The stars were bright in the Capital City on Friday night where fans of Texas’ bountiful foods and wines celebrated not only the “locavore,” but the “loca-pour” in us all. Edible Texas Wine & Food Match, presented by Edible Austin and The Texas Food and Wine Gourmet was the first-ever culinary competition of its kind in the state of Texas. The event challenged chefs from Central Texas to create a menu using regional foods to pair with appellation wines of Texas. The goal: to bring out the best in both.
Held at the AT&T Conference Center in Austin, the dinner was offered as an official event of the 2011 International Association of Culinary Professionals’ national conference.
Though attendees were each given a ballot to cast a “Peoples’ Choice” vote, the evening was guided by a panel of guest judges including Jacques Pépin, world-renowned chef, television celebrity, author and culinary educator; Francois Dionot, founder and director of L’Academie de Cuisine; John Besh, chef, restaurateur, author and television personality; Michael Bauer, executive food and wine editor for the San Francisco Chronicle; and Paula Lambert, cookbook author and founder of the Mozzarella Company.
From a field of several dozen competitors, a committee of food and wine experts, including our own Pat Sharpe, selected their top five chefs to compete for the final event including Kelly Casey, executive chef at Hudson’s on the Bend restaurant, Austin; Patrick James Edwards, sous chef at Bin 555 and Wine Bar, San Antonio; David Garrido, owner and executive chef at Garrido’s Restaurant, Austin; Josh Raymer, owner and executive chef at Navajo Grill, Fredericksburg; Peter Smith, executive chef at JW Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa, San Antonio. Each competing chef vied for the perfect pairing reflecting Texas terroir using regional foods and a selection of Texas wines.
Fifteen Texas appellation vintages from eight Texas wineries were paired in the event including Becker Vineyards, Flat Creek Estate Winery, Fall Creek Vineyards, Inwood Estates Vineyards, Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Perissos Vineyard, Sister Creek Vineyards, and Stone House Vineyards.
The chef finalists offered an array of beautiful dishes including a local market salad with roasted beets, pickled peaches, and goat cheese from Chef Josh Raymer paired with a refreshing pear and floral 2010 Perissos Vineyards Viognier, a roasted lamb loin with a tongue-teasing porcini-raspberry soil from Chef Patrick James Edwards paired with Becker Vineyards 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and a fluffy cloud of aerated goat cheese with blackberry-persimmon paper, and an emulsion of fennel pollen and honey from Chef Peter Smith paired with a light and aromatic 2010 Flat Creek Estate Moscato.
But in the end, Chef David Garrido took first place with his famous crispy oysters with habenero honey aioli paired with the dry, yet slightly sweet Fall Creek Vineyards 2010 Chenin Blanc, a coffee-chipotle beef tenderloin paired with Fall Creek’s award-winning 2006 Meritus (Bordeaux blend), and a zucchini cake with lemon cream and candied pecan paired with Sister Creek 2010 Muscat Canelli—a special treat with a hint of honeysuckle effervescence.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the newly launched nonprofit Texas Center for Wine and Culinary Arts, a new nonprofit dedicated to promoting Texas food, wine, and agriculture through educational programming and hands-on experiences. Major sponsors of this event include AT&T Hotel and Conference Center, GO TEXAN, Whole Foods Market / Greenling Organic Delivery, Glazer’s, Trattoria Lisina / Salt Lick: The Driftwood Experience and Montesino Farm.
Hats off to Chef Garrido for his palate-pleasing efforts and a tip of the hat to the chefs and wineries featured in this momentous event. If you missed this year’s event, not to worry… This was the first of a 5-year program, which will travel around the state featuring regional chefs, foods, and wines.
- Jessica Dupuy
Tagged: Becker Vineyards, Bin 555, david garrido, Edible Austin, Edible Texas Food and Wine Match, Fall Creek Vineyards, Flat Creek Estate Winery, garrido's, hudson's on the bend, Inwood Estates, Jessica Dupuy, Josh Raymer, JW Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa, Kelly Casey, Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Navajo Grill, Patrick James Edwards, Perissos Vineyard, Peter Smith, Sister Creek Vineyards, Stone House Vineyards
Yes! Yes indeedy. Had a light dinner at David Garrido’s casual new interior Mexican/taco/small-plate venue Sunday night, and I will be checking it out again soon. Oyster nachos (almost identical version to the one chef-owner David Garrido made famous at Jeffrey’s)–yum! Crabmeat guacamole, lush, lavish, and delish. Lamb “pops” in roasted-garlic and ancho chile sauce also a keeper–though these had some sinew and required occasional gnawing. Flavor great, though. Finished with silky flan with mango. Best of all, it’s a fabulous setting on Shoal Creek, very mod, “green” building, too; lots of deck space, feels tropical with the palm trees & other foliage. 360 Nueces, Austin, first floor of the 360 condos, next to Mulberry wine bar; (512) 320-8226.
