Restaurant ‘week’ lasts half of August, but don’t miss a dining deal

Restaurant Week now lasts three.

So the scramble for reservations isn’t as crazy as it used to be. But some restaurants stick to the single week of Aug. 16-21, so book now for the annual summer $35-$45 charity dining promotion.

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro is always the toughest table to book. It’s the only time all year when chef Tim Love’s signature garlic-stuffed tenderloin is served on a three-course dinner for $45 (or choose elk, quail or trout).

The Lena Pope Home children’s services agency receives $9 from each $45 dinner, and $7 from the restaurants serving $35 dinners.

It’s all by reservation only, specifying the Restaurant Week special. Alert: The menus vary widely, and some might seem skimpy, so study them at dfwrestaurantweek.com.

One of the $35 bargains limited to one week only, Aug. 16-21, is at Piccolo Mondo Italian, a very traditional north Arlington favorite.

That menu offers angel-hair seafood pasta, a veal chop, salmon or chicken rollatini with ham, plus appetizer and dessert.

Also offering the $35 special for one week only: Max’s Wine Dive and Texas de Brazil in Fort Worth, il Calabrese in Southlake and Boi na Braza in Colleyville.

The top donors

The leading Restaurant Week donors are Florida-based corporate cousins Capital Grille and Eddie V’s.

Capital Grille’s best Restaurant Week deal might be the $20 “Cadillac lunch” of grilled salmon, chicken Caesar, peppered sirloin or a burger, all with soup and salad. Of the $20, $4 goes to Lena Pope Home.

Not far behind are the Southlake-based Del Frisco’s restaurants, including both the Double Eagle Steakhouse ($45, Aug. 12-Sept. 5) and Del Frisco’s Grille ($35, Aug. 12-28). The Double Eagle menu features a filet, salmon or roast chicken with appetizer and banana bread pudding.

The Grille offers dinners, but will get more attention for the $20 daily two-course lunch featuring meatloaf, short-rib stroganoff, salmon medallions or a chicken breast.

New and different

New to the Restaurant Week list this year: Fixture Kitchen & Social Lounge, chef Ben Merritt’s destination restaurant on West Magnolia Avenue.

Fixture hadn’t announced menus as of last week but will serve both $20 lunches and $35 dinners Aug. 15-Sept. 4.

Among other notable menus: Restaurant 506 at the Sanford House, Arlington’s finest dining, will serve a $45 dinner Aug. 15-28 featuring roasted swordfish, chicken-spinach tortelloni or a bone-in beef tenderloin, plus housemade toasted coconut ice cream.

Kirby’s Steakhouse in Southlake, which recently began offering a shuttle service from nearby hotels, is sticking to a $35 price for a three-course dinner Aug. 15-Sept. 4. That menu features grouper, salmon, a filet Newburg or a New York strip, with desserts including cherries jubilee.

Dallas highlights

Dallas restaurants are also sharing in DFW Restaurant Week, with those charity donations going to the North Texas Food Bank.

It’s a good chance to try Meso Maya, the upscale Latin cousin to El Fenix Restaurants, coming soon to South Hulen Street and also to downtown Fort Worth.

Meso Maya’s $35 menu (Aug. 15-21 only) offers ceviche, wood-grilled pork asada and a dessert of blue corn cake with pecans and jalapeño maple syrup. There are three Dallas locations.

Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck, in Reunion Tower, is serving a $45 menu Aug. 15-21 featuring a choice of pork, roast chicken, a flatiron steak or redfish, with a dessert trio.

This story was originally published July 25, 2016 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Restaurant ‘week’ lasts half of August, but don’t miss a dining deal."