner ordered the beef tacos, and I ordered a chicken wrap.  Three tacos came with his order, filled with tender beef, a medley of vegetables, and a tomato salsa.  The whole- wheat wrap was generously filled with tasty chicken and vegetables, and it was garnished with an herb mayo.  Both were very good.  We decided to share the cheese and blueberry crepes.  The crepes were prepared to perfection, filled with a local Panamanian cheese and chopped nuts, topped with vanilla ice cream and large blueberries.

Green Leaf is open from 9:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. 7 days a week.  They are happy to prepare takeout and can be reached at 6225-6367.  If you’re tired of greasy, fatty, and salty, give Green Leaf a try.

TIP:  We all have a technique for putting together a sandwich.  The layers of a sandwich speak volumes about the maker and the eater.  Here’s a suggestion for putting one together:  1-bread, 2-condiment, 3-cheese (if sandwich is hot), 4-lettuce (if cold), 5-cheese (if cold), 6-tomato, peppers, or pickles, 7-meat, 8-cheese (if cold), 9-lettuce (if cold), 10-cheese (if hot), 11-condiment, 12-bread.