Changes at Number One/Le Jus in Highland Park Village

photography by Emilia Gaston

What was Number One/Le Jus, a combo of Brian Bolke’s boutique and apothecary plus Dana Card’s paleo cafe, is now just Number One. Dana Card is going back to full-time nutritional counseling and the shop’s juice business will being taken over by the elixirs of the Vim + Vigor girls, Annie Portman and Liz Black. We’ll miss Dana’s intense passion for the menu, but the we know Portman and Black whip up a damn good pineapple/pear/apple/romaine/mint concoction. The cafe has a new menu of salads, soups, and sammies, all organice and gluten free, and come May 1, you’ll also have a place to pick up the Vim + Vigor detox kits.

Another Dallas Company Joins the Juice Game: Vim + Vigor

If you read about the new local juice delivery company, Vim + Vigor, on CultureMap last week, you, like us, have probably been wondering how it compares to the competition (Roots Juices, The Gem, Le Jus, etc.). Carol and I had the opportunity to sit down with owners (and cousins) Annie Portman and Liz Black yesterday to chat about their mission and sample a few juices. Vim + Vigor, named for an expression that refers to health and vitality, energy and strength, aims to be a healthy lifestyle company rather than just a spot on the trendy juice bar map. Portman and Black cite education as a leading factor in this mission. The two, who partnered with a nutritionist to create the recipes for each juice (15 total) and cleanse kit (three available–beginner, intermediate, and expert), want to offer all the information necessary for clients to understand how to cleanse and make it through each day.

The beginner cleanse is particularly interesting. For newbies to the juice detox world, this first-level set offers a few unique twists. Each day is made up of four vegetable-only juices and dinner options. (Yes, food.) Recipes for the three-day ($100) and five-day ($170) version are available online. Fruit is eliminated because, “The sugar in fruit feeds yeast in the body causing lethargy and other symptoms often referred to as “detox effects.” Along with a sleek, apothecary-inspired design and recyclable containers, Portman and Black strive for tasty juices with “multidimensional taste” and “layered flavors.” “We want it to be enjoyable, not something you just choke down,” Black says. Carol and I invited Charlotte to join us for a mini roundtable juice tasting of the No. 02, No. 04, and No. 10.

No. 02 (carrot, beet, apple)
Charlotte: “Surprisingly okay. I wouldn’t mind drinking this on a daily basis.”
Carol: “I loved how viscous this juice turned out. You can taste every single ingredient inside the juice with perfect clarity.”
Me: “Not bad for beet juice. Definitely one of the best beet juices I’ve had.”

No. 04 (pineapple, pear, apple, romaine, mint)
Charlotte: “Love this. Reminds me of something I’d use to mix a cocktail.”
Carol: “The mint and pear combination is lovely and refreshing. I could have one of these every day.”
Me: “Delicious. Totally and completely delicious. I could live on this. Has to be high in sugar, though.”

No. 10 (romaine, carrot)
Charlotte: “This tastes like drinking grass.”
Carol: “This juice leaves a very, very bitter aftertaste lingering in your mouth. It’s not something I would be craving to drink again.”
Me: “Nope. I do not like carrot juice.”

Vim + Vigor is currently delivery only. Choose a cleanse kit or custom pack. Prices vary, but typically run between $55 and $250.

Coming to Highland Park Village: Number One/Le Jus, a Lifestyle Shop and Organic Juice Bar

A wood cut butterfly necklace by Jeanine Payer

Brian Bolke, cofounder of Forty Five Ten, and Dana Card, master mixer behind local juice line Le Jus, are opening doors to their new lifestyle shop and cafe this month at Highland Park Village. Number One is what Brian calls a lifestyle store with what appears to be a natural-meets-luxury angle. Via press release, Brian says, “NUMBER ONE is really about “the best,” but “best” as defined in a new way… best sourced, best tasting, best feeling, best smelling, best for the earth,” says. Brands will include clothing by Urban Zen by Donna Karan, The Lady and the Sailor, and house line Number One, and jewelry by Jeanine Payer and Marion Cage, all exclusive to the shop. And, of course, there will be smelly good things from Diptyque, teas from Bellocq Teas, and a smattering of home decor pieces.

There will also be Le Jus, the cafe portion, serving up “pressed juices and light, nutritionally dense food, and coffee, teas, and other foods that are sourced to meet Dana’s exacting standards of certified organic and artisanally crafted.”

Expected to open at the end of this month.

Smart Cookie: Dallas’ New “Magic Cookies”

Granola Cranberry with Chia (gorgeous cookie photography courtesy of Biosanes)

When boxes of new Biosanes Magic Cookies hit the desks of D, at first, I pushed them aside. I wasn’t interested in another weight loss product. Then, one day I forgot my breakfast. I opened a Magic Cookie packet and inhaled the patty of grainy granola goodness suffused with crunchy chia seeds and sticky dried cranberries. Not bad. So I checked the label: 190 calories? Okay. Gluten free? Sweet. Five grams of fiber? I’ll take it. Then I checked the press release. To my surprise, the company’s head honchos are Nanci Masso, one of 2009′s 10 Most Beautiful Women in Dallas, and daughter Faryn Clark, owner of Facelogic spa. Claims are, these cookies will stave off hunger, boost immunity, and provide lots of nutrients. To that, I shrug my shoulders. (I’m a believer in simple clean eating as the key to weight loss and wellness.) But I’d definitely add the Granola Cranberry with Chia cookies to my snack and on-the-go munchies regimen. (Not so much the Natural Oatmeal Raisin.) Available in single, 7, and 14-count packs for $3.25 to $40.

Get Juiced After Your Bar Method Workout

photography courtesy of The Juice Extractor Report

No, no, you lush. I mean with real, organic fruit and veggie juice, hand squeezed, blended, and poured from behind the new Juice Bar at The Bar Method in Inwood Village. Why we don’t have more juiceries in Dallas is beyond me, but thank goodness for Bar Method’s husband and wife team, Tom and Lisa Hennings, who realized we need a hot spot that doles out (get it? “dole?” like the banana?) pressed juices, smoothies, kombucha tea, and specialty concoctions like oat shakes, coconut water, and green lemonade. Tom’s own Dallas-made Groovin’ On Granola will also be in stock, along with other healthful, refueling, on-the-go snacks in the newly expanded space. Getting a sculpted rear end at The Bar Method was already delicious, but I can’t wait for The Juice Bar, which opens on April 2.

A Guide to Valentine’s Day in Dallas

DINNER RESERVATIONS
In honor of the love holiday, restaurants all over town prepare indulgent multiple course menus to delight the senses and pamper the diner. We’ve rounded them up and put them in one place. Click here for an extensive guide to dining in Dallas in for Valentine’s Day. Menus included. photo: charred octopus at The Cedars Social (photography by Kevin Marple)

CHOCOLATE
Whether you’re into Albatross fudge with dark chocolate with dehydrated blue cheese and sea salt or raspberry ganache with crystallized violet lavender or traditional turtles, check out our favorite chocolate shops in Dallas, which await you with a delightful treat for every taste. photo: chocolate covered caramels from Nib Chocolates. (photography by Manny Rodriguez)

DATE NIGHT OUTFIT
There are shops we turn to for brunch attire and shops we love for polishing up for big meetings, but then there are these: the boutiques we can count on for extra special dates and swanky nights out with our girls. Click for a list of top ten shops we’ve deemed perfect-date worthy. For Her. For Him.

LINGERIE
Buying pretty underthings is half the fun of this holiday. Need an excuse to ditch the nude bra for a strappy pink one with lace trim? You’ve got it. Feeling guilty about spending the big bucks on designer undies only you can see? Don’t. It’s Valentine’s Day, and that’s what’s it’s here for. Click here. photo: Damaris “Naked bra” Trousseau, $176

JEWELRY
Skip James Avery. Go for the good stuff. Diamonds are a girls best friend, after all. Click here for eight of our favorite jewelry boutiques you can rely on for bling that’ll make your heart sing and wrist glitter. photo: Heather Moore Harriet Stone necklace from Ylang23. (photography courtesy of Ylang23)

EVENTS
Our top picks from events editor Liz Johnstone include I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at Theatre Three, a musical about romance, jazzed up with song, dance, and comedy and the Valentine’s Double Feature at Lakewood Theater. The night begins with lives tunes from Ricki Derek and the Cupid Quartet (think Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole) and ends with a screening of Casablanca. Check out Liz’s full list of V Day events here.

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Have Dessert for Dinner on Valentine’s Day

Brandied cherry, raspberry, strawberry balsamic, and hand-painted hearts from Chocolate Secrets. (photography by Manny Rodriguez)

On SideDish, you’ll find a list of Valentine’s Day dinner menus being served around the city. If you’re like me, however, and you don’t give a fig about foie gras (ew) or fancy salads (whatevs) because you only care about dessert, plan instead for the four-course chocolate and champagne spread at Chocolate Secrets. Champagne French macarons, raspberry mouse chocolate cups, rose profiteroles, and mini red velvet cupcakes will be served with Moet & Chandon for $98 per couple. I’m sure you’re worth it, and if you aren’t, a raspberry mousse chocolate cup surely is.

Dates include Friday, February 10 (7:30 pm to 11 pm); Saturday, February 11 (7:30 pm to 11 pm); Sunday, February 12 (1 pm to 4 pm); and Tuesday, February 14 (7:30 pm to 11 pm). Email
or call for reservations.

Check out more of our favorite chocolate shops.

A Day in Her Diet: Meals, Snacks, and Drinks with a Dallas Dietician

photography courtesy of vendors

Unsurprisingly, a few recent Ask Raya questions have included a plea for health counseling. Like this question below:

“It’s the new year, and I’m already ready to break my resolution to get healthy and shed a couple pounds! I can’t afford a nutritionist, but I need help with meal planning. I thought you might know an expert that can help with some healthy meal pointers!” –Elisa

I immediately contacted Cooper Clinic. From the brain of resident dietician Cynthanne Duryea, RD, LD, to your plate, here is a list of delicious healthy meal and snack suggestions worth their weight in chocolate, er, gold.

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Your Sweetie Should Buy You Chocolate from These Dallas Shops for Valentine’s Day

High heel chocolate mold with assorted truffles from CocoAndré Chocolatier (photography by Manny Rodriguez)

We’ve made it easy for your partner in crime. They can skip the Russell Stover heart-shaped boxes from Walgreen’s and go straight for the good stuff. It’s like comparing cubic zirconia to diamonds.

Here’s a guide to the best chocolate shops in Dallas. Think raspberry ganache with crystallized violet lavender. Yeah.

Craving a Cookie? Head to Beauty Bar.

The Henderson bar is hosting a vegan bake sale for Japan relief efforts. On top of the satisfaction of inhaling some cruelty-free sweetness, when you spend you’re entered to win raffle prizes, which include gift cards, cakes from Spiral Bakery, cookbooks, and more. Get the scoop in SideDish.

Rut Roh. You Haven’t Made Easter Brunch Reservations in Dallas Yet. SideDish Can Help.

Gratuitous cuteness that has nothing to do with eating.

Here’s a list of places and menus for Easter day dining.

Bellinis, Sprinkles, and Foley + Corinna, Oh My!

Obsessed with this Eve Garden Party dress for $495.

Fall 2011 fashion is officially everywhere, guys. We can’t avoid talking about it. There’s no reason you can’t enjoy the beautiful weather and prepare your wardrobe for the upcoming seasons. With that in mind, here’s another trunk show alert. The designer behind Foley + Corinna, Anna Corinna, will be at Elements on Thursday, April 21, with her spring AND fall 2011 collection, which you can pre-order. If that’s not enough excitement, there will be Bellinis and mini Sprinkles cupcakes, too. If you’re ready to pick up a few new beautiful spring things, there’s really no better way to do it than with the designer of them.

Where Do You Eat After Midnight?

That’s one of the questions from the Best of Big D nightlife reader’s poll list. So, what’s your answer? Are you a pizza gal? Chinese food gal? Where do you dine after dark? Tell us here.

Where Do You Dine in Dallas?

Is Maximo's Heat Margarita the best marg in Dallas?

Tell us here.

Outrageous Christmas Gifts from Neiman Marcus

This photo is a scan from Neiman Marcus’ famous Christmas Book. This edible gingerbread house, made by confectioners from Dylan’s Candy Bar includes “cookies, lollipops, gummies, mints, gumdrops and (of course) a candy-encrusted roof.” Apparently, a lollipop tree awaits you inside, too. Wow. Only $15,000.