This Week in Gluttony

These are the 7 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

Chef Blaine Staniford of Grace restaurant in Fort Worth

Chef Blaine Staniford will prepare an Aphrodisiac Dinner at Grace.

Grace/Facebook

There’s a pre-Valentine’s Day event for wallets of all sizes this week –—from a $20 beer brunch to a $150 five-course dinner. Every palate is covered, too. Love bubbly? There’s a tasting for that. Prefer vodka? How about a vodka cocktail-paired dinner? And if whiskey is more your style, there’s a chocolate-and-whiskey sampling party just for you. Make reservations now and you’re many steps ahead of the masses.

Tuesday, February 6

FWFWF Sipping Series: Grower Champagne Tasting
Prep your palate for the upcoming Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival (April 5-8) with a champagne tasting worth many cheers. Guests will sip six different grower champagnes — bubbly that’s made from grapes grown by the winemakers and their families. Tickets are $30 and proceeds benefit the festival’s foundation, a nonprofit that provides culinary scholarships and grants. The tasting begins at 6:30 pm and will take place at Classic Wine Storage and Services.

Thursday, February 8

Pop Up Dinner with Guest Chef Stefon Rishel at BlackEyed Distilling
The Mohawk-coiffed chef, formerly of Max’s Wine Dive, returns to Fort Worth for a one-night pop-up dinner. Rishel, now with Texas Bleu in Keller, will serve four courses paired with vodka cocktails from local BlackEyed Distilling. Tickets are $75 per person and dinner begins at 7 p.m.

Friday, February 9

TX Whiskey & Askinosie Chocolate Pairing & Tasting
Sip and shop at Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co.’s Whiskey Ranch just in time for Valentine’s gifting. Springfield, Missouri-based Askinosie Chocolate will be paired with tastes of TX Whiskey and TX Bourbon. The small-batch chocolates will be for sale, as will custom engraved whiskey bottles, glassware, and mugs. The come-and-go event will run from 3-5 pm and admission is free.

Aphrodisiac Dinner at Grace
Romance will be in the air and on the plate at this five-course dinner, made with seductive ingredients, by executive chef Blaine Staniford. Dishes will include American sturgeon caviar, butter poached white asparagus, Ora King salmon, espresso-rubbed short rib steak, and warm chocolate ganache cake. Wines are included in the $150 per-person price, but tax and gratuity are not. A reception begins at 6:30 pm with dinner to follow 30 minutes later.

Early Valentine’s Dining at R Bar & Grill
A swanky dinner and hotel stay ahead of Valentine's Day are possible at Hilton Arlington, where R Bar & Grill is offering three nights of Valentine’s Day dining. The four-course meal will be served February 9 and 10, in addition to February 14. Menu highlights include creamy lobster bisque, herb-crusted rack of lamb with black garlic mashed potatoes, and seven-layer red velvet cake. Reservations are $54 per person or $89 per person with wine pairings (excluding tax and gratuity). Seating times begin at 5 pm.

Saturday, February 10

Galentine’s Day at Max’s Wine Dive
Galentine’s Day is a celebration of friendship with gal pals. Toast to your besties with limited edition red and rosé wine flights, then nosh with special shareable plates, like blackened shrimp with crawfish risotto, hanging tender steak with cauliflower puree, and desserts including Nutella tiramisu and red velvet cheesecake. The flights will be available February 10-17 and the shareable dishes, February 10-13.

Sunday, February 11

Valentine’s Beer Brunch at Legal Draft Beer Co.
Chef Juan Rodriguez of Magdalena’s Catering and Events will be on hand to prepare a three-course brunch paired with craft brew. Menu items include a Spanish tortilla of eggs, Yukon gold potatoes, and lemon garlic aioli; an ancho-cured salmon tostada; and cinnamon churro with stout chocolate sauce. Coffee will be provided by Urban Alchemy Coffee + Wine Bar. Tickets are $20 and the event runs from 11 am-1 pm.

wine craft-beer dinner

Sliders News

Savvy Sliders restaurant brings bite-sized sandwiches to Fort Worth

Savvy Sliders

A new spot for sliders has slid into Fort Worth: Called Savvy Sliders, it specializes in the miniature sandwiches known as sliders and opened in a former Golden Chick space at 901 E. Berry St. on March 18.

Savvy is known for its sliders made with Angus steak, chicken, or fish, plus chicken tenders, wings, and custard milkshakes. It was founded in 2018 by Happy Asker, a veteran restaurateur who also founded a Michigan pizzeria chain called Happy's Pizza.

He founded Savvy Sliders in Michigan in 2018. There are now more than 50 locations across the U.S., including three in Texas. This is the second Dallas-Fort Worth location, following a shop that opened on Dallas' Lower Greenville in 2023.

Signature sliders include the original Savvy with grilled onions, pickles, and cheese; and the fried chicken with fried chicken, lettuce, mayo, and pickles. There is also an English cod fish slider and a vegetarian falafel slider.

"We serve USDA Prime beef only and specialize in a unique variety of sliders," says Savvy Sliders VP of Business Development Mark Wolok in an email. "We have everything from the traditional USDA prime beef, onion, cheese, and ketchup all the way to a spicy falafel. We have an extensive menu."

In addition to sliders, they serve chicken fingers, wings, and three kinds of salads. Milkshakes come in classic flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, plus banana pudding and strawberry shortcake topped with cookie pieces.

Prices range from $3 to $4 per slider, while an order of 10 chicken fingers with Texas toast is $20.

Bringing the concept to Fort Worth are franchisees Deep Patel & Shivang Mistry. The city seemed like a good fit for an up-and-coming restaurant, according to Wolok.

And there are more Savvy Sliders on the way: "We have plans to have two more locations in the market before the end of the year," Wolok says.

trends openings