:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72450259/Dishes___Drinks_at_Chefs_For_Farmers_2022.0.png)
Chefs for Farmers, a Texas food and wine festival that bridges the talents of local chefs and farmers, is returning to Houston for the second time — and this time, for a two-day tasting affair.
The 21-and-up, all-inclusive festival will once again take over Autry Park at Shepherd and Allen Parkway from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on September 30 and October 1, featuring tastings, live entertainment, and food pairings, including cocktails, craft beer, and wine from top vineyards, according to a release.
Chefs like Top Chef: Houston finalist and Jun’s Evelyn Garcia and James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega will each receive $200 stipends to purchase ingredients from Texas farms, which will allow them to create dishes that will help further showcase farmers throughout the state. The hope is that the festival — which benefits Urban Harvest, a local nonprofit that helps build community gardens and educate Houston residents through related programming — will also cultivate lasting relationships between chefs and farmers in the name of collaboration and sustainability.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24787010/Chef_Hugo_Ortega_and_Wife__Tracy_at_Chef_For_Farmers_2022.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24787033/DSC08241.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24787077/DSC08292.jpg)
Some of the Houston chefs featured on this year’s roster include:
- Alex Au-Yeung, Phat Eatery
- Jassi Bindra, Amrina
- Leonard Botello IV, Truth BBQ
- Kent Domas, Eau Tour
- Evelyn Garcia & Henry Lu, Jūn
- Maria Gonzalez, Lees Den
- Geoff Hundt, Local Foods
- Marcos Juarez, Hidden Omakase
- Drake Leonards, Eunice
- Luis Machuca, Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette
- Louis Maldonado. Andiron
- Steve Marques, Craft Creamery
- Travis Mcshane and Ray Melendi, Ostia
- Adolfo Monjaras, Frankie B. Mandola’s Catering
- German Mosquera, Wild Concepts
- Joe Murphy, Nobu Houston
- Hugo Ortega, Backstreet Café
- Paul Peddle, Toro Toro
- Micah Rideout, Degust
- Otto Sanchez, Magnol French Baking
- Mark Schmidt, Rainbow Lodge
- Kirthan Shenoy, Auden
- David Skinner, Th Prsrv
- Robin Wong, Quy Hoang, Arash Kharat. Blood Bros BBQ
- Jerrod Zifchak, Navy Blue
Confirmed farms include:
- Animal Farm, of Cat Spring
- Blackwood Educational Land Institute, of Hempstead
- Stakar Farms Wagyu, of Brenham
- Laughing Frog Farm, of Hempstead
- Verdegreens Farms, of Houston
Early bird tickets are now on sale on the festival website, with VIP tickets ($185) giving attendees early access to the event starting at 1 p.m. — an hour before general admission tickets, now priced at $135, tickets give access at 2 p.m. Regular priced tickets will be $150 for general admission and $200 for VIP.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24787053/Chefs_For_Farmers_2022_Chefs.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24787057/DSC08223.jpg)
Founded in Dallas in 2010, the Chefs for Farmers Festival started as a small farm-to-table dinner series before evolving into a large food and wine showcase that raises awareness and support for family farms in Texas. The festival was similarly held at Autry Park last year, but was a one-day event. More than 900 people attended.
