Need a quick meatless bite tonight? Check out Crushed Red Urban Bake & Chop Shop, a casual pizza, salad and soup spot in downtown Clayton.
At Crushed Red, patrons order their food at the counter like a fast food restaurant. But while the layout creates a relaxed and breezy atmosphere, the eatery’s fare isn’t remotely comparable to typical fast food.
Try one of the daily rotating soups if it’s a chilly winter day. On my visit, there were two appealing vegetarian options: Brie and Mushroom Bisque, and Butternut Squash. But I couldn’t resist a house-made pie, so I opted for the Blistered Corn, Asparagus and Pesto Pizza, one of the many meatless offerings. This personal pizza’s bubbly crust was coated with a creamy basil pesto and piled with plump slices of tomatoes, fresh asparagus and sweet roasted corn and then sprinkled with mild mozzarella and fiery crushed red pepper flakes.
Whether it’s a work lunch, an afternoon pick-me-up or a prolonged dinner with friends, enjoying a laid-back Meatless Monday just got a lot easier in downtown Clayton.
This article appears in November 2012.