Smooth and Satisfying
Visit Oak Street’s smoothie and juice destination.
Locating d’Juice for the first time can be a little confusing. The little juice and smoothie bar is tucked inside Patchworks Market on Oak Street, meaning that visitors need to take a few steps up and peer inside the shop’s airy, wood-accented interior to see the counter.
Take those steps — they’re worth it! D’Juice serves a colorful menu of fresh fruit smoothies and fresh-pressed juices, including neighborhood favorite It’s Not Easy Being Green. This smoothie of frozen mangoes, peaches and bananas is blended with freshly juiced cucumber, green apple, kale, spinach and green pepper for a bright green, sweetly refreshing treat.
You can also put together your own juice or smoothie creation from more than a dozen available ingredients. Ginger and wheatgrass shots, though pricey, can add extra flavor and nutritional benefits. Be warned: Those who are trying to find more health-conscious options may be tempted by the array of cookies and cakes sometimes on offer here.
D’juice has plenty of space, with big, wooden tables where you can sit and enjoy your juice. There’s also local art on sale courtesy of Patchworks Market. Free WiFi often brings in Riverbend professionals who pop in and out for a light, working lunch. 8237 Oak St., (504) 302-1965, d-juice.com
About SPROUT: This urban farm advocates garden education.
SPROUT, which stands for Sustainable Produce Reaching Our Urban Table, is one of a growing number of organizations improving New Orleans’ access to healthy food. Last fall, SPROUT NOLA helped open the ReFresh Community Garden in Mid-City, and, last month, the garden held its first community-gardening class.
SPROUT bills itself as “an interactive urban farm dedicated to spreading the love of growing fresh, healthy food.” Through partnerships with organizations like The ReFresh Project, Good Eggs NOLA, Liberty’s Kitchen, and the New Orleans Food & Farm Network, SPROUT founders Emily Mickley-Doyle and Matt Glassman don’t just champion healthy eating — they teach community members how to grow their own produce.
TIP: One thing aspiring gardeners need to keep in mind is soil composition. Before you build your own backyard-kitchen garden, have your soil tested for contaminants. Raised beds, filled with nutrient-rich soil and augmented by compost or bone meal, are a great way to ensure that you’re growing healthy food from the start. 300 N. Broad St., (504) 256-5074, sproutnola.org
Maria’s Pick: NOLA City Bark – Get out and about with your pup.
Dogs are almost always itching to stick their noses somewhere they shouldn’t — from the neighbor’s yard, to our carelessly neglected takeout boxes, to the couch. So why not take them somewhere that’s just for them?
NOLA City Bark is City Park’s dedicated dog run, welcoming well-behaved pooches of all sizes and breeds. In order to use the dog park, you must register your dog with the City Bark permit office. Dogs need to be spayed or neutered, healthy, vaccinated and collared.
If you venture to City Bark on a weekend, you might run into New Orleans Living publisher Maria Muro and her two Yorkies, Yogi and Jazzy. “My pets give me such joy, and part of loving them is our weekly runs at City Bark,” she says. 30 Zachary Taylor Dr., (504) 483-9377, nolacitybark.org