Good to Go opens in Carmel Crossroads with custom juices and quick-easy-healthy fare.

The juice revolution has not been televised.

Which is beautiful.

That's because it's been carried out not by corporate types who like TV ads (the saturated fat of communication), but by small, local, mom-and-pop-style spots that love kale, spinach and apple (the stuff of light and health).

The latest addition: Good to Go (574-3125), now open in the The Crossroads Carmel next to r.g. Burgers.

It occupies a tall-ceilinged, almost-all-white space with a workshop-style kitchen set off by green trim and other accents.

From the simple and clean space, the managers prioritize custom juices ($6-$8) and smoothies ($5-$6.50) and constantly rotating take-out items like hummus ($5), salads ($7-$8) and rustic sandwiches ($7-$8).

They swear by organic for at least the "Dirty Dozen"—conventional produce found by the Environmental Working Group to have the most pesticide residue—so the operating prayer is organic, seasonal, convenient…amen.

“We wanted to provide something healthy and delicious for our community, aimed at people on the move,” owner-operator Christian Cummings, a former assistant manager at Sierra Mar, writes by email. “Can I go surf now?”

It joins recent upstarts like Perfectly Pressed in Salinas (coming to Seaside soon), Carmel Belle in Carmel-by-the-Sea and Katie's Coldpress in her truck. 

(Look for a comprehensive juice list on the blog in the coming week.)

The Good to Go idea has been in the works for at least 18 months, according to Lolo Cumming, Christian's wife and co-owner/operator. They wife-and-hubby team also operates the Burst & Bloom flower shop across the street.  

"I grew up in Southern California, where every block had a taco shop and every two had a juice shop," she says. "But there was nothing around her. It was a 'see a need, fill a need' kind of thing."

On the menu board, seasonal specials include a Summer Slushy ($5) with watermelon, bananas and lemon; and the Baby Beluga ($6) with peach, blueberry and banana.

The highlight of the half-dozen or so smoothies: The Piña Nolada ($6) with banana, cilantro, kale, lime and pineapple, a tasty and cohesive treat.

On the juice side of the ledger there are all sorts of creative and magnetic mixes largely developed by Christian and Lolo, from The Beast ($6.50) with banana, basil, lemon, kale and spinach, to the Sunset ($7) with sweet potato, peach, bell pepper and orange.

I tried several, including the how-is-something-so-simple-so-good juice called the ABC ($6) with apple, beet and carrots.

The only way to make it better: Add ginger and lemon and call it a Jackson 5 ($6.50).

The Bugs Bunny ($6) with carrot, celery, ginger and mint might be my new favorite carrot drink thanks to its sublime earthy roundness.

I also liked the Health Kick ($6.50) with apple, cucumber, jalapeño, romaine and spinach, though I would've loved more heat.

The produce comes largely from family and small-scale farms, including the student gardens MEarth at the Hilton Bialek Habitat.

"It's cool working with small farmers," Lolo says. "We're living in an area with great produce! We should be juicing."

Her own Lolotown ($7) includes apple, celery, kale, lemon and romaine.

"It's like a gateway to the more hard-core green drinks," she says.

From the cold case there are things like simple, rustic and handmade caprese and turkey sandwiches ($7-$8.50); a nice California succotash with sweet corn, tomato, summer squash, jalapeño, sweet peppers, herbs and salt ($4); and cold noodle salad that evokes Vietnamese fare ($8). 

Also appearing: The Frankenstein granola with gluten-free honey granola, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, coconut chips and coconut almond milk ($5).

"People are asking, 'How are you doing it? How are you running back and forth between the stores?'" she says. "It's not crazy to me—it just makes me really happy, feeding people.

"People eating good and healthy food is really cool. We have this bizarre concept of comfort food. What we have at the shop is true comfort food: You feel good, not bloated and food-wasted." 

May the revolution juice on.