Pure Green – New York’s Ultimate Juice Spot!
By Katherine Packer
Pure Green is one of the newest in local chains to join in the juice craze sweeping New York. With the multitude of options out there for juice, it’s hard to know which one to choose, which one is better. This new establishment guarantees not only a dedication to the freshest, best ingredients, but also, a passion for what they do, and that is really what makes all the difference. The juices, smoothies and acai bowls are meant to be healthy and bring joy.
Pure Green’s founder, Ross Franklin, is dedicated to making health and wellness fun for his customers. He’s worked with other well known cold press juice and smoothie companies in the past, as well as a few gyms. He broke off to start his own enterprise, and opened Pure Green about a year ago. The company is expanding rapidly with three locations open now, and a fourth coming soon. Everything at Pure Green is gluten free, dairy free (save for whey protein), and sourced from local farms.
I tried a wide range of their offerings. They have a little something for everyone. I am a sucker for a good Green Smoothie, so of course I was eager to try their eponymous smoothie the “Pure Green” with kale, spinach, mango, banana, pineapple, and coconut water. It was absolutely delicious; not too sweet, but it avoided the heavy veggie flavor that some green smoothies have.
The Banana Nut Smoothie, with banana, cashew butter, pure coconut, pure whey protein, lacuna nectar, and coconut water, was delicious and decadent. It is full of pure goodness, but it is inspired by the Bread Pudding at Magnolia’s, and it does not disappoint! The Mocha Cold Brew Smoothie, with cold brew coffee, raw cacao, almond butter, banana, pure whey protein, lucama nectar, and almond milk falls into this category as well and is a fantastic, filling replacement for that morning coffee.
They also make their own in house Milks, almond, cashew, and coconut; all sweetened with lucama nectar which adds a delightful sweetness without attacking your taste buds with sugar. The nut milks are great on their own, (a true rarity), or a fantastic addition to a smoothie of your own at home!
The juices are freshly made and bottled in store, cold pressed, with no preservatives, so you know how fresh they really are, and you can taste it. I tried three different green juices they had, and the range was really amazing. The first had lemon and ginger, which offered a bright flavor and brought out the natural tartness of the other veggies. The second was an apple based green drink, which is the sweeter option, and the final was the Green Coco, coconut water with a green addition. They are all unique, wonderful. The sheer range of flavors in just one genre of juice was truly astounding. Of course, they have many non-green juices as well: beet, watermelon, lemonade, and coconut water with fruit and chia seeds.
The Acai Bowls were a pleasant surprise. I often find acai bowls to have a fancy name but little substance or thought, not so here. They are enjoyable to consume, and not just something you would get in the morning because you’re trying to be healthy, (though you’ll accomplish that as well). They would make a great snack or alternative to a dessert, and truly satisfy! My favorite was the Almond Butter and Hemp Acai Bowl. The combination of almond butter perched on top of the fruity sweet blend underneath was absolutely entrancing. A close second was the Pure Green Acai which has an almond base with spirulina mixed in, and fresh fruit on top.
Pure Green also offers cleanses with a range of choices: cleanse until dinner, one day, and three day. The difference with Pure Green is that you get a personal cleanse coach to help you through the process! It’s such a simple and brilliant idea. Cleansing is challenging, and can be very beneficial, but having someone there to coach you through making sure you’re being healthy and feeling happy is such a simple way to make a cleanse that much more successful.
The biggest take away from Pure Green is the quality of their ingredients, that is of course the basis of any good juice parlor, but sometimes while the words are there, you can taste the shortcuts. Here what you see is what you get. As I watched the barista pull out a full, fresh box of blueberries, wash them in the sink, and transfer these right onto the top of my acai bowl, I knew that everything I was being promised was going to be delivered.