Talking about Tossgreen with Manali Patel
September 22, 2013 7 comments Print ArticleEatDrinkJax.com shares their interview with Manali Patel, owner of Tossgreen.
20. What are some of the toppings that have surprised you by their popularity?
I've been surprised by how many people aren't familiar with things like beets. They're always asking me if certain toppings are healthy, and I tell them "yes!" Radishes are common but you'd be surprised how many people don't really know about them or rarely eat them, so when they come here they have a chance to try out things that they don't regularly have at home.
We also make a pico de gallo, tomatillo salsa and homemade guacamole for our burritos. I was really surprised when so many people started getting the pico de gallo, tomatillo salsa and homemade guacamole for their salads. I'd never heard of that but a lot of people order it.
21. Where do you get your recipes and inspiration?
Mostly I rely on my experience.
…what experience is that?
I like to cook and have always enjoyed preparing food. I started cooking around 12 years old and have built up a lot of experience. I'm the type of person who doesn't like frozen food, so I've always appreciated things that are fresh and flavorful. Because I like eating that way it was natural that I wanted to have a restaurant that served the type of food I've always enjoyed.
22. Do you cook food at Tossgreen?
We do cook our meats, brown and white rice, beans, tofu and so on. We have 3 types of chicken that we prepare regularly throughout the day: herb roasted chicken, roasted chicken and spiced chicken, which we marinate in house before cooking. The same is true of our steak and shrimp, which we marinate and cook in-house. We also make our salsa and guacamole in-house multiple times a day.
23. What attracted you to Tossgreen?
The overall concept of having fresh, healthy food available every day. We don't have a freezer in our restaurant. We source as locally as we can. We use organic ingredients wherever possible. And we provide a huge amount of variety to keep things interesting. All these things together make for healthy, and really tasty eating. Then we make sure everything is as environmentally friendly as possible. Our bowls, cups, cup holders, and straws are compostable, for example. We focus on healthy food, but also sustainability and recycling. We have 3 containers in the store to separately capture bottles, compostable items, and then trash.
24. What's your favorite place to eat when you're not eating at Tossgreen?
I like California Pizza Kitchen.
25. What did you do before Tossgreen?
I owned a different restaurant.
26. Can you tell us about your catering?
We offer our full menu of salads, burritos and burrito bowls. We can put together some of our chef's creations or items that are designed by our customers.
27. Do you deliver?
Yes, for orders of $100 or more. On smaller orders customers can use services like doorstep delivery.
28. What's next for Tossgreen?
We're focusing on stability and growth for our current location.
29. Anything else?
A lot of people think of us for our salads and don't realize that we have burritos, burrito bowls and frozen yogurt. When they come for the salad they discover what else we offer.
Tossgreen Restaurant
Address: 4375 Southside Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32216
Phone:(904) 619-4356
Hours: Sunday 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
About EatDrinkJax
EatDrinkJax.com is a local website showcasing Jacksonville area food and drink. Our mission is to go behind the scenes and talk to the people who make great food and drink happen. Ever wonder where the top food writers in Jacksonville like to eat? In addition to our interviews we also bring together hundreds of restaurant reviews from leading food writers in Jacksonville.EatDrinkJax.com is brimming with special features, such as our directory of more than 800 local restaurants and bars, complete with addresses, phone numbers and menus. We have a growing list of free restaurant coupons, and our own BLOG where we check out some of the places and things that delight us and are deserving of more attention.
About the writer
EatDrinkJax.com interviews are conducted by Jacksonville Beach resident Gerry Glynn. When Gerry isn't talking with restauranteurs he is working for a local software company, training for his next road race, and hanging out with his wife and dog.
7 Comments so far
Jump into the conversation