Healthy Bites leaves a good taste

Healthy BitesAmong the world's cuisines, a Mediterranean diet is often cited as one of the healthiest. With an emphasis on fresh ingredients, savory herbs and spices, citrus juices and olive oil, it's also one of the most delicious. At Healthy Bites, you can sample these wonderful flavors and know you're treating your body right too.

The restaurant occupies a narrow storefront where everything is made to go, a fact made plain by the obvious lack of seating. Healthy Bites opens early and offers a variety of espresso drinks, coffee, tea, pastries, bagels and croissants. But its main focus is on lunch. Sandwiches made on French bread, lavosh wraps and salads dominate the menu.

I tried the soujouk wrap that featured a special marinated beef, hummus, feta cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado and lemon juice. The meat was tender and very flavorful and nicely complemented by the hummus, feta cheese and avocado, which merged together into kind of a sauce.

I also tried the turkey lettuce wrap, which was more of a "wrap-it-yourself" affair. It was simply a stack of lettuce, sliced turkey, cheese, tomato, onion and avocado. I gave it a fair effort, but found it virtually impossible to roll up everything in the lettuce, so I ate it as a salad instead. What the dish lacked in imagination, it made up for with freshness.

From the salad menu, I ordered -- what else? -- the Greek salad. The portion was quite large and again, fresh and flavorful. Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, olives (watch those pesky pits!) onion, cucumber, feta cheese and a dressing of lemon juice and olive oil. Really very nice. Plenty to share or save for later.

I paired the salad with something they call Toasted Treats. The dough is basically like a 7-inch mini-pizza but the toppings are unique. I chose the spicy red bell pepper spread mixed with sesame seeds. It took me a few bites to warm to it, but I liked it. And the heat from the spice stayed with me for hours.

Also in the realm of the salad, I tried the cabbage salad, which is offered as a side dish. It consists of shredded fresh cabbage, mint flakes and again lemon juice and olive oil. It was unusual, fresh and light.

There are many more traditional Mediterranean favorites that I plan to return for, such as tabbouleh, tahini and falafel.

The display case features homemade cookies, several with dates and sesame seeds, baklava and slices of orange or lemon pound cake. There is also a very eclectic assortment of gift items.

Take a bite out of your burger habit and stop in to Healthy Bites for wholesome fare with a Mediterranean flair.

* BILL SCOLLON is a Burbank resident and president of Scollon Media Arts. You can reach him at ewscollonhotmail.com.