Downtown Everett now has yet another place where you can eat healthy.
The Valley Organic Deli is open on Colby between California and Hewitt.
With a calm, minimalist atmosphere and simple menu, the clean new eatery is the perfect stop for busy people who need lunch.
On Tuesday, the shop was filled with diners eating fresh salads and tasty sandwiches.
Service was good. My friend Janet and I waited only a short time to be served.
Deli owner Luis Elviro and his staff were in the kitchen roasting chicken breasts, slicing avocados and mixing up smoothies.
The blender sounded like a dental drill, but what came out of the kitchen was beautiful.
Try the classic strawberry smoothie, with banana, almonds, agave and milk, or the kale smoothie, with spinach, parsley, apple juice and banana, for $6.95 each. Spend $1 more for the mango tango mango smoothie, with banana, orange and coconut milk, or the triple berry smoothie, with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
If you stop by in the morning, you might want to indulge in the house-made granola layered with honey yogurt and fresh fruit for $5.50, or the quiche, made with a rotating selection of seasonal ingredients, for $6. Valley also serves coffee, espresso drinks and tea.
The sandwiches are thick with top-notch vegetables, meats and cheeses. It’s easy to fill up.
I tried the Santa Fe chicken sandwich for $12. The generous portion of chicken breast was moist and flavorful, and topped with avocado, tomato, lettuce and provolone cheese. I got mine on wheat, but the shop has a choice of breads.
Most of the sandwiches, paninis and wraps are $10 to $12. On Tuesday, the deli’s daily special was a tuna sandwich and side salad for $9.
The salads looked especially inviting. Spinach, field greens, kale or quinoa salads are mixed up with nuts, fruit and cheese.
Janet ate a spinach salad with a delicious house-made pomegranate vinaigrette. It was topped with oranges, grapes, strawberries, dried cranberries, green onions and creamy goat cheese for $10.50.
Of course, I had to have a bite. Wonderful!
Next time, we are going for the beet salad, which includes watercress, red onion, cranberries, goat cheese and a maple balsamic vinaigrette, also $10.50.
On his website, Elviro shared that he was inspired to name his restaurant Valley after a hike up to Goat Lake near Verlot.
“I paused to marvel in the beauty of the sweeping view of the valley below,” he said.
Elviro’s focus on fresh, natural foods came from the inspiration he found in his grandmother’s vegetable garden. Her fresh-picked tomatoes were so much better than what he found in the grocery store.
His friends told him was crazy, but Elviro saved for six years in order to open Valley Organic Deli. The reception for the deli has been good, he said.
“I believe this is a testament to the shift toward chemical-free eating,” he said.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Valley Organic Deli
2805 Colby Ave., Everett; 425-512-8577; valleyorganicdeli.com.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Alcohol: None.
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