Quarks American Bento has been in downtown St. Clo...

Quarks American Bento has been in downtown St. Cloud for over a year. They're part of the revitalization that continues in downtown St. Cloud, with many new businesses renovating older properties.

Quarks is a great concept in truly fresh ingredients. Their produce isn't pre-packaged. It isn't frozen. It's a refreshing idea amid all the burger joints downtown - a place where you can find truly healthy, flavorful food that's good for you.

My two initial hesitations were: is the food warm, and how do you order?Thankfully, it's all spelled out for you.

You have various options (think Chipotle or Pieology). The easiest way to begin is with a bowl, but there are other options as well (soup, etc). You choose your protein. The chicken, in my case - was excellent. You then choose your grain (brown rice, in my case), and then the fresh ingredients (carrots, red cabbage, green onion, pea pods, yellow zucchini, cucumber, etc.). Then you choose your sauce/topping. I chose the spicy peanut sauce which was combined with a toasted sesame seed sauce to cut down on the spiciness. You can taste the sauces ahead of time, so you get what you like. It was awesome.

With that, you're given a delightful bowl of incredibly healthy ingredients that tastes wonderful, is filling, and doesn't leave you feeling sick or lethargic, but rather provides energy and nutrients.

Adam and Lisa have created a one-of-a-kind place with a fun downtown vibe. Located where it is, it should draw some of the theater crowd, students from St. Cloud State, travelers/visitors, and the downtown business lunch crowd. I'd highly recommend it, and will be back to try some of the other offerings.