Spring has sprung, and Austinites are gearing up for annual food events in the great outdoors—the better to celebrate all our warm weather with, of course! After all, what better way is there to experience a city than by eating your way through it? To get you in the foodie mood, here’s a quick list of links to some of the food-related festivities you’ll want to check out during the month of April.
- Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival (April 15-18) – Featuring plenty of local eats and drinks, plus the expertise of chefs and wine experts like John Besh (Domenica), David Bull (Bolla at The Stoneleigh), Bryan CaswellKaren MacNeil (Reef), (Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies), Mike Martini (Louis M Martini Winery), Elmar Prambs (Trio), and Kent Rathbun (Jaspers Restaurant), among others.
- Funky Chicken Coop Tour (April 3) – Who doesn’t love chickens? Check out this self-guided city-wide tour of Austin-area chicken coops to see how others are raising our favorite avian friends, or learn how to get started building a coop to raise some funky chickens of your own!
- Blues, Bluebonnets, Burgers and Bordeaux (April 3) – Pillar Bluff Vineyards, one of the oldest in the state of Texas, hosts an outdoor party featuring everything you’ll need to enjoy yourself on a spring day in Hill Country. Live music (blues), beautiful wildflowers (bluebonnets), tasty burgers and Pillar Bluff Bordeaux wine (among others) will be available at the winery, located at 300 County Road 111 in Lampasas, Texas (about an hour and a half north of Austin).
- Wine and Wildflowers Luncheon (April 10 and 17) – Looking for more wine and less beef? Check out Fall Creek Vineyards’ Wine and Wildflowers Luncheons, featuring a light lunch and wine tastings, along with a souvenir wine glass for only $22.50 per person. Get out of the city and head north to Tow, Texas about an hour and 45 minutes outside of Austin, and enjoy the scenery whilst you sip sweet chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and more.
- For those that can afford it, the Sustainable Food Center‘s Chef Series presents Spring Bounty at La Condesa for $100 per person on April 11, featuring “Austin’s most exciting and innovative chefs” on hand to “prepare an exquisite multi-course tasting menu featuring fresh meats and produce from the Austin Farmers’ Market.” Participating chefs include Rene Ortiz, executive chef at La Condesa; Tyson Cole, executive chef at Uchi; Shawn Cirkiel, executive chef at Parkside; Todd Duplechan, executive chef at Trio; Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due Supper Club; Laura Sawicki, pastry chef at La Condesa; and James Holmes, executive chef at Olivia.
Slow Food Austin Third Thursday Happy Hour (April 15) – A monthly event, the Third Thursday Happy Hour takes place in April at Olivia, and a portion of the proceeds benefit Slow Food Austin. Participating restaurants and farms are chosen to host events based on their support of a “farm-to-fork philosophy,” encouraging consumption of local food and drink and the support of locally-based farmers.
Got another food related event happening in the Austin area you’d like to share? Get in touch and we’ll be glad to post a link!
