Align with Wellness at Diamond Mascorro and Ben Krick’s Pharm Table in San Antonio

At Pharm Table in San Antonio, the atmosphere feels easygoing, but the ideas behind it run deep, and much of that comes from the partnership between chef Elizabeth Johnson, bar consultant Benjamin Krick, and herbalist and bar director Diamond Mascorro Johnson, who founded the restaurant in 2015, has spent more than a decade exploring Ayurveda and “the healing power of food,” shaping a menu that’s plant-forward, globally inspired, and rooted in balance.

Photos by Jana Cantua

Krick and Mascorro complement that vision on the beverage side, bringing a background in “beverage concept architecture” and a focus on sustainability, upcycling, and rethinking what a drink menu can be. Together, they have built something that feels cohesive without feeling too rigid.

Their collaboration shows up in every aspect of the restaurant. The food menus draw from local farms, heritage ingredients like mesquite and nopal, and a wide range of global flavors, all while following research from places like the Harvard School of Public Health and the Blue Zones.

Meanwhile, the drink program takes what comes out of the kitchen and finds ways to extend it by repurposing scraps, building ferments, and creating drinks that match the same health-forward philosophy. There’s “a high level of collaboration between the bar and kitchen teams,” and it’s not just talk; it’s built into how the restaurant operates day to day.

The menu this past season made that partnership especially clear. Designed to be “warming and grounding,” it focused on the Vata Dosha, one of the three fundamental doshas, or energy patterns that govern health and homeostasis. They curated flavors that have the properties of being sweet, sour and salty (ginger, sweet potato, lemon, mesquite, citrus cheong, amasaki, cashew yogurt, cardamom, nutmeg and ceylon cinnamon).

This was then translated into the glass. The result was a menu where food and drink felt like the same entity; even the mocktails reflected that shared vision. Instead of relying on sugar, Drinks developed included those with “zero refined sugar,” using raw honey, dates, and allulose, and layered in adaptogens and superfoods to support the “mind, mood and body.”

What stands out most is how naturally their approaches fit together. Johnson pushes the idea of food as medicine, while Krick expands that idea into the bar, turning things like citrus peels into gut-friendly cheongs or using fermentation to create probiotic drinks. It’s thoughtful without being overcomplicated, and innovative without losing its sense of comfort. In a city recognized as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, Pharm Table feels like a direct reflection of that energy, driven by people who are as focused on creativity as they are on care.

Benjamin Krick:

“As more people seek mindful, functional alternatives to alcohol, we wanted to create a beverage experience that feels as luxurious and intentional as a cocktail—but is aligned with wellness,” said Benjamin Krick, Bar Consultant at Pharm Table. 

Chef/ Owner Elizabeth Johnson:

“The fall menu not only honored the changing season and ingredients balancing to the season, but also responded to the modern desire for drinks that do more—drinks that heal, nourish, and uplift.” “As we approached a decade of promoting health and wellness in San Antonio we wanted to double down on Ayurvedic principles and ingredients, ahead of our expansion into the San Antonio Airport (Winter 2025).”

Diamond Mascorro, Herbalist and Bar Director:

“It’s a true honor to practice my passion for herbalism through the lens of our bar program. My goal is to create a welcoming and grounding experience for each guest as they become immersed in our plant story each season.” 

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