2013 Tastemakers
Meet the Tastemakers: Austin's top chefs on menu inspiration and our growing food mecca
Mar 29, 2013 | 9:30 am
Austin is the place for food right now. The city is bursting with culinary talent — some new and some old — and it is a marvelous time to be in the Capital City, partaking in the creativity and entrepreneurial energy. We recently chatted with the 2013 CultureMap Tastemaker Award nominees for chef to find out where they get their inspiration, why they think Austin is a food mecca, and who they would invite over for dinner. The 2013 Tastemaker Awards [https: austin.culturemap.com tastemakers] event takes place Thursday, April 11 at The Driskill. Tickets are available now. Top from left: Shawn Cirkiel, Tyson Cole, Josh Watkins. Bottom from left: Todd Duplechan, Bryce Gilmore.
Austin is the place for food right now. The city is bursting with culinary talent — some new and some old — and it is a marvelous time to be in the Capital City, partaking in the creativity and entrepreneurial energy. We recently chatted with the 2013 CultureMap Tastemaker Award nominees for chef to find out where they get their inspiration, why they think Austin is a food mecca, and who they would invite over for dinner.
Josh Watkins Carillon [http: /www.thecarillonrestaurant.com/] Whether he’s cooking at Kitchen Stadium against Bobby Flay, at the James Beard House with David Bull or at home at the Carillon, Josh Watkins delivers. And with a bang. The recent winner of the third annual Tops in Texas Cookoff, Watkins once again has wielded his culinary prowess. It has been a long journey since the days of playing with flour and water as a child, but his diligence has paid off. Watkins attended the California Culinary Academy, where he developed an interest in fresh ingredients, farm-to-table products and sustainable goods. While living in the San Francisco area, he trained with über-chef Reed Hearon before landing a job at the highly-regarded French Room at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. Watkins brought that passion to Austin, where he worked at the Driskill Grill before landing his gig at the Carillon. What is your favorite aspect of your job? The ability to create, from building flavors to constructing a finished dish. The entire process from start to finish is extremely rewarding. How and why has Austin become a food mecca? Austin has the ability to be unique and continuously re-create itself with the diverse culture here. Great diversity in every regard is what drives truly great food sites. Austin simply cultures innovation very well. How has your approach to cooking changed in the past year? If it’s not always evolving, then you need to look at your current practices. Mine has become a lot less “over” calculated — we just source the best possible ingredients and straight-up cook. Where do you find inspiration for your menu? Everywhere — colors, shapes, my family, books, chefs, traveling. It’s never one thing, and that’s what makes the journey so much fun. Every plate has a part of my own experiences in them. You invite three chefs over for dinner at your home. Who would be at your table and what would you be serving? Wow, this is tough. You really get to know people through the messy and awesome process of cracking whole shellfish like blue crabs or dungeons around a table with a few beers. My three would be Joël Robuchon, Thomas Keller and Paul Bocuse. The 2013 Tastemaker Awards [http://austin.culturemap.com/tastemakers] event takes place Thursday, April 11 at The Driskill. Tickets are available now.
Photo by Bill Sallans
Josh Watkins Carillon [https: /www.thecarillonrestaurant.com/] Whether he’s cooking at Kitchen Stadium against Bobby Flay, at the James Beard House with David Bull or at home at the Carillon, Josh Watkins delivers. And with a bang. The recent winner of the third annual Tops in Texas Cookoff, Watkins once again has wielded his culinary prowess. It has been a long journey since the days of playing with flour and water as a child, but his diligence has paid off. Watkins attended the California Culinary Academy, where he developed an interest in fresh ingredients, farm-to-table products and sustainable goods. While living in the San Francisco area, he trained with über-chef Reed Hearon before landing a job at the highly-regarded French Room at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. Watkins brought that passion to Austin, where he worked at the Driskill Grill before landing his gig at the Carillon. What is your favorite aspect of your job? The ability to create, from building flavors to constructing a finished dish. The entire process from start to finish is extremely rewarding. How and why has Austin become a food mecca? Austin has the ability to be unique and continuously re-create itself with the diverse culture here. Great diversity in every regard is what drives truly great food sites. Austin simply cultures innovation very well. How has your approach to cooking changed in the past year? If it’s not always evolving, then you need to look at your current practices. Mine has become a lot less “over” calculated — we just source the best possible ingredients and straight-up cook. Where do you find inspiration for your menu? Everywhere — colors, shapes, my family, books, chefs, traveling. It’s never one thing, and that’s what makes the journey so much fun. Every plate has a part of my own experiences in them. You invite three chefs over for dinner at your home. Who would be at your table and what would you be serving? Wow, this is tough. You really get to know people through the messy and awesome process of cracking whole shellfish like blue crabs or dungeons around a table with a few beers. My three would be Joël Robuchon, Thomas Keller and Paul Bocuse. The 2013 Tastemaker Awards [https://austin.culturemap.com/tastemakers] event takes place Thursday, April 11 at The Driskill. Tickets are available now.