Savvy's students serve up delicious courses

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

We love kids and we love good food and we found both at Savvy’s Bistro, Mansfield ISD’s student-run restaurant inside Ben Barber Innovation Academy.

Students serve and cook the meals for their culinary classes at Ben Barber, and the results have me feeling very positive about their futures in the food business.

The restaurant features themed specialties, and we were lucky enough to be there for the French-inspired meals (our server said Italian dishes are up next).

I had to try the Beef Bourguignon ($15), tender braised chunks of well-seasoned beef , pearl onions and carrot  bits on top of a mound of creamy whipped potatoes, swimming in a dish of au jus. Even though the title sounds fancy, this was a stick-to-your-ribs comfort dish that anyone would love.

Another feature on the French menu was a cup of French Onion Soup ($6), which my dining partner had been looking forward to for days. The cup was piping hot and filled with carmelized onions, cheese and veal stock.

Our server got us started off right with a complimentary plate of house-made bread and garlic herb butter, which he explained was also made in house. We could have made a meal of the onion soup, bread and butter, but we were curious about the rest of the menu.

My dining partner was intrigued by the Pork Au Poivre ($15), medallions of seared pork, crispy potatoes, grilled broccolini and a peppercorn demi-glace. The peppercorn crust on the pork made this meal, adding a wonderful kick of spice along with the sweet, caramel-like demi-glace. The potatoes were cut into rounds that were crispy outside and soft inside – even better than the house-made French fries, which were also really good.

My other dining buddy was looking for a burger, going with Christian’s Smokehouse Burger ($11), two smashburger patties, cheddar cheese, bacon, Romaine lettuce and a tangy sauce on a Brioche bun. He pronounced it delicious, saying the sauce added a little unexpected heat. He had an option of French fries or sweet potato fries as a side dish (they come with the burgers), and chose the French fries, which were lightly seasoned with a paprika-like spice.

We didn’t have room, but we had already ordered dessert. None of us were backing down from the challenge, so we plunged ahead with the Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee ($5), which was on the special French menu, and Raspberry Cheesecake ($6). We all grabbed spoons and dug in.

The crème brulee was creamy vanilla custard topped with a thin layer of caramelized sugar crust that added a wonderful sweetness. The raspberry cheesecake had a yummy graham cracker crust and a definite raspberry zip. Both desserts came with a dollop of house-made whipped cream and chocolate bits (also made by the students). One of my dining partners preferred the crème brulee, the other went with the flavorful cheesecake, while I liked them both.

Our waiter was personable and attentive.

Details: Savvy’s Bistro is inside Ben Barber Innovation Academy, 1120 W. Debbie Lane. The student-run restaurant is open to the public from noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday when school is in session. Check the bistro’s Facebook page to be sure the restaurant is open. 682-314-1616; bbcta.mansfieldisd.org/resources/savvys