Indie Chefs Week Returns

Texas pop-up dinner series features acclaimed chefs and up-and-comers

Indie Chefs Week Foreign & Domestic Austin

Participants have fun at Indie Chefs Week.

Photo by Anne Watson Photography

One of the most acclaimed pop-up dinner series in Texas returns this week. Indie Chefs Week, an event that matches up-and-coming culinary talent with critically acclaimed veterans, will hold a four-night run of dinners from March 15 to 18 in Austin.

“(Foreign & Domestic chef-owner) Ned Elliott takes the lead on picking chefs,” organizer Grover Smith tells CultureMap in an email. “He's got a huge network from living and working all over the U.S., and that comes in handy when you're trying to find people that haven't yet gotten much media attention.”

Since 2013, Elliott has tapped his network of chef friends from across the country and asked them to identify chefs who might be flying under the media radar. Those talented individuals get their first opportunity to shine on a national stage at Indie Chefs Week. The event also includes a few heavy hitters who may be cooking in Texas for the first time, which helps boost ticket sales.

Participants include a number of CultureMap Tastemaker Awards nominees, including Rising Star Chef of the Year finalists Page Pressley (Emmer & Rye in Austin) and Sterling Ridings (the upcoming Guild in Austin) and Pastry Chef of the Year nominee Julia Doran (Bernadine’s in Houston). Of the people coming from out of state, the highest profile chefs include Food & Wine Best New Chef Cara Stadler (Tao Yuan in Brunswick, Maine), two-time James Beard award semifinalist Jose Salazar (Salazar and Mita’s in Cincinnati), and Brett Cooper, the chef-owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Aster in San Francisco.

“The reality of being a chef-owner is that you're working so much that you're living in your kitchen and getting free time to get out and network, collaborate, and learn techniques or best practices isn't always a reality,” Smith writes. “That's the whole reason we pay for their housing, travel, and the food cost . . . These are people that run a fantastic restaurant, pay their employees a fair wage, pay their bills, take care of purveyors, and don't worry about making a ton of money; they just want to do what they love.”

That love gets expressed with multi-course dinners where each chef serves one course on either Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. On Saturday, the chefs pair up for a blow out, 14-plus course feast that’s followed by an after party. According to Smith, limiting the numbers of diners to 70 or so really allows the chefs to focus on technique and plating in a way that they can’t when serving bites to diners at larger food festivals.

"We're all just having fun, and it shows," Smith states. "I can't think of another opportunity like that."

Want to be there for all the culinary fireworks? A few tickets are still available for all nights, but they’re going fast. Head to the Indie Chefs Week website for details.

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return of the mack

Houston restaurateur steps up with massive River Oaks-area steakhouse

Courtesy of Mack Allen's

A rendering previews the Champagne Room, one of three private dining spaces.

A massive new steakhouse is coming to the River Oaks area this summer. Meet Mack Allen’s, a new project from Rouxpour owner Mack McDonald that’s scheduled to open in July.

While McDonald is primarily known for his casual dining concepts, Mack Allen’s is a step up in terms of design, experience, and quality. To bring the vision to life, McDonald has assembled a team of hospitality veterans, including executive chef Carlos Andrade (The Rouxpour. Brennan’s of Houston, etc.) and general manager Shaun Stockton (Turner’s, Vic & Anthony’s, etc.).

Located in the 5POP office tower at 4400 Post Oak Pkwy, Mack Allen’s will occupy 16,000 square feet on the 28-story building’s first floor. Led by Montgomery Roth Architecture & Interior Design, the space has been divided into a main dining room, a fully landscaped patio with fire and water features, and three private dining rooms

The Boardroom, designed for business meetings with full A/V capabilities
The Champagne Room, designed for luncheons, bridal showers, and other celebrations
The Estate Room, a 60-seat room with its own bar.

Once seated, customers will dine on a menu created by Andrade and regional chef Manuel “Manny” Viveros. It includes prime beef, raw and chargrilled oysters, sushi, seafood, and luxury add-ons such as caviar and truffles. More information about specific dishes and preparations will be shared closer to opening.

“At Mack Allen’s we’ll embrace a guest-first philosophy of always saying yes — yes to anything we can do to make our guests feel welcome and valued,” Stockton said in a statement. “This isn’t just about exceptional food. It’s about creating a place where hospitality leads everything and guests feel a true sense of belonging.”

Courtesy of Mack Allen's

A rendering previews the Champagne Room, one of three private dining spaces.

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