Houstonians are getting a new healthy eating option this summer. Arizona-based restaurant group Fox Restaurant Concepts is bringing its Flower Child concept to the Uptown Park shopping center, developer EDENS announced on May 15.
Similar to True Food Kitchen, which Fox Restaurants started in partnership with alternative health guru Dr. Andrew Weil, Flower Child offers a range of organic, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan items for lunch and dinner seven days a week. The biggest differences between the two restaurants is that Flower Child offers fast casual service and more vegetarian options. Although it will be Flower Child's first Houston location, the restaurant already has two outposts in Austin and one in Dallas. Swamplot had sleuthed Flower Child's plans back in January, but the May 15 announcement makes it official.
“We are excited to partner with EDENS and bring Flower Child’s health-food menu to Houston and have found the perfect location at Uptown Park,” said Sam Fox, president of Fox Restaurant Concepts, in a statement. “Wellness-conscious guests will find satisfaction in our natural and organic foods that are locally sourced and served quickly with a smile.”
Count CultureMap Austin food editor Brandon Watson as a fan. In a story written last year, he hails the restaurant for infusing its salads, wraps, and bowls with "the international ingredients and techniques of New American cuisine." Diners will find dishes such as the Mother Earth bowl (sweet potatoes, portobello mushrooms, avocado, broccoli pesto, and red pepper miso vinaigrette) and the Rebel wrap (steak, charred onion, French Port Salut Cheese, and horseradish yogurt). Careful plating and a cute interior make it especially Instagrammable.
"The offerings at Flower Child may never quite replace a charcuterie board, but it has done something just as unlikely — convinced me that joy can be found even in the things that are good for me," Watson writes. "My doctor would be pleased."
Bringing Flower Child to Uptown Park is just one part of EDENS efforts to transform the shopping center. Plans call for shaded walkways to connect the development's buildings and outdoor common areas with wifi to encourage people to linger while shopping or dining at the property's stores and restaurants, which include Etoile, The Tasting Room, and Songkran Thai Kitchen.
"We are working diligently to infuse the diversity and personality found across Houston at Uptown Park, so visitors can expect collaborations with artists, events with local charities, and experiences that highlight Houston’s position as a global, first-class city," added Tom Kiler, managing director at EDENS. “Every new retail shop and restaurant will enhance our current offering, while updating Uptown Park’s aesthetic will create a fresh and better-connected environment for our current and future retail partners, locals, and visitors, alike.”
Bowls at Flower Child.
Guests can choose from five signature bowls at Honest Mary's, or create their own.Courtesy of Honest Mary's
