‘Watts for Dinner’ the Takeout Edition: Naturally good – Summer Day Market & Café

Our next dining destination is Summer Day Market & Café in Marco Town Center Mall. This stop is a unique treasure for Marco Island, offering healthy food items from the store and café, along with a wide selection of smoothies.

If you haven’t been in a while, Summer Day could use your support. Not only is a pandemic going on, but the mall is currently undergoing a remodel, which makes it a less than appealing visit for some. This remodel has been long and drawn out, and instead of focusing on certain parts of the mall, then moving on, it is basically affecting every square foot of the mall simultaneously. But the remodel is much needed and sorely overdue.

This visit we took home two sandwiches to share ($9.99 each), the tuna salad and the veggie (all offerings can also be wraps).

2019 Review:‘Watts for Dinner’: A healthy fix at Summer Day Market & Café

The first features albacore tuna mixed with Vegenaise, carrots, onion and celery; served with lettuce, tomato, red onion and sprouts. We picked whole grain bread over wheat; the tuna is piled high and the veggies are amazing. Great taste! I did add some pickles from home.  

The veggie came with mixed greens, hummus, tomatoes, red onions, shredded carrots, avocado, cucumbers, sprouts, lettuce and organic goddess dressing. I expected the tuna to be my favorite, but oh no. It was the veggie by far. So, so good! The dressing and the terrific blend of veggies is superb! I highly recommend this dish.

We paired the sandwiches with a fresh vegetarian split pea soup. OMG! Was a terrific blend. If you think it’s not split pea without ham, I challenge you to try this soup. You won’t regret it.

The café’s organic soups are made in house daily. Small is $4; medium is $6 and large is $9.

There’s also a salad bar, where you pay by the pound and includes tuna salad, organic egg salad or Waldorf chicken salad ($8.99/lb).

More:‘Watts for Dinner’ the Takeout Edition: Verdi’s – Efficient, consistent and artful

If you’re looking for a treat, there’s a variety of organic and natural fruit smoothies and acai superfood smoothies. We selected the acai bowl ($11.99), with creamy frozen ice-creamy acai, topped with fresh fruit, strawberries and granola. It really hits the spot. If you’re wondering, we’ve also sampled the smoothies and they stand apart from others. You can tell they are more naturally inclined.

During a December 2019 visit (construction was going on then too) I had the California, featuring turkey, avocado, sprouts, tomato, cucumber, onion and organic goddess dressing. I selected the spinach-flavored wrap. This item goes a long way to dispel the myth that health-conscious food can’t also be filling and delicious. It was my favorite selection during that visit. The avocado was pure perfection and the sprouts were plentiful.

Back to our more recent visit, we also shopped in the store. We picked out some sundried tomato lavish wraps from Sami’s Bakery ($6.99). We used them to make some chicken wraps at home. Fabulous! We also selected some Siete grain free tortilla chips 9$6.59) and some Good Health sweet potato chips ($3.49). Yum!

Summer Day Café offers great food that’s good for you. Whether you’re looking for a snack, meal or healthy ingredients for your own kitchen, you’ll find it all right here.

More:Hey Marco Island, looking for a place to eat?

This newspaper pays for all meals related to dining reviews. We do not solicit or accept free food.

If you go

Summer Day Market & Café

• 1069 N. Collier Blvd., Unit 216, Marco Island (in Marco Town Center Mall)
• 239-394-8361
• summerdaymarket.com