Nu Kitchen is located 195 Washington Street, Somerville, MA and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Indoor seating is available with COVID-19 restrictions. — Photos by Riann Keniston-Hale

By Denise Keniston and
Riann Keniston-Hale
tw:@denisekeniston

Any casual restaurant worth its salt has a proper neon sign and Union Square’s Nu Kitchen (nu translates to naked in French) has a sign that really takes the cake. Their “EAT CLEAN, drink naked” neon is a nod to its French name and a call-out to customers to dig into Nu’s fresh, healthy menu.

But, hey, don’t take the drink naked part too seriously! Owner Joshua Van Dkye says, “Nu Kitchen is meant to be a playful take on delicious, fresh food. We try not to take ourselves too seriously, but our menu and customers are a different story.” He adds, “We believe your food, drink, and lifestyle should be free from all the junk. We’re committed to keeping our customer healthy and happy with a lot of options – more and more vegan – and so far, that’s working out.”

Although many restaurants in Somerville have closed, Nu Kitchen is sinking roots. Van Dyke purchased the property at 195 Washington Street in Union Square as he did with his first location in Worcester and his newest venture in Newburyport. Most restaurants hedge their bets by leasing, but Van Dyke takes the risk in stride.

Nu Kitchen has three locations in Somerville, Worcester, and soon-to-be Newburyport. They specialize in smoothies, fresh juices, acai bowls, paninis, grain bowls, and craft beer and wine.

Still, 2020 hasn’t been an easy year for Nu Kitchen with COVID-19 restrictions along with construction on Washington Street, but Van Dyke continues to expand. He says, “Despite the pandemic and regulations and the construction we’re just 5% off where we were this time last year.” He goes on to say, “I’m not a trained cook myself, but I surround myself with great cooks who help create the menu and keep things new and interesting. I’m a believer in owning real estate and that’s the part of the success story I personally do best.”

Nu Kitchen is vegan and vegetarian friendly, but that doesn’t compromise the meaty side of the menu. Their spread is all over the board from fresh salmon with rice, to the popular granola acai bowl, harvest tofu scramble breakfast bowl, chicken Caesar warp, and real fruit smoothies.

Steve Carr fights the construction and traffic to make his way over to Nu Kitchen several times a month. His go-to is the Oahu Acai Bowl ($9.99) with a helping of homemade peanut butter.

Steve Carr works over in Charlestown and is a Nu Kitchen regular. He says, “Nu Kitchen has become my go- to spot for a healthy lunch or dinner. I head over to Nu a few times a month and you cannot go wrong with anything on the menu from the salads, wraps or super grain bowls.” He adds, “If I had to pick one item that keeps me coming back it would be the Oahu Acai bowl with an extra serving of their homemade peanut butter.”

The grain bowls and panini sandwiches are also standouts. The Chipotle Avocado and Lime Bowl ($10.49) is a healthy mix of organic quinoa and brown rice, steamed kale, fire-roasted corn, black beans, fresh salsa, and avocado topped with our spicy chipotle lime dressing. The Pesto Chicken Panini ($10.49) is grilled chicken, pesto, sliced tomatoes, caramelized onions, spinach, and melted mozzarella on grilled flatbread.

Nu Kitchen delivers – via third party apps – and does pickup or you can eat inside in the roomy café while practicing COVID-19 restrictions. You can find their hours and online ordering on their website at www.thenukitchen.com. They’re open most weekdays 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and weekends 8:00 a.m.– 9:00 p.m. Bon Appetit!

Nu Kitchen is well-known for its super grain bowls. The Buddha Bowl, Sushi Bowl, Chick Pea and Parmesan Bowl, and the Chipotle Avocado and Lime Bowl are all $10.49.