Tom Rigoli's eyes were opened when he moved to Miami as a young investment banker and experienced his first fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, and acai bowls. The 28-year-old Kings Park native acknowledged that such things existed on Long Island, where he spent his youth, but added, “As a kid, I was mainly exposed to Italian and a little bit of sushi. “It was,” he said.
Eating more plants and cutting back on processed foods not only inspired me to change my diet, but it also motivated me to change my career. Then, realizing that Long Island wasn't yet full of juice shops, he returned to his hometown to find a location for a cafe that would celebrate his new lifestyle. Rigoli opened his Lifestyle Cafe in early April because his pizza shop, the old Frank's on Main Street in Washington, D.C., fit the bill.
Walk into the bright little shop and you'll see a rainbow of juice mixtures, from the rich magenta of Code Relief (green apple, cucumber, beetroot, lemon) to the orange glow of Orange Glow (orange) . , carrot, lemon) and the tropical elixir Sunshine Yellow (pineapple, orange, ginger, turmeric powder). Among the greens are lush whole greens (cucumber, celery, kale, lemon), spruce-hued Total Reboot (green apple, cucumber, pineapple, mint, blue spirulina), and slightly mossy tones (but Very Vital) Alcalizer (green apple, cucumber, celery, mint, lemon).
The juice ($9.99 for 12 ounces) is processed in a giant hydraulic press and strained three times. According to Rigoli, the juice in the display cooler never stays for more than three days. For a more concentrated dose of nature's bounty, 5 “Wellness Shots” include Health Everlasting (Pineapple, Lemon, E3 Live, Ionic Trace Minerals) and Reiki Reset (Cucumber, Lemon, Mint, Chlorophyll) ($5.99 for 2 oz.). ).
For the acai bowl ($12.99), Liguori mixes unsweetened pulp with Gala apple juice, strawberries, bananas, blueberries and vanilla for a consistency and flavor that tastes more like fruit than a parfait. There is. There's also smoothies ($8.99), chia pudding ($6.99), overnight oats ($6.99), and wheat-free, date-based carrot “cake” bites ($4.99).
Lifestyle Cafe in Port Washington serves avocado toast.Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
On the savory front, Lifestyle Cafe has toasts ($11.99), wraps ($10.99), salads ($11.99) and more. It's mostly vegetable-based, but you can also order it with chicken (it's the only non-vegan item the chef uses).
Rigoli says the word “healthy” means different things to different people, but most people will find fresh fruits and vegetables, and those without dairy or added sugars.
14 Main St., Port Washington, 516-758-3188, mylifestylecafe.com.Open daily from 7am to 6pm
