We recently welcomed the invitation to check out one of NEPA’s newest restaurants. It’s called Root & Sprig. And it’s located…bear with me… at the Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint on Oak Street in Pittston. That’s right. You’ll find this refreshingly bright, contemporary café just inside the health center’s main entrance. So, what is it, exactly (and why am I telling you all about it)?

Root & Sprig is a “fast-casual” café concept that focuses on the role of accessible, high-quality, nourishing food within the healthcare space. Put simply, Root & Sprig is an elevated soup, salad and sandwich joint. Of course, there’s a bit more to it than that. Way at the top of this enterprising concept between “fine fast-casual” cuisine and healthcare spaces is world-renowned Head Chef Tom Colicchio. Yes, the multi-James-Beard-Award-winning and Bravo’s-Top-Chef-hosting Tom Colicchio. Along with a talented team from both the healthcare and food industries and a partnership with Health Hospitality Partners (HHP), Colicchio created Root & Sprig to ignite the potential of cuisine as a comforting agent within this largely overlooked space and as a “thank you” to the brave and selfless healthcare community. Along with the Geisinger Healthplex in Pittston, the uber-niche restaurant chain is also set up in Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Aurora, Colorado. And this spring, they will be opening their newest location in Roslyn, NY.

For the team at the new Geisinger Healthplex, the sleek, health-conscious café serves as an extension of their healthy community-building ethos. “At Geisinger, we strive for high quality care and a commitment to an excellent patient experience,” says Michael DiMare, Administrative Director, Geisinger Northeast. “Root and Sprig shares our mission and vision, making them an excellent partner in the new Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint.”

It’s delicious, chef-inspired food with a mission.

“Root & Sprig was created with two main values in mind – delivering bold flavors and making people happy,” says franchise Co-Founder and Director of Finance, Maryrose Galvez. “We strive to create an environment that makes guests feel at home and not in a healthcare space, let alone a quick-service restaurant.”

The menu boasts hearty breakfast bowls and egg sandwiches packed with protein and veggies and tons of flavor. Choose from a selection of loaded toast options ranging from savory to sweet. And, on the lighter side, they offer acai bowls full of fresh fruit, granola, almond milk and maybe a little chocolate or honey depending on your preference.

The lunch menu is all about those four S’s – sandwiches, salads, soups and sides. All are made to order and prepared with the freshest ingredients. “Our food speaks for itself,” Galvez says. “You won’t find your standard ham and cheese sandwich, but inspiring recipes and flavor combinations you would never think to try.”

Yeah, yeah… Just get to the grub.

A few of those unique lunch options include the Ultimate Steak sandwich with tender grilled flank steak, gooey, white cheddar, tangy sauteed kale, roasted peppers and garlic dressing. And there’s the much-raved-about (mostly by our crew) TC Club with roasted turkey, bacon, balsamic onion relish, smashed avocado and aoli. Both come on crispy, toasted ciabatta. There’s more – a Cuban sandwich, a pork BBQ, tuna steak, chicken salad and even sesame ginger marinated tofu. My personal rec’ — the Chicken Caliente. It’s straight bussin’.

Root & Sprig also transports a lot of those chef-inspired recipes and unique ingredient combos into the salad menu. The Cow Bell features grilled flank steak, chickpeas, kale, roasted red peppers, parmesan cheese and lemon vinaigrette. Strawberry Fields includes fresh strawberries (of course), cucumbers, kale, creamy goat cheese, walnuts and a balsamic reduction. You’ll find eight salad options in total. And they also include grilled chicken, marinated tuna, tofu and more.

The soups are fresh, hot and made daily. On our visit, the options were a zesty Tomato Basil and hearty Chicken Vegetable. An offering of sweet and savory sides includes Spicy Slaw, Marinated Chickpeas, Charred Broccoli, Fruit Salad, Yogurt and more. And on top of all that, they’re also slingin’ made-to-order hot and iced coffee drinks and flavor-infused teas.

The tiny café, with their small, dedicated and happy team also offers an extensive catering menu. You can do buffet style team lunches with a mix-n-match option, or boxed lunch with a sandwich, salad, chips and a snack. The full menu is available for catering. And you can pick it up or have it delivered throughout the region.

“C’mon. Give it a try. I dare you.” – Handsome and famous, award-winning celebrity chef, Tom Colicchio (This is also a totally fake quote)

Now, you might think this is a lot of ink for a little hospital café. The truth is Root & Sprig is actually open to the public. Anyone can pop in Monday thru Friday for breakfast or lunch. No, you don’t need to be visiting the Healthplex. You don’t need an appointment or a Geisinger employee badge. You just need to be hungry and willing to give it a try. And, once you do, you’ll understand (and just maybe you’ll add it to your list of favorites).

Visit Root & Sprig in the Main Lobby of Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint at 1201 Oak St. in Pittston (the old WalMart). They are open Monday — Friday for breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. They offer inside dining, grab-n-go options, on-line ordering, take-out, delivery and catering.

Learn more about their mission, their locations, and their menus here. And don’t forget to check them out on social media.