I walked into t.Loft on Stateline on Sunday at 4 p.m. after a day of chemistry tutoring and EHAP homework, craving my usual Extreme C juice with kale, spinach, orange, apple and lemon. I ordered the medium, but I could always go for a large. The only downside to the drink, other than never having enough of it, is the price: $6.50. The same goes for most of what t.Loft sells. Still, it’s around the same price as a Starbucks drink, but this is all fresh and healthy.
I’ve been going to t.Loft since it opened in 2012, but a lot has changed since then. The Harbinger reviewed it in 2013, when it was still a new business without a lot of publicity. Back then, it just had a few juices to choose from, a fridge with pre-packaged salads, some cheese and fruit boxes. Now you can go there to order an entire meal. The employees make the meal bowls and salads behind the counter where you order your food. There are protein shakes, juices, smoothies and teas to choose from. There is also a display case with protein balls (nutella, cocoa, sunbutter and peanut butter) and apple muffins.
T.Loft has a gray and white scaled color palette which gives it a modern vibe. It’s the clean, neat tables and couches that help sell the “healthy” theme. Usually it’s packed and there are only a few seats open, but choosing to go on a Sunday afternoon opened the place up a bit, and I had no trouble finding a seat.
After I ordered and paid, I sunk into a comfy grey couch and waited for my food. When I got my protein ball, I ate it in two bites. This protein ball is a tan, quarter-sized ball with a nutella drop on top. I thought it was the peanut butter protein ball for a second, but when I ate the nutella drop I was reassured. The protein ball definitely gave me protein as I was almost full from it and could barely finish my meal bowl. Meal bowls are hot bowls with a base like quinoa or rice with veggies and proteins on top.
Next came my Extreme C juice. It’s been my go-to drink since t.Loft opened, and I love it so much that I don’t think I’d even try to venture out of my comfort zone and try a different juice. The Extreme C is very citrusy, and I don’t think you can even taste the spinach and kale added to it. I’d say it’s like a green, sweet fruit juice. I gulp it down in a minute and still wish I’d gotten the large.
Finally, the meal bowl. My mom and sister swear by the Basil Hummus salad (with added quinoa), but I decided to try the Presidente meal bowl. It has chicken, black beans, red peppers, onions, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, avocados and salsa. I chose to add quinoa to it. The taste was great and the presentation was very neat and colorful with the rice, salsa and sliced avocados on top.
I ended up spending about $17.50 total when I bought a medium juice, meal bowl and protein ball. A little pricey, but definitely worth it.
So maybe I still didn’t understand significant figures or why King Henry VIII had so many wives, but my mind was clearer and my stomach was fuller after a delicious meal at t.Loft.