Savvy chefs know that they don’t have to drown a dish in butter to make it delicious — lean sashimi, inventive salads and low-carb creations are just a few satisfying meals that can be low in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat, but not low on taste. These top 10 heart-healthy restaurants in the U.S. offer healthy meal options that will help you to both eat well and live well.

Bennett’s Pure Food Bistro, Mercer Island, Wash.
Practically everything on the comfort-food menu at this stylish neighborhood bistro is local, organic and seasonal, including the cioppino brimming with seafood in a fennel-accented tomato broth, and Alaskan wild king salmon glazed with a lemony butter and blueberry sauce. Bennett’s juicy gourmet cheeseburger served on toasted brioche is a winner. Made from freshly ground New York steak and pork shoulder, the massive patty is topped with melted Beecher’s Flagship cheese (Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in Pike Place Market and Pasta & Co gourmet deli shops are Bennett’s siblings), pickled red onions and whole grain mustard-mayonnaise. Signature side dishes include a savory interpretation of the classic mac ‘n’ cheese. The extensive wine list features distinctive Northwest labels, but offerings are a bit pricey.

Canyon Ranch Grill, Las Vegas, Nevada
Sister of The Venetian’s Canyon Ranch Café, the cozy Canyon Ranch Grill in the adjoining Palazzo features granite tabletops, a friendly 12-seat bar and an extensive menu that belies many myths about spa cuisine. Breakfast specialties include sweet potato hash with natural ham and poached egg, and the “Healthy Elvis,” a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich. For lunch, try the lump crab cakes with roasted pepper purée, halibut and shrimp ceviche with tomato and avocado, or a grilled ahi sandwich on focaccia with avocado, Swiss cheese, tomato and onion. Burgers include a grass-fed beef burger and the chicken burger—organic chicken breast ground with Southwestern spices. Fresh fruit smoothies and wines nicely complement the imaginative fare.

Claire’s Corner Copia, New Haven, Conn.
Since 1975, Claire’s has been a New Haven, well, haven for health-food aficionados, offering up a veritable cornucopia of fresh, tasty, veggie-centric fare. But even the most rabid rabbits would be tempted by the luscious line-up of pies, cookies and cakes chef-owner Claire Criscuolo and her crew bake fresh daily as well (the Lithuanian coffee cake alone is worth the trip). They also offer breakfast to sleepily grateful co-eds all day, as well as good soups, pita sandwiches and big leafy salads that contain locally grown, sustainable organic products whenever possible. But wait, there’s more: Mexican, Italian and Middle Eastern favorites round out the eclectic menu, from flatbread pizzas and burritos to falafel. Prices are student-friendly, as is the service—which can, granted, be a bit too easygoing at times, but at least their attitude’s in keeping with the hippie vibe. Order at the counter, and remember to recycle when you clear your table.

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Olympic athletes dine at training tables at the Olympic Village to get the energy they need to compete. But what about the people braving the elements to cheer them on? Visitors to the Games also need to eat well as they race from venue to venue to root for their talented compatriots. We’ve picked the top 10 restaurants for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, covering both Vancouver and Whistler, so tourists can plan their visit as precisely as a downhill racer plans his course. If you want to go for the gold, we suggest making reservations soon, or you might get beat by a better-prepared tourist from another country. Here, in alphabetical order, are the top 10 places to dine for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Araxi Restaurant, Whistler
Located in the centre of Whistler Village Square, Araxi—named by owner Jack Evrensel for his wife—is the de facto refuge for après skiers, with sought-after patio dining during the summer. Chef James Walt showcases locally sourced ingredients in savory and sweet recipes through two distinct seasons—summer and winter. The seafood and oyster bar serves an extravagant two-tiered seafood tower piled with oysters, spot prawns, Dungeness crab, arctic char, and more. An inventive small-plates menu includes an aged white cheddar soufflé with fresh laurel and Parmesan cream, and a North Arm Farm squash soup with apple curry oil and spiced crème fraîche. Mains include Qualicum Beach scallops with fresh Chilliwack corn, radishes, and green bean salad as an homage to the locavore movement; and Paradise Valley Pork in a slow-cooked belly, braised tenderloin, and pork cheek tortellini with British Columbia chanterelles and sunchoke purée. End with an aged British Columbia goat cheese and the Valrhona chocolate fondant with milk chocolate Earl Grey tea ice cream, chocolate dentelle and crème anglaise. The wine list has been nurtured since 1981 and features an impressive array of Champagnes, local and imported bottles, plus some rare finds. Restaurant director Steve Edwards and the knowledgeable staff are consummate hosts.

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Bearfoot Bistro, Whistler
For a romantic après-ski experience, relax here in late afternoon and indulge in affordable luxury. The irrepressible proprietor-manager André St. Jacques goes to great lengths to make the luxe wining and dining usually found at luxe prices affordable by offering tasting menus starting at $39. We recommend letting executive chef Melissa Craig guide you through the five-course tasting menu ($98) matched with the sommelier’s wine pairing ($88 supplement). Mains may include Sooke ruby trout and Quadra Island clams, venison loin, or sterling silver beef tenderloin with shaved foie gras butter. At the sexy Champagne Bar, patrons can discover Craig’s food at even more affordable prices. The bar itself—cast in solid pewter and lined with high-backed leather stools—is a showpiece. But the real visual highlight is its frozen ice river, drilled with Champagne (or martini) glass-size holes. Hidden fiber optics provide a magical light fantastic that floods your glass of bubbly with an electric rainbow while you sip. A wide range of wines and Champagnes is available by the glass, or you can order a bottle from the wine “bible.” The wine cellar book is a small museum for oenophiles, featuring treasures such as Château Mouton-Rothschild dating to 1945, and a 1914 Moët & Chandon. The bar opens at 2 p.m. and serves light snacks until the kitchen opens for dinner.

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