The Berkeley Beacon

Issue date: 10/20/05 Section: Lifestyle

Media Credit: Beacon photo/Miriam Clithero

It is dinnertime and you are off and running, trying to find a portable morsel of food in the miserly 12-minute break your night class teacher has given you to scavenge for a meal. But a slice of pizza isn't cutting it and you want something heartier than a Subway salad. Where can you find a quick, satisfying meal near campus? Try Knowfat! Lifestyle Grille, a health-food/fast-food restaurant which recently opened its first franchise near Emerson's campus at 530 Washington St. (right across from Emerson's newest purchase, the Paramount Theatre).

Even entering the restaurant, with its sunburst-hued décor and boldly-lettered signs, is energizing. This restaurant-cum-health food store is run by former Wall Street player Jeremy Lappin. Lappin promises he can move a line of hungry customers as fast as he can move a stock trade.

"When the line has been out the door-and it was in the early days [in August] ... it's about four minutes from door to register," Lappin said.

A 28-year-old gym enthusiast and recent MIT grad, Lappin said he sympathizes with the plight of the health-conscious student.

"Even though we [students] are all poor, we still like to eat respectable food," Lappin said. "[Knowfat! Lifestyle Grille] is not as cheap as McDonald's, but you can get a good meal for seven dollars and a serious entrée for 11 dollars."

Not every meal at Knowfat! is ideal-some larger portions have their share of calories and fat. But customers know what they are getting because nutritional information for Knowfat!'s meals is written on customer receipts and the menu, with symbols denoting items which are high in protein, low in fat, low in carbs and/or vegetarian. Although some vegetarian dishes contain dairy items, such as the cheesy Veggie Burrito and the shakes, most salads are vegan, according to Lappin.

Knowfat! also offers healthy home-style sides, like sweet potatoes and broccoli, which has one gram of fat. The restaurant caters to dieters with low-fat, hearty meals that include the BBQ Sirloin Tip Wrap made with brown rice and broccoli in a whole-wheat tortilla ($6.99, 13 g of fat, 555 calories, 84 g of carbs). Atkins eaters can avoid the carbs by ordering steak tips à la carte with broccoli on the side.

Customers can order lunch-sized platters that come with one generous side or dinner-sized dishes with two sides, or order from a combo menu which offers wrap and burger combinations.

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