By Deb Silverthorn
Two parts heart and soul, and grand dollops of culinary expertise by Jordona Kohn and Stacey Clark, are the ingredients to Dallas’ newest kosher eatery, The Market, in North Dallas.
“At The Market we’re providing delicious food in a comfortable and family casual location. We couldn’t be more excited to share with our community,” Kohn said. She was grateful for the full house on the restaurant’s opening day — Mother’s Day — and all tables turning in the restaurant’s first week.
“Everything is good, and good for you, but we’re not afraid of butter,” Kohn added. Clark, meanwhile, calls the menu healthful, not health food, with dishes served as they were designed to be eaten.
The duo look forward to pop-up menus and hosting family and study groups, simchas and other social gatherings. The offerings are kosher, but both women note that, while they create and serve kosher food, what they have isn’t your typical kosher restaurant.
“There are wonderful kosher restaurants in the area,” Kohn said. “We’re happy to join the lineup with our own unique flavors and flair.”
The partners were introduced by Sharon Michaels, who knew both, and figured the team would be a sure thing.
“These two are great and we’re blessed to have them,” Michaels said. “It’s not just good kosher food, it’s great food. They have amazing skills and talent and couldn’t be kinder. I can’t wait for them to succeed, and they will!”
“I love feeding people in times of joy, the holidays and even in sadness. A good meal always comforts, and food heals (almost) anything,” Clark said. “Jordona and I are opposites in many ways but it’s why we’re a perfect match.”
Kohn, a Hollywood, Florida native raised in New York, is the daughter of a restaurateur, granddaughter of a kosher butcher, and great-granddaughter of a chicken farmer. “While most kids were outside, I was with Bubba Faye making soups and rugelach,” she said. She is married to Justin, and the couple are parents to Arianna Faye, Ezra and Gaby.
With a bachelor’s degree from Queens College, when the couple moved to Dallas, Kohn enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts. Despite not being able to taste the many nonkosher offerings, she graduated as class valedictorian.
Kohn worked at Baylor Hospital, climbing the ladder, but her kashrut devotion meant she couldn’t taste what she prepared. She then worked with the Dallas Kosher-supervised Simcha Kosher Catering’s food truck, as well as being executive chef with A Taste of the World. She also hosts kosher cooking demonstrations at Whole Foods Market.
Clark, born in New York and raised around the world, comes to the business with an accounting background, and always turned to the kitchen for respite. She is married to Henry; their family is complete with son Kevin and his wife Taylor and Clark’s two nieces, Eleah and Anna, raised as her own daughters.
Breakfast at The Market, served alongside fruit or hash browns, includes a pesto omelet, Morty’s Scramble — a nod to Clark’s father (lox, eggs and onions), a DIY omelet bar and a variety of home-boiled and baked bagels and other bread choices with a schmear. Already favorites are the avocado toast served with two eggs and a lime crème, the Market Gravlax Plate with in-house cured salmon and buttermilk pancakes with berry compote.
Alan Press, who ordered a DIY omelet with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, peppers and mushrooms and then an avocado toast to go, said the presentation was incredible and everything was cooked “just beautifully.”
Breakfast is served all day and the lunch menu, debuting soon, will include soups, paninis and toasted sandwiches with mixed greens or house-fried chips and a variety of salads with homemade dressings.
“Lunch was amazing and the latte is delicious,” said Heather Behr, having lunch with friend Marni Rael, the two women swooning over an avocado toast and pesto omelet, finishing the meal with a shared chocolate bobka. “Literally every bite is excellent.”
For Rebecca Sklaver, lunching with Rivka and Stera Goldschmidt, it was baked salmon and Greek salad — to the other women’s tuna salad and gravlax plate — to which she gave praise. “The salmon is out of this world, really just baked to perfection.”
House-baked specialties include banana bread, challah (water and egg), pastries, brown-butter chocolate chip and other cookies, cakes, bobka and Bubba’s Rugelach from Kohn’s family recipe. The Challah Challah Club allows customers to register for challahs that will be ready for pickup at requested times each Friday. The challahs will be prepped and prepaid, allowing guests to make a quick stop for pickup. Bobkas and other items will also be available for pre-order.
Delectables for little ones are available, and allergy and special requests including gluten-free, egg-white and Cholov Yisroel options are available. The Market serves many locally-sourced and organic ingredients.
Drinks include Fort Worth-based 5AM DRIPs, lavender vanilla and goldenmilk (with turmeric) lattes, espressos, affogatos and staple favorites. Juices, milk, Stacey’s Iced Tea, housemade lemonade and sodas are available too.
“We met at the Dallas Farmer’s Market and we’re now pretty much family,” said Ashley Davis, co-owner of 5AM DRIP. “Jordona and Stacey follow our business ideas and our dream, and the look and feel of The Market is something we’re thrilled to be a part of.”
The owners credit designer Ariella Mizell Bush and J.M. Construction for the restaurant’s unique décor. Bush transformed the space, a former jewelry store, into their eatery vision with a community table at its center, bar stools and tables for two and more.
The partners are proud.
“We’re in the right place,” Kohn said, “and this is the right time.”
The Market is at 13534 Preston Road in North Dallas. For more information, visit themarkettx.com, call 469-677-5424 or follow on Facebook and Instagram @themarkettx.