GLENN - The events we attend are usually not thought of as “healthy” – wine tastings, pop-up restaurants, underground dining - yet on Monday, March 28th, thanks to an invite from the Boston Food Bloggers, we did attend a “healthy” event at UFood Grill. Where once corporations would have had a press party to launch a new concept or initiative, they now hold a bloggers’ party. UFoods currently with eight locations – three in Boston – is a “fast, casual” restaurant with a focus on “better-for-you” cuisine. The company is a franchisor and is gearing up for expansion; hence, the party to spread the word about their “delicious and nutritious” cuisine.
The Line Up
GLENN - Once the food started coming out of the kitchen, it kept coming and coming. A friend once characterized my appearance as” prosperous”, i.e. well fed, but I had difficulty keeping pace with all the offerings. In the end, I only sampled. My downfall was that the food was so good, I was consuming it all before I had to hit the brakes and just taste.
KATRIN – UFood’s menu is diverse for a “fast food” type of restaurant and has something for almost everybody. They certainly made an effort to offer a sampling from each major category – from salad and pizza to burgers and fries to paninis and smoothies. Here are some of my highlights:
The Turkey Burger
- The Turkey Burger – I have never had a turkey burger that is so moist and has so much flavor. A winner!
- Fire-Grilled Sirloin Tips with mashed sweet potatoes – the beef was tender and cooked medium, just as I like it. Great flavor, too. And the sweet potatoes are a tasty, nutritious alternative to white potatoes.
- Chicken Pesto Panini – I liked the contrast of textures in the panini – crispy bread and gooey, hot center. The pesto could have been a bit more intense, perhaps, but overall very good.
- All of the “Smuuthies” and the frozen yogurt – UFood does not use ice in its smoothies like its competitors. Instead they freeze the fruit used, which definitely enhances the flavor and texture naturally. We sampled the Peachy Keen, Strawbanilla, and Berrylicious.
Fire-Grilled Sirloin Tips
GLENN – My favorites of the evening were the Fire-Grilled Sirloin Tips, the Turkey Burger and the Fresh Falafel Wrap. Mention should also be made of the tasty and crispy UnFries. The lowfat Vanilla and Tart Berry yogurt was the perfect ending. I was able to eat it all.
The Fresh Falafel Wrap
KATRIN - While my waistline and I still miss Lo Fat, Know Fat, I will certainly be heading to UFood much more frequently. Lucky for me, there are locations close to both my home and my office! Thank you to everyone at UFood – especially Tom Mackey, Jeff Bonasia, and Walter Pomerleau – for hosting the Boston Food Bloggers and to Rachel Blumenthal for organizing this event!
I'll have another, please
