The Austin Food + Wine Festival marks a collaboration between C3 Presents and some of Texas’ most celebrated chefs and restaurateurs, including Tim Love, Iron Chef Champion and Owner/Chef of Queenie’s Steakhouse, The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, and The Love Shack in Fort Worth; Tyson Cole, the James Beard Foundation Award-winning Owner/Chef of Uchi and Uchiko in Austin; and Jesse Herman, owner of the James Beard Foundation-nominated La Condesa in Austin/Napa. C3 is the Austin-based producer of Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits Music Festival.
A portion of the Festival’s proceeds will benefit The Austin Food & Wine Alliance, dedicated to fostering awareness and innovation in the Central Texas food and wine community through grants, educational programming and events.
Hanging with Chef Jason Dady
The Austin Food + Wine Festival is one of my favorite “out of town” festivals. Although Austin is but a mere two hours from Houston, it still feels like I have escaped to another state when I attend. Austin has a different vibe, and the weather is also just a hair cooler than Houston. Making it the perfect location for a weekend of outdoor eating and drinking. I had the pleasure of attending the Austin Food + Wine Festival back in 2017, and it was so much fun. Learning about, and experiencing the various flavors from some of Austin’s finest chefs and restaurants was a true treat. As I pack my bags to head to Austin this weekend, I am looking forward to this year’s culinary lineup!
Curated Demo or Tasting Sessions
Although Austin Food + Wine Festival is known for its myriad of food and beverage tents, they also host tons of curated demo and tasting sessions. Here, guests can learn kitchen tips and tricks from the pros at featured cooking demos, or enjoy a guided tasting led by sommeliers and experts in wine and spirits. The tastings were so much fun! I thoroughly enjoyed sipping craft wines with the makers themselves.
My culinary idols will be in attendance and I can’t wait to engage with them. That’s another thing I really love about Austin Food + Wine Festival. It’s not over sold. Allowing guests to easily walk up to and chat with the people they see on television without all the celebrity hassle and media hype. Should you be attending the festival check out this year’s schedule. I am all over the Bordeaux experience. The curated Rosè session was all the rave a couple years back.
Chef Showcase
The chef showcase is always fun, especially for us out-of-towners. My husband was raised in Austin, and my mother-in-law still lives on the outskirts of the city. I use this festival as an excuse to create a list of restaurants to visit during our trips to see her. Additionally, highlighting Austin restaurants on my social media offers my followers a glimpse of what else the great state of Texas has to offer.
This year’s lineup is jam packed with a few of my favorite Austin restaurants, like Olive & June and Easy Tiger Bake Shop & Beer Garden. Wearing your stretchy pants is a must. Not only are there 30+ chefs participating but there are literally too many wine, beer and beverage sponsors to count!
Tickets
This show is sold out folks, so if you haven’t scored your tickets mark your calendar for 2020. All of the early birds have gotten the worms. Check out some of my photos and blog posts from 2017 below. Hopefully they will motivate you to add this to your “events you don’t want to miss” list!
2017 Photo Gallery!
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