Armadillo's Thanksgiving
17 Austin teams compete in gumbo cook-off for Thanksgiving fundraiser
Some Austinites are already planning ahead for Thanksgiving, and that includes the outdoor bar and music venue Armadillo Den. It's hosting a Gumbo Cookoff on Sunday, November 17, that will help raise funds to deliver thousands of meals on Thanksgiving Day.
The volunteer-run Operation Turkey is taking care of those deliveries in places across Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Of course, that includes the operation's hometown of Austin, and it reaches into Round Rock, Cedar Park, Elgin, San Marcos, and more nearby cities.
According to a press release about the benefit cook-off, 17 local groups will be bringing three gallons each of competitively made gumbo. They're aiming for a "delicious, unique spin" on the famous New Orleans stew, but they'll also have to impress both a panel of designated judges and all the guests in order to win their votes. It'll be cooked onsite, with four and a half hours to perfect the dish before judging begins.
A bit more information is shared in the Facebook event description: competitors include home cook Kevin Grogan, Chef Janelle Reynolds, and home cook Brian Tolbert, who have previously won three, two, and one time, respectively. Last year's winner, Chad Radford, will also be there defending his title. Other contestants whose food Austinites may have tried on other occasions include Brett Berry of Armadillo Den; Donnie Forehand, the executive sous chef at Geraldine's; and "Chef Extraordinaire" Zack Northcutt, who has previously worked as executive chef at Swift's Attic.
Guests can order drinks from Armadillo Den per usual, and Central Texas band the Cajun Aces will play from 4-7 pm. Capping off the New Orleans-flavored event, The Den will show that night's NFL game between the New Orleans Saints and the Cleveland Browns.
Folks who want to see the whole process should note that cooking starts at noon. Panel judges will start deliberating at 4:30 pm, and guest sampling begins at 5 pm.
From the Facebook event, there are three donation levels:
- $10 — samples of each gumbo, 3 voting tickets
- $20 — samples of each gumbo, 1 bowl of gumbo, 3 voting tickets
- $30 — unlimited samples and bowls of gumbo, 3 voting tickets
All the proceeds will go through Operation Turkey, which will keep half. It will donate the remainder on behalf of the panel judges' winner to their charity of choice.
Armadillo Den is located at 10106 Menchaca Rd. Donations will be accepted at the door. More information about Armadillo Den is available at armadillodenaustin.com.