Being environmentally friendly has become widespread in Virginia’s legislature. Especially with the tax on plastic bags and bans on styrofoam, amongst other things, Virginia has made a leap towards environmental friendliness. Their restaurants aren’t far behind.
These three local eateries not only feature delicious bites to eat, but ethical sourcing, diverse menus, and a strong belief in putting the Earth and its customers first.
Each restaurant will be rated on three criteria: environmental friendliness, atmosphere, and taste. “Environmental friendliness” is determined by the restaurant’s dedication to local sourcing, commitment to reduction of paper waste, and amount of food waste.
SPITZ (Leesburg) – 10/10
Located in the Villages at Leesburg, SPITZ hopes to “bring a healthier, modern take on the Mediterranean food ubiquitous in the streets of Europe, to cities across America.” Despite being a chain restaurant, they are still able to incorporate sustainability into each of their stores. SPITZ has a fully vegan menu, is 100% halal, and features gluten free, vegetarian, and keto options as well. Prices range anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars.
According to SPITZ’s website, they source their meats locally, but make and grow a variety of their goods in-house, including sauces and veggies, saying, “freshness and quality aren’t just priorities—they’re our main recipe, our secret recipe, the only recipe we’ll never change.” Not only do they have a commitment to the Earth, they have a commitment to community. They focus on curating an art-filled, lively environment for you and your pets alike.
Upon walking into the establishment, I definitely felt the sense of community that the website alluded to. The workers were extremely helpful and kind, offering advice as to what I should order. Not only that, the graffiti and bright art definitely drew me in. There was plenty of seating indoors, but outside seating was available as well. Overall, the environment was pleasant.
While there were several options for me to choose from, I picked the “SPITZ Gyro,” which featured a zesty feta spread, a spicy berliner sauce (a spicy, yogurt-mayonaise sauce), tzatziki, onion, tomato, french fries, your choice of meat (lamb, beef, chicken, or falafel, which I chose), all wrapped inside pita. Everything meshed together perfectly and was incredibly well-seasoned. The falafel and fries were crunchy, and the pita was, as promised, pillowy soft. After finishing it, I was actually sad that it was gone.
To go with your meal, you also have your choice of sides: fried pita and hummus, falafel balls, quinoa salad, greek salad, sweet potato fries, or normal fries. I chose the sweet potato fries, which were a great addition to my spicy entree. They were a perfect side and were not overpowering at all.
To me, SPITZ checked all the boxes. Its environmental friendliness and diverse menu options were certainly a plus, but what really blew me away was the food. It was truly one of the best meals I’ve had in awhile, and I will recommend it again and again. I give SPITZ a 10/10.
Nautical Bowls (Leesburg) – 10/10
Nautical Bowls, located in Lansdowne Town Center, features superfood acai bowls and smoothies, with the mission of “combining premium superfoods and guest experiences so you leave fueled in body and lifted in spirit.” Nautical Bowls is also a chain restaurant, but maintains the same level of sustainability and community at every location. Prices range from 10-20 dollars.
Nautical Bowls offers 100% plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free, locally sourced ingredients that not only come in eco-friendly packaging, but have several antioxidants that support a healthy lifestyle. The company has expressed a commitment to no GMOS, artificial sugars and flavors, or harmful dyes.
Having visited this place several times before, I can attest to the friendliness I am greeted with every single time I enter. Each employee is extremely welcoming and kind, especially if you have questions, and are definitely a positive influence on the experience. Not only that, but the decorations are beach themed, creating a relaxing, vacation-like environment.
Although I had the option to order one of their pre-made bowls from their extensive menu, I chose to create my own bowl. I selected a cacao, coconut and acai base, topped with granola, strawberries, pineapple, bananas, and cashew cacao butter (a Nutella alternative).
Nautical Bowls never fails. You can tell that the fruit is fresh, all of the other ingredients are well-made, and each bowl is well prepared. If you get too many toppings it can get a little messy, but that’s hardly a problem when you’re eating something so fresh.
Nautical Bowls is definitely the place to get a meal that makes you feel good and healthy—their sustainability practices and food truly reflect that. I give Nautical Bowls a 10/10.
Dig (previously Dig Inn) (Ashburn) – 6/10
Dig Inn, located in One Loudoun, offers “healthy, seasonal comfort food” including high-protein options and a myriad of entree choices to pick from. According to their website, they have “scratch-made food, done right.” In addition, they say, “We’re honored to bring home-cooked goodness direct to you. Whether you’re in line, online, or picking up, we want to make your every Dig Inn every bit as awesome. All of this adds up to what we’re all about: real ingredients, real cooking, real food.”
In addition to being farm-to-table, the chain focuses on sustainability by practicing regenerative agriculture. They use whole foods to reduce food waste and they feature a menu made up of 85% vegetables. On top of being good for the Earth, they have a commitment to fueling healthy lifestyles for both customers and their workers.
Upon entry, I was immediately greeted by the welcoming staff and the comforting, although bright and modern, atmosphere. While not initially advertised on their website, Dig features a “build it yourself,” set up, similar to Chipotle or CAVA. Dig provided many comfortable seating options, both indoor and outdoor.
While Dig does offer several pre-made bowls on their menu, I opted for the “Make it Yourself” option, which included picking 3 sides, one protein option, and an additional sauce. I chose mac and cheese, roasted sweet potatoes, and the cashew kale caesar as my sides, with salmon as my main protein. They did not offer a wide variety of sides or protein options.
I was pleasantly surprised by the mac and cheese, salmon, and sweet potatoes. My mac and cheese had bread crumbs that I usually don’t like, but in this bowl, I loved them. The sweet potatoes had a great texture: not too mushy, but somewhat firm—just how I like it. The salmon was some of the best I’ve ever had. It had a nice charred, seasoned taste. This salmon was also not too fishy, so for those of you who do not like your fish to have a distinct fish taste, this is the protein I’ll recommend again and again. The kale caesar, on the other hand, was my least favorite. It had an overpowering taste of lemon, with no distinct caesar dressing taste. I felt like the cashews added nothing to the dish. I’d recommend another side, such as the broccoli (although they were out of it when I went).
While Dig is an outstanding example of sustainability, I feel like it’s a bit of an acquired taste given the limited amount of options. I appreciated the atmosphere and the welcoming staff, but I don’t know if I would come here again—except maybe for the salmon. Perhaps if I was rating purely on sustainability, Dig would have gotten a higher score; however, I give Dig a 6/10. •
