Fresh Bites

4 Houston chefs heading to Austin for huge Food & Wine festival

This tasting event gives Texans the opportunity to taste bites from around the state.

Photo by Dusana Risovic

Keeping up with Austin's food scene is basically a full-time job, but one large festival is catching attendees up with all the developments of 2024. The Austin Food & Wine Festival has released tickets for its 2024 event, from November 1-3, and teased a lineup of dozens of big-name chefs from more than 50 Texas restaurants.

This festival by Food & Wine Magazine and C3 Presents puts the city's top chefs and beverage producers right in front of foodies, with tiny workstations set up in long rows at Auditorium Shores, where they'll hand out samples all day — usually until they run out. Some teams — representing all-local restaurants or mostly local beverages — bring fan favorites, and others opt for something more adventurous. Although the focus is on Austin chefs, a few Houstonians join in on the fun, including pastry chef Rebecca Masson (Fluff Bake Bar), Top Chef finalist Evelyn Garcia and her co-chef Henry Lu (Jūn), and Levi Goode (Credence).

Cold dishes like ceviches and salads are popular, but barbecue dishes are also available all over, including in the dedicated live Fire Pit, where attendees can watch masters at work. The latter will be manned by Nicola Blaque (The Jerk Shack), Alison Clem (la Barbecue), Jason Dady (Jason Dady Restaurants), Levi Goode (Credence), Jess Kuykendall (Ocho, Milpa) and Geronimo Lopez (Botika), all taking turns. Check out CultureMap's coverage from 2023 to get an idea of what highlights could be in store.

Fire Pit at Austin Food & Wine Festival The Fire Pit is a slow-burn portion of the event (pun intended) where guests can check in for updates throughout the day.Photo by Dusana Risovic

This festival is bigger than it looks, with additional events scheduled for after the daily samplings close, plus demos and guided tastings scheduled throughout the day.

First up for special events is the Made In Texas VIP event Friday night at the Long Center Terrace, which will serve up a collaborative dinner between:

Kevin Gillespie (Red Beard Restaurants)
Antonia Lofaso (DAMA and Scopa Italian Roots)
Ashleigh Shanti (Good Hot Fish)
Amanda Turner (Olamaie)
Claudette Zepeda (Chispa Hospitality)
Tyson Cole (Hai Hospitality)
Diego Galicia and Rico Torres (Mixtli)
Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu (Jūn)
Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin (Best Quality Daughter)
Jonatan Gómez Luna Torres and Mikel Alonso (Mexta)
Chris Krinsky (Ramen del Barrio)
Rebecca Masson (Fluff Bake Bar)
Berty Richter (Ezov)

The Hands-on Grilling follow-along event with Tim Love, one of the longtime cornerstone chefs at the festival, sold out during a presale, so we'll skip it. (For those with FOMO, consider following the festival on Instagram, where it announces things like presales.) But there's your cue to buy early if you're dying to make any certain event.

Other chefs will be providing plenty of additional cooking demos, where they'll cook in an onsite kitchen under a tent (basically a cooking show set), with live cameras so that attendees can see the details. Since almost everyone has a glass of wine, bourbon, or other libation in hand, these end up being fun, interactive events more so than an academic cooking presentation. Participating chefs include:

Kevin Gillespie (Red Beard Restaurants)
Antonia Lofaso (DAMA and Scopa Italian Roots)
Tim Love (Lonesome Dove)
Edgar Rico (Nixta Taqueria)
Ashleigh Shanti (Good Hot Fish)
Courtney Storer (Coco’s To Go-Go; culinary producer of The Bear)
Amanda Turner (Olamaie)
Claudette Zepeda (Chispa Hospitality)

Anne Burrell chef demo at Austin Food & Wine Festival 2023 Anne Burrell's chef demo turned into a rowdy Q&A in 2023.Photo by Roger Ho

Finally, the main event is the Chef Showcase, or the self-paced tasting stations that take up the majority of the venue. Just remember: some popular or less-prepared booths run out quickly, and lines can get long. Consider arriving as early as possible to mitigate both these potential stumbling blocks.

Those nearly unavoidable issues aside, attendees will still leave very, very full, and it's possible to try every booth across the weekend. That's easily a year's worth of trying new restaurants, which will hopefully enrich guests' dining lives after the festival is over and it's time to make reservations based on their new discoveries.

Participating chefs in the showcase include:

Laila Bazahm (El Raval)
Daniel Berg (Bill’s Oyster)
Barrett Black (The Original Black’s BBQ)
Daniel Brooks (Licha’s Cantina and Chapulín Cantina)
Raul Castillo (Honey Moon Spirit Lounge)
Ji Peng Chen (Wu Chow)
Shawn Cirkiel (Parkside)
Krystal Craig and Ian Thurwatcher (Intero and Poeta)
Edgar Cuspinera (Swift’s Attic)
Kévin D'Andrea (Foliepop’s)
Roberto Espinosa (Tacodeli)
Liz Everett and Stephanie Everett Martin (ENSENADA ATX)
Jessica Galindo-Winters (Cruzteca Mexican Kitchen)
Paolo Gama (Verbena)
Joseph Gomez (Con Todo)
Tyler Guerriero (Lonesome Dove)
Amir Hajimaleki (Keepers)
Sarah Heard and Nathan Lemley (Foreign & Domestic and Commerce Café)
Andrea Juarez (Walton’s Fancy & Staple)
Dimitrios Kelesoglou (Yamas)
Enma Lopez (ABW Can-Tina)
Anne Ng and Jeremy Mandrell (Bakery Lorraine)
Corey McEntyre (Milo)
Jason McVearry (Poke Poke)
Joe Ng (RedFarm)
Alan Paryzek (Central Machine Works)
Nicole Patel (Delysia Chocolatier)
Mike Perez (Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar)
Pedro Quevedo and Alex Swenson (Gelato Paradiso)
Paul Qui, Moto Utsunomiya and Danny Rodriguez (East Side King)
Johnny Ray (Serenade)
Ryan Samson (Vespaio)
Sarah Seghi (Eberly)
Eric Silverstein (Peached Tortilla)
Amy Simmons (Amy’s Ice Cream)
Kevin Taylor (Bulevar)
Davis Turner (Huckleberry)
Nic Yanes (Murray’s Tavern and The Dirdie Birdie)
Kristina Zhao (DASHI Sichuan Kitchen + Bar)
Joseph Zoccoli (Casa Bianca)

More chefs will be announced soon, according to a release.

Tickets are on sale now, and available in a variety of different packages. A weekender ticket includes festival access both days, including food, drinks, and all the events happening during daytime hours. Single-day tickets are also available for Saturday and Sunday. VIP tickets include both days, plus entry half an hour early; access to a VIP lounge with exclusive snacks, drinks, and premium restrooms; and a VIP lane to expedite entry to the festival. Guests must be at least 21 years old to attend.

Stay tuned with CultureMap for more news and top picks for this festival, which we cover extensively every year.

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Now hear this

New Texas museum shines spotlight on Tejano music history

Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum, San Antonio, tejano music

Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Roger Hernandez serves as board president of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum.

For a city that proudly calls itself the capital of Tejano music, San Antonio has long been missing a permanent place to honor the genre’s pioneers and preserve its history. That gap officially closed In December with the opening of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum at 1414 Fredericksburg Rd.

The music couldn’t have found a better steward than its founder and board president. Roger Hernandez has had his finger on the pulse of Tejano music for decades. His company, En Caliente Productions, has provided a platform for countless performing artists and songwriters in Tejano, conjunto, and regional Mexican music since 1982.

Hernandez says his wife, who ran a shop at Market Square years ago, would often get questions from visitors about the location of a physical Tejano music museum, a thing that simply did not exist. In 2022, he banded together with friends, family, and other local Tejano music supporters to make the nonprofit Hall of Fame a reality.

“I decided I've been in the music scene for over 40 years, it's time to do a museum,” Hernandez recalls.

Hernandez says a brick-and-mortar Tejano music museum has long been needed to remember musical acts and other individuals who grew the genre across Texas and northern Mexico, especially those who are aging. Recently, the community lost famed Tejano music producer Manny Guerra and Abraham Quintanilla, the renowned Tejano singer/songwriter and father of the late superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Both deaths occurred roughly one week after the Totally Tejano museum opened to the public.

“They're all dying. They're all getting older, and we need to acknowledge all these people,” Hernandez says.

The Totally Tejano Museum — named after Hernandez’s Totally Tejano Television Roku streaming — has 5,000 square feet of space packed with plaques, photos, promotional posters, musical instruments, and other memorabilia honoring the pioneers and stars of the beloved genre. Mannequins wear stage outfits from icons like Laura Canales and Flaco Jimenez, and a wall of photos remembers late greats. Totally Tejano Television plays legendary performances on a loop, bringing the exhibits to life.

The newly opened Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum includes a growing collection of memorabilia. Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Hernandez says the museum will soon welcome permanent and rotating exhibits, including traveling shows, a Hall of Fame section, and an area paying homage to Chicano music crossovers, such as the late Johnny Rodriguez, the South Texas singer-songwriter who blended country with Tex-Mex music. Plans call for the organization to hold its inaugural Hall of Fame induction in February 2026.

Eventually, a 2,000 square feet back room will be converted into additional display space and host industry gatherings, community symposiums, and record and video release parties. The museum also plans to add a gift and record shop and a music learning room where visitors can listen to early Tejano music and browse archival photos. Hernandez is already talking with local school districts about educational field trips.

Much like Tejano itself, the museum is a grassroots production. Hernandez and fellow board members have used their own money to rent, renovate, develop, and maintain the museum space. The board also leads the selection of the Hall of Fame honorees and curates the exhibits.

Hernandez has been heartened by the museum’s reception, both from media outlets and music fans around Texas and beyond.

“We had a radio station come in this morning from Houston to interview us,” he says. “People have come in from Lubbock, Texas. We have had people from Midland, Texas. We have another person who emailed us who’s coming in from New York. People are learning all about us.”

That includes many of the musicians who helped shape the genre. Johnny Hernandez, Sunny Ozuna, Elida Reyna, and Danny Martinez from Danny and The Tejanos are among the luminaries who have already graced the halls.

The Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum is now open 10 am-6 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, and closed Monday. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Fans can call 210-314-1310 for more information.

san antonio tejano music museums hall of fame music openings