Backyard Bowls
The Acai-Masters Bowl over Goleta
Where: 5668 Calle Real, Goleta; 770-2730; backyardbowls.com.
What: A 100-percent organic breakfast and lunch spot serving acaí bowls with a variety of toppings
How Much: Acaí bowls, $6.85-$9.15.
The Dish: Goleta welcomed acaí bowls to town at the end of last year, when Backyard Bowls opened its second location on Calle Real. (The original location is at 331 Motor Wy.) Two friends, Pete Heth and Dan Goddard, created Backyard Bowls, inspired by Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, unprocessed foods, and one of their favorite surf spots in Hawai‘i (Backyards on Oahu). Backyard Bowls echoes with the reverberation of blenders, dicing the Brazilian acaí berry into a sludgy liquid that is thick enough to eat with a spoon. Acaí in these bowls contains the richest antioxidant content of any naturally occurring fruit. Each bowl contains the frozen pulp of the berry, blended with various other fruits, topped with granola, coconut shavings, bee pollen, sliced fresh strawberries, banana, goji, and a drizzle of honey. Patrons should try the Green Bowl, with broccoli, spinach, and ginger, but may also choose from drinkable smoothies, warm quinoa, or oatmeal.