Supermarket News

New Natural Grocers at Preston Forest Dallas opens bigger + better

All of their produce is organic.

Natural Grocers

After a two-month closure, the Natural Grocers store at Preston & Forest in Dallas will reopen on March 31, with a larger, more modernized shopping experience including a more efficient checkout.

Located at 11661 Preston Rd., the store closed on January 30 in order to execute a remodel. The store is now 40 percent larger than the original footprint. It will introduce a more efficient checkout experience, a new Nutrition Education Center, and bigger product selections.

The space has been expanded in core departments such as produce, body care and beauty, dietary supplements, frozen meats, and grab-and-go.

It's also been upgraded with sustainable building features and 100-percent LED lighting for a lighter carbon footprint.

The store will also have a Nutritional Health Coach on staff whose services are free with one-on-one health coaching sessions available via phone or video.

Natural Grocers is the largest family-operated natural and organic grocery retailer in the U.S., and has a proactive stance on its merchandise that includes:

100 percent organic produce
100 percent humanely and sustainably raised meats
100 percent free-range eggs
100 percent pasture-based dairy
100 percent non-GMO prepackaged bulk goods

Natural Grocers was founded in 1955 by husband-and-wife Philip and Margaret Isely with a goal of empowering health and wellness. The chain also prohibits hydrogenated oils, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives in the groceries it carries.

Their smaller-store format allows them to offer affordable prices in a shopper-friendly, safe, and convenient retail environment. Ever conscious of their environmental footprint, Natural Grocers locations use energy-saving innovations and non-toxic building materials.

There are now 161 stores in 20 states.

The Preston-Forest store does neighborhood outreach through free Nutrition Education and its partnership with Dallas food bank Network of Community Ministry.

Store hours will follow their quirky approach as follows:

Monday–Saturday 8 am-8:05 pm
Sunday: 9 am-7:35 pm

Starting April 7, they'll offer two weekly shopping hours exclusively for seniors (ages 60 and older), pregnant women, and individuals with underlying medical conditions: Sundays from 9-10 am and Wednesdays from 8-9 am.

They'll be doing a grand opening wih all sorts of giveaways as well as a contest from March 31-April 4 for prizes such as a $500 Natural Grocers gift card, an Aventon E-bike, a Vitamix blender, a Cuisinart food processor, and more. Entry forms will be available at the store.

There'll also be special discounts from March 31–April 29 on strawberries, blueberries, mangos, baby peeled carrots, bacon and bacon alternatives, eggs, and staple items such as GT’s Kombucha, Mary's Free-Range Non-GMO Chicken, and Natural Grocers Brand 2 lb. Organic Rolled Oats; and on Texas-made items such as Buddha’s Brew, Chameleon, Culina, Epic, Himalaya, Live Soda, Nadamoo!, Siete, SkinnyPop, Waterloo, and Yenisi Beauty.

supermarkets

Omakase News

Downtown Dallas restaurant Sauvage expands with new dining twist

Sauvage

A downtown Dallas restaurant famous for its multi-course tasting experience is letting its hair down: Sauvage, the high-end mom-and-pop restaurant near the Statler Dallas hotel, has a new dining option that gives a smaller, more casual taste.

The restaurant opened in September with a set menu featuring 16 to 18 courses — wild game, seafood, vegetables, and dessert — all cooked via grill and smoker.

While 16 courses might sound like a lot, the courses are mostly small bites. However, owners Casey and Amy LaRue received feedback from diners wanting a smaller option.

"We were getting a ton of messages from guests who want to stop by just to try one dish, a bite, or a specific pairing without committing to the full tasting — so we built something for exactly that," Casey says.

They've introduced a new three-course "Cocktails & Bites hour" featuring three dishes, each paired with its own cocktail, served from 5–6 pm on weekdays.

Last week’s menu consisted of:

dry-aged red snapper crudo with La Chinola Way, a cocktail featuring passionfruit, mezcal, lime, and ginger
foie gras & truffle on house-baked croissant with Pendennis Club, a gin sour with apricot liqueur bitters
jerk-spiced shrimp with Clarified Paper Plane, a bourbon cocktail with Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice

The new offering continues their pattern of pairing courses with cocktails rather than wine — an approach they've embraced since opening. "Limiting pairings to wine can get boring — it so often ends up being one expensive red after another," Casey says.

You can make a reservation on Tock, or just walk in and grab a seat.

Caviar
They've also added a new version of their classic menu: no caviar.

"Some love having caviar integrated into the menu, but others prefer to skip it, whether for taste or dietary reasons, but still want the full value of the experience," Casey says. "With such a small counter, this put us in a strange position: do we give everyone caviar whether they want it or not, or do we remove it entirely and lose a core part of our menu?"

Thus, a new menu without caviar, priced at $195, with an optional caviar course available for those who want it for $245.

downtown