First, full disclosure: I’ve been following Andrew Weil, M.D., for two decades, so I could not have been more delighted when I happened upon his True Food Kitchen restaurant in Newport Coast, California. The integrative medicine pioneer’s anti-inflammatory diet presented to me on a plate? Yes, please! I was hooked and hoped he’d open a restaurant in the east. My part of the east!
My wish came true when True Food Kitchen opened July 19 in King of Prussia, and I wasn’t alone. The restaurant was packed with people craving a health-driven, seasonal menu and those curious about the concept.
“Food should make you feel better, not worse,” said CEO Christine Barone, who circulated around the King of Prussia location’s opening checking in with guests and staff. “And, it should taste great. We offer nutrient-dense foods—lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and herbs and spices—that are the hallmark of the anti-inflammatory diet.”
Christine is as down-to-earth and approachable as they come, a perfect leader for this health-focused brand. She left Starbucks in September 2016, where she’d served as senior vice president of food, evenings and licensed stores, because she, too, had been following Dr. Weil and was taken with the idea of growing True Foods based on its unique posture and delicious offerings.
According to Dr. Weil’s research, the anti-inflammatory diet encourages simple changes in eating habits to avoid and counteract chronic inflammation, a root cause of many illnesses. It’s choosing and preparing foods based on science to help people achieve and maintain optimum health over a lifetime.
“This menu is what everyone needs,” she said, explaining that Dr. Weil is hands-on involved in recipe development. “There are no fryers at True Foods Kitchen, just simple food that tastes great and is good for you. Our menu reflects the seasons and is sustainably sourced.”
Christine is just as jazzed about the restaurant’s staff. “We take an incredible amount of pride in how we train our staff,” she added. “That includes tasting everything on our menu. Some of our servers had never eaten kale or jicama or the spices we use. To see their transformation is magical.”
All this means that True Food Kitchen is also a haven for those with food allergies and sensitivities. Again, I have personal experience in this area because I have gluten-intolerant family members. To see them eat at True Food Kitchen is a joy; Christine backs up our experiences with facts.
“When a server learns there’s an allergy or sensitivity at the table, that’s communicated to the kitchen,” she explained. “A chef will run that ticket from start to finish. Because everything’s made from scratch here, we can easily modify. Plus, we have many gluten-free choices.”
In addition to gluten-free options, there are extensive vegetarian and vegan offerings, as well. A judicious amount of red wine has a small place on the anti-inflammatory food pyramid and is included on the menu along with refreshers, teas, a select list of other wines, cocktails and predominantly local craft beers made from sustainably sourced ingredients.
Like all True Food Kitchen locations, King of Prussia is flooded with light streaming in from three walls of windows plus huge, artsy overhead fixtures. The decor is modern with an eye to nature: rich wood walls, floors and tables, outdoorsy green banquettes and cozy high tops surrounded by plants—lots of plants. The bustling bar is a great place to pull up a seat and watch mixologists process the fruits and veggies that dot the counter into treats like Kale Aid, a refresher jam-packed with kale, ginger, apple, celery and cucumber. The cozy, fully shaded patio oozes relaxation and can weather most seasons thanks to discreet overhead heaters. Bonus: guests can spy exactly how their food is made thanks to an open kitchen—right down to the prep areas.
“We love King of Prussia because of it’s iconic history of wonderful retail and restaurants,” Christine added. “When we saw a space open up on the perimeter outside the mall, we knew it would be perfect for our concept: a stand-alone restaurant filled with lots of light. Food nourishes the body; our restaurant is calming and soothing to nourish the soul.”
Now to the best part—dinner.
My husband, Bob, accompanied me on this visit and started with the Medicine Man refresher: triple-brewed black tea, blueberry, pomegranate, honey and sea buckthorn. Despite the fruits and honey, it was not overly sweet which let the deeply steeped tea shine through.
I opted for a different “medicine”—a ginger margarita of añejo (aged) Tequila, elderflower liqueur, ginger honey and lemon. The smooth libation boasted a mellowed ginger spice with a hint of sweetness.
While we enjoyed our drinks, we nibbled on the kale guacamole, one of the most popular starters. We dug into the generous mound with pita chips (scratch-made is obvious now, but worth repeating) and savored the ever-so-slight heat from roasted poblano pepper, offset by a squeeze of bright pink grapefruit and a handful of cilantro. Sunflower seeds added an unexpected extra crunch.
Besides starters, the menu offers vegetables and fruit selections hearty enough to get the party going, like charred cauliflower with harissa tahini, Medjool dates, dill, mint and pistachios. You can move on to pizzas (try the housemade chicken sausage), salads (the Seasonal Ingredient is a cornucopia of tastes) and entrées (savor the spaghetti squash casserole).
I opted for the ancient grains bowl that brought together those mystical grains of old with tender miso-glazed sweet potatoes, turmeric, charred onions, snow peas, grilled portobello, avocado and hemp seed. Each bite was an explosion of sweet and smoky flavors matched only by the creamy and crisp textures. This is a vegan dish, and you can keep it that way with tofu, or add chicken, grass-fed steak, steelhead or shrimp.
Bob opted for the turkey burger, a meaty, hearty patty piled high with smashed avocado, tomato, lettuce, smoked Gouda and jalapeño remoulade. Turkey in all its forms provides a playful palette upon which to tease other flavors, and this dish’s accompaniments brought lots of roasty influences to play. Sweet potato hash was a fitting partner on his plate.
Other favorites from True Food Kitchen meals past are the inside out quinoa burger, a vegetarian and gluten-free delight with two quinoa burgers sandwiching hummus, tzatziki, tomato, cucumber, red onion and feta fixings, and the gluten-free pan-roasted chicken entrée rich with corn, green garbanzos, Fresno chili, feta and cilantro pumpkin seed pesto.
I couldn’t resist sampling dessert, especially the vegan and gluten-free sea buckthorn sorbet. Tart sea buckthorn as a dessert? Yes, courtesy of the sweet Luxardo cherries in the mix. There was a refreshing yin-yang to this treat, a tartness balanced by a sweetness, reminiscent of Amaretto.
All that goodness hailed from the dinner menu! Ask about the kids and brunch menus. The vibrant selections are sure to “true-ly” please even the pickiest eaters.
True Food Kitchen is open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Find True Food Kitchen at 239 Mall Blvd. in King of Prussia; phone: (484) 751-1954.
- Feature photo, staff photo and headshot: True Food Kitchen
- Other food and drink photos: Nina Malone
