Sliders! Pig! and other news

• Zink American Kitchen now has a slider bar weekdays from 4 p.m. to closing: You mix and match -- among American Wagyu burger sliders, fried chicken sliders, pulled pork, and/or tacos of short rib, chicken, braised pork or fish -- and pay $2.50 for one, $6 for three, $10 for five. Add a beer for $2. 201 N. Tryon St.; 704-444-9001.

• Germandeli.com, on which you can order online German foods, ran a contest for German restaurants, promising to tally a popular vote, then conduct on-site visits to the top vote-getters. Charlotte's Waldhorn (12101 Lancaster Hwy., Pineville; 704-540-7047) made the list of top 20 vote-getters.

• Cantina 1511's Stonecrest location roasts a pig every other Wednesday (next up: Nov. 18), then starts serving pork at 5 p.m. as a dinner entree or in $1.50 tacos. Also up there: all-you-can-eat game days for football season Sundays, with nachos, tacos, wings and quesadillas for $15, plus $1 domestic beers. 7708 Rea Road; 704-752-9797.

• Also at StoneCrest: Firebirds has added new items at lunch and dinner, and updated its bar; look for a "waterfall" of backlit bottles and a new wine wall facing the dining room. Among new dishes: a burger topped with goat and pepperjack cheeses and roasted poblano chiles; a bleu cheese burger; grilled fish of the day; warm brownie with salted caramel sauce; apple cobbler and more. 7716 Read Road; 704-752-7979. (The new dishes are also offered at the Northlake Mall and Morrison Plaza locations of Firebirds.)