Located across the street from Mercy on 11 Mile Road, Ideal Bite Community Kitchen is a quaint and peaceful place to get great food. The restaurant offers its customers an array of options, all made with organic ingredients.

The Ideal Bite company has been around for over eight years and started out as a catering business in the Royal Oak area, created by Chef Amy Jean Thompson and Chef Matt Lange. The couple always wanted to create a restaurant where they could serve healthy meals. The Ideal Bite Community Kitchen opened near Mercy this year in Oct.

Ideal Bite offers catering for different events and the catering menu can be found on its website — www.idealbitecatering.com. The restaurant offers different soups, salads, sandwiches, and a variety of sides and pastries. If you are looking for something healthy, try the fresh vegetable couscous, or if you want something a little more hearty, try a bowl of the Guinness black bean chili or the chicken parmesan sliders. One thing that is unique about the restaurant is that it does not serve pop. The owners only want to sell drinks that are preservative-free and made locally.

I decided to try the turkey melt, apple pomegranate quinoa salad, and the roasted sweet potato wedges. The wedges had a beautiful crunch on the outside and a nice, soft texture on the inside. The best part about them was that they came with warm honey, which was a relish condiment to complement the subtly sweet wedges. I then took a took a bite out of the turkey melt and was pleasantly surprised. The warm three-cheese blend and turkey were the first to be admired by my taste buds. Then, I could taste the light avocado oozing out of the bread. The sandwich was great on its own, but once I added the garlic aioli, I was in love. Lastly, I scooped up some of the delicious quinoa. The crisp apple, crunchy walnuts, and tart cranberries really enhanced the flavor of the quinoa, making the salad very enjoyable. I finished my meal with a warm chocolate chip cookie, which was to die for.

The atmosphere of the restaurant complemented the delicious food. The fall decorations and soft music created a warm and inviting environment to enjoy a healthy snack. Also, the staff at Ideal Bite are friendly and welcoming to those who come in.

Ideal Bite also has a “Take and Bake” section where customers can buy pre-made food to cook at home. There are also different snacks that customers can purchase along with their meals.

Typically open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., except on Sundays, Ideal Bite Community Kitchen is a great alternative to grabbing a pizza from Little Caesars. Stop by whenever you are in the mood for a filling and scrumptious healthy meal.