"Fresh" is truly an appropriate name for this different kind of eatery which opened about one month ago just below the sports club on 30th Avenue and Steinway Street. With leafy green walls and a clean, modern design, Fresh's interior reflects its philosophy on food, where only fresh, wholesome, organic ingredients are used to create delicious and healthy meals, juices and smoothies for breakfast, lunch, dinner or anytime. Fresh's slogan, "Don't sacrifice taste to lose weight" is easy to believe once you taste the delicious offerings.

Owners Dino Philippou, Peter Lagonikos and Kostas Karanikas have brought the "juice bar" to a completely new level. By educating their customers to the nutritional benefits of the foods they offer via three flat screen televisions, and introducing new and natural products to promote good health, Fresh has found the way to combine good nutrition with great taste. The brightly colored menu features a broad range of smoothies, salads, soups, paninis, wraps, healthy burgers, grilled entrées and more. The menu also lists fun and interesting facts about health and nutrition.

Beginning with breakfast, Fresh's omelets are made with 3 organic eggs and can be filled with your choice of organic cheese, veggies or turkey, then wrapped up into whole wheat or spinach wraps. Omelette platters include Yukon gold roasted potatoes or salad greens and multigrain bread. Fresh's breakfast cups are filled with yogurt, fresh fruit and whole grain cereals to eat in or to take on the run. Fresh proudly brews and serves Sanora organic coffee, which is naturally antioxidant rich and delicious too. There's even organic espresso, cappuccino and latte to enjoy guilt-free. Herbal teas, green teas and healthful teas that include the amazing properties of blueberries, pomegranate and Brazilian acai all help to build a healthy immune system.

The sparkling clean display case boasts freshly made wraps, paninis and salads, ready to go or to be eaten at one of the sleek tables. One of the most popular wraps is the chicken fajita, which includes tender strips of grilled organic chicken, roasted corn, black beans, red onions and salsa verde ($6.50). The friendly efficient wait staff will swiftly put any wrap on the hot press to give it a warm crunch on the outside, if you wish. The accompanying fresh salsa and sour cream turn this convenient to-eat wrap into a hand-held meal that is really delicious. The same wrap can be prepared with black angus sliced steak and you get to choose between whole wheat or spinach wraps. By now almost everyone knows about the health benefits of omega-3 oils found in salmon. Fresh's savory salmon wrap is filled with grilled salmon, baby spinach, orange slices, red onion, bell pepper and sprinkled with a zesty lemon-dill vinaigrette dressing for just $7.95. I was very impressed with the falafel wrap, served with a Mediterranean sauce, especially when I learned that the falafel balls were baked, not fried. In fact, nothing at Fresh is fried, not even the French fries. Instead, healthy sweet potatoes are hand cut, seasoned and oven baked for crispiness. Black beans and rice or sautéed spinach with sliced almonds are other excellent side dishes offered at Fresh. Why would anyone eat fattening fast food when this stuff is so delicious and good for you?

Fresh's burgers are made the healthy way, from either Certified Angus Beef or bison meat, which is higher in protein and much lower in fat and cholesterol than regular beef. In addition, the turkey burgers, salmon burgers, black bean and tofu burgers or red lentil and bulgar wheat burgers offer tasty alternatives to beef burgers. You can have your juicy burger served on a multi-grain roll, wrapped up into a tortilla or served on a bed of lettuce and tomato with a side of either baked sweet potato fries or a small garden salad. Entrées from the grill include grilled chicken, steak or salmon, all of which go very well with a side of brown rice and beans or grilled vegetables. Even the soups are delicious and bursting with flavor, with kudos for the stone tomato soup, brimming with fresh vegetables. The Spartan Salad with feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers and romaine lettuce is sprinkled with olive oil vinaigrette and the "Fresh" salad is one of my favorites, tossed with mesculin greens, orange slices, dried cranberries, toasted almonds and creamy goat cheese with balsamic vinaigrette.

Satisfy your sweet tooth without any guilt with one of Fresh's smoothies, fruit juices and bottled juices. Fresh fruit and juices are combined with low-fat milk, yogurt or blended without dairy. A free, natural protein boost is added in for extra nutrition. The Slender U combines raspberries, pineapple and strawberries for a light and fruity drink, with an extra boost of protein. Berries are considered a "super food" with their high concentration of anti-oxidants, which help fight and prevent heart disease and cancer. A smoothie called "Monkey Business" combines bananas with strawberries and a protein booster. The "Elvis" is quite popular for its combination of peanut butter, banana and chocolate. RX Remedies mixed from the juice of parsley, carrots and ginger may even help beat a cold. You can add a shot of healthful coconut oil, organic honey, Echinacea or flaxseed to any drink to boost the benefits further. Check out the website for more information.

For breakfast, lunch, dinner or anytime snack, Fresh offers healthy food that tastes great. They will even deliver these healthy meals to your home or office.

Now there's no excuse not to eat well. Even the kids will love Fresh and they don't have to know it's good for them. Fresh is open seven days a week, from 7am until midnight on weeknights, until 11pm on Fridays and until 10pm on Sundays. Eating healthy is delicious and easy at Fresh.

www.freshnyjuicebar.com