Savor Dallas: the ultimate food and wine adventure

savordallas-dallasblogger-deepfriedfit10Savor Dallas is one of the largest food and wine events in Dallas and I have been looking forward to this night for WEEKS!!! I couldn’t have been more thrilled to be invited to check out the headline event: The Grand Tasting.

Mind you, that was only a small part of Savor Dallas as a whole. It’s actually a three day event that consists of smaller intimate events you can attend a la carte. Tickets for those events mostly sold out and ranged from $20 – $200, with the average price at $50 per event.

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The Grand Tasting was held at Centennial Hall Fair Park this year. This expansive venue featured over a hundred food, wine and spirits vendors. It was like walking into heaven. One ticket (valued at $125) gives you the chance to sample from as many vendors as you like. We were given a wine glass and tasting plate souvenir to use during this taste adventure.

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Lavendou Bistro Provencal

Different food and wine vendors lined the perimeter of the venue and in rows through the venue. Their decor was rustic and classic with live music adding to the ambiance. It’s a great date night destination.

savordallas-dallasblogger-deepfriedfit12 I had fun sampling different wines and spirits. Each pour ranged from 2oz to 4oz, which is plenty when you have so many to try. Being more of a foodie, less of a wino and 10000% klutz, I could not juggle my plate and glass at the same time.savordallas-dallasblogger-deepfriedfit5

Here’s what I was able to accomplish (that’s right, I said accomplish like I aced my test): Mexican Sugar, Y.O. Steakhouse, Mudhen, Seasons52, Proof and Pantry, Lavendou Bistro Provencal, Dakota’s, The Ranch in Las Colinas, One90 Smoked Meats, Cook Hall, The Common Table, Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream, Glazed Donuts, Meddlesome Moth, TNT Tacos and Tequila, V-Eats modern Vegan, and Whiskey Cake. Thats 18 out of the 43 restaurants present at the event. Muahahaha.

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Above is a picture of lamb kebab with a fresh grain salad from Mudhen. It was really dry and I felt disappointed. I KNOW they can do better. I actually went here earlier in the week and loved their food. Lamb always tastes dry to me and thought this was a risky protein to put out.

Arepas from Mexican Sugar

Arepas from Mexican Sugar were ok. Kind of bland.

It was definitely a great line up with some fun restaurants to taste test this year. It’s like a fast track Restaurant Week. But much like restaurant week, there were some restaurants that could’ve stepped up their game or were unable to truly showcase their best due to the sheer volume of food and prep. Some of my favorites of the night were the venison balls from Y.O. Steak House. They were wrapped in bacon and cheese. The best of the night.

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I also really enjoyed the mini donuts from Glazed Donutworks. The line for sweets were SO long. So grateful for my super nice boyfriend who let me sit and mourn my feet while he waited in line. Heels were a terrible idea by the way.

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This grilled cheese and bacon donut sandwich… but MINI!

The boyfriend and I definitely enjoyed sampling the cocktails too courtesy of Savor Dallas.

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Overall, I really enjoyed the little touches Savor Dallas had at the event. Custom glass engravings to personalize the wine glass, digital photo booth with hilarious props, troughs of complimentary water (because who wants to pay $3 for water right?), fresh flowers at all the tables, and Illy coffee on the way out. I’m so glad there were tables and lounge areas for conversation. Plus, my poor feet needed them. Savor Dallas has been around for over a decade and this was my first time experiencing an elevated food event that stands out from other Dallas food festivals.

P.S. These are the best GIFs ever! You’re welcome.

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