Tickets for the fourth annual Austin Food + Wine Festival, April 24-26, 2015, are on sale at www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets. Presented in partnership with founders Charlie Jones, chef Tim Love, restaurateur Jesse Herman and FOOD & WINE, Austin Food + Wine Festival will host more than 40 events over three days at Auditorium Shores and Republic Square Park, including hands-on grilling demonstrations; expanded interactive fire pits helmed by an all-star lineup of chefs; Grand Tasting tents offering food, wine and cocktail tastings; live musical performances; chef tastings; book signings; and much more.
A new addition to the 2015 festival is expanded ticketing options. Tickets for the 2015 Austin Food + Wine Festival are now available for individual purchase or in two package options: All-In ($550) and Weekender ($250). The All-In experience includes access to cooking demos, fire pits, food, wine and cocktail tastings, book signings, Grand Tasting experience on Saturday & Sunday, as well as access to both Taste of Texas and Rock Your Taco evening events, Sips & Sweets after-party, and a registered spot at Tim Love’s grilling demo for one of the days. The Weekender pass includes access to cooking demos, fire pits, food, wine and cocktail tastings, book signings, and Grand Tasting experience on Saturday & Sunday. Friday night’s Taste of Texas ($150); Saturday night’s Rock Your Taco ($200); and Sips & Sweets ($75) can also be purchased individually outside of the Weekender or All-In passes at www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets.
Austin Food + Wine will once again feature the pre-Festival Feast Under the Stars. The dinner will be a separately ticketed event, held Thursday, April 23, at Austin’s Auditorium Shores. The intimate, 5-course outdoor celebration will feature chefs Tim Love (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Love Shack, Queenie’s Steakhouse, White Elephant Saloon, Woodshed Smokehouse); Tyson Cole (St. Philip, Uchi, Uchiko); Jason Dady (Tre Trattoria, Two Bros BBQ Market, Shuck Shack, Tre Enoteca, The Duk Truck, B&D Ice House); Matt McCallister (FT33); and Erica Waksmunski (Red Star Southern) preparing a collaborative, family-style, al fresco meal. Feast Under the Stars tickets are $225 per person (with wine pairings and parking included) and must be purchased separately from any Festival passes at www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets.
The 2015 Festival officially kicks off on Friday, April 24, with the Taste of Texas, held at Republic Square Park in the heart of downtown Austin, with a live musical performance by Jamestown Revival. With a lineup showcasing the Lone Star State’s brightest chefs, Taste of Texas will feature signature dishes from: Tatsu Aikawa (Ramen Tatsu-Ya); Alexis Chong (Sway); Ned Elliott (Foreign & Domestic); Omar Flores (Casa Rubia); Diego Galicia & Rico Torres (Mixtli); Dustin Harvey (Eastside King); Allison Jenkins (La V); Steven McHugh (Cured); Wayne Mueller (Louie Mueller Barbecue); Hugo Ortega (Hugo’s Restaurant, Backstreet Café, Caracol Restaurant); Michael Sindoni (CBD Provisions); Blaine Staniford (Grace); Quealy Watson (Hot Joy); Cori & Heng Xiong (Mala Sichuan); and Justin Yu (Oxheart).
On Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26, the festival grounds at Auditorium Shores will come alive with cooking demonstrations, book signings, and interactive stations where chefs will be cooking over live Fire Pits and offering tastes to attendees throughout the day. Due to popular demand, the 2015 festival will double the amount of Fire Pit stations and offer four each day, providing a front-row experience cooking with live fire. Chefs include David Bull (Congress); Thai Changthong & Paul Qui (ESK Thai-Kun); Terrence Gallivan & Seth Siegel-Gardner (The Pass & Provisions); Jack & Bryce Gilmore (Jack Allen’s Kitchen, Odd Duck, Barley Swine); Jorge Hernandez & Paul Qui (Qui); Pat Martin (Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in Nashville); Tandy Wilson (Nashville’s City House); and Andrew Wiseheart (Contigo & Gardner).
Chef and Austin Food + Wine Festival Partner Tim Love will once again host the world’s largest hands-on grilling demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday. During Love’s interactive demos, he will teach attendees how to master the grill and share his personal tricks and tips for perfectly cooked meals. Festivalgoers will be able to eat what they have cooked while enjoying refreshingly cold drinks and a chance to participate in Love’s infamous Shot Roulette. Attendees must have an All-In pass to take part in the interactive demo, and are guaranteed one spot when they pre-register and select one day at time of purchase.
The Chef Showcase will feature a dynamic roster of chefs serving samples of their signature dishes to festivalgoers on Saturday and Sunday. Mix and mingle in the tents while enjoying bites from participants including: John Bates (Noble Sandwich Co.); Ji Peng Chen & Ling Qi Wu (Wu Chow); Shawn Cirkiel (Olive & June); Tyson Cole (St. Philip); Sonya Cote (Eden East); Andrew Curren & David Norman (Easy Tiger); Todd Duplechan (LENOIR and Metier Cook’s Supply); Kevin Garrett (Bufalina); Jesse Griffiths (DAI DUE); James Holmes (Olivia); Josh Jones (Salt & Time); Lance Kirkpatrick (Stiles Switch BBQ); Lawrence Kocurek & Eric Earthman (Counter 3. FIVE. VII); John Lewis (La Barbecue); Rick Lopez (La Condesa); Tim Love (Lonesome Dove, Austin); Sarah McIntosh (Épicerie Café & Grocery); James Robert (Fixe); Eric Silverstein (The Peached Tortilla); Kevin Williamson (Ranch 616); and Carlos Ysaguirre (Jacoby’s).
Rock Your Taco, Saturday evening’s signature tasting event, will bring out the competitive side of all participants. With live music from Lee Fields, chefs will square off against one another at Republic Square Park to create the ultimate taco, with winners chosen by an esteemed panel of judges, including FOOD & WINE’s Christina Grdovic, Graham Elliot (Graham Elliot Bistro) and Andrew Zimmern (television personality). Last year’s Rock Your Taco champion Richard Blais (FLIP Burger, San Diego’s Juniper & Ivy) will defend his crown against the likes of Hugh Acheson (Atlanta’s Empire State South, Five & Ten, The Florence, The National); Jamie Bissonnette & Ken Oringer (Coppa & Toro in NYC and Boston); Tyson Cole; Jason Dady; Bryce Gilmore; Antonia Lofaso (Black Market in Los Angeles); Tim Love; Jenn Louis (Portland, Oregon’s Lincoln Restaurant, Sunshine Tavern); Tony Mantuano (Chicago’s Spiaggia, Bar Toma, Terzo Piano); Chris Shepherd (Underbelly); Levon Wallace (Cochon Butcher Nashville); Jonathan Waxman (Adele’s Nashville & New York City’s Barbuto); Tandy Wilson; and Paul Qui (Qui).
Sips & Sweets, Saturday’s late–night dessert and nightcap party hosted at Mellow Johnny’s, will feature a selection of creative chefs driving Texas’ pastry scene. Attendees can satisfy their sweet tooth and enjoy signature drinks throughout the evening with participating pastry chefs including Mary Catherine Curren (Easy Tiger, Arro); Thomas Calhoun (Lenoir); Janina O’Leary (La V); Callie Speer (Swift’s Attic); and Finney Walter (Olivia). Sips & Sweets is included in the All-In pass, but can also be purchased individually outside of the Festival pass for $75 at www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets.
A star-studded collection of sommeliers, beverage directors, mixologists and craft beer experts rounds out the Austin Food + Wine Festival line-up, including David Alan, the Tipsy Texan; Master Sommelier Devon Broglie; Master Sommelier Craig Collins; FOOD & WINE’s executive wine editor Ray Isle; La V’s sommelier Vilma Mazaite; and author Mark Oldman.
The complete list of programming will be announced February 18, 2015. Please visit www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com for more information.
Tickets for the 2015 Austin Food + Wine Festival went on sale Wednesday, January 21st, at 10:00 a.m. CST and are now available for individual purchase or in two package options: All-In ($550) and Weekender ($250). The All-In experience includes access to cooking demos, fire pits, food, wine and cocktail tastings, book signings, Grand Tasting experience on Saturday & Sunday, as well as access to both Taste of Texas and Rock Your Taco evening events, Sips & Sweets after-party, and a registered spot at Tim Love’s grilling demo for one of the days. The Weekender pass includes access to cooking demos, fire pits, food, wine and cocktail tastings, book signings, and Tasting experience on Saturday & Sunday. Friday night’s Taste of Texas ($150); Saturday night’s Rock Your Taco ($200); and Sips & Sweets ($75) can also be purchased individually outside of the Weekender or All-In passes at www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets.
(press release)