Chef's Under Fire Finals

We were very excited about the opportunity to volunteer at Chefs Under Fire 2011 Finals, that occurred this past weekend at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center. Created by Diane Dixon of the Keeper Collection, this event has quickly become a foodie favorite in Austin. We welcomed guests to this great event, helped register them and sent them on their way into the pre-tasting. There, they could watch the chefs prepare dishes, try various wines, and sample some outstanding lobster bisque and pork belly created by Executive Chef Josh Watkins of The Carillon. Yum! 

Chefs had a limited time to prepare a dish including potatoes, beets, green onion, and Longhorn beef. Each chef introduced his dish to the celebrity judges, who included Chef David Bull, Chef Tyson Cole, and Chef Kent Rathbun. Also in attendance to talk about the wines was Devon Broglie, Master Sommelier and Global Buyer at Whole Foods Market.

Guests were seated in the large ballroom after the testing, and were presented with the three different dishes. The event was incredibly interactive as guests were able to vote for their Fan Favorite via Twitter, and appear on a live Twitter feed. The Judge’s pick was Chef Harold Wong, but Chef Daniel Valenzuela pleased our palettes with his dish, and won Fan Favorite. Between the cook-off, the delectable dishes, and various wines and cheeses, the event was fun for all!

The Wine & Food Foundation team were very excited to see the chef-off between Shawn Cirkiel of Parkside and Paul Peterson of Vivo Lake Creek, hosted by Top Chef judge Gail Simmons! Sponsored by Target on a parking lot at 4th and Congress streets, the event was a fun way to enjoy the weather and see some great cooking with fresh ingredients.

Chef Cirkiel cooked up a halibut with a carrot sauce that smelled fabulous, while Chef Peterson made pork accompanied by a guacamole with tomato and pineapple. With the help of an audience member, the chefs had 20 minutes to create their dishes. Meanwhile, Simmons talked about some of her foodie faves. In the end, Simmons appreciated Chef Peterson’s Tex-Mex flare, and announced him winner of the chef-off.

After the event, our Community Relations Director Becka Brown took a photo with Simmons and spoke about the Foundation. Hopefully we will be seeing her at an event soon! It was wonderful to watch both chefs compete, create incredible food, and we can’t wait to see more of these types of creations at Big Reds & Bubbles on November 17, 2011.

Written by Lauren Brandewie, Foundation Intern

Holiday Preview

We attended Glazer’s Holiday Tasting event at the Long Center this week, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting distributors, vineyards, and trying some delightful drinks. We spoke with the Lange Twins family winery (who will be at Big Reds & Bubbles!) and particularly enjoyed their 2010 Petite Sirah Petite Verdot. Texas Hills Vineyard featured their Kick Butt Cabernet Sauvignon. On a lighter side, Pacific Rim winemakers from Oregon brought sparkling Rieslings that were perfectly light and sweet. The tasting event had tons more to offer, from whiskey to tequila, to 100-calorie margaritas, there will be many drinks to toast to this holiday season!

Written by Lauren Brandewie, Foundation intern

Out and About? You Bet We Are!

Congrats to many of our Board Members, Partners and Foundation Members for being listed on Michael Barnes prestigious Out & About 500 list.
Food: David Garrido, Susan and Ed Auler, David Bull, Paula Biehler, Shawn Cirkiel, Quincy Erickson, Bryce Gilmore, Jennifer and Marshall Jones (Our Executive Director!!), Cameron Lockley, Rob Moshein, plus Deborah and Larry Peel (Our Chairman!).
Business: Eddie Safady, Wendy Casey Sooch and Nav Sooch
Interactive: David Wyatt
Media: Dave Shaw, George Elliman, Deborah Hamilton-Lynn,
Nightlife: Chad Auler, Becky and Damon Holditch, Sylvia and David Jabour, Kara and Matt Swinney
Style: Rachel Elsberry
Thank you to everyone for their continued support of The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas!

Tour de Vin Recap

Around the world in one night!

Food was plated, wine was being poured, and Japanese Taiko drummers were performing as guests arrived at the W Hotel on Thursday night for our internationally-inspired wine and food pairing event, Tour de Vin. Featuring 15 Austin restaurants and over 85 wines to taste, the night was sure to please… and that it did!

Guests sampled food inspired by many regions of the world including North America, South America, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Japan, and Australia, and were able to pair wines (or sakes!) with each tasty bite. But don’t forget the bubbly! A step out on to the second floor terrace on this comfortable summer night revealed champagnes and sparkling wines galore.

A few of the lucky event-goers were also able to sign up for sommelier tours on the terrace led by Gusto Tastings throughout the night. And of course, we couldn’t forget the cigars that were graciously passed out by Heroes & Legacies.

But that’s not all! Surprise entertainment throughout the night included salsa dancing by Dance International and belly dancing from Viviane Bressan. And for those who wanted a souvenir by which to remember their world tour, the silent auction offered dinners, jewelry, gift certificates and of course, wine. A great time was had by all!

Now it’s on to our holiday kickoff, Big Reds & Bubbles. Let the planning begin!