HEAD: Organic is the order of the day at The Village Greens CUTLINE, greenspic: This breakfast plate at The Village Greens is something to wake up to. COURTESY PHOTO By FRANK SABAATINI JR. Two veterans of the local restaurant industry have teamed to open The Village Greens, a quaint breakfast-lunch eatery spotlighting organic and gluten-free dishes as well as prepared takeout dinners that can be heated at home. Despite the restaurant’s emphasis on seasonal produce, the meals are not exclusively vegetarian. Amid roasted heirloom vegetables and housemade spinach burgers, the dine-in offerings extend also to roast beef hash with eggs, grilled wild salmon and Tuscan chicken sandwiches with Provolone. One of the dynamic duo behind The Village Greens is Point Loma resident Nanci Kirk, who founded The Cottage on Fay Avenue in 1986 before selling it several years later. She later owned and dissolved Papa Lulu’s, a Hawaiian-Baja-themed concept eatery she operated in La Jolla and University City. After taking a breather and hiking Spain’s Camino de Santiago trail, Kirk partnered with La Jolla native April Richardson, whose family started the chain of Boll Weevil Restaurants in the 1960s. “April knows everybody in La Jolla and works the front of the house as general manager,” says Kirk. “Her family is four generations in La Jolla, and she’s been in the business her whole life.” The new 10-table venture, which opened Feb. 13, is marked by roll-up windows, a living wall and custom-built counters. In addition, two refrigerated cases show off about 20 types of takeout meals tailored to those preferring scratch-made turkey meatloaf or butternut squash lasagna over commercial dinners from a freezer. Kirk and her chef, Randy Hartnedy, a Cordon Bleu graduate, prepare the meals daily. Priced between $4 and $11 apiece, the choices extend to quinoa and kale salads, spaghetti squash with marinara and roasted veggies sourced from local farmers markets. “Everything in our cases usually sells out by the time we close each day at 5 p.m.,” adds Kirk. The spinach burgers are among the biggest movers. They’re available on the dine-in lunch menu as well as to go. “People have followed me around for years for these burgers ever since I introduced them at Papa Lulu’s,” says Kirk, adding the patties are made in part with gluten-free bread crumbs, fresh dill, onions, garlic and “secret ingredients.” Other popular dishes from the regular lunch menu include grilled wild salmon served over a bed of spinach with feta cheese, pistachios and Portobello mushrooms. Salads with housemade dressings and hearty sandwiches are also in the offing, including the Tuscan chicken sandwich with tomato-basil aioli on ciabatta, which Kirk says has sold prolifically since the restaurant opened. The morning fare points brightly to a variety of omelets, eggs Benedict and smeared avocado on toast served with eggs, bacon and grilled asparagus. The gluten-free French toast constructed with banana bread, however, ranks among the most decadent choices. It’s crowned with peanut butter and banana whipped cream plus caramelized bananas. Kirk, who has catered all her class reunions over the years for Point Loma High School, says The Village Greens is still a work in progress. A beer and wine license is in the pipeline. Outdoor seating is coming in a couple of months. And dinner service will begin in the summer. The Village Greens is located at 7441 Girard St. Hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Call (858) 230-7015 (note: no website yet).
