What do you order here?” a returning customer asks me. “This is my first time,” I tell her. “It’s addicting!” she assures. This was the most promising first impression I could have received at Garden of Eat’n, Roseville’s latest lunch spot. A compact of franchises and superstores hides the healthy haven, whose name toys with the biblical Garden of Eden. A fitting allusion, actually, as the fresh and bright ingredient selection, minimalist interior and young atmosphere are probably as divine as Eden itself. The lively location contrasts with the relaxed vibe and offers customers a reviving break from the surrounding bustling business plazas. Guests enter, choose between a “build your own salad/wrap” and begin crafting their meal from the ground up: starting with the tortilla flavor, dressing, vegetable and fruit ingredients, and finishing with a choice of protein. I created a wrap with a tomato and basil tortilla, chipotle dressing, olives, red peppers, onions, kidney beans, romaine lettuce and tri-tip. Being my first time, I winged it on the selections, but my wrap tasted and felt as fresh as it looked, and I’m sure the same could be said for any other combination. And if you aren’t confident in your building abilities, the fixed-recipe wraps and salads are equally—if not more—delicious. In a time where fast food dominates on-the-go dining, Garden of Eat’n truly is a refreshing and guilt-free reminder of what food should taste like. 

— Samuel Mailey // Photo by Dante Fontana

Garden of Eat’n, 1228 Galleria Boulevard, Suite 130, Roseville, 916-771-0630; 1850 Grass Valley Highway, Suite 320, Auburn, 530-885-4500, gardenofeatn.net.