It's almost fall, y'all

Here are the 10 best food and drink events in Austin this September

Say cheers to the new season at Discover El Gaucho Winery.

We know that Austin’s fall starts somewhere around December, but that's not stopping us from dreaming about the cooler days ahead. This September, fake it until you make it with a busy slate of events dedicated to luscious red wine, rich whiskey, and soul-satisfying comfort food.

Saturday, September 8

Discover El Gaucho Winery
Escape the hustle and bustle of the city with a night of Argentinian wine in scenic Spicewood, Texas. From 6-9 pm, El Gaucho Winery will be offering $1 pours of Malbec rose, served alongside the South American version of barbecue-asado. Call 512-382-0620 to make reservations to the dinner or just stop by to taste the wine.

Tuesday, September 11

Break it Down: Essential Knife Skills at Sustainable Food Center
Be a cut above the rest with this can’t-miss class on how to slice and dice like a pro. Starting at 6:30 pm, guests will learn basic techniques to make weekday meal prep a breeze. In addition to taking home some mad skills, students will get to keep their ready-to-use bounty with accompanying recipes to use all week. Outside knives are welcome but not required. Score tickets here.

Dream Dining Series at Holy Roller
Join GFF Magazine at 6 pm for an evening featuring absolutely no gluten. The dinner includes shareable plates like hummus with gluten-free crackers, a family-style green goddess salad, entree choices like chicken pot pie or shrimp and grits, and banana pudding and yellow cake pancakes for dessert. The $98 ticket includes a gift bag and nonalcoholic drinks like seasonal shrub sodas.

Friday, September 14

The Whisky X at Fair Market
Featuring over 60 whiskies from both classic and emerging brands, this spirited event is essential for novices and connoisseur alike. Musical guests St. Paul & the Broken Bones will keep the event rocking while Austin’s best-known bartenders and brand ambassadors guide guests through tastings. VIP admission includes early entry at 6 pm and complimentary bites from Austin chefs like Holy Roller’s Callie Speer.

Tuesday, September 18

Wine Dinner with Frog’s Leap Winery at Garrison
Hop over to Fairmont Austin’s signature restaurant for a four-course dinner featuring pairings from the acclaimed Napa Valley winery. The decadent menu showcases late summer produce in dishes like a duck liver tart with preserved cherry and Akaushi New York strip served with aligot potatoes. Arrive promptly at 7 pm for a welcome reception and hors d’oeuvres. Reserve your spot here.

Thursday, September 20

En Garde! Food Fight at Barr Mansion
The Austin chapter of Les Dames D’Escoffier presents this heated battle between some of Austin’s best female chefs. Starting at 7 pm, cheer on your favorite as they compete in categories like Macaron Smackdown and Biscuit Battle. Or get in the action yourself by challenging a sommelier to a wine taste-off. An auction for unique culinary experiences and nibbles from Franklin Barbecue, Foreign & Domestic, and Taco Flats round out the tasty affair. Ticket proceeds benefit culinary scholarships for women.

Food For Thought at ACL Live at The Moody Theater
One of Austin’s longest running tasting events, this annual party from Communities in Schools brings out top restaurants like Bufalina, Fixe Southern House, L’oca D’Oro, and Uchiko. While making your way through the bites, guests can dance along to live music or bid on exciting packages during the live auction. The $250 ticket goes helps the organization provide dropout prevention services.

Tuesday, September 25

Austin Women in Culinary Dinner at Parkside
Head downtown for this blowout feast curated by some of the biggest names in Austin food. Taking inspiration from their personal heroes, the all-woman chef lineup will create a dazzling meal including passed appetizers and five paired courses. Festivities start at 7 pm with a cocktail hour followed by dinner at 8 pm. This event is expected to sell out so secure your seat now.

Saturday, September 29

Oktoberfest at Oasthouse Kitchen + Bar
Break out your stretchiest lederhosen for this event celebrating the return of all things fall. This stylish gastropub will be pulling out all the stops between 2-8 pm for this Bavarian bash featuring German-inspired dishes from the Oasthouse kitchen and seasonal drafts from Fredericksburg’s Altstadt Brewing. Enjoy door prizes, $4-5 brews, and housemade sausages on the patio while listening to live music from Shawn Matthews.

Sunday, September 30

L’Oven Artisan Bread Class at Confituras Little Kitchen
Pastry chef Abby Love is rising to the occasion for a hands-on artisan bread class covering everything from fermenting to basic techniques. Starting at 2:30 pm, spend the afternoon working with grains from Barton Spring Mill and take home a couple of loafs and additional dough. The $90 tickets include snacks and guests are encouraged to bring their own drinks for more Sunday fun.

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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.