Moxie Cafe in Santa Maria keeps it health conscious

We’ve had a lot of conversations in our newsroom lately about eating “healthy,” especially when it comes to dining out.

It’s hard to define what that means, exactly. When someone says “healthy,” they could mean any number of things–low fat, low calorie, low carb, low sugar, organic, all-natural. It’s a puzzling little word that quite frankly can be kind of a pain in the ass.

So to put to rest all the debate (at least when it comes to this column), let me clarify what I mean when I say the word. “Healthy” to me means eating cleaner food. Yes, it can be low-fat or low-carb, but ultimately what I’m looking for is food that isn’t overly processed, drowning in a lot of cheeses or heavy cream sauces, and is served fresh. Not to say I don’t love a good plate of cheesy pasta now and then, but on a daily basis, my food needs to step its game up.

One of the challenges here locally is finding venues that fit the fast-casual dining mold yet still offer plenty of options for those of us looking for healthier fare. Our lunchtime crew is often relegated to sushi bars or the local health food restaurants, which is fine, but we’re always looking for more diversity.

Enter Moxie Cafe. The venue promises to be a haven for those who care about their health and are looking for foods that shy away from having heavy fats or sugar. Sometimes they feel like a diamond in the rough, offering a break from fried everything and thick cuts of dense red meats.

The best thing about their menu is that it’s diverse. You don’t have to settle on one style of cuisine; Moxie borrows ideas from a variety of food styles and then applies basic principles of healthy eating to create their own dishes. The breakfast menu is especially impressive, with just enough of everything to satisfy whatever early morning craving you might have. I recommend the Moxultimate omelette, made with turkey sausage, bacon, mushrooms, bell peppers, cheddar cheese, along with avocado slices and hashbrowns. You can skip the cheese to cut down on fat (and double up on the veggies).

One of my favorite dishes is the bruschetta, a sweet and savory classic with fresh tomatoes, basil, and one of the best balsamic reduction sauces I have ever had. The bread is fresh (although I wish it was toasted just a little bit more; I miss that crunch of classic bruschetta in this dish). For $5.95 it’s a very filling appetizer that is perfect to share.

Hummus with vegetables, spinach and artichoke dip, and a giant Hofbrauhaus style pretzel round out their appetizer selections. I like the spinach dip a lot, almost enough to order it with the pretzel and dip it right in there. Although I’m not sure that would be the best choice to make for my daily carb intake.

For lunch, Moxie delivers with a lot of sandwiches and salads that speak to a variety of dietary whims. All of their burger patty options are vegetarian or turkey, so you can treat yourself to a burger while cutting down on a substantial number of calories. I like the Hawaiian turkey burger, which comes loaded sky-high with tomatoes, onions, spring mix lettuce, pineapple, bacon, and provolone cheese. Again, eighty-six the fatty stuff like the bacon and cheese and you’ve got a pretty lean meal that will fill you up for only $10.35. Plus, Moxie offers a robust side of cantaloupe and fruit instead of fries or chips, which goes really well with the burger.

  One of the things that sets Moxie apart is the variety of vegan and vegetarian options, a tough thing to find locally. Vegan options include a “pulled-pork” sandwich made from jackfruit. Jackfruit is a unique fruit that has a terrible smell and looks absolutely bizarre, but it’s honestly a delicious and satisfying substitute for meat in a lot of dishes. I admit I’m not a fan of the trend of meatless meat dishes (vegetarian ribs are not a thing, folks) but this is a great dish that I would go back for.

The dinner menu also has a lot of strong choices, including a scallop dish served with a tarragon, lime juice, and chardonnay reduction sauce over a bed of orzo pasta. This is another contender for favorite dish; it’s well-balanced and light without feeling like “diet food.” For $12.95 (which is also the price of the scallop dish), Moxie also has a salmon dinner that offers a creamy dill sauce on the side, as all creamy sauces should be served. 

Side options are bountiful, included mashed red potatoes, rice pilaf, roasted vegetables (my strong recommendation), basil pesto pasta salad, coleslaw (their own special recipe), fruit salad, and many others.

In addition, there’s a nice selection of smoothies and fresh squeezed green goddess juice, but if you feel like you were especially good at lunch or dinner and really want to indulge, Moxie’s dessert menu offers a chocolate leaf mousse with a cookie crust that is so good you’ll want to just forget about eating healthy and bury yourself in a vat of whipped cream and chocolate until science figures out how to make pasta burn fat. 

Until then, Moxie is a great option for all three meals for anyone looking to eat on the cleaner–and tastier–side. 

Arts and Lifestyle Writer Rebecca Rose eats clean and talks dirty. Contact her at rrose@santamariasun.com.

• The Hawaiian roll (pictured above) at Sake Sushi in Santa Maria is filled with spicy tuna, cucumber, albacore, green onions, and topped with onion tempura. The venue in Town Center East is focusing a lot on its rolls and poke and ramen bowls since reopening earlier this year, and the attention to detail is definitely paying off. Visit their remodeled venue at 194 Town Center East, Santa Maria.

• Alice’s Aebelskabels is rolling out some new flavors including California aebleskivers (pictured below), made with fresh avocado, tomatoes, and chives. Food truck fans know, if you want to find them you have to follow instagram.com/aebelskabels.

• Cailloux Cheese Shop is offering a wine and cheese pairing class on Sept. 14 with Sanford Winery. Join cheesemonger Janelle McAtamney starting at 5 p.m. to learn how to pair six different styles of cheese with six Sanford wines. Classes are $25. To sign up, visit caillouxcheeseshop.com/classes.html.

  • Santa Maria Brewing is building a brand new facility on Skyway Drive. There’s not a lot known about what kinds of new things the local brewery has in store for fans just yet, but construction is moving along fast. I’ll keep you updated (and will of course be on hand to sample many beers when they do open). For now, visit them at 1451 Fairway Drive, Santa Maria.

• Flying Goat Cellars is saying goodbye to summer with a sale that lasts until Aug. 31. The sale features 40 percent off all case purchases of the winery’s 2011 pinots and case purchases of 2011 Rio Vista 667 magnums. Check them out at 1520 E. Chestnut Court, Unit A, Lompoc. 

This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 6, 2018.