FESTIVAL SEASON

Olamaie, Antonelli's, and Dai Due pros link up with Hill Country food fest

35 wineries are participating in the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival.

Photo by Nicolai McCrary

In April, one of the Hill Country’s longest-running culinary get-togethers promised a glow up. Now, the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival is delivering the goods. On August 20, the planners released an all-star lineup for the event's return October 25 and 26, including some very well-known names from Austin.

With 22 chefs, 35 wineries, and 14 breweries and distilleries, the list reflects the town’s growing status as a food and drink destination. Although the community has long been known for its Southern, Tex-Mex, and barbecue fare, this year’s participants showcase a wide array of global cuisines.

The demo stage shows that interest in Fredericksburg spans far past Wine Road 290. In addition to hosting popular locals like Becker Vineyards and Chase’s Place, some leading Austin chefs are headlining. Michael Fojtasek and Justin Spencer, who will soon be opening Junebug’s in town will be joined by Dai Due’s Jesse Griffiths and Antonelli’s Cheese.

Local Hill Country highlights include Southwestern standard bearer Hill & Vine, Stonewall charmer Hye Thai, small-batch Italian ice purveyors Piccolina, and casual seafood spot Mystic Lobster Roll Company. Mainstays like Fischer & Weiser round out the offerings.

“This year’s festival is slated to be our most immersive and engaging to-date, with an array of innovative and tantalizing experiences to amuse the palate,” says festival producer Hayley Wakefield via a release.

Other activations include a VIP lounge curated by Augusta Vin, a sparkling wine garden from Heath, and Joanna’s Market, a unique shopping and dining hybrid from Signor Vineyards. Revel Kitchen + Catering will turn up the heat with El Quincho Asador Argentino, a live-fire kitchen.

Badges for the festival are currently on sale with prices ranging from a $100 discounted ticket for locals to an inclusive VIP weekender pass. Various add-ons can also be purchased for discrete events such as a yoga and wine event, a dinner on Fredericksburg’s historic Austin Street, and a waterfront brunch. The full lineup is available at fbgfoodandwine.com.

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News You Can Eat

Highly anticipated bakery and queso contest up the ante in Austin food news

Photo by Chad Wadsworth

Amanda Rockman's new bakery is opening Friday, October 11.

As Austinites fight through the ACL Fest crowds — both at Zilker Park and surprisingly far away — snacks help keep up morale. Thankfully, there are plenty to go around with a star chef's new bakery opening, a queso competition, and a pickleball tournament watch party. See you on the other side!

Openings and closings

Bakeries don't tend to be as highly anticipated as restaurants in Austin, but pastry chef Amanda Rockman has broken the baking mold. Her first solo bakery with her name on it is opening October 11 at 2400 E. Cesar Chavez St., Suite 200. This is an ambitious effort. Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop will operate in five "pillars," according to a press release: caffeine, gluten, sugar, butter, and booze. Most notable are the chocolate chip cookies with halva; bagels and creative cream cheese; and churro croissants. Learn more about what's available at the counter here. In Rockman's first week, it'll be open Friday through Monday (October 11-14), closing on Tuesday for any needed tweaks. It'll be back for daily service Wednesday, October 16, from 7 am to 7 pm. Weekend hours will be 8 am to 7 pm. Customers can also order for pickup on online after two weeks of business, with catering coming "soon."

Could sit in this airy shop all day.Photo by Chad Wadsworth

A worldly duo of chef brothers, Haru and Gohei Kishi, are bringing their experience to the Austin Proper Hotel. Proper Sandos promises "a delicious merging of Japanese tradition and Parisian elegance," according to its website. These picturesque Japanese-style sandwiches will feature tamago (Japanese omelette), crispy chicken, pork katsu, A5 Wagyu, and potentially more, and guests will get to enjoy them in a full-service restaurant. It'll be a temporary residency starting in 2025, located on the first floor of the hotel at 600 W. 2nd St. Hours are 11 am to 8 pm daily.

As promised more than a year ago, Honest Mary's is finally ready to move into its new Mueller location. Specializing in "healthy grain bowls," this fast-casual restaurant at 2021 Aldrich St. will open October 27 with a very grand opening event from noon to 2 pm (timed to line up with the nearby farmers market). There will be free bowls for everyone, prizes for the first 200 people (like gift cards of up to $500), live music, free face painting for kids, balloons, and free tote bags. Honest Mary's will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm.

Other news and notes

Austinites will strong opinions about the perfect queso recipe will have lots to think about at Quesoff, an annual competition at the The Mohawk. Contestants — both professional chefs and home cooks — will compete in four categories: Meaty, Spicy, Veggie and Wild Card. There will also be a Best in Show award for the overall best dish. The event taking place October 13 will benefit the Central Texas Food Bank. Tickets ($20) are available on Eventbrite.

The emerging sport of pickleball has nearly taken over Austin, and now there's a major league and even watch parties at local restaurants. One such party will be held at cool sports bar Victory Lap, where guests will watch the Texas Ranchers (Austin) play against the Dallas Flash in a tournament on October 15. The party will run from 6-8:30 pm, with free ranch waters for the first 100 guests and games like PaddleSmash and PaddlePong. Plus, pickleball lovers with a strong constitution can compete in a pickle eating contest sponsored by Suckerpunch, with a $500 prize. Register for the free event at sweatpals.com.

Eberly Atrium Eberly's Atrium will host a creative dinner with visual artists.Eberly/Instagram

Contemporary American restaurant Eberly is taking advantage of its beautiful space again to host Artists in the Atrium on October 15 and 16. The event will show off visual art by Texas artists B Shawn Cox (who works in a sort of pin-up style featuring cowboy and cowgirl portraits) and Cruz Ortiz (who works in an updated cubist style), which was made for the occasion. Executive chef Sarah Seghi will interpret the works through food in a menu for those nights only. This artsy dinner takes place from 6-10 pm each night. Tickets ($132.25 after fees, plus $79.75 for beverage pairings) are available at ticketleap.com.

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