Grab a healthful smoothie, wrap, or bowl at GreenSpace & Go

"Food is medicine."

The slogan, displayed on a sign in Joel Kahn’s new Royal Oak restaurant, explains the “quiet mission” behind a vegan menu of vegetable-packed wraps and bowls, heart-healthy salads and luscious smoothies.

“We value our health. We value your health. And we’re catering to everybody who realizes the source of the fuel you put in your body is important,” said Kahn, an M.D. and a cardiologist with medical offices in Bingham Farms and Grosse Pointe. “We’re not a clinic or medical center. We’re a wonderful place to enjoy food, but realize there is a quiet mission behind it.”

The focus is on fresh, made-on-the-spot, portable foods at Kahn’s GreenSpace & Go, 32867 Woodward, which opens Monday, April 9. It’s a spin-off of his GreenSpace Café in Ferndale and, like the flagship restaurant, is co-owned by Kahn, his wife Karen and son David, who manages both locations.

Customers can select bowls, such as Turmeric Fortune and Healthy Heart, off the menu or build their own, choosing from a list of vegetables, sauces, grains and proteins, such as ginger tempeh, green-curried jackfruit and spiced chickpeas.

“We have wonderful bowls at GreenSpace, but the bowls at our new space are new and the wraps are new," Kahn said. "Of course, we’re working with the same 100 vegetables and 25 fruits and 20 best spices and are emphasizing delicious, locally-sourced, whole food.”

Drink your meal

Smoothies earned rave reviews during the restaurant’s soft opening, according to Kahn. They’re made mostly with fruits and vegetables, contain no yogurt and aren’t ice cream-based, but are filling enough for a meal or sharing.

The menu clearly identifies gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free selections. There’s also a separate menu for foods prepared without oil. The restaurant doesn't use microwaves, fryers, animal products, GMOs, preservatives or processed food.

Wraps cost $11, salads are $12, bowls selected from the menu are $13, build-your-own bowls are $14, smoothies are $8, soups are $4 and $6 and sides range from $5 to $9. There’s a daily dessert, too.

GreenSpace & Go has seating for 20 customers and an equal number of parking spaces. Kahn plans to install a few outdoor tables after the weather warms.

“It’s probably a place where people are going to be for 30 minutes or less, while our average customer at GreenSpace in Ferndale is there for an hour or more," he said.

GreenSpace & Go is located on the west side of Woodward, just south of 14 Mile. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Future plans

“I think the next phase will be, with all the cars heading south on Woodward into the city, us opening at 6 a.m. for breakfast," Kahn said. "A lot of people have already said, ‘I’d like to pick up a healthy lunch at 7 a.m. on my way to downtown.' You’ll see that, but let us get a month under our belt.”

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Both GreenSpace & Go and GreenSpace Café are the first restaurants in the Midwest to earn certificates from PlantPure Communities Restaurant Campaign. PlantPure Communities is a nonprofit organization that promotes a plant-based diet. Its restaurant campaign urges restaurants to offer at least one plant-based meal made with no oil.

“To be the first Michigan restaurant in their network is a proud moment. They’re doing great work,” Kahn said.

“Data is out in the last 10 days of a study from Loma Linda University of 100,000 people, that when you are eating a meal rich in plant protein, which is beans, greens and rice, you dramatically lower your risk of heart disease. This message has been out there, but the data just keeps building.

“We’re honoring science, health and longevity. Realizing how precious we all are, we’ve got to help ourselves with the best foods we can choose.”

Contact Sharon Dargayat sdargay@hometownlife.com.

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