Eating out with a dietitian's fork: Healthy picks in Midtown Village

Editor's Note: Philadelphia is a food lover's paradise, with more great restaurants and fun bars than we can count. But for someone watching their weight, dining out in Philly can feel overwhelming. Here's the good news: You don't have to ruin your healthy eating goals to enjoy our city's booming restaurant scene.

In the next few months, Theresa Shank, RD LDN will be traveling around the city to provide Philly.com readers with information on healthy meal selections at popular bars and restaurants. (Yes, dietitians eat out, too!) Future installments will cover food trucks, breakfast spots and every type of cuisine Philly has to offer. Consider Shank your personal menu navigation guide.

We'll let Shank take it from here…

Midtown Village is a hot dining zone located in the heart of downtown. Chockfull of dining options and wine bars, it's easy to understand why food lovers gravitate towards this area. In this installment, I will help you choose healthier appetizers and entrees while dining out in this trendy section of the city.

El Vez

This American-Mexican restaurant, owned by restaurateur Stephen Starr, is definitely a Philadelphia staple. El Vez offers diners a vibrant atmosphere to match its trendy Mexican fare, flavorful signature drinks and impeccable service. Yet, margaritas, tortilla chips and dishes smothered in cheese don't exactly add up to healthy fare. You won't find many caloric-friendly meals on this menu but don't despair, there's still hope for those watching their waistline. With minimal substitutions and a willingness to share plates, you can walk away from dinner here with little guilt and still be satisfied.

Let's start the guacamole. El Vez's signature guacamole is made with about four avocados and is noted to serve four people. Even though avocados offer healthy oils, their calories are anything but skimpy. A healthy serving size of an avocado is 1/8-1/4, so you'll want to consider sharing the guacamole bowl with at least 6 other diners to not waste all your calories prior to your entrée.

As a dietitian, I always encourage my clients to limit their intake of cheese to one serving per day, which is about one ounce. At El Vez it's easy to triple my daily recommendation, so go light on the cheese or avoid it completely before you order your entrée and you'll feel less guilty and most likely have enough room in your stomach to enjoy the delicious entrees El Vez has to offer. I recommend ordering the Red Snapper Ceviche or the Crab and Cactus Salsa as an appetizer to share with the entire table. Unlike many of the other offerings on the menu, both of theses options do not include cheese so you're saving fat and calories before you move onto your entrée. While the Crispy Mahi Mahi Tacos are my absolute favorite, they are also a big diet offender considering they are fried. If you are trying to make a healthy choice, you'll want to order the Tacos Al Carbon — build your own tacos with flour tortillas, rajas (peppers), pico de gallo, guacamole and queso fresco. (Try the shrimp and chicken option.) On the menu this platter is recommended to share between two people, however you can get away with serving three people if you order a hearty appetizer to start with. If you do not care to share then the Sea Bass Tacos are your best option. Served with sweet potato puree, grilled scallions and jalapeno, this sweet and spicy dish is small enough to eat on your own but large enough to satisfy your appetite and still leave room for a signature margarita.

Barbuzzo

Small plates, artisan pizzas, and a farm-to-table theme, this Mediterranean restaurant is certainly a favorite of mine. Barbuzzo's menu is meant for sharing so servers encourage that you order at least two plates per person.  I suggest trying the Roasted Raw Beet Salad with goat cheese, orange, Tuscan kale and pistachio pesto. I love this salad because it is satisfying enough to share or you can make it your meal. When ordering this salad, ask for no added salt. A new addition to the menu that is worth trying as an appetizer is the Tunisian Carrot and Quinoa Salad topped with gingered carrot dressing, raw beet, dates, mint, cilantro and toasted almonds. If you're looking for something heartier than a salad, I suggest the Roasted Pear Bruschetta. If you are dining with another person, try the Caciocavallo Stuffed Meatballs. Each meatball (two in an order) is about 4 ounces, which is the perfect portion to curb a carnivorous appetite. Barbuzzo's flavorful Grilled Bronzino is also a safe bet; served with warm mushroom-artichoke faro, Sicilian tomato pesto and salmoriglio. For a more carbohydrate-centric dish, the Margherita pizza is the healthiest choice of artisan pizzas; served with delicious san marzanos tomatoes, house stretched fior di latte, basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Pro Tip: When ordering vegetables such as the Pan Seared Brussel Sprouts, ask for no added salt and to go light on the butter. My experience from sitting at the chef's counter was eye opening when I saw how much butter and salt was thrown onto one dish after already being sautéed in olive oil and topped with pancetta.

Opa

Opa offers a sleek and modern feel to accompany its traditional Greek menu with a fusion flare. Opa is able to accommodate any size appetite by offering multiple selections of small plates to larger plates that are suggested for sharing. As a dietitian, I appreciate the wide variety of vegetable themed dishes; in fact the menu has an entire section for salad selections and vegetable plates. I recommend trying the Variety as an appetizer, which includes three spreads of your choice (cucumber yogurt, eggplant, spicy feta, carp roe, hummus or kalamata olive tapenade), vegetables, olives and grilled pita. You can also try the Greek Salad for a traditional taste or the Vegetable Flatbread served with zucchini, peppers, tomato sauce and manouri cheese. When ordering an entrée, I recommend the Gyro for a more casual appetite. The Gyro is served with grilled lamb (make it healthier by substituting with chicken) and topped with traditional tzatziki sauce and a flavorful relish of tomato, cucumber and onion. Choose the side salad and ask with the dressing on the side.  The Lamb Chops served with risotto style orzo or the pan crusted Sea Bass are two entrée's perfectly prepared by chef James Wells and require no "healthy substitutions."

Pro Tip: When dining out, try to only have one source of starch on your plate. This is one of the reasons why I order a salad with the Gyro (not French fries) because I am already eating a pita. I've also noticed that most of Opa's small plates and entrées are missing a vegetable component so I recommend ordering a salad to share or ordering a side salad with your entrée.

Sampan

Chef Michael Schulson has aced the cuisine of Asian fusion in this 120-seat establishment. If you are with a large group, you'll want to order the chefs tasting which includes seven menu selections to share plus house made soft-serve ice cream. If you are dining with a smaller group, each person should order at least two plates. Aim for one option from the small plates, satay or cold & hot section, in addition to ordering a large plate under the meat and fish section. As an appetizer I recommend ordering the Edamame Dumplings from the small plate section. One order contains four dumplings; which is a perfect portion if you are eating with another person. On the satay and cold & hot sections of the menu, I prefer the Wild Mushroom Salad served with goat cheese, puffed rice and truffle. At this restaurant, you'll want to order either a salad or a vegetable side dish because the entrees are minuscule in the vegetable department. For entrées, the Filet Mignon is a lean cut of beef unlike the Beef Short Rib; but I'd be committing a disservice to your taste buds if I suggested you order the Filet over the Short Rib just because it's a leaner cut. If you're going to order the Short Rib then skip fried appetizers such as the Crispy Rock Shrimp and order a side of Roasted Broccoli to save yourself from an overload of saturated fat. The Soy Glazed Chilean Sea Bass complimented with Cauliflower, Grapefruit and Apple Slaw is also an entrée worth ordering.

Pro Tip: If you are a vegetarian, don't forget to ask your server for the vegetarian menu which isn't featured on the main menu. I recommend trying the Kale Salad as an appetizer and the Ginger Steamed Tofu as an entrée.

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