For some food and wine folk, spring means one thing: Savor Dallas, the annual food-and-wine event launched nine years ago by restaurant savants Jim White and Vicki Briley-White. But the 2013 version returns with an expansive new twist: It will grow beyond Friday and Saturday night into a four-day affair with new events on Thursday, March 14, and Sunday, March 17.
"We've added two days with book-end events," Jim says. "On Thursday night, we'll showcase Trinity Groves in what we're calling a foodie adventure, where we give a preview taste of these Trinity Groves restaurants before they're opened. It'll be a fun, casual party with wine and music and food."
Trinity Groves is the West Dallas restaurant complex launched by restaurateur Phil Romano, which is being positioned as a restaurant "incubator." So far, the only takers have been a restaurant concept TBD from chef Sharon Van Meter, Babb Bros BBQ and Romano's Hofmann Hots.
The March 17 event is called Savor the Arboretum. "It's going to be like an upscale St. Patrick's Day party," says Savor Dallas founder Jim White.
"The other names are sequestered," Jim says mysteriously. "As soon as those are available, we'll announce them. We'll know more in the next couple of weeks."
The Sunday event is called Savor the Arboretum. "It's going to be like an upscale St. Patrick's Day party," Jim says. "It'll be like our wine stroll, but moving around through the gardens and DeGolyer Estate.
"It'll be a relatively intimate affair, maybe 750 people, with a dozen restaurants and 15 to 20 wines, beers and spirits. We did a couple events with the arboretum in the fall, including some wine tastings at the Camp House. We always wanted to try and do something there, and it came together."
Savor Dallas has evolved over the years, finding new locations and forging new, mutually beneficial partnerships. Other twists this year include the relocation of the Friday night wine stroll from the Arts District to the Perot Museum, and a change in venue for some of the wine seminars to hotels such as the Mansion on Turtle Creek and the Warwick Melrose. The Grand Tasting on Saturday night returns to Irving Convention Center, in three options: a food-only "designated driver" ticket for $90; a $135 (or $150 at the door) early-entry sneak peek that gives you access to the food and drink at 6:30 pm, 30 minutes before the unwashed masses; or a regular 'ol ticket that lets you in at 7 pm, for $110 or $125 at the door.
Tickets to the Trinity Groves event are $40 per person, benefiting Trinity Groves' founder Phil Romano's pet charity. Tickets to the Dallas Arboretum stroll are $65 (or $59 for members). You'll get to keep your crystal tasting glass as a memento, and proceeds will go to the arboretum's education department. The full schedule of Savor Dallas events is here.
Savor Dallas will be a four-day event this year.
The East Dallas health food mainstay will include more fresh groceries at Snap Kitchen & Market. Photo courtesy Snap Kitchen & Market