Dartmouth is about to get a whole lot healthier. FoodNoise (158A Portland Street), a prepared food service focusing on healthy dishes made with local, seasonal, sustainable and where possible organic ingredients, is opening up a one-stop shop for all things edible. As of May 1 Dartmouthians and adventurous Haligonians alike will be able to stop by Mon-Fri from 11am-2pm for lunch and Sat from 10am-1pm for brunch to tuck into a weekly rotating menu of yummy goodness.
If you’re in the market for a quick meal for dinner you’ll be able to stop by the shop from 11am-4pm to pick up any of their weekly grab-and-go items. Tasty things like inside out spring roll salad ($8/$14), a variety of chilis ($16), dairy-free lemon artichoke soup ($12), or an assortment of gluten free treats like carob bark with pistachios and cranberries and zucchini muffins. Or if you’re into making your own goods, there’ll be a grocery section stocking Blue Apples products, Just Us! coffee and made-in-house flours made from coconut and arrowroot, plus a weekly pop-up produce stand featuring local farmers. Phew. That's a lot of stuff in one little shop.
But owner/chef Tanessa Holt, a Vancouver transplant, says so far the reception of her ready made meals in Halifax has been amazing and has big dreams for the business. “There’s lots of awareness, lots of exposure and lots of excitement here about healthy foods and healthy living. I’m just trying to make healthy food like, for lack of a better word, fast food—affordable and accessible.”
So far, the plan is working. FoodNoise is in talks with Sobeys about bringing her ready-made meals to the masses and are doing food services for at least two Halifax Montessoris. For a one-woman operation it’s pretty damn impressive. “I’m have a full time chef starting next week and my 10-month old helps out too.” Not too sure how much help a 10-month old baby is, but I do know one thing for sure: I want that lemon artichoke soup in my belly. STAT.