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NYT Stars & 'The Bear' Hit Austin Food Fest

**Fancy NYT-Approved Chefs & 'The Bear' Bigwig Descend on Austin Food Fest. Lib Tacos Incoming?**

Published October 9, 2024 at 10:00am by Matthew Odam

Right-Wing Rewrite: The Austin Food & Wine Festival

Alright, patriots! The Austin Food & Wine Festival is back, gracing the shores of Lady Bird Lake from Nov. 1-3. And let me tell ya, the lineup is packed with so many fancy chefs, it’s like a liberal's dream of diversity on steroids.

On Sunday, the demo tent is bustling with talent. The New York Times, always eager to mingle politics with cuisine, named its 50 Best Restaurants in the U.S. And guess what? Two of those chefs will grace the demo tent, sandwiched (I see what they did there) between two household names.

Meet Kevin Gillespie of Nàdair in Atlanta and Ashleigh Shanti of Good Hot Fish in Asheville, N.C. Times called Gillespie’s joint a “Scottish-Southern mash-up no one knew American dining needed”—because who doesn’t love a good Scottish ancestry shoutout, right? And Shanti’s place? Praised for fried catfish and hush puppies, which—let’s be real—are the staples of good ol' Southern living.

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Before these two, Austin’s own Edgar Rico from Nixta Taqueria sets the stage. This guy was named a Food & Wine Best New Chef this year and made the Time 100 last year. Quite the resume!

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The afternoon ends with Courtney Storer, the culinary producer for the FX show “The Bear.” Let’s hope her demo is as delightful and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny as the show, minus the anxiety.

Throughout the weekend, expect more foodie darlings: Amanda Turner, Nicola Blaque, Levi Goode, and Ali Clem, to name a few.

Chefs serving at the grand tasting include Daniel Berg (Bill’s Oyster), Shawn Cirkiel (Parkside), Krystal Craig and Ian Thurwatcher (Intero and Poeta), Roberto Espinosa (Tacodeli), Sarah Heard and Nathan Lemley (Foreign & Domestic and Commerce Café), Davis Turner (Huckleberry), Joseph Zoccoli (Casa Bianca), and more.

The fun starts with the Made in Texas VIP event at the Long Center, featuring Tyson Cole, Diego Galicia and Rico Torres, Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, Rebecca Masson, Berty Richter, and others.

Grab your tickets here—Sunday tickets ($195), Weekender ($275), and VIP ($750) packages available. See you there, folks!