Fort Worth chefs rally to help needy. Also, restaurant offers free wine with dinner.
The lights went out on some restaurants this week, but many of Fort Worth’s best chefs delivered a ray of hope.
Chefs such as Jon Bonnell switched to selling inexpensive family dinners, and others such as Tim Love cooked free lunch or dinner for all unemployed restaurant workers.
“Please connect me with anyone we can help,” wrote restaurateur Immy Khan. His Black Rooster Bakery Cafe and The Lunch Box were distributing 300 free lunches per day to first responders, healthcare workers and out-of-work restaurant employees.
Love, owner of the Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and other restaurants, served about 100 lunches and dinners some days behind his catering kitchen, 713 N. Main St.
At the Cane Rosso pizzeria and Italian restaurant, Jay Jerrier gave pizzas to laid-off workers thanks to a donation from California-based Hidden Valley Ranch. (This is important because Jerrier, a Neapolitan pizza purist, jokes about charging $1,000 for a side of ranch dressing.)
Bonnell converted his Bonnell’s and Waters restaurants to sell $40 take-out family-style dinners each night.
French dining and Fuego burgers
More news and notes from area restaurants, adding to a list published here Wednesday and at star-telegram.com/eatsbeat.
▪ La Bistro Italian Restaurant, a fine-dining landmark for generations at 722 Grapevine Highway (Texas 26) in Hurst, is offering a free bottle of wine with a $50 dinner order. Call ahead; 817-281-9333, facebook.com/labistrotx
▪ Fuego Burger, 4400 Benbrook Highway, a regular finalist in the Star-Telegram “Burger Battle” judging, added take-out meals such as New Mexico green chile chicken casseroles ($25). A Fuego burger combo is $6.99; 682-250-5600,
▪ Paris 7th and Saint-Émilion Restaurant, usually known for French fine dining, are serving dinners for two such as beef bourguignon or lamb chops ($44.50-$49.50) plus regular menu items such as roast duck, a whole roasted Moroccan chicken or coq au vin ($20.50-$29.50); 3324 W. Seventh St., 817-489-5300, saint-emilionrestaurant.com.
Stay in your car at these drive-throughs
Three more locally owned restaurants with drive-through lanes, adding to a list published here last Friday and at star-telegram.com/eatsbeat:
▪ Gyro House, an Arlington favorite, 720 W. Division St., 817-460-4842, gyroshousetx.com.
▪ Off the Bone BBQ in Forest Hill, an early favorite for barbecue lovers, 5144 Mansfield Highway, 817-563-7000, http://www.offthebonebbq.com/
▪ The Sausage Shoppe, serving famous house-made sausage along with soul-food platters, 3329 Altamesa Blvd., 817-921-9960, soulfoodfortworthtx.com.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
