GG & Joe: Açai, Smoothies, Coffee and Toasts, Opens in Westport

The newest addition to the healthier eating scene in downtown Westport is GG & Joe, a cafe specializing in “Açai, Coffee and Toast”. Located in the former Talbots Kids space, this new space is light, bright, and airy, with cafe-style seating indoors as well as a lovely outdoor patio area. 

Açai (pronouced “ah-sigh-ee”)—What is it? It’s a purply-red fruit from the Acai Palm tree, which is found in Central and South America. It has earned its buzz due to high levels of antioxidants in the pulp, its fiber content, heart-healthy fats (believe it or not), and calcium, all of which combine to leave many berries, including blueberries and cranberries back in the berry basket. At GG & Joe, açai berry puree forms the foundation of many a colorful, fruit-filled bowl.

For these, GG & Joe offers eight varieties to choose from, or you can go rogue and design your own. While I was there, those in my group tried the Tropical and the Cascade bowls, substituting out any nuts products due to a nut allergy amongst us. The Cascade was a jewel-toned creation of layers of pitaya (aka dragon fruit-similar to kiwi in texture but white), coconut, blue spirulina (a type of blue-green powdered algae), granola, blueberries, banana, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, and almond butter. Due to the allergy, the granola and almond butter had to take a hike.

The Tropical was, as you would expect, a bright and colorful bowl reminiscent of a palm-swaying island; vibrant yellow pineapple and verdant kiwi which was juicy and delicious, a sprinkle of coconut, a perfect little line of banana slices, all sprinkled with crunchy chia seeds. Underneath was the deep purple-magenta of the acai, which on a hot day was refreshing in its semi-frozen state (not sure if it was supposed to be icy, but on that day, it worked).

We also tried one of their “toasts”, a smoothie and a croissant from their pastry case; a little bit of all their offerings (minus the coffee drinks). We started with the Classic Avocado Toast and it fit the bill for a healthy lunch or breakfast. I opted for the Paleo Bagel as the base, which honestly, I might skip next time only because I was hungry that that bagel was one. small, thin. bagel. Topping it was a good schmear of mushed, creamy avocado, then topped with a big slice of tomato (would have preferred it to be more ripe, however), a zesting of lemon which added a good zing and a hearty sprinkle of Everything But the Bagel seasoning, with which you can never go wrong. Five different toasts grace their menu, from sweet to savory with your choice of breads. You can also lay an egg on top if you so choose.

Washing all this down was the Purple Rain Smoothie (Prince not included), one of nine that they offer. Acai, strawberries, blueberries, lime juice, almond milk all whirred together, not too thick, not too thin, just Goldilocks-right. As with the bowls, the smoothies all contain a handful of ingredients, so spend a few minutes taking them all in, and then you can even add extras like vanilla protein, blue spirulina, collagen, MCT oil (medium-chain triglycerides, for all you newbies, which contain medium- length chains of fats called triglycerides. Yeah, they are good for you) or Vitamin C. Needless to say, you’ll end up with a smoothie that checks all your boxes when you are done crafting it to your liking. 

The pastry case had about a dozen treats, from croissants and muffins to huge cookies and scones. They’d pair well with the myriad of coffee drinks they have; a good ol’ cup of  the House blend, Bulletproof Coffee (with the MCT oil and some grass-fed Ghee), Matcha or Turmeric Lattes (regular lattes, too), Chai, Hot Chocolate. Iced versions are available too. Syrups used in some of these drinks, such as the chocolate, vanilla and caramel, are house-made.

All in all, despite the menu initially seeming small, there’s something to find here that will keep you going throughout your day.

 *One note, for those of you with tree nut/peanut allergies, be mindful. Items/ingredients that contain nuts are not marked.

GG & Joe: Acai, Coffee and Toast

165 Main St., Westport

www.ggandjoe.com