Alaina Loughridge with Commentary and Pictures by Crosby
Ripe Ingredients
Crosby and I had the absolute best time at Ripe Ingredients!! Ian and
Mason were kind enough to set us up and let us in for an evening of
feasting and laughs! There are so many choices and so much going on
there, decisions to be made (or not), that we are going to help you out and
tell you all about it.
We started out with the Chicken Bacon Ranch on Flatbread. Made up of
tomato, romaine, cheddar, ranch, and of course, chicken and bacon, this
flatty was a great start! Using Roma tomatoes instead of anything else out
there, with bacon that was crispy and clearly had just been made, and with
bread that was grilled perfectly - toasty on the outside and pillowy on the
inside - it was just flatty out yum. That was all dominated by the chicken
and not overwhelmed with filler. Some places over lettuce everything and
get all chintzy on the guts you really want. Not here. The ranch was good
too and y’all know what a freak show I am about my ranch. We paired that
with the Potato Salad which is peel on, mayo based, with green and red
peppers. It’s got a tang to it that will wake up your taste buds.
We topped the whole situation off with the Busta Limes Smoothie, made
simple with strawberry and lime. A perfect pairing without being puckerfaced
at all. You can definitely taste the fresh.
Off to the Beach Club Sandwich - a ham, turkey, bacon, swiss, parmesan,
tomato, romaine, spinach and chipotle mastermind! This is a really nice
modern update to a classic sandwich. It is huge and you’re gonna have to
flatten it with your hand, but it’s not going to weigh down your beach body.
The ciabatta bread was nice and airy and the house chipotle sauce is a
tangy thing that Ian absolutely refused to give us any information about!
We shared that with the Zapp’s Potato Chips New Orleans Kettle Style
Voodoo. Crosby said that Zapp’s is the “who done it” of potato chips and
it’s true. They are a combination of salty vinegar, barbeque and some other
unidentifiable ingredients. Whatever they contain, they are pretty damn
good!
We paired that with the Green Latifah Smoothie, a spinach, kale, mango,
pineapple and banana situation that does not look exciting at all. We were
both nervous. One sip each and we were sold! Best smoothie in town! Not
only does it taste great, it’s good for you and is a perfect way to get rid of
those Sunday dehydration cramps! The Green will wake you up and get you
energized to either face the day or stop shaking like a leaf! Your body will
thank you and your taste buds will too.
Moving along to the Hummus Wrap. This monster is made with hummus,
avocado, pepper jack, romaine, kale, spinach, chipotle quinoa, tomato and
ranch and will literally kick your taste buds in the crotch. Not shy with the
hummus and the crisp, fresh veggies, it’s good for you too! We tried the
Pasta with that wrap and that really is a great side choice. It’s not your
traditional Greek pasta, as it is definitely vinegar heavy, and it’s a great
10 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | SEPT 2020
mid-meal refresher and keeps your palate on point.
Add to that the Berry Acai (pronounced ah-see-ah for those that don’t
know), an acai, pomegranate, banana, blueberry, and strawberry smoothie
that is so well balanced, the kids will think it’s dessert and not even realize
it’s good for them.
Then on to Pesto Chango!! This Tybee Chicken Quesadilla is loaded with
grilled chicken, parmesan, cilantro pesto and comes with sour cream and
salsa on the side. Make sure you are a fan of pesto before you dip your
slice into your sauce. The tortilla is light, fluffy and loaded with pesto,
chicken and parmesan combo that gives it all a wonderful pungent flavor.
It’s simple, well done and protein forward.
With all of that, there is so much more. More flatbreads, more quesadillas,
wraps and sandwiches. More sides too. Fresh seasonal fruits are available
and there are also 25 different types of smoothies that you can add more
stuff to. From antioxidants, energy, fat burner, multivitamins to probiotic,
soy, whey, and pea proteins, to other good stuff for you. New stuff is coming
too: Acai Bowls!! A sorbet based delish that is going to be great! Always
fresh, Ripe Ingredients is a health nuts dream and a foodie persons to die
for. It’s also awesome for the rest of us!
Right now, Ripe Ingredients is open for dine in and take out. Open from
11am-8pm, you can find Ripe at 18 Tybrisa Street, right smack dab next to
their sister restaurant, Raw Ingredients, which a whole other story of fresh,
fab sushi (next time y’all). Call ahead for your order at (912) 472-4278!