Continuing a successful tradition started in Isla Vista, a new flagship Silvergreens restaurant has opened within Paseo Chapala, 791 Chapala St., just across from Paseo Nuevo.
Jay Ferro and Brian Rocha, purveyors of fine health food on the South Coast for more than a decade, are bringing the best of their healthful culinary talents to Santa Barbara from their original location in Isla Vista. The new locale will serve lunch and dinner and will eventually offer breakfast with an expanded menu of healthy foods in keeping with the restaurant’s “Eat Smart, Live Well” motto.
The new restaurant features both interior and exterior patio dining and is a visual treat of contemporary interior spaces, fresh colors and unique finishes. The facility was designed by award-winning architect Michael Holliday AIA of JM Holliday Associates with assistance from AB Design Studio and REOLO Graphic Design. Bill Shields of Armstrong Associates was the general contractor for the project.
The interior architecture represents a refreshing, contemporary departure from many other health-food venues in town and has also received a Built Green 3-Star Certification as a green restaurant, the first in Santa Barbara. The crisp clean interiors resonate the smart, healthy, green focus of the Silvergreens fare. The facility incorporates clean, efficient design features; energy-efficient lighting, recycled building materials, low Volatile Organic Compound paints, finishes and adhesives; tables made from locally harvested wood; high-efficiency HVAC units; and other energy-conserving systems that exceed minimum Title 24 Energy conservation requirements.
“Silvergreens has presented a great opportunity to work with forward-thinking clients to design an innovative new Green restaurant, one that sets a new green standard for Santa Barbara,” said Holliday, who was also the architect for the recently opened Esau’s Café, also in Paseo Chapala.
From Silvergreens’ fresh breads, soups, dressings and hand-cut fries, to roasting its own meats and vegetables, the bulk of the menu is made from scratch each day. The restaurant uses only natural, fresh ingredients. Creating its own recipes allows control of the flavor and nutrient value of every menu item. The Silvergreens mission has always been to prepare food that is as healthy as possible without compromising taste.
The Nutricate receipt system, which prints the precise nutritional information directly on each customer’s receipt, will also allow customers to be informed of the nutritional value of their food. Nutricate empowers individuals to manage their own health and dietary intake which is good for society and ultimately for business.
The new Silvergreens restaurant is an exciting health-conscious restaurant concept for Santa Barbara and, judging by the creative interior design and great-tasting food, it is sure to be a success with the downtown business crowd.
Barbara Pearson represents JM Holliday Associates.