Blue Lemon Bistro: A tasty twist on healthy eating

Consider today's food for thought friday recipe a recipe for success:

Blue Lemon Bistro's "pure clean food with a twist"
Chic style
Fabulously designed interior space
Inviting atmosphere
Friendly staff
Fresh, healthy, "clean" food
Tantalizing menu
Budget-friendly prices

Combine above ingredients and mix well. Throw in a dash of free WiFi and serve with a side of Blue Sky all-natural sodas.

I've never tried this recipe but Lychelle and Aaron, the owners of Blue Lemon Bistro, have perfected it. I was able to experience Blue Lemon Bistro this week with a few new and old (figuratively speaking of course) blogging friends (see photo at the end of thist post). It was an experience I plan to repeat with my husband, my girlfriends, my family...heck, I'd even go with complete strangers!

Blue Lemon Bistro is located in east Highland just off the Alpine Highway. The owners believe in creating "a delectable menu [that] features only foods that fuel the body in a healthy way without sacrificing taste. After all, what good is the healthiest food in the world if you can’t get it past your lips?" Their "clean" food is all natural and prepared in a way so it maintains and maximizes nutrients. And I will agree with what it says above--they don't sacrifice on taste and I definitely got A LOT of food past my lips!

Before I get into the sweet and savory dishes, let me set the scene. (I'd have taken photos but left both my Flip and digital camera at home, too distracted by my search for the cell phone my toddler had hidden somewhere.) The restaurant is sleek and modern in design yet comfortable and inviting. It has a casual atmosphere; simply walk up, order your meal and then seat yourself while you wait for your food to arrive. I loved the light maple tables and cheerful tiled blue walls. It was crisp and clean...and extremely refreshing, especially after a very long day home with the kids.

Blue Lemon Bistro's menu offers everything from salads and sandwiches to entrees, soups, sides and kids meals. It took me a really long time to decide on a dish, and even when I walked up to the register I was still unsure...should I stick with the Lemon-Lime Grilled Chicken B.L.T. or go for the Blue Lemon Grilled Vegetable Sandwich? Chelle's Famous Vegetable Lasagna was also calling my name as were the soups of the day. What's a girl to do? I went with the B.L.T. and added on a side of fruit salad with strawberry yogurt sauce and a cup of tomato bisque soup. I also wanted to sample their Blue Sky Natural Sodas so I tacked one of those on as well.

I sat down and sipped my all-natural raspberry soda (to die for and well worth the extra calories...and that coming from a die-hard diet soda fan!) while watching as plate after scrumptious plate of food was delivered to our tables. I caught sight of the vegetable lasagna and had second thoughts about my B.L.T. Then the grilled vegetable sandwich landed across from me and I worried I had made a mistake. Soon my B.L.T. arrived and all worries disappeared. The sandwich was decked out with crispy turkey bacon, juicy red and yellow tomatoes, smoked mozzarella, lettuce, and pesto aioli served on grilled sourdough bread. Is your mouth watering yet? It should be. I was drooling all over that thing before I could pick it up! The sandwich was wonderful, the fruit salad an array of crisp, colorful fruit and the tomato bisque? It definitely rivaled my current favorite from Paradise Bakery.

I could go on and on about how much everyone enjoyed their food but I'll spare you the hunger pains. I will say this, and it should pretty much convince you you'll love Blue Lemon Bistro. I don't like squash. I don't like anything related to squash: pumpkin pie, yams, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, you name it. While I was enjoying my B.L.T., Lychelle brought out the Bistro's specialty butternut squash soup (I'm sure it has a fancy name but I wouldn't know it since I didn't even consider ordering it) and after the extreme peer pressure to try it, I took a very, very small taste. HOLY COW! It was, as one girl said, like drinking candy. It was smooth, buttery, cinnamon-y, brown sugary and topped with some sort of cinnamon croutons and what I think were brown-sugar-glazed walnuts. I could have bathed in that stuff it was that good! It was a serious ride for my tastebuds as was the hummus (another side I don't usually care for), mac and cheese and fresh fruit smoothies.

My husband took half of my sandwich to work the next day. He called me to simply tell me something along these lines: "This is one tasty sandwich. The tomatoes are so good and the cheese is mellow and tasty...All right, I'm a believer." I have never heard him say "mellow" and "tasty" or describe a sandwich in such detail. Could it be that Blue Lemon Bistro's "pure clean food with a twist" had some sort of affect on his tastebuds as well? I'm thinking, yes.

I was able to go on a tour of Blue Lemon Bistro and discovered the restaurant also has a smaller cafe where you can order treats like cupcakes, truffles, and tarts along with coffee, espresso, and a wide variety of blended drinks. In the back there is a fun little kitchen designed for cooking classes, group gatherings and even date nights. (Did Lychelle really say "Iron Chef Date Night?" I am so there!)

Blue Lemon Bistro is located at 11073 North Alpine Hwy in Highland, Utah and is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 am to 10pm and Friday & Saturday from 11:30am to 11 pm. Though it's pretty far east off I-15, it is totally worth the drive. And if you carpool, that's some pure clean goodness for the environment! --Emily

P.S. Want to hear what a few other blogging women had to say about our night at Blue Lemon Bistro? Check out these tasty posts (more to come):

• Kami from No Biggie: "They're Smart..."
• April from Sweet Life in the Valley: "Sweet Eats in the Valley * Blue Lemon Bistro"
• Kelsey from VanillaJoy: "Blue Lemon Bistro"
• Jyl from Mommy Gossip: "The Best Part of On Is Off" (scroll down to the bottom of this post for the part about Blue Lemon Bistro, but the whole post is a great read!)
• Vanessa from I Never Grew Up: "Saturday: Shop!--Going Out to Eat as a Family"
• Liz from Say YES! to Hoboken: "Blue Lemon Bistro"
• Vanessa from Little Window Shoppe: "Blue Lemon"
• Azucar from The Jet Set: "Blue Lemon Confidential" (Ah, the memories--thanks, Azucar!)
• Lindsey from the r house: "blue lemon bistro"
• Allison from Petit Elefant: "blue lemon bistro."
• Marie from Make and Takes: "Blue Lemons and Blogging Babes" ("blogging babes" pretty much nails it!)
• Lindsey from Cafe Johnsonia: "Local Stuff: Blue Lemon Bistro" (some great behind-the-scenes photos)
• Kim from Simply Me: "Blue Lemon = Deliciousness" (more great photos!)
• Stephanie from Stephmodo: "Blue Lemon Bistro"
  

Photo courtesy of Kami over at No Biggie