story & photos by Jamie Brinkman

Tucked away on a seemingly residential street in downtown San Clemente, Nourish, a juice café and java bar, has opened its doors to a full health experience, not just a food experience. 

Specializing in cold pressed juices and smoothies and fully organic food options, complete with indoor and outdoor dining space, Nourish hopes to provide a place to relax, renew, and rejuvenate the body and the mind, restoring and creating new energy for both the individual and the community at large.

Jessilynn Gilbank, owner of the popular downtown yoga studio Asana Fit, moved to San Clemente in 2006. Having participated in fitness competitions for several years, she felt that her body was in need of a serious health overhaul. She decided to open Asana Fit and reconnect her mind and body through the practice of yoga. A short time later she met Sherry Tripp when she hired her as a yoga teacher. Sharing much of the same passion for healthy living and traveling, the two became better than just good friends, and have since spent the last several years traveling the world, exploring and educating themselves about different forms of healthy living. 

Somewhere in the midst of their travels, the two discovered that they both had a surprisingly similar dream - to one day open a health food cafe that would not only fill stomachs, but one that would feed souls. However, that idea still seemed a long way off.

In 2010, Gilbank decided to further her education in the healthy living lifestyle and she went back to nutrition school where she discovered the concept of juicing. David Wolf, a super foods pioneer and advocate of juicing, changed Gilbank’s idea of what nourishment entailed. So after taking inspiration from some of the places the two friends had traveled, such as Bali, and combining this with the newfound knowledge of the benefits of juicing, the idea for Nourish was conceived via many brainstorming sessions and several inspiration boards.

The space where the cafe currently resides became available in late 2013 and the work on it began as soon as it was obtained. The two friends completely transformed the former residence into a sort of retreat. 

Wide-open french doors now beckon patrons inside where the first thing seen is a large cooler displaying rows of aesthetically pleasing, colorful jars of juice made fresh every morning. Those in a hurry, can order, pay, grab their juice or smoothie and go, simple as that. 

With time to spare, however, one can order and continue through the next doorway and into the interior dining area where pops of green and orange accent the industrial feel of the indoor space, and succulent chandeliers and vintage lamps hang above chrome colored tables. 

Off to one side, an entire wall is dedicated to educating patrons about all of the ingredients found in the juices, with emphasis on the super foods such as camu camu, bee pollen, chia, and goji. The juices are all cold-pressed so they don’t lose any of the valuable nutrients found inside of these nutrient-packed super foods (heating above 100 degrees tends to destroy nutrients in food).  

Super foods are even used in their coffee. Real cacao can be found in the mochas and hot chocolate, and the Macs berry is put into some of the lattes. The water used in every drink is completely alkaline, which is designed to balance the body and reduce acid from the extreme acidity of the typical American diet. Smoothies, soups both hot and cold, salads and wraps are made on the spot with produce and ingredients that are as fresh as possible and 100% organic. And you can enjoy these fabulous menu items inside or outside. 

The backyard has been transformed into an oasis of sorts - a serene succulent garden in the middle of a bustling downtown. Calming music serenades the garden and succulent “art walls” surround it, with numerous places to sit and enjoy the energy. 

“We wanted to create an atmosphere of community,” says Tripp, “a place where people can come and fill their bodies, minds, and souls”. 

The goal of these two friends was to create a health experience and a movement towards healthier living and healthier energy, and one visit to Nourish will show you that they have done just that. If you need a break in your day to gain energy, inspiration, or simply some nourishment, walk or drive on over to Nourish Cafe.

Contact Nourish @ (949) 545-7776 or visit www.nourishca.com.144 Avenida Serra, SC.