A historic Austin restaurant is teaming up with the University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections to host a memorable fundraising party for his dear friend and renowned Mexican cuisine expert, the late Diana Kennedy.

Taking place at Fonda San Miguel on Sunday, March 5 — just two days after what would have been Kennedy's 100th birthday — the special event will benefit the Diana Kennedy Cookbook Endowment, which will ensure items from this priceless collection are preserved and available for future generations of students, researchers, and chefs.

A respected world-famous authority of Mexican food, Kennedy spent most of her life traveling to every region of Mexico meeting people, learning cooking techniques, visiting markets, and studying all foods native to Mexico. She dedicated her life to preserving and promoting every aspect of Mexican cuisine and sharing her vast culinary knowledge with others.

Kennedy was close friends of Fonda San Miguel owner, Tom Gilliland, and the restaurant’s co-founder and executive chef, the late Miguel Ravago. She passed away last summer at the age of 99 on July 24, 2022.

“Many recipes at Fonda San Miguel are inspired by our dear friend Diana Kennedy," says Gilliland in a release. "Our co-chefs Blanca Zesati and Carlos Monroy, constantly pay tribute to her by offering special menu items taken from the nine cookbooks she authored. Yet, what many people may not know is that during her life’s travels to every region of Mexico, Diana also accumulated her own collection of 600 cookbooks, including eleven, rare Mexican cookbooks dating back to the mid-nineteenth century.”

Tickets for the event are $45 per person and include a welcome cocktail and appetizers, as well as the chance to hear from Kennedy's close associates and friends. Guests will also have the opportunity to view a variety of items from the author's personal collection, including research papers and correspondence, in addition to her cookbooks. The collection is part of the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Special Collections renowned Mexican Cookbook Collection, which is the largest in the nation.

The event will take place from 4 to 6 pm on Sunday, March 5, and tickets are available under 'Reservations' at fondasanmiguel.com.