Let me be clear, all restaurants are fantastic places with lots of food in them. It’s just that some are better than others.

This might come as a bit of a surprise to some of you, but I’m a health nut and have been for as long as I can remember. Grain free, soy free, sugar free, no booze””pretty much the story of my life. And while I occasionally dream of binging on Twinkies and Kahlua (and sometimes squirrels) the truth of the matter is I’ll never let myself go down that road of destruction.

Instead, every morning I go on a hike in the hills with my mom. Cute, I know, but never underestimate the power of mom time. It’s productive. On the way home we always stop by Beverly Hills Juice. It’s on Beverly and Orlando in the heart of West Hollywood.

BHJ, as the regulars call it, is the hot spot for all the wheat grass junkies in town. Ironically, back in the 70’s, the building was designed to be a counter service butcher’s shop. Butchers are heroic meat-cutting geniuses, but I digress. BHJ is standing room only so sometimes the line can be long (think Pinks Hotdogs with a totally different clientele). Yours truly usually slips in unnoticed, but if it’s super busy I’ll hang on the bench out front while my mom does the ordering.

First, always order a “triple single”. It will make you sound like a local and you’ll meet your whole greens quota for the day in one shot. Literally.

After that, I usually opt for a Big Ten (beets, carrots, romaine, spinach, parsley and celery) and my mom gets the carrot coconut cacao banana manna smoothie. They’re both amazing. It’s cash only and a little on the pricey side, but nothing like the new juice spots that have been popping up around town. Unlike them, BHJ has been around for nearly 35 years. Hal, the morning juice dude, has been working there for almost as long. He won’t crack a smile, because he’s busy, but you’ll get some good stories from him while he quickly whips up your order.

The menu is seasonal and organic and the juice is pressed each morning onsite. The ladies and gents who work in the front and back are really nice and total pros. Part of what I like about BHJ is that when I walk in, for a moment, I feel like I live in a small town. You’re bound to run into a few familiar faces no matter what.

So, next time you’re in line at Beverly Hills Juice and you see a bulldog in a bandana, don’t hesitate to give me a pat and/or a sip of your smoothie.

Stay hungry my friends…