Cool, colorful and packed with feel-good fuel, açaí bowls are having a serious moment. Açaí (pronounced (ah-sigh-EE) is a small, dark purple berry native to the Amazon rainforest that is loaded with antioxidants, fiber and natural energy. In an açaí bowl, this nutrient-packed superfruit blended into an ice-cold creamy puree (typically with other ingredients like bananas or berries) and topped with an endlessly customizable assortment of toppings. Striking the perfect balance between healthy and indulgent, açaí bowls are the ultimate summer treat. Here’s where to find some local favorites well worth digging into.
Anny and Warley Scarabelli launched their food truck in 2020 and this past November opened a brick and mortar location. Purple Bol make their own açaí base in-house with bananas and a little apple juice for sweetness. In the Wanny’s Bowl, that base is topped with banana, blueberry, strawberry, granola, chia seeds, flax seeds and a honey drizzle.
Passion Roots freshly blends açaí with other fruits and doesn’t use any seed oils. “I took everything I didn’t like about what I call the commercialized açaí bowl and we did our own spin on it,” says Passion Roots owner Jamie Walsh. “We freshly blend açaí with other fruits. It’s all whole foods and if it’s possible to get an ingredient that’s organic, that’s what we use. We don’t use any seed oils. What you see is what you get.”
BARE Blends got its start in Albany, New York five years ago as a fast-casual healthy food cafe focusing on gluten-free, vegan fare. It has now expanded to ten locations, including the Sarasota franchise owned by Sue Collet. One of BARE Blends’ bestselling bowls is the Açaí Overload.
Mojo Risin’ Coffee Co. is first and foremost a coffee shop, with a full array of drip coffees, espresso-based drinks and blended frappes. But because of its proximity to Siesta Key they also do a brisk business in fresher, fruitier fare like smoothies and smoothie bowls. “We don’t have an açaí base or smoothie bowl base that we scoop out of a container,” says Mojo Risin’manager Nicole McCartney. “We have all the ingredients here and we blend the bowls to order.”
Jie Chen of Siesta Poké gained her passion for healthy food living around the globe in places including China, Spain, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore. After her Siesta Key home sustained severe damage in last year’s back-to-back hurricanes, she had a hard time finding the food she liked to eat. Last November, she had the opportunity to buy Siesta Poké and now she’s there nearly every day, sharing her enthusiasm for deliciously clean eating.
Purple BÅÂl, 3856 South Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota, 941-323-4440, purplebol.com. Passion Roots, 7650 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-706-1361, www.instagram.com/passionroots/acai.com. BARE Blends, 1425 2nd Street, Sarasota, 941-487-8456, bareblends.com/sarasota. Mojo Risin’, 521 Ocean Boulevard, Siesta Key, 941-349-6656, mojorisincoffee.com. Siesta Poké, 5206 Ocean Boulevard, Sarasota, 941-217-6359, siestapoke.com.
