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Who: Amir Mostafavi
Lives: Falls Church
Does: CEO and founder of South Block
It probably won’t come as a shock that the founder and CEO of the local smoothie and juice chain South Block eats a healthy diet. Amir Mostafavi frequently travels between the 10 South Block locations in the area, but he makes sure to get in lots of fruits and vegetables along the way.
But that doesn’t mean he only eats plants. “I have always considered myself an ‘equal opportunity dieter’ when it comes to dietary beliefs,” he says. “I wanted South Block to be a place where all would feel welcome, regardless of what they eat in a day.”
Here’s what he cooks and eats to get him through a busy day.
7 AM
“On a typical day, I have salad for breakfast, which probably surprises most people (what can I say, I love fruits and veggies for any meal). This salad, which I call ‘eggs over greens,’ does still incorporate a typical breakfast vibe with the two over-easy eggs I add on top for some extra protein. Underneath, I combine sliced plum tomatoes, cracked pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette to tie it all together. I usually eat this salad at my house before heading out to one of the South Block locations, typically the East Falls Church headquarters.
9 AM
“On this particular day, I ended up in East Falls Church, where we’re making cold-pressed juice in our commissary kitchen. This is where we make all the cold-pressed, bottled juices for all of our locations. I then catch a whiff of our fresh ground coffee beans since this spot is one of our cafe locations. My go-to this morning is a cappuccino with Commonwealth Joe espresso, which satisfies my love of coffee (behind juices and smoothies, of course!). I also opt for an açaí bowl to complement my cappuccino. After giving a fist bump to my team, I head back to my office to check emails and get some work done.
1 PM
“Later, I’ll typically grab another salad. One of my go-to favorites is Sweetgreen. Lately, however, I have been experimenting with a salad at South Block that I use making ingredients we have for our avocado toasts. I am currently hooked on a new creation that we will be launching this spring called the Super Salad. It has spinach, microgreens, avocado, beet hummus, hard boiled egg, hemp hearts, za’atar spice, crushed red pepper, and olive oil. One of the perks of having a quick service restaurant is that I always have food around. Plus, since I created a menu based on things I love, it never gets old. I eat at South Block a ton.
3 PM
“In the afternoon, I’ll grab a cold-pressed juice. My go-to is the Greens, which is an all-veggie juice. With no fruit, this is not for the novice juicer. It’s not sweet, but it is packed with greens, which I love.
7 PM
“For dinner, I head home to spend time eating with my wife and two daughters. I’m half-Persian, so I love to incorporate some of that culture into my dinners after a day full of fruits and veggies. One of my favorite traditional dishes is an eggplant dish called Khoresh-e Bademjoon (Persian eggplant and tomato stew). I love eggplant. If I am in a rush, usually once a week, I will grab a Mighty Meal. Tonight, I did end up opting for a Mighty Meal since I’m a little pressed for time. I’m a big fan of the Peruvian rubbed chicken because it’s just indulgent enough to keep you satisfied and full, but there’s also some great veggies and healthy carbs in there as well.”
Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She’s written for The Washington Post, Garden & Gun, Outside Magazine, Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Del Ray.
