Indie Chefs Week 2014

Best chefs in U.S. take over Foreign & Domestic for Austin's Indie Chefs Week

Chef Ned Elliott of Foreign & Domestic had a wish list of chefs he wanted to collaborate with, but running a successful restaurant gives him little freedom to travel. He created Indie Chefs Week in 2013 as a way to bring together some of the top chefs in the country in a sort of culinary exchange program, giving the chefs a chance to work together and Austinites an opportunity to try unique dishes from around the country.

This year’s Indie Chefs Week line up features five multi-course dinners from over 30 chefs, 24 of whom are traveling in from culinary hot spots like San Francisco, New York, Portland and Los Angeles. The dinners kick off on today, January 7 with “Austin Night” highlighting local stars and culminating on Saturday, January 11 with a 20-course feast crafted by the two dozen visiting chefs.

“I want the chefs to experiment and do whatever they want without [the] constraints of their own restaurant menus. This is their chance to have fun and show off who they are." — Indie Chefs Week founder Ned Elliott

“I wanted to shine a light on different chefs who may not get the attention they deserve and to create a dialogue about food,” says Elliott. Austinites are clearly interested in the conversation as all but tonight's dinner are sold out (and just a handful of seats are left for the inaugural meal).

Elliott originally wanted to invite a guest chef to his restaurant every month, but found it was easier to coordinate everyone at once during a time that is typically slow for many restaurants. “It doesn’t hurt that most of the chefs are from Northern parts and they are happy to come to Austin this time of year,” says Elliott.

The chefs also get to meet and cook with like-minded colleagues who they may only know through press or social media. “When you are a chef, you are busy running your kitchen and it’s very isolating,” says Elliott. “You don’t get two weeks paid vacation or much time off, so getting to come down for something like this gives you a chance to explore Austin and cook with people you’ve only read about.”

Elliott doesn’t put limits on the chefs. If everyone wants to cook lamb chops that night, then so be it. Instead, he sees the dinners as a meeting of the minds rather than an carefully planned menu. “I want the chefs to experiment and do whatever they want without [the] constraints of their own restaurant menus. This is their chance to have fun and show off who they are.”

As special as the dinners are for everyone involved, the true reward of Indie Chefs Week may be the bonds created between the chefs. “I could see on social media all the chefs who cooked together last year staying in contact after the dinners. It’s great to have those connections to spark new ideas.”

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For more details about Indie Chefs Week, please visit Indie Chefs Week 2014.

Foreign & Domestic owner Ned Elliott.

Indie Chefs Week Foreign and Domestic Ned Elliott

Photos by Jeff Scott

Foreign & Domestic owner Ned Elliott.

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Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.