La Semillia will definitely be my no-brainer restaurant default for company, meat-eaters or not. The food is bursting with so much flavor that you won't know you're eating "healthy" plant-based cuisine.

I can't wait to fork my way through the rest of the menu, and since we've already reserved our table for Valentine's Day I'll definitely save room for a dairy-free dessert!

Come join me for a margarita and queso on the cozy outside patio once Spring is in full bloom.

Mad love and much success to Sophia and Reid and your growing Seed family! Atlanta is truly blessed you are sharing your passion with our city and lucky citizens. 

-xoxox from the Nutrition Atlanta team 

La Semillia will definitely be my no-brainer restaurant default for company, meat-eaters or not. The food is bursting with so much flavor that you won't know you're eating "healthy" plant-based cuisine. I can't wait to fork my way through the rest of the menu, and definitely try the dairy-free desserts (!!!) since we've already reserved our table for Valentine's Day. Come join me for a margarita and queso on the cozy outside patio once Spring is in full bloom.

Mad love and much success to Sophia and Reid and your growing Seed family! Atlanta is truly blessed you are sharing your passion with our city and lucky citizens. 

-xoxox from the Nutrition Atlanta team 

I love how this nook is a homage to Sophia's heritage! Picture of her great-grandmother + the gorg hutch Sophia scored online!  They intend to spin vinyl on Tuesday's so stay tuned and sign up for their email list.

I love how this nook is a homage to Sophia's heritage! Picture of her great-grandmother + the gorg hutch Sophia scored online!  They intend to spin vinyl on Tuesday's so stay in the know by signing up for their email list.

Here's my biggest piece of advice: if you are not vegan and can only order ONE item on their menu, I would highly recommend the Lion's Mane Mushroom "Steak". This creation will blow away your meat-eating mind. It's perfection on a plate: the mix of a steak-like consistency and texture on a bed of mashed yuca with caramelized onion and mojo sauce that complements the flavors without overpowering them. 

Mojo sauce is crafted with orange juice, lime juice, chile, garlic, cilantro, oil, sugar, and salt. This creative combo is going to mimic a steak and potato dish without leaving you feeling nauseated and bloated. My taste buds tingled and my belly was so grateful.

Bonus points for the myriad of health benefits from our mushroom friends... before I officially became a dietitian in 2013 I was sharing the power of lion's mane for the brain (and all mushrooms) to anyone who would listen to me, so I'm beyond excited to be able to order it crafted like fine dining, in a eco-conscious restaurant. Dreams do come true, finally.

And darling, you'll be doing a huge service to the environment since a pound of beef usually leaves a significant water footprint - anywhere from 317 gallons to almost 24,000 gallons of water per pound of boneless beef!  With Mother Nature currently having 60 degree hot flashes, in January in Atlanta, we need to help her out as much as we can. Switching over to making Monday's meatless your thing a mere 52 days out of the year would decrease your personal footprint exponentially.

If you're living in denial or are unaware about your impact then just know this - every little bit helps.

BEHOLD! Bisteo de Palomilla - Lion's Mane Mushroom "steak" on yuca mash with carmelized onion and moji. 

BEHOLD! Bisteo de Palomilla - Lion's Mane Mushroom "steak"

The colorful salad came next and was a light mixture of carpaccio-like golden beets, a queso fresco made with macadamia nuts (!!!), sprinkles of finely crushed candied pecans, apple slices on a bed of generous-sized arugula from Tucker Farms with a light, not overpowering, guava vinaigrette. 

If you enjoy alcohol with your meal, order the arugula to help support the liver in breaking down the booze. Your body will thank you for your conscious choice...

Ensalada De Casa {DF/GF} 

Ensalada De Casa {GF} golden beets, arugula, macadamia queso fresco (!!), candied pecans, apples, guava vinaigrette.

Roasted Cauliflower with Mole Poblano - literally the best mole I've ever had.

Roasted Cauliflower with Mole Poblano and Sesame Seeds... literally the best mole I've ever had.

I'm a sucker for anything cauliflower so when I spotted the Cauliflower Con Mole, it was a no brainer. Cauliflower is loaded with almost every vitamin and mineral your body needs. Normally I'm not a huge fan of mole - it's leave this smokey residue in my mouth that I'm not fond of.

But Reid and Sophia have mastered the right ratio of savory to sweet to spicy without an overpowering smokey flavor. I wasn't a mole fan but I am now, done right. If you love cauli and/or need a nutrition and fiber boost, don't miss this one either. 

As the general manager of a full bar and restaurant, Sophia was so graciously generous with her time. She talked to us about the food we were devouring as well as answer my RD-based questions: where they source ingredients, all the lovely plants, the design and vibe. Especially the gorgeous hutch she found on Facebook Marketplace with her great grandmother's photo above on the wall.

Naturally they source local, mostly Tucker Farms, and support as much local businesses as possible (like the Kea kombucha). And her father, a horticulturist, guiding decision-making with all the plants. We love the cool-hip, casual vibe. I had to ask about the mole sauce because quite frankly, it blew me away. And I was gushing about the queso blanco and sikil pak that our server highly recommend. All of the sauces were mind-blowingly loaded with flavor that elevated each dish to another level. 

Simply GORGEOUS Squash Empanadas... Perfection. 

Simply GORGEOUS Squash Empanadas with new to me pasilla salsa and morita crema. Perfection. 

Our next appetizer or antojitos that we we ordered was the Squash Empanada lovingly crafted with seasonal squash, caramelized onion, root veggies, pasilla salsa, and morita crema. Another menu item to NOT miss out on! I'm not a big empanadas fan, but I've changed my mind because this was amazing.

The pastry was flakey and prepared to perfection - stuffed with a delicate interior that didn't steal the thunder from the pastry. Again, the non-dairy cream sauces just blew me away and the combination with the pasilla salsa was exploding flavor on my tongue. I think their empanada's will be seasonal so I can't wait to see what creative spin they work their plant-based magic on next.

You'll be dreaming about this Yuca Con Queso {GF/DF}... make sure to order! 

And now, finally, to have a spur-of-the-moment date night during the soft opening of La Semilla, chow down on dairy-free Queso Blanco dip, and my belly not freaking out is nothing short of a GI miracle (well, I did dive into the corn chips and my belly is not a fan, but I didn't have any bloating or stomach pain like I experience after eating dairy). If I find a restaurant that my belly is cool with, I rejoice.

When I say that you would never know that this plant-based queso was not dairy, my spouse who does eat dairy was fighting me for the dip. And the bonus is you won't feel weighed down after eating it which is great because they you still have room for more tasty dishes created by the plant-based masters. I was a fan of doing the suicide dip of both the Queso AND Sikil Pak - why not!

Next up (below): Yuca Con Queso - Yuca fries covered in a chipotle crema with the queso blanco we were licking off our fingers, and scallions. Definitely order this one - major comfort food vibes. If I was hung over, this would be my go to without beating down my digestive system. While the portion was generous, we were still fighting for the last fry!

Plant-based Queso Blanco {GF} and new to me dip Sikil Pak {also GF/DF} made with tomatoes and pepitas.

Plant-based Queso Blanco {GF} dip Sikil Pak {also GF/DF} made with tomatoes and pepitas 

Nutrition Atlanta: January 10, 2023

I only have one word to describe La Semilla: finally. Actually two, but I'm not going to add the obvious explicative that I could; the one that La Semilla deserves as a nod to their long anticipated opening.

Finally for several reasons: finally the good humans of Happy Seed, Sophia and Reid Trapani, are expanding from their cult-following pop-up's at A Mana and Buena Vida - spreading their well-deserved food wings within Atlanta.

I reached out to them perhaps five years ago to cater my Mindful Eating workshop (ps: their plant-based comfort food made with an abundance of love was a huge hit).

From there I ordered scrumptious food from Happy Seed for Thanksgiving, specifically their dairy-free, plant-based mac and cheese and a vegan chocolate pie that I still dream about.

These two are definitely the type of conscious people you want involved with nourishing your body: plant-centered because they care about human health as well as our furry friends + the environment. Someone please duplicate their genes now; we need more peeps like this to co-create and cohabitate.

And on a more selfish note, the other 'finally' is rather personal. After decades of having to avoid queso blanco dip because my sensitive system loathes all forms of dairy (think milk, yogurt, and cheese), the only way I can go out and enjoy any kind of Cuban, Mexican, or Spanish-type restaurants is if I take a handful of digestive enzymes and pray that my body doesn't revolt against me. 

The last time I ate chips and dip like a normal person at a Mexican establishment was over twenty years ago on Valentine's Day with my galentine, Stefanie.

We drowned our singlehood sorrows in a large bowl of queso + margarita's and it was amazing. Until it wasn't.

Once my body caught up with what was going on, my digestive system went into lockdown. Yeah, it was lovely.

Nutrition Atlanta: January 10, 2023

I only have one word to describe La Semilla: finally. Actually two, but I'm not going to add the obvious explicative that I could; the one that La Semilla deserves as a nod to their long anticipated opening.

Finally for several reasons: finally the good humans of Happy Seed, Sophia and Reid Trapani, are expanding from their cult-following pop-up's at A Mana and Buena Vida - spreading their well-deserved food wings within Atlanta.

I reached out to them perhaps five years ago to cater my Mindful Eating workshop (ps: their plant-based comfort food made with an abundance of love was a huge hit).

From there I ordered scrumptious food from Happy Seed for Thanksgiving, specifically their dairy-free, plant-based mac and cheese and a vegan chocolate pie that I still dream about.

These two are definitely the type of conscious people you want involved with nourishing your body: plant-centered because they care about human health as well as our furry friends + the environment. Someone please duplicate their genes now; we need more peeps like this to co-create and cohabitate.

And on a more selfish note, the other 'finally' is rather personal. After decades of having to avoid queso blanco dip because my sensitive system loathes all forms of dairy (think milk, yogurt, and cheese), the only way I can go out and enjoy any kind of Cuban, Mexican, or Spanish-type restaurants is if I take a handful of digestive enzymes and pray that my body doesn't revolt against me. 

The last time I ate chips and dip like a normal person at a Mexican establishment was over twenty years ago on Valentine's Day with my galentine, Stefanie. We drowned our single-girl sorrows in a large bowl of queso + margarita's and it was amazing. Until it wasn't. Once my body caught up with what was going on, my digestive system went into lockdown. Yeah, it was lovely.