Berkeley: Farm-to-salad restaurant Mixt opens at Shattuck Square

Mixt, the Bay Area-founded farm-to-salad restaurant, has made its way to Berkeley with new seasonal salads and the same organic ethos it’s espoused for 17 years.

Love snow peas? Lentils? Roasted beets? You can add any and all to your salad, then have it tossed with one of more than a dozen house-made dressings.

Mixt got its start in San Francisco in 2006 when Leslie and David Silverglide decided to create an ultra-green restaurant, meaning an eco-friendly eatery that specializes in made-to-order “farm to salad” cuisine. Since then, grain bowls and sandwiches have been added to the menu.

The company sources hundreds of ingredients from California farms and other suppliers, including Jayleaf of Hollister for arugula, kale, spinach and mixed greens and the employee-owned Pete’s for butter lettuce, according to Leslie Silverglide. The blue cheese comes from Point Reyes and the bread from Berkeley-based Acme.

Ten signature salads plus seasonal salads are offered. For late spring and summer, the Elote combines grilled chicken and grilled corn with butter lettuce, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, cotija cheese, avocado, pumpkin seeds, jicama, tajin, scallions and a lime crema dressing. The signature Be Well salad is mixed greens with avocado, chickpeas, quinoa, lentils, carrots, edamame, cucumbers, scallions, fresh herbs and a cilantro jalapeño vinaigrette.

Or you can Design Your Own salad. What’s new, popular and coming soon?

“We just brought on fresh grilled corn that adds incredible sweetness to any DYO,” Silverglide said. “As soon as they are ready, we will be adding fresh peaches to the menu. Our house-made cornbread crumbles are amazing. Our maple bbq drizzle is a great addition to any salad as well.”

Mixt operates several San Francisco locations and two in the East Bay (San Ramon and Oakland). The next expansion wave is already in the works.

“We have a handful of deals in the pipeline,” she said, “but are very focused on opening a Peninsula MIXT, another East Bay location, more in Los Angeles, along with potentially a San Francisco MIXT in a neighborhood.”