Food Fest Frenzy

Texas' top food festival reveals extra delicious 2017 lineup

Texas' biggest food festival returns April 28-30.

The top food festival in Texas is back with an exciting culinary lineup for 2017. Austin Food + Wine Festival, taking place April 28-30 at Auditorium Shores and Fair Market, has more than 40 delicious events in store for the sixth annual affair. (The 2016 festival, you may remember, was canceled due to inclement weather.)

It starts on Thursday, April 27, with the intimate Feast Under the Stars at Auditorium Shores. The five-course, family-style dinner will feature wine from Jackson Family Wines and fare from chefs David Bull (Second Bar + Kitchen, Austin); Tyson Cole (Uchi, Austin); Omar Flores (Casa Rubia, Dallas); Ford Fry (State of Grace, Houston); and Austin pastry chef Janina O’Leary. Tickets are $250 per person and must be purchased separately from festival passes.

The official festival kickoff is Friday, April 28, with Lone Star Nights at Fair Market. Chefs from across Texas will serve riffs on global cuisine. Featured chefs are Matt Balke (Bolsa, Dallas); Julian Barsotti (Nonna, Dallas); Junior Borges and Coner Seargeant (CBD Provisions, Dallas); Thai Changthong (Thai-Kun, Austin); Luis Colon (Folc, San Antonio); Andrew Curren (Elm Restaurant Group, Austin); Kevin Fink (Emmer & Rye, Austin); Ford Fry; Diego Galicia and Rico Torres (Restaurant Mixtli, San Antonio); Steve McHugh (Cured, San Antonio); Wayne Mueller (Louie Mueller Barbecue, Taylor); Paul Qui (Kuneho, Austin); Ryan Shields (Bullfight, Austin); and Danny Trace (Brennan’s of Houston).

The main daytime events on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30, take place at Auditorium Shores. Highlights include chef Tim Love's hands-on grilling demo, a festival favorite, as well as live fire cooking demos, book signings, and tastings. The Chef Showcase, held in the Grand Taste Pavilion, will feature a host of local chefs serving bites to festivalgoers. Austin participants run the gamut, from Easy Tiger and Noble Sandwich Co. to Eberly and Wu Chow.

Perhaps the top event of the festival, Rock Your Taco will be held at Fair Market on Saturday evening. Top chefs square off to create the best taco. This year's participants include local favorites, as well as celebrity chefs like Hugh Acheson, Christina Tosi, Ming Tsai, and Jonathan Waxman.

Tickets for the Austin Food + Wine Festival go on sale Thursday, January 19, at 10 am. The Weekender Ticket, $250 per person, includes Saturday and Sunday daytime festival access and the special Sunday Gospel Brunch. For $625 per person, the All-In Ticket includes the aforementioned, as well as access to Love's grilling demo and entrance to Lone Star Nights and Rock Your Taco.

The Austin Food + Wine Festival is a collaboration of co-founders Charlie Jones, partner of C3 Presents; chef Tim Love; and restaurateur Jesse Herman, in partnership with Food & Wine. Expect more programming announcements throughout the spring.

festivals

Good, old-fashioned cake

California bakery brings vintage-style cakes to first San Antonio shop

Photo courtesy of SusieCakes

SusieCakes is anchored by simple bakes, but also has lots of fun specials.

San Antonians who get nostalgic for a good, old-fashioned piece of cake can look forward to the arrival of SusieCakes, a small chain from California specializing in vintage bakes. It's opening at 7322 Jones Maltsberger Rd. on October 26, with a grand opening party to seal the deal.

Doors will open at 11 am, and the family-friendly celebration will run from noon to 3 pm. All children who visit will receive a free mini cupcake. For adults with free-cake FOMO, there's a raffle to win it for a year. There will also be a DJ, and kids' activities like face painting, a coloring contest, and balloon art. Founder Susan "Susie" Sarich will attend to greet guests.

Most of the SusieCakes stores are in California, which is where the restaurant is based (although Sarich is originally from Chicago). Then there are five existing Texas stores across Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth, making San Antonio the sixth. It will be the first location in the Alamo City.

$Chocolate cake at \u200bSusieCakes$ It doesn't get more classic than an all-chocolate cake.Photo courtesy of SusieCakes

Since 2006, this bakery has dedicated itself to classic bakes with "the finest, freshest ingredients you would find in a 1950s pantry," according to a press release. It promises no trends or artificial ingredients, but there are certainly some exceptions to the first rule.

Alongside simple layer cakes and throwback Barbie cakes (where the cake is built around the doll like a gown), it does also offer more contemporary obsessions like gender reveal cakes, Taylor Swift-inspired cakes, shag cakes, and ironically, those maximalist vintage layer cakes that are absolutely everywhere on social media in the 2020s.

Flavors definitely lean more traditional, with offerings like chocolate, vanilla, marble, coconut, lemon, carrot cake, Southern red velvet, and a whipped cream-topped berry cake. (I.e. the way it should be.) There's even a gluten-free vanilla cake and a flight for tasting all the different varieties.

$\u200bPumpkin maple cupcakes at SusieCakes$ These pumpkin-maple cupcakes apply fall flavors in a homey style.Photo courtesy of SusieCakes

Aside from full-size cakes, SusieCakes offers frosting-filled cupcakes, cookies, and sometimes even seasonal specials that depart from those bakes entirely, like an apple pie. There are almost always seasonal or cultural specials available; right now, themes are Halloween and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

$\u200bHalloween treats at SusieCakes$ These are just some of the Halloween bakes.Photo courtesy of SusieCakes

Customers can also order custom cakes, cupcakes and cookies, which can ship overnight. Customs are also available for weddings and other events.

SusieCakes will open October 26, and will operate Mondays through Saturdays from 11 am to 7 pm, and Sundays from 11 am to 6 pm. More information is available at susiecakes.com.

bakery desserts kids families holidays openings

Food Fest Frenzy

Texas' top food festival reveals extra delicious 2017 lineup

Good, old-fashioned cake

California bakery brings vintage-style cakes to first San Antonio shop

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