Juice News

Dallas' Bishop Arts neighborhood squeezes out juicy new vegan-ish cafe

Tribal Juice is getting its own cafe.

Photo courtesy of Tribal

A Dallas-based company that started out in the juice world is opening a new cafe. Tribal will open its first location in Bishop Arts, in a new development south of Eighth Street at 263 N. Bishop Ave.

Tribal comes from Hailey Nutt and Brenton Phillips, who've had success with their line of cold-pressed, organic juices, found in stores across Dallas-Fort Worth, including Central Market and at local farmers markets.

"But this cafe fulfills a goal we've had to have a community gathering spot where people can share experiences over great quality food," Nutt says.

The name is not only a reference to the idea of finding your community, but also to the owners' native American heritage.

"I am Chickasaw, our company is Native American owned, and Brenton and myself spoke at the American Indian chamber of commerce gathering last year," Nutt says. "We are very involved with the Tribes."

They're going into the development from Exxir Capital, at the corner of Bishop Avenue and Melba Street, which will expand the district a full city block south of businesses such as Lucia and Emporium Pies.

Their menu will include smoothies, wraps, and bowls. There'll also be a full bar with cocktails that incorporate their juices.

"We'll be stressing local ingredients," Nutt says. "One sandwich is called the Green Goddess, it'll be stacked high with all the green veggies you can think of, plus hummus and sprouts. We'll have a board with house-made hummus and pesto. We'll be doing a lot of great bowls."

Nutt's background includes training as a raw food chef. "But I hesitate to say that this is a raw cafe or a vegan cafe," she says. "While a lot of those attributes will be involved, it will not be centered around that. There'll be something for everyone. We'll have some local cheeses and eggs from a farmer in Fort Worth. It'll be whole, nutrient-dense food, with a colorful, flavorful menu that anyone can enjoy."

The target opening is in September, and they'll continue to do the juices at farmers markets. "But the cafe is where our heart is," Nutt says. "We've made such wonderful connections with people from the markets. There's been so much growth in the past two years, and that's happened organically, with more and more local businesses and farmers. We're part of a whole community."

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Oak Cliff favorite Encina debuts sister restaurant in Duncanville

Photo courtesy of Isabella restaurant

Isabella, by the owners of Encina, is in downtown Duncanville.

For six years, chef Matt Balke and Corey McCombs have built a following at their Oak Cliff restaurant Encina. Now, the married couple and business partners are bringing their New American cooking to Duncanville with Isbella, which opened in mid-October at 200 N. Main St.

When the couple first told CultureMap about plans for Isbella, McCombs said opening a second restaurant "seemed like the logical next step." Many Encina customers come from Duncanville and surrounding cities, she said, so they were excited the restaurant would be closer to home.

Isbella occupies a repurposed midcentury building that once served as a volunteer fire station. Like Encina, it serves New American cuisine with Southern influences, an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, and what McCombs describes as "approachable, comforting food" that's also "elevated."

Isbella's menu includes starters such as Wagyu beef cheek pastrami with sharp cheddar pimento cheese, warm crab dip with sea salt potato chips, ad Granny Isbella's Skillet Cornbread with whipped honey brown cutter and pepper jelly — all priced $12-$18.

Sharables for the table, at $12 a platter, include bacon and tomato braised collard greens, crispy shoestring fries, sweet corn elotes, chile braised black eyed peas, and an avocado and grapefruit salad.

Salads include caprese panzanella and roasted beet. Sandwiches range from chopped steak to a warmed muffuletta with provolone and pepperoni and fried catfish with cabbage.

Entrees include Berkshire pork chop, blackened redfish, roasted jalapeño chicken thighs, and Southern-style barbecue shrimp and grits. Desserts include strawberry goat cheese cheesecake and chocolate pot de crème.

The beverage menu includes wines, local and international ciders and beer, cocktails, and a creative menu of mocktails including one called The Placebo Effect, $10, made with zero-proof Ritual Rum, pineapple, orange, coconut, and cinnamon, and described as "tropical, creamy, and bright."

When Encina opened on Davis Street in Oak Cliff, it took the place of Bolsa — a farm-to-table restaurant where Balke was the chef. When Bolsa closed in 2020, Balke and McCombs took it over and transformed it into Encina.

Isbella is named for Balke's mother and was designed with family ancestry in mind, which shows in small details. The restaurant's handwritten logo, for example, on the signage out front, was inspired by the signature of Balke's grandfather. The owners say they're aiming to foster the same sense of community with Isbella in Duncanville that they've had with Encina.

Isbella is open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday, 5-9 pm, with plans to expand hours and to add Saturday and Sunday brunch soon, they say.

duncanville dining comfort food encina matt balke corey mccombs monte anderson openings