Food Fest Frenzy
Austin Food + Wine Festival reveals extra delicious 2017 lineup
The top food festival in Texas is back with an exciting culinary lineup for 2017. Austin Food + Wine Festival, taking place April 28-30 at Auditorium Shores and Fair Market, has more than 40 delicious events in store for the sixth annual affair. (The 2016 festival, you may remember, was canceled due to inclement weather.)
It starts on Thursday, April 27, with the intimate Feast Under the Stars at Auditorium Shores. The five-course, family-style dinner will feature wine from Jackson Family Wines and fare from chefs David Bull (Second Bar + Kitchen, Austin); Tyson Cole (Uchi, Austin); Omar Flores (Casa Rubia, Dallas); Ford Fry (State of Grace, Houston); and Austin pastry chef Janina O’Leary. Tickets are $250 per person and must be purchased separately from festival passes.
The official festival kickoff is Friday, April 28, with Lone Star Nights at Fair Market. Chefs from across Texas will serve riffs on global cuisine. Featured chefs are Matt Balke (Bolsa, Dallas); Julian Barsotti (Nonna, Dallas); Junior Borges and Coner Seargeant (CBD Provisions, Dallas); Thai Changthong (Thai-Kun, Austin); Luis Colon (Folc, San Antonio); Andrew Curren (Elm Restaurant Group, Austin); Kevin Fink (Emmer & Rye, Austin); Ford Fry; Diego Galicia and Rico Torres (Restaurant Mixtli, San Antonio); Steve McHugh (Cured, San Antonio); Wayne Mueller (Louie Mueller Barbecue, Taylor); Paul Qui (Kuneho, Austin); Ryan Shields (Bullfight, Austin); and Danny Trace (Brennan’s of Houston).
The main daytime events on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30, take place at Auditorium Shores. Highlights include chef Tim Love's hands-on grilling demo, a festival favorite, as well as live fire cooking demos, book signings, and tastings. The Chef Showcase, held in the Grand Taste Pavilion, will feature a host of local chefs serving bites to festivalgoers. Austin participants run the gamut, from Easy Tiger and Noble Sandwich Co. to Eberly and Wu Chow.
Perhaps the top event of the festival, Rock Your Taco will be held at Fair Market on Saturday evening. Top chefs square off to create the best taco. This year's participants include local favorites, as well as celebrity chefs like Hugh Acheson, Christina Tosi, Ming Tsai, and Jonathan Waxman.
Tickets for the Austin Food + Wine Festival go on sale Thursday, January 19, at 10 am. The Weekender Ticket, $250 per person, includes Saturday and Sunday daytime festival access and the special Sunday Gospel Brunch. For $625 per person, the All-In Ticket includes the aforementioned, as well as access to Love's grilling demo and entrance to Lone Star Nights and Rock Your Taco.
The Austin Food + Wine Festival is a collaboration of co-founders Charlie Jones, partner of C3 Presents; chef Tim Love; and restaurateur Jesse Herman, in partnership with Food & Wine. Expect more programming announcements throughout the spring.