Seed + Salt To Bring Vegan, Gluten-Free Fare to the Marina

[Image via Google Maps]

Good news for Marina gym rats: Chestnut Street will soon be getting a new healthy fast casual spot. Called Seed + Salt, the new spot comes from Mo Clancy, who will be taking over the former Tuttimelon location for what she calls a "clean food restaurant." Though the focus will be on vegan foods free of gluten, refined sugars and dairy, Clancy says she is determined to create food that is healthy but that "people don't feel they are suffering through."

To that end, she's teamed up with chef Ariel Nadelberg, a Brooklyn transplant who most recently helmed the kitchen at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Terrace Cafe. The two have worked for two years to develop tasty recipes with a focus on fresh and seasonal California-style cuisine, and the forthcoming menu will feature breakfast items like sprouted buckwheat granola with coconut yogurt, and a lunch and dinner menu with a rotating selection of items like a smashed chickpea salad, beet burger with caramelized onions, and eggplant BLT.

Alhough Clancy says that Seed + Salt is not modeled as a juice bar, other menu items include a selection of juices and smoothies (including a vegan vanilla milkshake), plus desserts like a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie and brown rice crispy treats. Lauren Godfry, who is currently staging at Bar Tartine, also pitched in to help develop some of the dessert recipes.

The team plans to gut the Tuttimelon space, raising the ceilings and giving it a more open and airy feel. It will be designed mostly as a takeaway concept, with 14 seats in the works.

Clancy says they are targeting a mid-October opening date, so stay tuned for updates. Once open, their hours will be 7am-8pm, spanning everyone from the pre-work to post-workout crowds.