By this time, people must know that the metro area is focusing on a cleaner, greener environment … and on wholesome eating. Stepping up to the plate — or in this case, the salad bowl — comes the newest in nutritionally clean, green eating: Mixt Greens, under the watchful eye of its co-founder, Andrew Swallow.
If you go
Mixt Greens
1200 19th St. NW, Suite 105Ê
202-315-5230
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
Leaning back in his chair with his hat tipped at an angle, Swallow exudes his West Coast charm and defies the wisdom that Culinary Institute of America-trained chef must be fussily starched and toqued. What he has ushered into the D.C. area is a salad concept that boldly frames a bowl of greens with such unusual accompaniments as green papaya, mango and lemongrass, or grilled flatiron steak with herb-roasted potatoes and caramelized onions. And that’s not all, for the Mixt Greens menu mixes it up a bit by adding some hefty — and unusual — artisanal sandwiches. A native of Chatham, N.J., Swallow got into the food business, not by the usual route — dishwashing — but by starting off working in a sandwich shop. When his then-girlfriend asked him to cook for her, his meal apparently astonished her. Even his mom, a “fantastic cook,” was amazed that the young Swallow knew how to structure a very sophisticated meal.
“From that time,” he said, “I just started cooking at home all the time.”
While in college, he realized all he really wanted to do with his life was to cook, so he hired on as an assistant chef in a Scottsdale, Ariz., restaurant.
“The kitchen was maybe 10 feet by 10 feet,” he said, “and the chef, who was helping me, wasn’t really a chef. But he got me into the business. Within two weeks, he was rarely there.”
Of course, Swallow had to take over. He was just 20 years old.
As one job led to another, Swallow found himself back on the East Coast, where he worked at New York’s now-closed Gramercy Tavern, a good preparation for his next step: enrolling at the Culinary Institute of America.
“I was in the two-year program,” he says, “and I was externing in Aspen, trying to figure out what I really wanted to do. I was burnt out working at the back of the house, and wanted to open my own place.”
Instead, Swallow worked as a restaurant manager and wine buyer for several restaurants, then headed to California.
“I wanted to learn California cuisine, the farm-to-table movement,” he said. “I worked as the manager of Gary Danko’s restaurant to learn the business side.”
But Swallow’s real focus was to make healthful eating accessible to the average American.
“I wanted to make a large impact on society,” he said. “The idea behind Mixt Greens was to create a fast, casual restaurant where guests can experience fresh, organic salads and artisanal breads. Our goal and mission is to set an example. … We are turning salads into a cuisine, and changing the perception of what people think about salads.”
To that end, Swallow has created each dish using the freshest ingredients and offering sandwiches on artisan breads. And everything is made from scratch. Swallow may be proud of that, and of his cookbook called “Mixt Salads,” which is hitting bookstores April 27.
But perhaps the biggest accolade comes from green-state California, which named his San Francisco Mixt as the “Greenest Restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area” in 2009. Not bad …
Q&A with Chef Andrew Swallow
What is your comfort food?
A burger and fries.
What is your cooking philosophy?
Basically, it is to source local and sustainable ingredients and to let them speak for themselves. I cook simply and not with 10 sauces, foams and butters.
What has been the most memorable career moment?
The day Ten Speed Press decided to publish my cookbook. That was one of the most humbling experiences … it was two years of my life and 65 lettuce recipes.
Where is your favorite place?
Argentina. It’s incredible, the culture, the food, the people. Buenos Aires is an incredible place and to go to the wine country is mind-blowing.
What is your favorite cuisine?
Real, authentic Mexican food. That is really my favorite to eat.
From the Chef’s Kitchen
Egghead
This salad features farm eggs with caviar and poached quail eggs
Serves 4
8 farm eggs
2 heads butter lettuce
2 tbsps. mayonnaise
2 tbsps. finely diced cornichons
1 tbsps. finely diced shallot
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. vinegar
8 quail eggs
2 tbsps. royal caviar
Boil the farm eggs for 12 minutes, and shock them in an ice bath to stop the cooking. While the eggs are cooling, carefully remove the outer leaves of the butter lettuce; set aside. Peel the eggs, cut into quarters and slice.
Put the eggs, mayonnaise, cornichos, shallot and mustard into a bowl and combine lightly. Season to taste. Bring a small pot of water to simmer and add the vinegar. Spoon the egg salad into four butter lettuce leaves. Poach the quail eggs for about two minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the eggs and place two apiece on top of each salad. Garnish with the caviar.
