RELAX, REPENT, REFUEL, REPEAT
In a city known for excess, Panacea (panacealv.com) stands out like an orange-robed monk meditating in the middle of a smoky casino floor. The new plant-based restaurant, juice bar and wellness center in Boca Park allows you to experience the healing power of food, Zen out and engage with Vegas’ health-minded community, says Shane Stuart, co-founder of Panacea, who also opened one of the city’s first health restaurants, Downtown’s now-defunct Grassroots Juice Bar. “Panacea isn’t just about food,” says Stuart. “We’re about people coming together, and raising the overall health and energy of the Vegas community.” That’s why Panacea also offers tea ceremonies and events that bring the community together to learn and talk about wellness. But that’s not to say the menu is an afterthought. Panacea, for example, serves the perfect guilt-free cheat meal: the Ultimate burger— a mimic of an In-n- Out Burger that swaps beef for a black bean, quinoa, farrow and mushroom patty— and an organic vegetable and fruit smoothie that tastes just like a mint chocolate chip milkshake. After lunch, settle in with your laptop and an otherworldly coffee. “We serve lattes made with indigenous superfoods like beetroot, spirulina and matcha maca,” says Stuart. Soon, Panacea will offer buzz-inducing beverages like raw wine, dandelion wine, or kombucha fermented with health-improving ingredients like turmeric and goji berries. “My philosophy is that you heal the soul, the soul heals the mind, the mind heals the body,” Stuart says. “And all that healing starts from the inside, with food.” – Michael Easter