Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/461140
photography courtesy of austin food & Wine (park, treats); charles sykes/bravo/nbcu photo bank via getty images (acheson) A STAR CHEF mAkES HiS FOOD & WiNE FEST DEBUT Big-name chefs from across the country will descend on Austin for this year's Food & Wine Festival, including Hugh Acheson, who stars as a judge on Bravo's Top Chef and has four restaurants in Georgia. He can't wait to get back to the capital and, between events, hit up some new food trucks. You're from Ottawa, Canada. How is it that Athens, Georgia, became your home? I'm married to an American from Athens, Georgia, and she wanted to return here to do her graduate work. Then we opened our frst restaurant, 5&10, here in 2000. You've been to Austin before for Top Chef, Season Nine. Is Austin a city you know well? We stayed for a long time when we were flming the show in Austin. While it was very, very hot that summer, I just loved it. It's an amazing town from a food and music perspective. What restaurants are you looking forward to trying when you're back in April? I've been to one of the East Side King trucks, but I haven't been to Qui, and I'd love to go. Other than that, I like to go to the coffee shops and food trucks, just kind of lay low and eat a lot. That's the good thing about Austin: People dine out more there than in any other city in North America because there are so many offerings at a fair price point. What events will you take part in during the Food & Wine festival? Rock Your Taco, for one. I've already been working on a guajillo-braised lamb taco with ramps and fava beans. I'll also be doing a cooking demonstration and hosting a book signing. Tell us about your book that's coming out in April. It's called The Broad Fork. It answers the age-old question, "What the heck do I do with kohlrabi?" It looks at CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box contents over the year and provides recipes for each item in them. Do you ever think about opening a restaurant outside of Georgia—in Austin, for example? We're really comfortable in what we're doing in Georgia. We have four successful restaurants, so we're going to concentrate on those. Austin just needs me to visit and contribute to its economy in that way. We think the city would welcome you with open arms. I'm just weird enough for it, I think. "What I lIke about the austIn food & WIne festIval Is that It really feels lIke a texas event.... We expose local talent, WhIch Is What excItes me the most." —tim love How does the Austin Food & Wine Festival differ from others you've been involved with, like those in Aspen and South Beach? W hat I like about t his fest iva l is t hat it rea lly feels like a Texas event. We have a f ire-pit a rea where, ever y day, chefs cook over open f la mes from t he mor ning on. People ha ng out , chat w it h t he chef, a nd t aste pieces of meat r ight off t he spit , which rea lly says "Texas." My g r illing demonst rat ion has a lso become popula r. A long w it h br ing ing in nat iona l t a lent from out side Aust in, we expose loca l t a lent , which is what excites me t he most. The Fr iday-night Taste of Texas event , for exa mple, is a big hit. The ot her t hing t hat ma kes t his fest iva l unique is t he cit y of Aust in it self. In ot her places, you go to a food a nd w ine fest iva l just for t he event. Here, people a lso wa nt to explore t he cit y a nd it s music a nd rest aura nt scenes. What new events can people look forward to this year? We're adding new elements to our already very popular Thursday-night dinner, where five chefs create five courses, all served family style. Last year those tickets sold out in an hour and a half. We are adding more chefs to the fire pit and the Chef Showcase. On your next trip to Austin, are you looking forward to dining anywhere in particular? I love Odd Duck. I think it's one of the great restaurants in the city. I want to go to Jacoby's, and I'm looking forward to Gardner. I've heard great things about it, and they introduced the restaurant concept at the festival last year. How do you typically get here from Fort Worth? I dr ive, a lt hough I often t a ke 2 81 instead of I- 35. I like to stop off in Hico a nd get a piece of pie. AW Nighttime events at Republic Square Park keep the party going for attendees who purchase the All-In ticket. below: A sampling of delectable treats from top local eateries. 72 AUSTINWAY.com TASTE Food Fest