Free Press Houston Folks to Host NYE Chef Competition

You'd think that top chefs from high-profile Houston restaurants might take the fried fun out of festival food with upscale renditions of popularly no-fuss fare. But the talent from Uchi, El Big Bad, Lowbrow, Nara, Fluff Bake Bar, Prego, Boheme, and Radical Eats want to prove that gourmet bites can be playful at the Houston Gastrodome, food headquarters at the Free Press Houston New Year's Eve concert/party (FPHNYE). Uchi's crispy pork tonkatsu hot dog with kewpie might be better than the standard mustard-and-ketchup dog at the fair, but is it better than Nara's gochujang-topped Korean dumplings? Both the audience and a panel of food writer judges will choose the winners. The competition is from 4 to 5 p.m., but the food service continues until 1 the next morning. (Perfect for soaking up your New Year's Eve booze.) Prices range from $4 to $10 but you'll need at least a $50 general admission ticket to get in, buy those here. Admission to the Gastrodome, by the way, also means you can stay for the concert that will feature Girl Talk, George Clinton and several others.
· FPHNYE [Official Site]