Review: Vegetarian Friendly Grub and Green Juice at Town Hall

A couple weeks ago I met up with my friend Heather for a quick after work birthday dinner at Town Hall in Ohio City. She has a baby and he's on a pretty strict schedule, so it can be difficult to schedule an appointment with her. For months I've been trying to take her out in honor of her July birthday but something kept coming up. (better early than late, right?) We always try to go somewhere new or different for her birthday, so...off to Town Hall we went.

I don't drive myself to Ohio City all that much, and I happened to stumble upon the free parking lot directly behind Town Hall. I got there right before 6:00 pm on a Thursday and the lot was pretty full because of happy hour, but I got a spot pretty easily. (that wasn't the case when I left closer to 8! it was packed!!)

I waled through the back patio entrance and walked past some lounge-y looking vinyl couches, huge high top tables, and a large rock wall/water feature. It was definitely pretty back there and you didn't feel like you were practically sitting in a parking lot in Ohio City. Then I walked through a huge door into the restaurant in an attempt to find the hostess. It's a little confusing to figure out where to go because there's a bar to the right, a bar to the left, and all sorts of seating everywhere. But I found her way at the front of the restaurant and asked for a patio seat. She told me there weren't any available...I protested and said I'd just walked through a somewhat empty back patio and she explained that there was a private party going on. I told her I work in a cubicle and would kill to see some sunshine, so I'd wait...but then suddenly a couch in the back patio area became available.

It was cougar central on the back patio. Made me laugh a little. The vibe outside and in was definitely "this is a place you go to meet people and be seen." But that's ok by me. I obviously wasn't there to meet anyone, so while I waited for Heather, I ordered a super delicious (and super cheap at only $4.50) green thumb green juice drink made out of kale, celery, lemon, ginger, and apple. It had just the right mix of greens and apples so it didn't taste like you were drinking fresh cut grass. It was actually pretty refreshing.

Green Thumb juice

 I did have to laugh, though, when a server delivered my drink to the table. "Kay-leee juice? Who ordered the kay-lee juice?" I assumed she meant kale (siiigh) so I took the drink. I had to laugh. I guess I just assume that kale is super popular and everyone knows how to pronounce it, but...apparently not.

I check out menus before I head to any restaurant and I was really happy to see that Town Hall has a clearly labeled AND vegetarian friendly menu. There are a ton of gluten free options, too, along with many vegetarian items that can easily be made vegan by omitting cheese, etc. There's everything from burritos, to rice bowls, to salad and pizzas. I love it when I can order more than just the token vegetarian salad on a restaurant's menu.

Thai bowl with tofu

I ordered a Thai bowl with tofu. I looked pretty promising, but...it was mainly rice with a small handful of veggies and tofu doused in a peanut sauce that could have used a little something. It was ok but not great. (my friend had a burger that was just ok, too...but she loved her fries) I won't hold that against Town Hall, though. When I went, I don't think they'd been open for even a month, and I know it can take a little while to get the recipes just right on a menu. I still give them an A for effort for offering delicious juice and lots of vegetarian options. 

I've read a ton of Yelp reviews for Town Hall and many of them talk about bad service. We didn't have that experience. We had to flag someone down to get silverware and I might have liked some more water but nothing was terrible. Again, I can cut a restaurant some slack when it's new and overflowing with people during happy hour. 

I bought a discount gift certificate through Cleveland Independents (there are still some available!) and I hope to go back sometime soon to see how everything is coming together over at Town Hall. I think it's a great addition to Ohio City and has the potential to be the new hot spot in the neighborhood. 

BluePrint Excavation Cleanse Recap

Juice shipment, juice for 3 days, and the first green juice

Read about my pre-cleanse detox here.

Last week was an interesting week. I decided to do a 3 day BluePrint cleanse (which turned into a 5 day cleanse, but more on that later). Always the overachiever, I decided to go with the most intense cleanse - the Excavation cleanse. I'd never done a juice cleanse before so I wasn't sure what to expect. 3 days of all juice? Would I starve? Would I cheat? Would I be miserable?

It was actually pretty great.

My juice cleanse consisted of 6 juices a day. Green, Green, Green, Spicy Lemonade, Green, and then Cashew Milk. I ordered my 3 day supply directly from BluePrint Cleanse because I figured it would be easier. (sometimes I buy out all the juice at Whole Foods and I didn't want to risk not getting everything I needed.) My least favorite juice was the lemonade. I don't like spicy things, and the heat made the lemonade pretty icky tasting to me. I loved the green juice. (thank goodness, because I had to drink so much of it) And the cashew milk? Amazing! Tasted like a thick, gritty, 300 calorie milkshake. And that's a good thing. Really. I would consider buying these cashew milk drinks in the future to have them as a healthy dessert.

The box o-juice came with instructions on how to survive the juice cleanse. (and a nice cooler to cart my juice around in all day) They said to start the day off with hot water with lemon or tea. I don't like either of those things, so...I only did that the first day. The other days I did drink a big glass of warm water. Not sure if that helped or not?

The instructions also suggest that you space out your juices appropriately and drink water in between. I didn't do so well with that, so at some points I was starving. (and a little dehydrated when I tried to work out)

How the cleanse went - by the numbers

The first day was smooth sailing, really. I felt pretty good. I ran 5 miles. I went out to dinner with some friends and sipped my cashew milk while they ate greasy bar food. The second day was tougher. I felt more tired. Hungrier. But...I was also down 4 pounds. Probably all water weight, but still...I had issues regulating my body temperature. That was kind of annoying. (is this foreshadowing what hot flashes will be like someday?) I also had a weird, awful film on my teeth. This is a pretty common side effect, apparently. I have sealant on my teeth to prevent cavities (from 10 years ago) and I swear it felt like it was melting at times. That was a little strange. But the oddest thing was my heightened sense of smell. My poor boyfriend had two bites of garlicy pasta hours before he dropped by my house, and even though he brushed his teeth, the smell of garlic coming off of him was overwhelming. (As was the smell of the kitty litter in my basement, my vanilla scented air fresheners, and a million other things I never would have noticed)

Day 3 was kind of a turning point for me. I weighed myself and I was down 6-ish pounds. I felt great, so I decided to keep the cleanse going for two more days, so I went to Whole Foods and picked up some extra juice so I could continue on. I decided to step down a notch and do the Foundation cleanse, which meant I could save a little $ by making my own spicy lemonade (lemon juice, water, cayenne pepper, and agave) and I could swap out one green juice with a Pineapple Apple Mint juice. Because it's awesome and tastes like a tropical "boat" drink, or something you'd have while on vacation. 

There was nothing really remarkable the next two days. Just more of the same. I lost another pound. My energy level was pretty flat. But overall, I felt pretty good. It was nice to be free from the tummy issues that had been plaguing me for months beforehand.

Overall Results

I lost 7 pounds total in 5 days. My weight fluctuated throughout each day. Up two, down two...up one...And it seems like all of the weight I lost came from my mid-section. My stomach is flatter than it's been in...months? I really did this cleanse to feel better, eat better, drink less, etc., but...losing weight was an added bonus!

I easily exercised on the first day but after that exercising was pretty tough. With the cleanse, you take in a little over 1000 calories a day, which kind of explains why exercising is hard. (the first day post cleanse I went on a 5 mile run and felt a-ok)

I really loved this whole juicing experience. My body seemed to be really happy with 5 days of clean living. At the end of the cleanse I craved foods like blueberries and kale chips...when a week earlier I wanted wine, pizza, and cheese curds. For the first 5 days after the cleanse you're supposed to slowly reintroduce food into your diet. I've been eating a lot of fruit, fresh veggies, and greens. And I've been drinking more juice. I really hope to be as close to vegan as possible going forward. I always feel much better when I have a limited amount of dairy in my diet. I also plan on limiting my caffeine intake. I haven't had coffee in over a week and I don't even miss it. Another thing I don't miss is booze. Sure, it's nice to have a glass of wine on my back patio...but a bottle water is just as nice.

The only downside to the cleanse in my opinion is the cost. 3 days of juice cost me $225 with shipping. Super pricey, obviously. But...compared to the medical bills I have from being tested for random ailments that I don't have, it's not all that bad. And if this makes me feel better, look better, and make some lifestyle changes, it's totally worth it. (and until I go buy myself a good blender, this seems to be my best option)

If you have any questions about cleansing, shoot me a message! This was really an amazing experience. If you're feeling run down, etc. and can't seem to find a way to perk up or get your eating habits back on track, I really think 3-5 days of juicing would be a way to quickly improve the way you feel.

****UPDATE*** It's been 10 days since my cleanse ended and I'm still down 7 pounds! And feeling great!

The Juice is Loose - BluePrint Juice Cleanse - Pre-Work

It's been a long time since I've posted anything because...well...I've been pretty busy living my life. And I haven't been getting much joy from food. Ever since I got food poisoning months ago, pretty much every time I eat, I get sick. Or bloated. Or a number of not so awesome things happen. It's no bueno. Especially for a girl who loves food. I went to my doctor seeking some sort of remedy, but after being tested for lupus, diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid disorders, gallstones, cysts, and many other ailments, I was diagnosed as being healthy as a horse. Despite the fact that some days, I could barely get out of bed because I felt so weak.

I recently decided that I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, so I decided to come off of my happy pills AKA Prozac. My life is in a pretty good place now, and I feel like they got me over the "hump" of moving, starting my life over, etc. But I'm not sure I need them anymore. I thought weaning myself off of them would help. Not so much.

Feeling desperate, I started researching cleanses. I'm sort of hippie dippie-ish. I get down with veganism, and juicing, and sorts of other things most folks would never consider incorporating into their own lives. I could eat my weight in kale chips. I frequently snack on raw fruits and veggies. But as of late, I've fallen into some bad habits. Too much wine. Too much dairy. Being exhausted all the time doesn't help in the exercise department, either. So when I happened to stumble upon an article about the BluePrint Cleanse, I figured it might not hurt to give it a try. What it boils down to is a 6 juice a day program (for a specified number of days) designed to get toxins out of your body and basically reboot your insides. Everything in the little juice bottles is organic, vegan, and super fresh. (also super expensive, but after what I've paid in doctor's bills, I'd be willing to lose a limb if it would make me feel better)

So in the morning, I'll start on day 1 (of three) of my cleanse. There are different levels - from a level for a beginning juicer to someone who wants to give their insides a good cleaning out. I've never done a juice cleanse before, but I'm going for the gusto and going for the most intense level. I'll have 4 "green" juices a day, a spicy lemonade, and a cashew milk drink. They're essentially idiot-proof since the juices arrive with big numbers on them, with instructions on what to drink when. I ordered the juices right from BluePrint Cleanse, so I'm looking forward to tackling the FedEx driver whenever he or she arrives in the am. I could have purchased the juices at Whole Foods for a little less cash money, but...they just started stocking the BluePrint products, and it can be hit or miss when you head to the juice section. (especially after overly ambitious people like me come in the week before their cleanse and buy out the juice section because they want to give juicing a dry run)

In order to prepare for this cleanse, I've been trying to take it easy on my body. I haven't had a drink since last week. (but that's not all that difficult for me) I've been drinking the green juice that I'll be drinking 4X a day once a day. I've pretty much avoided all dairy and have eaten more vegetables than any one person probably should. I haven't had coffee in days. I thought all of these changes would be earth shattering, but so far, so good. I did have a sad moment tonight when I realized Melt was serving up my favorite side dish - Brussels sprouts - and I couldn't order up some sprouts and tofu wings for dinner. And I did miss having a glass of wine while watching The Voice, but overall, I'm feeling good. I'm ready to go food free for the next 3 days. I know a lot of people do cleanses to lose weight, etc., but honestly? All I want is to be able to reboot my digestive system and focus on eating better once I can eat food again. (which is a week from today - there's a 4-5 day period where you're supposed to reintroduce food into your system - I might turn into an avocado by next week since that's one of the few post cleanse "allowed" foods I enjoy) My body has been SO unhappy with me lately, and I really want to start enjoying food and exercise again.

Stay tuned for my results later in the week...

Have you tried to do a cleanse? Share your experience in the comments section.