Juiced for the New Year: Juice Joint Cafe

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HERE'S AN EASY WAY to stick to a New Year's resolution to eat better: Swap your usual lunch for good-for-you grub from the Juice Joint Cafe (1025 Vermont Ave NW; 202-347-6783), a McPherson Square eatery that lures in downtown workers with smoothies, veggie-packed wraps, organic omelets and more.

You'll be joining a roster of regulars who visit multiple times per week, including Robin Halsband, 38, who works around the corner from the cafe and has been a fixture for three years. "I feel good about the food I get here," she says.

Such devoted customers are a testament to the plan Tom Holland and his brother Jim cooked up 11 years ago when they opened the place as an alternative to fast food counters. "Originally when I started this concept, I wanted to be next to every McDonalds in the country," Tom Holland says.

They haven't served billions quite yet, but the cramped kitchen, long lines (often out the door) and steady growth (even in this rotten economy), has convinced Holland it's time for more Joints. Plans are in the works to expand to two new locations, one along Pennsylvania Avenue and another in Crystal City.

The secret to his success is no secret at all: Holland says it comes down to quality and consistency.

For proof, just ask Oscar Llorin, 42, who visits twice a week on his lunch break. His favorite item? "The turkey burger and avocado wrap," Llorin says. "It's a special every Tuesday, and I'm here every Tuesday."

Customers also appreciate the variety in the menu. It ranges from light fare like salads and blueberry granola to more substantial items like organic multigrain pancakes, jerk salmon quesadillas and veggie stir-fry with brown rice. The gourmet factor was upped this summer when classically trained French chef Adrien Marsoni, previously of Mountsouris and Bistrot du Coin, joined the Juice Joint team as a partner and executive chef in June.

He's added specials that include low-calorie versions of decadent dishes such as duck a l'orange and free-range turkey meatloaf stuffed with fresh pumpkin. Marsoni says he keeps his creations in line with the cafe's healthy credo by replacing butter with olive oil and using soy dairy products instead of cream.

Of course, as the name implies, the Juice Joint also offers plenty of options for those who like to gulp their nutrients. Fresh-squeezed and pressed nectars go into every juice or smoothie served, from the Tom's Choice (carrot, apple, beet and ginger juices) to the O'Berry (orange, pineapple and strawberry juices). The sips are especially popular during the summer, Holland says, when the cafe goes through 250 pounds of oranges, 100 pounds of carrots and 120 pounds of bananas per day.

All three of the cafe's juicing machines need to get busy to handle that much liquid. And Holland is definitely amped up, too, as he eagerly helps any customers looking for more information on the benefits of juicing.

Curious eaters get referred to some of his nutritional "bibles," which include Michael T. Murray's "The Complete Book of Juicing" and tomes by the "Juice Lady," Cherie Calbom and the "Juiceman," Jay Kordich.

The right ingredients in a meal can leave customers more than just satisfied. "People talk about how they feel, and a lot of how they feel is how they eat," Holland explains.
Certainly, his clientele feels better eating his food. "I hear from customers all the time,

'I'm so happy you're here, you're just what I'm looking for.'"

NEW YEAR'S PLAY
» At Shakti Mind Body Studio's New Year's Eve 2009 Intentions Yoga event, you'll do an hour-long practice, perform a handwashing ceremony and taste champagne or non-alcoholic cider. (Free with registration, Dec. 31, 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m., 1015 1/2 7th St. NW)
» Finishers of the inaugural Fairfax Four Miler race are going to be greeted with hot wine (and coffee), along with a hooded sweatshirt. ($35-$40, Dec 31, 7 p.m., 10427 North Street, Fairfax)
» Get up in time for the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club's Hang Over Ride. (Jan. 1, 10 a.m., Rosaryville State Park)

Photos by Regan Kireilis