impending food coma

Austin Food & Wine Festival plates up lineup of more than 90 chefs and experts

The festival will host dozens of acclaimed chefs throughout the two-day period.

Photo courtesy of the Austin Food & Wine Festival

It's been a busy week for the Austin Food & Wine Festival: Six days after the dates for the 2023 festival were announced, festival organizers have also dropped the official lineup of chef appearances.

The two-day festival at Auditorium Shores will showcase the brilliance of dozens of local, regional, and nationally-acclaimed chefs and culinary experts. This annual festival is a great place to try signature bites from local chefs whose restaurants are often booked, or are just too expensive to cross of the must-try list all at once.

It's also great for broadening a visitor's culinary horizons: Food samples often include unusual ingredients or experimental preparations, there are plenty of wines and spirits to sample with tasting guidance, and some chefs will even teach audiences how to prepare something step-by-step.

One of the events that will be highlighted at the festival is the brand-new "Made in Texas" tasting on the evening of Saturday, November 4. "Made in Texas" is a combination of classic Lone Star cooking over open flames and the atmosphere of a tailgate.

Appearances during the Made in Texas event include:

Tatsu Aikawa, Tatsu-ya
Nicola Blaque, The Jerk Shack
Junior Borges, Meridian
Anne Burrell, Food Network personality
Jo Chan, Bureau de Poste
Sonya Coté, Hillside Farmacy
Jason Dady, Dady Restaurant Group
Mike Diaz and Laura Sawicki, Oseyo
Todd Duplechan, Lenoir
Graham Elliot, FAR Out Hospitality
Michael Fojtasek and Amanda Rockman, Albert Hotel
CJ Jacobson, Aba
Cheetie Kumar, Ajja
Rebecca Masson, Fluff Bake Bar
Steve McHugh, Cured
Bradley Nicholson and Susana Querejazu, Lutie’s
Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shuka
Berty Richter, Ezov
Fiore Tedesco, L’Oco d’Oro
Amanda Turner, Olamaie
Ling Qi Wu, Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum

The "Fire Pit" portion of the festival is exactly as it sounds: a cooking area fueled by open flame, where pitmasters and more barbecue-focused chefs work on longer preparations. This is more laid-back than the tasting tables, which are churning out small bites in rounds, and some of the chefs will chat with onlookers or explain what they're doing.

Confirmed featured chefs at the "Fire Pit" include:

Adrian Abella and Camille De Los Reyes, Sari-Sari Supper Club
Vinnie Cimino, Cordelia
Jason Dady, Dady Restaurant Group
Leo Davila, Stixs & Stone
Harold Marmulstein, Salty Sow
Esaul Ramos, 2M Smokehouse BBQ
Meredith Shaffer, Tillie’s

The main event that most attendees look forward to is the "Chef Showcase," which has the biggest roster of esteemed chefs throughout both days of the festival. This is the literal center of the event, spread out across rows of tents where visitors can grab samples. These bites tend to be things that are easy to plate en masse: things like ceviche, sliders, tacos, salads, bruschetta, etc.

The Chef Showcase will feature these dynamic and beloved chefs:

Alma Alcocer, El Alma
Tano Avila, Grizzelda’s
Laila Bazahm, El Raval
Daniel Berg, Bill’s Oyster
Barrett Black, The Original Black’s BBQ
Daniel Brooks, Chapulin Cantina and Licha’s
Raul Castillo, Honey Moon Spirit Lounge
Ji Peng Chen, Wu Chow
Krystal Craig and Ian Thurwachter, Intero
Jakub Czyszczon, Garrison
Javier Equihua, MaCoCo’s
Nick Erven, Wax Myrtle’s
Roberto Espinosa, Tacodeli
Liz Everett and Stephanie Everett Martin, Ensenada ATX
Donnie Forehand, Swift’s Attic
Joseph Gomez, Con Todo
Dante Grogg, Juliet Italian Kitchen
Kris Hammond, Daiboku
Nico Harrison, Jacoby’s
Jeffrey Hundelt, Summer House on Music Lane
Dimitrios Kelesoglou, Yamas
Dan Kennedy, Vixen’s Wedding
Brian Light, Ronin Farm & Restaurant
Enma Lopez, ABW Can-tina
Geronimo Lopez, Botika
Justin Manzi, Goodfolks
Corey McEntyre, Milo
Allie McMillan, ATX Cocina
Jason McVearry, Poke-Poke
Yovani Mejia, Cruzteca Mexican Kitchen
Eric Nathal, Austin Rôtisserie
Anne Ng and Jeremy Mandrell, Bakery Lorraine
Brian Olenjack, Lonesome Dove
Alan Paryzek, Central Machine Works Brewery
Nicole Patel, Delysia Chocolatier
Colter Peck, Elementary ATX
Pedro Quevedo and Alex Swenson, Gelato Paradiso
Paul Qui, Moto Utsunomiya and Dominic Luzzo, East Side King
Ryan Samson, Vespaio
Jam Sanitchat, Thai Fresh
Anthony Sobotik and Kendall Melton, Lick Honest Ice Cream
Kevin Taylor, Bulevar
Noah Thibault, 1417 French Bistro
Mike Warnock, The Dirdie Birdie
Nic Yanes and Janice Omadeke, Calibrate Wellness
Kristina Zhao, DASHI Sichuan Kitchen + Bar

More chefs are likely to be announced between now and November. More information about the festival and tickets can be found on austinfoodandwinefestival.com.

austin festivals chefs food and wine

Grocery news haul

Grocery service Farmhouse Delivery returns to Austin with fun surprise

Courtesy photo

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After suddenly halting its operations in May, grocery service Farmhouse Delivery is on its way back, with an extra surprise for Austin: a new storefront.

Known for offering locally prepared foods and produce from small Central Texas farms, the subscription-based service emailed its loyal customers on Monday, November 18, to share the relaunch news and outline its plans for the future.

“We’ve missed you and are beyond grateful for your patience as we’ve been hard at work planning the next chapter of Farmhouse Delivery,” the newsletter reads. “Soon, you’ll once again have fresh, local food delivered straight to your doorstep[.]”

Farmhouse Delivery is aiming for a December date to resume deliveries, they say. They've used the intervening six months to not only revamp their existing business model, but to expand their offerings.

The biggest surprise in the newsletter was a revelation of plans for a new storefront in Austin, blending a cozy farmer’s market vibe with what they call “the best parts of your favorite grocer — where you can discover fresh foods, refill on essentials, connect with other members on sustainable living, and, of course, [shop] our best local products — all in innovative, reusable packaging.”

The email did not divulge details for the location or timing of the storefront project.

The company also plans to introduce a new membership model with exclusive benefits such as sneak peeks of new products and promotions.

Underscoring its commitment to sustainability, Farmhouse also announced that it’s working toward a completely plastic-free delivery:

“Expect to see your favorite items in sustainable packaging, with rewards for returning and reusing Farmhouse materials. Together, let’s reduce waste and make sustainable choices the coolest thing to do.”

The newsletter invited customers to complete a survey to help shape the ongoing Farmhouse experience. There, customers can indicate their desired delivery day (or days) and the factors that influence that preference (meal planning, work schedule, etc.), as well as specific products they would like to see in future deliveries.

Survey participants can also designate their preferred price point for memberships and the most appealing benefits from a long list, including free deliveries, additional delivery days, free products, members-only cooking classes, exclusive content, and more.

Neither the newsletter nor the Farmhouse website announced a specific date for relaunching, but returning and new customers can keep an eye on the website and social media for further details.

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