Published on The Saratoga Social.
Let me start this feature off by saying that Urban Roots is NOT just another juice bar. No, Urban Roots is a concept based around the mantra “reroot your life”… and it also just happens to be a juice, smoothie and avocado bar dishing “farm to mouth, grab-and-go awesomeness”. The brainchild of owners Allen Caruso and Brandon Acres, Urban Roots began to come to life when Brandon abandoned the corporate world in Boston in search of getting back to his roots in Saratoga. Feeling like there was a need for a place with high quality, good-tasting and responsible food and drink on-the-go, the two discovered their mission and soon, Urban Roots was born. The mantra “reroot your life” reflects both the journey and the ultimate goal of this new small business.
Upon entering, the place is bright and welcoming, the style modern, earthy and elemental, thoughtfully designed to reflect the organic and raw theme of the food and drink being offered. Creative touches abound throughout Urban Roots, from the “Seedy AF” t-shirts being sold to the bright neon avocado lighting up the back hall to the preserved moss wall in the back to the, shall I say, inspirational posters on the wall, my favorite being “If Britney can survive 2007, you can survive this juice cleanse”. (Check out the virtual tour of the place here: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=AnmPPj78dws&guides=0&play=1&ts=3&lp=1&hl=1 ) With a keen eye for design and a visible passion for their business, Brandon and Allen have created their own stylish niche in the Saratoga juice bar/health food world.
What sets Urban Roots (UR) apart from the rest of the Saratoga food scene, aside from their wickedly creative menu and attention to detail and design, is the passion that you can sense radiating from Brandon and Allen as they man the place. From taking orders and handing out samples to sourcing ingredients, smoothie-making, juice-tasting, menu-creating, avocado rose-creating, they do it all. On the first day that I was there, Allen was in the middle of moving houses on the coldest and rainiest day of the fall, but found the time to chat with me and answer all of my questions, never losing his smile and thoughtfully telling me all the fun stories behind the clever juice (and smoothie) names as we tried them. On the second day that I went to UR, craving the other avocado toasts that I hadn’t tried, the two greeted me by name and welcomed me back inside, jumping at the chance to help me decide what I should try next. In this fast-paced, crazy world that we live in, this genuine kind of hospitality and care really resonates.
Now to the food. Urban Roots focuses on organic and non-gmo ingredients but doesn’t let sourcing organic outweigh sourcing locally and responsibly. They also strive to work with their neighbors, from local farmers to the coffee-maker next door, Kru, whose cold brew makes an appearance in their aptly named Mr. Rogers smoothie. As for the avocados, those guys are brought in and ripened in-house, ensuring that peak ripeness for every avocado rose created. With produce deliveries occurring almost every day and Allen conducting quality control on every ingredient and juice, UR guarantees the utmost standard of freshness.
On my first visit, I had to try the Avocado + Kimchi Toast. Made with sourdough brought in fresh daily from Bountiful Bread in Albany, the toast is topped with fresh avocado, local Pucker’s Gourmet Kimchi (found at the Saratoga Farmers Market), housemade minchi dressing, sesame seeds and fresh cilantro. For people like me who crave tangy, funky, pickled, oh I’ll just say it, umami, the creamy avocado mixed with the slightly spicy, majorly crunchy and deeply flavorful kimchi had me feeling a food-dance coming on. This particular toast isn’t for everyone, but with the magical health benefits (and taste) fermentation delivers, it should be.
As I was waiting for my toast to come out, Allen offered me a tasting of the full rainbow of cold-pressed, unpasteurized and raw juices that UR offers, currently 8 unique flavor combinations made fresh daily. A kind of sommelier of juice, Allen walked me through the various tasting notes of each juice, noting the freshness of the parsley in one and the warm spice of Red Delicious apples in another. My favorites were the bright yellow, gingery Dang You Pine and the ruby-hued Lil’ Mel (which also has a fun backstory), both of which would work very well in a cocktail… if you like that sort of thing.
That day, I took UR’s best-selling smoothie, the “Kale Me Crazy” to-go: a winning combo of spinach, kale, strawberry, avocado, almond butter, mango, almond milk and honey all topped with a couple pink goji berries. Smooth and tasty, that bad boy gave me the fuel I needed to make it through a rainy Saturday visiting Home Depot, Target AND Price Chopper. Plus, I had some leftover and it still impressed the next morning. I must say, portion size is not an issue at UR- you are getting way you pay for in both quality and size.
Today, on my second visit of the week, the Avocado + Burrata was calling to me. It all starts with that thick piece of sourdough, topped with avocado mash AND an avocado rose, which serves as a luscious nest for a petite ball of creamy, heavenly burrata. All that is topped off with a sprinkling of pistachio dukkah (an Egyptian seed blend usually featuring cumin, coriander, pepper and sesame) and basil infused olive oil. The freshness of the oil and the crunch of the dukkah add texture to the 1-2 punch of decadence from the cheese and the avocado- let’s just say I didn’t have any trouble finishing it off. Today’s toast was coupled with a draft Yaupon Kombucha, from Yesfolk Tonics in Troy, a lightly sparkling and mild tea cousin of yerba mate that pairs well with any of the toasts and bowls.
Do yourself a favor and stop in to say hello and grab a smoothie, you and your body will thank you for it (even if you have the burrata- treat yo’ self). In the meantime, check out Urban Roots brand-new website for all the details on their story, the menu and more and follow them on Instagram for lots of tasty content. Happy healthy eating to you!
Urban Roots is located at 46 Marion Avenue in the Fresh Market Plaza, near Gennaro’s Pizza and Kru Coffee.
Michele Vidarte 