Hot Damn, Tamales!

Having lived in Fort Worth all my life, I tend to take it upon myself to try and support local businesses in any way possible. First, this helps with the local economy, which is always good. Second, having good, local food creates a sense of pride for your city that you just can't replace. This is why on Monday, I finally decided to head down to Magnolia in Near Southside to try out Hot Damn, Tamales!, a local tamale shop with three tables for in-house dining. I decided to bring Ashley, a fellow vegetarian and good friend of mine, to check out what vegetarian tamales they had on the menu.

Hot Damn, Tamales! is extremely well priced, especially considering everything you get with your meal. They offer one choice, the tamale plate, which comes with three tamales of choice, black beans, Spanish rice, and homemade pico de gallo, all for $8.50. While you wait for your meal, they bring out homemade tortilla chips and salsa, which Ashley and I agreed could go up against the best. For my plate, I chose one three cheese queso tamale, one wild mushroom and Texas goat cheese tamale, and one black bean and Oaxaca cheese tamale.  It is hard to find good vegetarian tamales with flair, even in Texas, as the traditional tamale is made with chicken, beef, or pork, but Hot Damn, Tamales! is definitely the place to head if you are craving a traditional but meat-free tamale.

They also offer tamales in orders of a half-dozen or dozen for take-out, ranging in price from $9 to $24. Furthermore, they offer vegan friendly and gluten free options, so practically any dietary need can be met with one of their tamales. Check out their website for restaurant hours, prices, and a full list of all the tamales they offer.

An Ode to Sprouts

Since I began my veg journey, I have found many different places to dine out in Cowtown. Whether I want Mexican, Asian, Mediterranean or Italian inspired dishes, Fort Worth has grown to include meatless options on practically every menu, making it simple to join friends (vegetarian or not) for a meal. However, one thing Fort Worth has failed to cater to -- until recently-- is the growing demand for vegan/vegetarian products and organic, locally grown produce. This is why there was a buzz when everyone heard we were getting a Sprouts Farmers Market off Hulen and I-20.

According to the Sprouts website, the mission of the Arizona-based health store chain is simple. It reads:

"Sprouts Farmers Market: Helping America eat healthier, live longer, and spend less."

What more could we ask for? Especially during these hard economic times, people are constantly looking for ways to save without having to cut out the food that is best for you. Sprouts offers organic and locally grown produce, which not only supports local farmers and the economy by investing your disposable income close to home, but it is also better for the environment. On top of it all, Sprouts sports a vast selection of vegan and vegetarian products that are typically only found at Whole Foods Market in the DFW-Area, the closest of which to Fort Worth being off I-30 in Arlington. For anyone wanting the substance of Central Market with Target price points... this is the stuff your dreams are made of.

The Grand Opening of Sprouts was this past Wednesday, January 26, and the response from Fort Worth residents could not have been greater. The store was fully staffed with new and seasoned employees who willingly escorted you to anything you were looking for, which was definitely needed with the heavy traffic. Nothing is more refreshing than entering a retail location with employees who know their product knowledge. Not only that, but the excitement from the shoppers caused anyone and everyone to talk to each other about their personal experience at the opening, which allowed time to pass quickly when standing in the lines that stretched from the front registers to the produce section.

Of the vegetarian products I found, what excited me most was finding Oogave Watermelon Cream Soda in the bottle. This is typically served on tap at Spiral Diner on Magnolia Avenue and is my all-time favorite soda. I was also excited to find Gimme Lean vegan sausage, which is the closest to the real thing when you are craving a country breakfast. It can be used in most recipes to substitute ground beef. Extra perks at the opening were the Sprouts brand San Francisco Style Sourdough Bread at $1 a loaf, as well as the bulk granola on sale for $1/lb.

Needless to say, we are excited to have Sprouts in Fort Worth. This store completely supports both vegan and vegetarian dietary needs, and even more so the needs of the DFW area.