The logo for Lanny Lancarte’s new healthy-eating café, Righteous Foods, is a clenched fist brandishing a carrot. The hand is displaying the carrot either proudly or threateningly, depending on your perspective. Indeed, newcomers who wander into Lancarte’s cozy dining room, with creamy off-white walls and pale wood trim, might feel they’ve been beaten with a sack of house-made granola: “Organic,” “whole grain,” “responsibly sourced,” and “antioxidant” are marketing phrases aggressively used on the menu and the signs advertising the daily specials. But most of us could stand to eat healthier, and based on a recent breakfast visit — Righteous also does lunch and dinner — Lancarte is determined not to sacrifice the pleasures of flavor for health’s sake.
The acai bowl turned out to be a dark purple, fridge-cold smoothie blended from acai berries, that antioxidant-packed “super food” you’ve probably heard about. The berry blend was both sweet and sour, which was a nice combination considering the icy temps at which it was served. Narrow slices of firm banana, plump raspberries, and a sprinkling of hearty, crunchy house-made granola turned the whole thing into a very tasty rush of sweetness, like dessert for breakfast.
Speaking of breakfast desserts, the multigrain organic banana-and-chocolate waffles sounded like one of those whip cream-topped pancake monstrosities that IHOP advertises. Righteous Food’s version was much less sweet, modestly sized, and also more flavorful. Two thick dark-gold waffles had a wonderful double taste –– nutty when you first bit them, mildly chocolately as you chewed — and were lightly drizzled with fruity syrup. The dish was great light fare, studded with banana slices and raspberries so fresh they might have pinched us in the ass.
Simple but elegant presentation is important at Righteous Foods, as evidenced by the veggie omelet made with organic eggs. It arrived folded into a half-moon with an almost-goldenrod color so bright it practically glowed. Tucked inside were dark, meaty baby shiitake mushrooms, spinach leaves with a pleasant tinge of turnip-greens-type bitterness, and thin onion slices. A ramekin of medium-hot green salsa provided a slight smokiness to a solid omelet experience.
The Swine Burrito was a relatively petite affair, unlike the gut-busting breakfast logs you get at those chain burrito joints. It featured a grilled flaxseed tortilla tucked like a fancy napkin at each end and packed with bright golden scrambled eggs, sharp cheddar, and small chunks of slightly spicy, intensely pork-flavored sausage. Soupy black beans flecked with bits of white cheese and pepper arrived as a sidecar, playing rich harmony with the sausage and eggs.
The only so-so dish proved to be the open-faced breakfast. Again, the ingredients were high quality and the presentation top-notch: On a thin slice of whole-grain toast rested two perfectly round, medium sunny-side eggs topped with arugula leaves, the whole assemblage looking ready for a food magazine layout. For some reason, the concoction didn’t have much flavor, even with a swipe of pesto-like romesco sauce on the toast.
Righteous Foods should keep health-conscious patrons coming back for café fare that boasts simple but surprising ingredient combos.
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Righteous Foods, 3405 W 7th St, FW.
817-850-9996. 7am-7pm Mon-Sat.
All major credit cards accepted.
Acai bowl………………………………………………….. $8
Multigrain banana-and-chocolate waffles………. $10
Swine Burrito……………………………………………… $9
Veggie omelet…………………………………………….. $7
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