New Dining Frontier

Why Dallas is ready to give healthy restaurants a shot

Out of nowhere, Dallas-Fort Worth has become America's new center of "healthy" dining, with a number of high-profile chains opening and more on the way.

Seasons 52, True Food Kitchen and LYFE Kitchen are among the big players who've set up shop in DFW. And more are on the way: Modmarket, a new fast-casual healthy chain from Denver, will open four branches here, with the first coming to Flower Mound in September.

We suddenly have juice bars on every block. Kale salad on every table. We're swimming in sweet potato, quinoa and tofu. You'd think, after decades of cheese enchiladas and rib-eye steaks, that we'd be the last place a healthy menu would succeed. But it's for those very reasons that we've become the most fertile ground in the country for a healthy restaurant revolution.

We're prosperous, young and restaurant-obsessed. We're also short on healthy options and historically susceptible to the lure of chains.

Modmarket co-founder Anthony Pigliacampo calls Dallas "the ultimate frontier." He sees parallels between Dallas and Denver, where Modmarket, known for printing nutritional information on its receipts, was founded in 2009.

"Dallas reminds me a lot of Denver," he says. "The southern part of Denver is the quintessential commuter suburb. They built the whole thing at once 20 years ago, and it has every chain known to mankind, but nothing localized or interesting.

"After we opened a store there, customers said thank you, we wanted something better for our families. In the past 10 years, Denver has grown up, and I feel like Dallas could do the same."

We do have a few pioneers such as vegan favorite Spiral Diner in Dallas and Fort Worth, Be Raw Food & Juice in Preston Center, upscale salad chain Snappy Salads, and gluten-free spot Kozy Kitchen in Uptown and Farmers Branch. But we have greater untapped potential.

"You always hear that Dallas is a restaurant city, and I'd go down there and it was basically all the same thing," Pigliacampo says. "Other than tons of Whole Foods Markets opening, there was not a lot of change. In the last couple years, these kinds of restaurants have succeeded in other parts of the country. There's a lot of people with decent paying jobs, families, and a lot of people we think want to eat better."

Paula Sepulvado, owner of Be Raw Food & Juice, says Dallas represents a hot market.

"All of these places are coming here because there's opportunity, that's why," she says. "It's easier here than a place like California, because there's more competition there. In California, you have lots of little places like Be Raw. There's none of that in Dallas, so it's wide open."

Since she took over the raw-food restaurant in July 2012, she's seen the interest in healthy dining increase. "Just look at all the juice bars opening," she says. "I think the time is right. The awareness is there."

Pigliacampo credits that to television and social media.

"Food Network is one of the highest-rated channels on TV and it has exposed people to what good food is," he says. "And I think iPhones have made a huge difference. People take photographs of food, and visual quality is becoming important.

"If you go to a Chili's and get a chicken cutlet with the painted-on stripes, nobody is going to take a photo of that. You take photos of better food. It raises the bar. The aesthetic gets slightly healthier. More people are subscribing to theory that 'better for you' is not a fad; it's what the future is."

We've also gotten younger, with the median age in Dallas now at 31 years old. Younger diners are more focused on healthier food. In a study by the Hartman Group, 12 percent of Millennials said they were vegetarians, compared to 4 percent of Gen X'ers and 1 percent of baby boomers.

Making it easier on those Millennials are exciting improvements in the technology of healthy food, says James Scott, who organizes a monthly meet-up for vegans in Dallas and who founded the annual Texas Veggie Fair, which this year takes place on October 19.

"There are so many more options, and the technology of 'alternative' foods like Beyond Meat chicken and Just Mayo eggless mayonnaise has gotten to the point where they're just as good as the original," he says. "People see movies like Forks Over Knives and become more aware of how food affects your health. You see the results in campaigns like Meatless Mondays — those are definitely taking off not only in the corporate world but also in schools and cities making it a part of their meals they provide."

Last but not least, people's health problems and their kids are driving a lot of this change, Pigliacampo says. A 2013 report by the NPD Group found that one third of adults in the United States said they wanted to cut down on gluten in their diet.

"If you have a kid who's gluten-free or has an allergy, where can you eat out as a family?" he says. "You want to eat somewhere where the kid doesn't feel weird. One of the reasons we're popular is that it's comfortable taking everyone. It's the veto vote, when you have a group of people and one says no, we're not going to eat there. You want a restaurant that can make everybody happy."

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Global tastes

New botanería pairs drinks with free bites near Dallas Farmers Market

Chef Karla Soria Palomino's menu delivers authentic Mexican flavors and bold heat.

Photo credit: Paul Torres.

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There is a novel concept open in the Dallas Farmers Market district: Called Sor Juana, it's a botanería inspired by traditional Mexican establishments where drinks are served alongside complimentary snacks and bar bites.

Located at 1908 Canton St., the space provides an immersion into Mexican culture through its food, beverages, decor, and overall atmosphere.

Sor Juana comes from Alexandra Hernández and Karla Soria Palomino. Hernández brings a background in front-of-house hospitality, theatre, and events while Soria Palomino contributes extensive kitchen experience from restaurants across Mexico and Dallas.

The inspiration behind the name and concept comes from 17th-century nun and scholar Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Recognized as the "First Feminist of the Americas," she was a literary trailblazer who learned to read and write during an era when women were denied an education. Considered one of the greatest poets of the Baroque period in what is now Mexico, Sor Juana defied societal norms, stood up to the male-dominated clergy, and excelled in science, mathematics, music, and culinary arts.

“We wanted to pick a strong woman from Mexico as the emblematic figure of our botanería — traditionally run and frequented only by men,” Hernández says. “With our women-run botanería, which is a unique concept for Dallas, we are creating a space for everyone.”

The frame for their idea is a landmark Dallas building originally constructed over a century ago for the Desco Tile Company. Designed in a Venetian Gothic style with exterior arches and columns, the interior features original chandeliers alongside decorative, colorful tilework — including a wall fountain, a fireplace, and terrazzo floors — all preserved intact for Sor Juana, with a few new tile accents added to the bathrooms and bar backdrop.

Historic Dallas architecture meets traditional Mexican hospitality at Sor Juana.Photo credit: Paul Torres

“We tried to respect the architecture of the building by adjusting our concept to the space, rather than forcing the space to adjust to us,” Hernández says.

The duo worked with interior designer Callie Windle on the details, sourcing decorative pieces from artists both in Mexico and locally (many of which are available for purchase).

The 90-seat venue features comfortable seating centered around a dynamic bar program managed by Saúl Hernández (previously of Midnight Rambler, La Viuda Negra, and Las Almas Rotas).

True to the hospitality spirit of a traditional botanería, patrons receive a complimentary botana (bar bite) with every drink purchase. While the offerings rotate regularly to maintain an element of surprise, options range from spiced nuts, fresh fruit, and popcorn to more substantial plates like tacos and caldo de camarón.

The creative cocktail menu ranges from $12 to $16, anchored by their signature “La Nueva Sangre” — an orange blossom gin cocktail balanced with beet juice, lemon, passion fruit, and lavender bitters. Hernández notes the drink is “as complex and interesting, with a little bit of everything, just as Sor Juana was.”

The bar also pours Mexican imports alongside local favorites Shiner and Michelob for $7, wines, and zero-proof options including non-alcoholic champagne.

Happy hour runs Wednesday through Friday from 5:30-7:30 pm, featuring $6 beers, $8 wines, and $8 cocktails infused with house-made Mexican chili oil macha sauce.

Beyond the complimentary botanas, the venue offers a full food menu designed by Chef Soria Palomino. It comes with a playful warning: “Expect bold flavors and a little heat — that’s what the cerveza is for.” Signature items include ceviche, mezcal-glazed wings, tacos, and tostadas, all centered on authentic Mexican flavor profiles.

For dessert, they feature a ganzote crafted by Diana Zamora of Nena Postrería, inspired by the classic packaged Gansito sponge cake.

Community events play a major role in the space, including lotería nights, "Bring Your Own Vinyl" Sundays, and rotating local DJs every other Friday. The team is actively taking community feedback to build out future programming, including upcoming collaborative dinner series.

“Events are a way to build community and bring people together,” Hernández says. “When we started crafting this concept, we looked at every detail — from the playlist to the food and cocktails, as we wanted a total experience where every element comes together and complements the rest.”

Sor Juana is open 2-10 pm Wednesday-Thursday 12 pm-12 pm Friday-Saturday, 12-10 pm Sunday. Metered street parking is enforced until 6 pm, with free parking available afterward.