Austin Foodie Bits ~ Food & Wine Things to Do for the Week of August 9

We’re coming out of the lazy summer and the food events are starting to show signs of picking up. People are coming back to town from their summer vacations to gear up for a host of things like school starting or business picking up. In the next few weeks, you’ll find there are many interesting opportunities to attend beer and wine dinners, take fun cooking classes, or even celebrate our local mascot, the bat.

Dai Due LogoBefore I launch into the list of events, I’d like to highlight that Dai Due has released their fall supper club and cooking class schedule. Although these events don’t start until September and run all the way through the fall, they are exceptionally popular and fill up quickly. These events are some of the best foodie activities you’ll find in Austin and include supper clubs featuring the best seasonal ingredients at unique venues like the Hotel St. Cecilia as well as cooking classes that teach you to break down a whole hog or hunt and dress a deer. If a Dai Due adventure is on your to-do list for the fall, I’d recommend reserving your spot sooner rather than later.

Hatch Chile Fest BannerAlso, Central Market will be celebrating their annual Hatch Chile Festival on August 18 – 31. They’ll have feature tons (literally) of chilies from Hatch that you can watch being fire roasted outside the stores, special Hatch Chile products like sausage and burgers, and plenty of fun cooking classes to help you do more with this wonderful food. They are hosting a hatch chile recipe contest so if you have a favorite green chile recipe you think is a winner,be sure to submit it. On a related note, its green chile month over on Fete & Feast, so be sure to keep an eye out for Hatch-friendly recipes like green chile macaroni and cheese or green chile palmiers.

And now, let the event parade begin.

Be Spontaneous – This Week’s Events

  • August 9: Jim Barry Aussie Wine Tasting with Owner Tom Barry – Jim Barry was the first qualified winemaker to work in Australia’s Clare Valley. Robert Parker lists Jim Barry as one of the Top 100 Wine Estates in the world and Jim Barry’s philosophy was to own the vineyards, develop the best fruit flavors possible and retain these flavors during winemaking. His grandson Tom Barry has taken up his grandfather’s torch and you can meet him at this tasting and try his wine to learn more about this well-considered winery. $35/person. Mirabelle. 6:30 pm. Call 512.346.7900 to reserve.
  • August 10: Sam Adams Beer Tasting – Bob Cannon, the brewmaster from Sam Adams, is hosting this tasting that will feature eight styles of Sam Adams beer paired with fun, local food like smoked sardines with Boggy creek farms baby arugula and Richardson Farms Pork Belly braised with cherry and pearl onions. Sample the beers, eat the food, and ask all the questions you like of the man at the heart of Sam Adams beers. $65/person. Alamo Lake Creek. 8:00 pm. Purchase tickets online.
  • August 10: Saint Arnold’s Ale Paired Dinner – Saint Arnold is Texas oldest craft brewery and their master brewer, Brock Wagner, is teaming up with Jack Gilmore to create a dinner paired with beer for your dining pleasure. The menu includes goodies like blue corn crusted quail, fried green tomatoes, and cocoa crusted beef tenderloin. It’s sure to be a tasty and fun evening. $45/person. Jack Allen’s Kitchen. 7:00 pm. Call 512.852.8558 or e-mail banquets@jackallenskitchen.com to reserve.
  • August 11: Icing on the Cake – If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at cake decorating, this class will help get you started. You’ll learn the basics of working with a pastry bag and icing, as well as the techniques to create borders, rosettes, leaves, and more. At the end you’ll have a frosted layer cake to take home and share with your friends and family $65/person. Whole Foods Culinary Center. 6:30 pm. Reserve online.
  • August 11: Tipsy Tech Brunch Cocktails – Mimosas aren’t your only option for brunch cocktails and the Tipsy Texan crew will show you exactly how many fun options you have during the cocktail class. $35/person. Twin Liquors Hancock. 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Reserve online.
  • August 11: Real Ale Fest – The Highball is hosting their first beer festival featuring tasty and even rare beers from Real Ale. Taste from one of their last kegs of Devil’s Backbone and a Cask Conditioned Lost Gold IPA. Brewmaster Tim Schwartz will be on hand to discuss the beers and chef Matt Richter has created a menu of dishes designed to go beautifully with the beers. $50/person. Highball. 7:30 pm. Purchase tickets online.
  • August 11: Passing the Torch Chef’s Table – Beloved FINO mixologist Bill Norris is leaving FINO to pursue a new project and is handing over the keys to bar to wine director Josh Loving. During this dinner you’ll sit with Bill as a special guest and enjoy a dinner created by Executive Chef Jason Donaho with cocktails and pairings provided by Josh. $75/person. FINO. 6:30 pm. Call 512.474.2905 to reserve.
  • August 11: Slow Food Austin Slow Session – Decanting Texas Wines – This month’s Slow Food Austin Slow Session is all about what it means for a wine to be natural, organic, biodynamic, sustainable and local. Scott Collier, Rockroom Winemaking Cooperative founder and winemaker, and Mason Arnold Greenling founder and CEO will lead you through an interactive session and answer your questions. This is a free event but donations will be taken to support Slow Food Austin. Habitat Suites. 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm. Email anneh@slowfoodaustin.org to reserve.
  • August 14: Austin Food Journal Serious Pizza class – Local food blogger Christian Bowers is obsessed (in a good way) with pizza. He’s building a mobile pizza oven and has spent years perfecting the art of making an amazing pizza. Now he’s teaching others what he’s learned in a hands-on class. If you’ve always wanted to know how to make really great pizza at home, Christian will show you how. $75/person. Reserve online.
  • August 14: Austin Ice Cream Festival – The title of this event says it all. We’re having a festival all about ice cream. Show up, enjoy ice cream. Repeat. There will be games, contests, and even an appearance by Joey Chestnut, the Nathan’s Hotdog Eating Contest champion who will set his sights on ice cream. Waterloo Park; $5/person. Waterloo Park. 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
  • August 14: Canning Hands On – With the abundance of farmers markets, CSAs, backyard gardens, and more ways for us to access fresh seasonal vegetables, there’s been a resurgence in the desire to can and preserve food the way our parents and grandparents did. If you want to get started with canning this class is for you. You’ll make pickles, jam, and jelly to take home along with the basic skills you need to continue canning long after the class is over. $65/person. Whole Foods Culinary Center. 10:00 am – 12:39 pm. Reserve online.
  • August 14: August Grand Tasting – Chase away the end-of-summer blues at with a little help from Twin Liquors. During this grand tasting you’ll enjoy ten different wines, spiked lemonade, and other fun drinks while you enjoy the cool inside space at their Galleria location. This is a free event but you need to be 21 to enjoy the tastings. 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm.
  • August 15: Maria Maria Tequila Tasting Dinner – Tequila and Mexican food are natural companions, and during this dinner Chef Dustin Harvey will pair four courses with a collection of tequila concoctions featuring Dulce Vida 100 Proof Agave Tequila. I’ve met Chef Dustin and he’s committed to using local ingredients in a creative way, so I’m sure this menu will be very tasty. $30/person. 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Call 512.687.6800 to reserve.

Eat Well, Do Good

  • Roaring Fork’s Cocktails for a Cause – The Roaring Fork at Stonelake Blvd is teaming up with KGSR-FM for this special summer promotion designed to raise awareness and funds for three local charities: Capitol Area Food Bank in June, Lone Star Paralysis Foundation in July and Breast Cancer Resource Center in August. Each month Roaring Fork will feature a signature cocktail and everyone who enjoys said cocktail will have the opportunity to enter a raffle for a grand prize given away at the end of each month. The August cocktail is a Guava Strawberry Margarita – tequila, jumex guava nectar, lime juice, and strawberries. Cocktail prices are $8 and $6 during the nightly 4-7 pm happy hour. The donation is part of the purchase and entitles recipients to one raffle entry. The grand prizes include A VIP pass to Blues on the Green, concert tickets and a Roaring Fork gift card.

Plan Ahead – Events in the Next Three Weeks

1 Comment

  1. THanks for the shout-out Natanya! If you need an excuse to have cocktails on Wed nite come by and see us!

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