Mulberry & Vine: Tribeca’s new pick-up scene

Lines were thirty deep for lunch last week at Mulberry & Vine, the new prepared food shop in Tribeca opened by two serious fitness aficionados. Genevieve Lynch and Michelle Gauthier, with backgrounds in film and fashion respectively, wanted to complement their local workouts options with high-quality food ones.

“People are starting to realize that exercise on its own isn’t the whole answer and diet on its own isn’t the whole answer,” says Gauthier, who’s a regular at SoulCycle and Barry’s Bootcamp.

They teamed up with executive chef Justin Schwartz for a menu that feels like sexy spa cuisine—imagine a healthier, less decadent City Bakery buffet. Or Dig Inn by way of Canyon Ranch. It’s food that leaves you feeling both satisfied and virtuous.

At Mulberry & Vine’s cheerful, airy space on Warren and Broadway, you can feast on kale salad with marinated red onions, beets with red chili flakes, pomegranate, and cilantro, a variety of lentil and quinoa salads, and hot entrees as well, such as turkey meatballs with garam masala, ginger, and jalapeño. (The Curried Freekah with Cauliflower with Mango & Cashews is so delish, we had to get the recipe. Check it out, below!)

The food contains no added butter or cream, and the kitchen only uses healthy oils, such as unrefined cold-pressed organic safflower oil for cooking and organic cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil from Napa for the salads. “We use herbs and spices to boost flavor,” explains Lynch (a Real Pilates and Kula Yoga Project fan), pointing to the wall art of horticultural terms. “We think of food as medicine.” It’s medicine that goes down easy.

There’s a lot of seating though pick-up and take-out will be a big part of the business, and currently it’s just open until 7:00 p.m. That said, the chic setting and Mulberry & Vine’s polished branding clearly hints at an intention to grow beyond this one location.

Mulberry & Vine, 73 Warren Street, at West Broadway, Tribeca, 212-791-6300, www.mulberryandvine.com

Curried Freekah with Cauliflower, Mango & Cashews

Ingredients

+ 2 cup cooked whole grain freekah+ 1 tablespoon peanut oil+ 1/2 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 2 cups)+ 1 tablespoon curry powder+ 1 teaspoon salt+ 1/2 cup raw cashews, chopped and toasted+ 1 medium mango, peeled and diced fine+ 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives+ 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

InstructionsSoak the freekah overnight in plenty of water. Rinse and add to pot covered with plenty of water.

Bring to boil and cook, uncovered, until freekah is tender, about 45 minutes. Drain in large fine-mesh strainer or colander; spread on prep baking sheet. Cool while preparing salad ingredients.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss cauliflower with 1 tablespoon peanut oil, 1/2 tablespoon curry powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast for 20 minutes until tender and browned in places.

Transfer cauliflower to large bowl, add rice, cashews, mango, chives, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to bowl. Meanwhile saute other half of curry powder briefly in a bit of oil until fragrant (1 minute) and toss into bowl thoroughly to combine. Let stand 20 minutes to blend flavors and serve.