A Kansas City Export Will Bring Fried Chicken and Pickleball to Grand Prairie

Welcome to AM Intel in the time of coronavirus, a round-up of the city’s newest bits of restaurant-related intel. Follow Eater on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date details on how COVID-19 is impacting the city’s dining scene.

Fort Worth’s Bird Cafe to make brief comeback

Bird Cafe, the creative Fort Worth restaurant that closed in May due to the coronavirus, will make a brief pop-up appearance for Valentine’s Day weekend, the Star-Telegram reports. The cafe will serve up dishes like pork chops with sweet potato gratin, jalapeño shrimp and grits and rib eye steak with chimichurri out of the kitchen of former neighbor Flying Saucer at 111 East Third Street. Bird will also offer a special chocolate and beer pairing. Meals can be ordered online and picked up form the Saucer February 12-14.

Pickleball-focused restaurant nets new Grand Prairie location

Chicken N Pickle, a quirky chain focused on rotisserie chicken and the sport of pickleball, has announced its sixth national location in Grand Paririe’s. The company, which was founded in Kansas City in 2017 and also has a location in San Antonio, broke ground on the North Texas spot at 2965 South Highway 161 on January 22. The restaurant will serve wood-fired and rotisserie chicken, sandwiches and munchies, hand-cut fries and craft beer alongside several indoor and outdoor pickleball courts. Chicken N Pickle will also offer pickleball clinics for those new to the sport, which is a hybrid of tennis, ping pong and badmitten. No word yet on an opening date.

Celeb-favorite sweets shop launches $75 cotton candy made with real rose gold

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, boutique candy maker Make Your Life Sweeter is headed back to The Galleria for a limited time pop-up running February 1- April 4. This time, owner and North Texan Yasmeen Tadia is bringing an ultra-lux new treat to the store, the most expensive cotton candy in the world. The organic cotton candy is infused with real 24 karat gold flakes, and retails for $75. Other items include a 21-course dessert omakase for $125, and heart shaped hot chocolate bombs. Before she started hosting pop-ups, Tadia spent eight years catering Instagram-worthy dessert events for stars like Justin Timberlake and Stevie Wonder.

Mi Cocina brings margaritas and Tex-Mex to Klyde Warren Park

Beloved Tex-Mex restaurant Mi Cocina has announced that it will be taking over the space formerly occupied by Savor in Klyde Warren Park. The restaurant, which has been serving diners the Metroplex for three decades, will celebrate its 30th birthday — and the park’s 10th anniversary — with a special event scheduled for later this summer. Savor closed in August after serving the park’s denizens for seven years.