Healthy Dining

2 new healthy restaurants open in northern Dallas suburbs on same day

Sure does look healthy.

Courtesy of Bellagreen

Two different restaurants dedicated to eating healthy are both, coincidentally, opening in two north Texas towns on the very same day.

And that day is December 14.

Here they are:

Snappy Salads, the award-winning, salad-centric Dallas-based chain, is scheduled to open at the south end of Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm located on the southwest quadrant of US-75 and Bethany Drive in Allen.

This will be the 18th Snappy Salads in Texas.

"Snappy Salads has proven that even salad-hating people will change their mind after trying our top-selling menu items like our Grilled Avocado Salad with Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette," says founder Chris Dahlander in a release. "Our Warm Riced Cauliflower Salad and nutrient-dense Bam Bam Salad also have allowed our guests to discover that healthy and nutritious food can be satisfying."

Snappy is eco-conscious. The new 2,240-square-foot location features tables made from reclaimed wood, energy-efficient lighting, biodegradable takeout containers and utensils, compostable cups, and paper straws.

Snappy Salads also serves food products aligned with its mission, like non-GMO oil, ferrous gluconate-free black beans and olives, EDTA-free mayonnaise, sustainably raised tomatoes, and organic fair trade iced tea.

Snappy Salads will host a pre-opening event called a "Dressing Rehearsal" event on December 13, from 11 am-2 pm and 5-8 pm. Guests are asked to donate $5 and in return will receive a salad and beverage of their choice. All money collected will go to the Allen High School Cheerleading Scholarship Fund.

Bellagreen American Bistro, which is based in Houston, continues its DFW expansion with a second area location opening at The Shops at Legacy in Plano.

This is their eighth location overall and the second outside Houston. The first DFW location opened in Dallas at Walnut Hill and US-75. Another location is coming to Plano at Preston Road and Park Boulevard in early 2019.

CEO Jason Morgan says that their mission is to make life and Earth more beautiful with every meal. "At Bellagreen, we are committed to supporting and improving the communities we serve by using high-quality foods and sustainable environmental practices," he says.

Their menu includes appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, tacos, burgers, pizzas, pastas, and desserts. There are options for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

The menu offers Best Agricultural Practices (BAP) certified seafood; locally-sourced Texas Angus beef; and an extensive selection of Sustainability In Practice (SIP) certified wines.

Items include honey fried goat cheese and arugula salad; brick chicken; and white chocolate bread pudding.

As Houston's first Certified Green Restaurant, Bellagreen operates in low-impact, environmentally green spaces that leverage water-saving devices, alternative power sources, and green practices to maintain harmony with the environment.

But what is their position on straws? This is the question.

To mark their opening, Bellagreen has launched a "Plano is bella" sweepstakes in which one guest will win free Bellagreen for a month. The first 500 entrants will also receive one free entrée. Enter to win on Facebook through December 19.

openings health

Taco News

Tacos and tequila restaurant takes over historic blue house in Rowlett

Ollie's

Tacos from Ollie's Azul House

The city of Rowlett has a fine new place for tacos and tequila: Called Ollie's Azul House, it just opened inside the historic Oliver House at 3410 Main St., taking over the space most recently occupied by Brick & Bones (which closed in January), where it's doing "elevated tacos" and "curated tequila."

Ollie's is from some of Rowlett's finest, including Michael Gallops, president of the Metrocrest Area Chamber, former Mayor Pro Tem, and six-year city council member; and Chris Kizziar, founder of hunger organization Life Message, located two doors down from the restaurant.

"I've lived in Rowlett for 22 years and Chris has lived here for 35," Gallops says. "We saw this as another opportunity to give back and do something fun."

That "something fun" includes tequila, a longtime passion and hobby for Gallops, who is a bonafide tequila connoisseur. The bar is stocked with 100 kinds, many of which come from high-end boutique distilleries.

"These are different from the shots you drank in college," Gallops says. "We felt like this was a new idea for Rowlett. We have a full bar and can mix anything you want. But on the tequila side, we have several specific tequila cocktails and we also do flights. The goal is to make it educational — to give people an opportunity to learn about tequila and how it's made."

Gallops' favorite tequilas are additive-free and use a natural process in distillation — El Tesoro, for instance. The focus on tequila also helped shape the direction of the menu, with an eye on affordability, as well.

"We have a couple of entrees and some shareable dishes like nachos, but it's primarily tacos — no enchiladas, no fajitas," he says. "We hoped to provide a place where someone can come in and get a couple tacos and a drink for less than $25."

Facade of Ollie's Azul HouseOllie's

Tacos can be ordered on soft corn, hard corn, or flour tortillas, and include:

Oliver — ground beef, lettuce
Miller — steak, onions, peppers, and chimichurri
Carnitas — slow-cooked pork with crisp edges
Elote chicken
Mushroom — a vegan option

They encourage diners to mix and match, adding whatever ingredients they want. They recently added breakfast tacos with eggs, chorizo, potatoes, and more, which can be ordered from 7-10 am from the back window and taken to-go or enjoyed on their expansive patio — a legacy left from the Brick and Bones days.

Beyond providing great food and drink, the restaurant afforded them an opportunity to give something back to Rowlett and celebrate its history, one in which the "azul" blue house — built in the early 1920s for early Rowlett residents Dee and Maggie Oliver — played a central role.

They've filled the walls with photos of Rowlett's founding families, old homesteads, churches, an old cotton gin, almost like a museum.

"It's all about the history of Rowlett," Gallops says. "We're big history buffs and are proud of our city."

tacos openings

Healthy Dining

2 new healthy restaurants open in northern Dallas suburbs on same day

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Tacos and tequila restaurant takes over historic blue house in Rowlett

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