Two new healthy food options debut on Staten Island, and one of the Jersey Shore castmates promotes a diet cookbook

by Jessica Jones-Gorman

LEAN & MEAN
Vinny Guadagnino, former co-star of the MTV reality series, Jersey Shore, has a new pursuit: being an author (yes, you heard right!). In his The Keto Guido Cookbook: Delicious Recipes To Get Healthy and Look Great (Callisto Media, 2019), he chronicles a dramatic 50-pound weight loss and lays out a convenient seven-day diet meal plan. The cookbook and guide explores arguably the hottest thing in dieting these days: this very low-carb, high-fat nutrition protocol (putting the body into a metabolic state called ketosis) that shares a number of aspects of Atkins and other low-carb plans.

For skeptics, the book also features a scientific breakdown from ketogenic diet expert and wellness coach, Karissa Long. Among the more uncomplicated recipes from Guadagnino are an Italian Sausage Breakfast Casserole, Zucchini Roll Manicotti, and Baked Chicken Caprese. The book retails for $29.99 and can be found at most retailers.

WHERE KIM COOKS & CATERS
Kim Leo of Lenny’s Clam Bar and Dock’s fame recently set up shop in Grant City, debuting Kim Cooks & Caters on the site of the former Corner house express. Its menu, which is mostly clean, healthy, and keto, features fare cooked with no white flour, sugar, or dairy. Wraps and burgers are the star here, but there are also Clam Bar Specialties and appetizers such as prosciutto-wrapped burratta, plus a range of house-made soups and thin-crust pizza. There’s breakfast options, too: Steel Cut Overnight Oatmeal is served with fresh fruit, and the Egg White Sandwich comes on a buttered Ezekiel Mun. Pancakes are made with chocolate chips, blueberries, or bananas. 97 Lincoln Avenue, kimcooksandcaters.com

THE SAFE ZONE
A new vegan eatery is making waves on the South Shore, blending fresh juices and pumping out a range of menu items that are all gluten-, peanut-, soy-, dairy-, and egg-free. The restaurant, which serves burgers, soups, sandwiches, pizza, and appetizers, has become a haven for food lovers with allergies. Menu standouts include Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza, an Artichoke and Spinach Burger topped with creamy pesto, and Coconut Tai Butter Bean Soup. Bakery items include allergen friendly chocolate hunk brownies and cookie dough balls. 4916 Arthur Kill Road, 646.960.6411, loveearthcafebakery.com