Austin

Posts regarding food, wine, restaurants, chefs, technology, or travel in Austin, Texas.

posted by Annie P. - Keeper Collection Team

If you’ve been even slightly following the Austin foodie scene lately, you’ve surely noticed the trend in food trailers popping up all over the city, but lately, one trailer in particular has been getting quite a bit of attention – Odd Duck Farm to Trailer.  My little sister offered to treat me to a belated birthday dinner last night, and with my growing curiosity and endless strive to be an “in-the-know Austinite” (in addition to her college student lack of cash flow), Odd Duck seemed like an obvious choice for something new.  It soon proved to also be a fantastic choice! If you too are a self-proclaimed “in-the-know Austinites”, swing by Odd Duck soon – and for you out-of-towners, add it to your list of “Reasons to Visit Austin” (you know you have one!).

Odd Duck Farm to Trailer
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Chefs Under Fire™ came and went and left us smiling from its success! From the fervent competition in the kitchen to Jim White’s flavorful commentary to the judge’s insightful remarks, Chefs Under Fire was chock-full of excitement, laughs, and entertainment. At the end of the night, our adept celebrity judges, Chef David Bull, Chef Tyson Cole, and Chef Kent Rathbun, were proud to finally announce the three outstanding winners. After quiet deliberation, Chef Bull selected Keith A. Hildebrandt II (of Texas Culinary Academy) for his exquisite (and inverted!) chicken and pancetta cacciatore, Chef Cole chose Loren Root for his unique, refined version of Cole’s Uchiviche dish, and Chef Rathbun picked Martin Weaver (also a graduate of Texas Culinary Academy) for his original, pumpkin-infused barbecue sauce and pork tenderloin.  And as an additional surprise from the judges, they even awarded Keith Hildebrandt the Best in Presentation award for his beautiful Deconstructed Chicken Cacciatore!
Keith Hildebrandt's Deconstructed Chicken Cacciatore

Keith Hildebrandt's Deconstructed Chicken Cacciatore

 

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Congratulations to the Chefs Under Fire Finalists! These 9 lucky and talented chefs will get to compete for a chance to be named winner of the 2009 Chefs Under Fire Competition! Come cheer them on at the event on November 30 at the AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center!  Limited Tickets still available

Chef David Bull Finalists:

1. Alysha Cable

2. Trysh Gonzales

3. Keith A. Hildebrandt II

Chef Tyson Cole Finalists:

1. Steve Crisler

2. Eli Ollinger

3. Loren Root

Chef Kent Rathbun Finalists:

1. Antonio Hinojosa

2. Maite Rodriguez-Palma

3. Martin Weaver

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The Keeper Team had a great meeting to plan the food and festivities for Chefs Under Fire with Executive Chef Josh Watkins of the A T & T Executive Education & Conference Center.  No doubt the lucky people who purchase a ticket to this event will enjoy some tasty treats!  Josh also told us that he saw several of the Chefs Under Fire contestants at Big Reds and Bubbles last night, the Wine and Food Foundation’s premier event of the year.  The contestants were quick to admit that they hope to be one of the Finalists, which will be announced on this Keeper Blog on Monday, November 23rd.  Come see the heat turned up in the Tejas Dining Room kitchen for this competition on November 30th.  Thanks again, Josh for all of your hard work on this event – can’t wait to see you there!

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Chefs Under Fire Emcee- Jim WhiteJim White, a major market media veteran and founder of Savor Dallas, has graciously agreed to emcee the upcoming Chefs Under Fire event. With decades of TV and radio experience, Jim is no stranger to the microphone, and like the Celebrity Chef Judges, is a James Beard Foundation Award Nominee for his acclaimed “KRLD Restaurant Show with Jim White”. When we asked Jim why he agreed to join us he said, “Years ago Savor Dallas was just an idea that we were trying to put into action. I relied on friends, family, and the food and wine community to help it come to fruition, and now we’ve grown to host over 4000 people over the course of the weekend. I’m happy to support those who have the imagination and drive to create new culinary events in their respective communities and believe that Chefs Under Fire is truly a unique competition.” To learn more about Savor Dallas visit their website, or follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

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On November 30, Keeper Collection, LLC and Plate & Vine Interactive Cookbook will be hosting Chefs Under Fire™, an event that you do not want to miss! Things are “heating up” for all you passionate foodies out there, and this is your chance to compete in front of the celebrity chef of your choice. Chef David Bull (of Bolla at the Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa), Chef Tyson Cole (of UCHI), and Chef Kent Rathbun (of Jaspers & Abacus) are all excited about seeing what you have to bring to the table!

So what is Keeper doing to increase the heat? Keeper Collection is giving away one free entry for EACH celebrity chef to three lucky winners! Are you, or someone you know, up for the challenge? Post a comment on this blog to let us know! Give us the name and email address of the potential contestant, as well as the chef (or chefs) they’d like to compete in front of, by November 5th and look for Keeper Collection’s selected winners on Friday, November 6th. Not only is the competition heating up, but the pot is getting sweeter! As Chefs Under Fire garners more attention, the prize package for the winners and goodie bag for attendees are growing. Click here to learn more about Chefs Under Fire and its partners.

Three amazing chefs, spectacular food, great venue… an opportunity you don’t want to miss. Pass the word to all your friends and family about Chefs Under Fire, tickets are available today!

If you had an hour with an Iron Chef Challenger, what would you ask him?  How to master a difficult technique?  What his experience was like on Iron Chef?  What are some of the Chef’s best cooking tips?  The chance could be yours!  Chefs Under Fire™ is honored to have three Iron Chef Challengers as the judges in this heated competition, and today we’re excited to announce that ALL CONTESTANTS REGISTERED BY 10/31 WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN EARLY BIRD DRAWING TO WIN A ONE ON ONE HOUR WITH CHEF BULL, COLE, OR RATHBUN!* That’s right…3 LUCKY REGISTRANTS will win this unique opportunity to talk cooking techniques, food trends, and just have fun with one of these legendary Chefs.  If you’ve already registered to compete then you’re already entered to win, but if you have not yet registered, now is the time to do it!  Register to compete with more than one chef and increase your chances to win.  The 3 winners will be announced on 11/11/2009 on Keeper Collection’s facebook and twitter.  Connect with Keeper Collection now on facebook and twitter to keep informed about this exclusive opportunity! 

Don’t miss your chance to be named winner of Chefs Under Fire 2009!  Visit our Frequently Asked Questions blog post for more information about what the winners will receive!

* Scheduling for this opportunity will be determined at the convenience of each chef.

If Uchi were a rock band, comment on who you think they would be?

 

Last weekend in Austin was a busy one.  Rain or Shine, the Keeper Collection Team grooved to the tunes of DMB, Kings of Leon, and Pearl Jam despite the mud and the madness along with 150,000 fans.  Come ACL weekend, Austinites are so excited to welcome fans around the world to our favorite city.  From Louisiana, our good friend and Martin Wine Cellar Retailer, Ian McCaffery, joined us for two world class acts – ACL Fest and one of Austin’s best culinary venues,  Uchi! (Great food and good music…how bad can that be?)  If you’re a fan of Austin City Limits, we know you’ve heard the buzz about the Rock Star food creations from Uchi.

Uchi uses the freshest possible ingredients and the fish menu board changes daily.  On this particular night we were enticed by a myriad of fresh fish options.

Uchi Menu

Menu Board at Uchi for the Night

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As Chefs Under Fire™ draws closer, we will answer all questions we receive on this Chefs Under Fire Blog Post.  If you have additional questions, please send them to update@keepercollection.com, and we will notify you when your answer has been posted.  Learn more about the Chefs Under Fire event!

Chefs Under Fire

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Posted by Keeper Collection

So first of all, this is our first post for the Alcoholian, and we are so excited to be a part of it! Although we could never match johngl’s humor and wit, we will do our best! Last night’s dinner at Wink was just too amazing not to share.

For those of you who don’t know (which almost brings a tear to my eye!), Wink Restaurant is one of the greatest treasures of Austin, located at 1014 North Lamar. The menu changes EVERYDAY, depending on what is fresh and available from Texas farms, foragers, gardens, and ranches. My husband and I frequent Wink, knowing that we’ll be blown away each and every time. Last night proved to be nothing but delicious, maybe even qualifying as one of the best ever at Wink! It is always a joy to consume a meal in which all ingredients of each course complement each other as masterfully as our menu last night (hence the title of this post). Enough rambling? Ready for the food?? Drum roll..here we go…

Early Girl Tomato & Baby Arugula Salad with Fried Capers & Lemon Aioli

Early Girl Tomato & Baby Arugula Salad with Fried Capers & Lemon Aioli

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