Hog heaven

Austin chefs go hog wild at annual pork throwdown

Wine and Swine brings New Orleans-inspired pork dishes to Camp Mabry on November 19, 2017.

Photo by Max Photography

Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. Fletch Lives. Weekend at Bernie’s II. Sequels rarely live up to the original, but when a sequel brings (spoiler alert) more cocktails, more chefs, and more pork — plus the return of a festive New Orleans theme that flipped the script on local sip and strolls, we’ll gladly keep coming back.

Austin Food and Wine Alliance’s annual Wine and Swine, the Empire Strikes Back of food parties, is returning November 19 with an all-star roster of participating chefs, libations from top bar talent, and Cajun music from Gulf Coast Playboys.

The porktastic celebration has a new location this year, moving from Star Hill Ranch to Camp Mabry to allow for cheaper ride-share fares and greater accessibility. But the mission is still the same: to raise funds for AFWA’s culinary grants program promoting innovation and community development.

As usual, AFWA has enlisted some of Austin’s brightest stars to come up with pork-based dishes for the hungry crowd to sample. This year’s roster features hometown hero Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue as well as three of San Antonio’s most lauded chefs — Steve McHugh of Cured, Pieter Sypesteyn of The Cookhouse, and Luis Colon of Bexar Pub.

Also going hog wild will be chefs Jeff Martinez of Alcomar, Thomas Calhoun of Aviary Wine & Kitchen, Zach Hunter of The Brewer’s Table, Azhar Mohammad of The Carillon, Andrew Wiseheart of Chicon, Kendall Melton of Contigo, Nathan Lemley and Sarah Heard of Foreign & Domestic, Kevin Fink and Tavel Bristol-Joseph of Henbit & Honeybit, Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher of Lenoir, Derek Salkin of Le Politique, Evan LeRoy of LeRoy & Lewis, John Bates of Noble Sandwich Co., Michael Fojtasek of Olamaie, Max Snyder of Pitchfork Pretty, Bob Williamson of Srsly Chocolate, Sterling Ridings of The Guild, Kristine Kittrell of WeatherUp, Joe Anguiano of Vox Table, and Tien Ho of Whole Foods Market.

Celebrated French Quarter mixologist and this year’s winner of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program Chris Hannah of Arnaud’s French 75 will bring New Orleans’ famed cocktail culture to Austin, serving up two signature drinks, the Amaryllis Sling and the Pableaux Martinez.

Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Beam Suntory, Campari, and Patron will also have NOLA-inspired cocktails and guests can sample the 2017 Official Drink of Austin, the Capital City Collins from Frank, featuring Old Highborn gin. And since you can’t have swine without the wine, dozens of wines will be available for sampling. Guests can vote on their favorite wine and pork dishes, with token sales going towards AFWA’s culinary grant program.

Tickets are on sale now, but don’t hem and haw. The first 150 early birds will get a discounted price of $75. The price will then go up to $85, with 100 VIP tickets available at $135. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door, but be warned, this event usually sells out.

charity chefs barbecue event-planner

WHOM THE BELL SOTOLS

Poolside sotol bar splashes into high-end downtown Austin hotel

Photo by Jade Hammer

Cantero Austin.

Austin's thirst for desert spirits may not be precisely quantifiable, but there's no doubt it is on the rise. Over the last decade, several mezcal and tequila bars have popped up throughout the city. No wonder the Line Austin is eager to enter the game with its newest nightlife offering, Cantero.

Officially open as of November 12, it's the Capital City's first bar emphasizing sotol, a sibling spirit of mezcal made with the desert spoon plant instead of agave. The chic space, decorated with Mexican modernist neutrals, opens up to the downtown property's pool.

"When planning Cantero, we knew we wanted to highlight local ingredients and Texas spirits," explained Line head of creative Stefan Merriweather in a release. "Sotol, a regional gem, stood out as something we hadn't yet encountered in a dedicated bar, and we saw an opportunity to introduce our guests to something fresh and unexpected."

Although the bar stocks other spirits, it has one of the broadest sotol collections in the region. While Mexican brands like Flor del Desierto are featured, Cantero stocks Texan trailblazers like Desert Door and Marfa Spirit Co.

Guests can enjoy sotol via standalone tastings or mixed in signature cocktails like the Yucca with Aperol, lemon cordial, habanero bitters, and soda; or the Strelitzia with ginger, lemon, and lavender-honey soda. Other liquors anchor more sippers, like the Dahlia with mezcal, green pepper, sweet corn, and smoked chili bitters.

The lounge also enjoys proximity to the Line's outpost of Veracruz All Natural. Guests can soak up the booze with the entire taco and appetizer menu from the Austin favorite, located adjacent to Cantero.

Cantero is now open from noon to 10 pm Monday through Thursday, 10 am to midnight Friday through Saturday, and 10 am to 10 pm on Sunday.

Photo by Jade Hammer

Cantero is dedicated specifically to sotol.

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