EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
San Antonio chefs take a bite out of the Big Apple for prestigious dining series
Sofia Tejeda was among the chefs strutting their stuff in NYC.
Start spreadin’ the news. A gaggle of local culinarians is currently on a field trip to the Big Apple to showcase the skyrocketing food and beverage scene.
The meals are part of Vacation Vibes, a series of events presented by Visit San Antonio at the James Beard Foundation’s recently opened Platform. The kitchen and event space in Hudson River Park’s Market 57 food hall debuted in March as the nonprofit’s state-of-the-art hub of public-facing events.
Over the July 8-9 weekend, some of River City’s buzziest chefs teamed up with local beverage makers for two meaty brunches. On July 8, Chefs Andrew Ho, Sean Wen, and Andrew Samia – 2023 James Beard Award Best Chef: Texas semifinalists for Curry Boys BBQ — joined Re: Rooted 210 Urban Winery owner Jennifer Beckman for a four-course feast pairing vibrant flavors with texas wine.
Beer was the focus of a brews and Barbecue brunch on July 9. Samia, also the owner of South BBQ & Kitchen, went at it alone during a family style service devoted to traditional Central Texas pit craft. Marcus Baskerville of 2023 Outstanding Bar semifinalist weathered Soul’s Brewing Co. showcased San Antonio brewed beers, including the lauded Black is Beautiful.
Texas expats living in New York (and locals gifted with teleportation powers) can still catch A Culinary Tapestry of San Antonio, a July 11 dinner featuring three of the city’s most lauded chefs. Best Chef: Texas nominees John Russ of Clementine and Nicola Blaque of Jerk Shack will combine their unique gastronomic sensibilities with the pastry prowess of Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef semifinalist Sofie Tejeda of Hotel Emma.
Blaque and Tejeda will have an encore performance on July 12 for an evening focused on the celebrated Jamaican cuisine of Jerk Shack and Mi Roti. Tickets to both events are available online.
“San Antonio offers an amazingly wide variety of tastes that will delight the diners that join us at Platform by the James Beard Foundation,” said Marc Anderson, President & CEO of Visit San Antonio, via a release. “We are honored to be the first city to fully activate the new space and look forward to showcasing San Antonio’s rich culinary culture, the fastest growing city in the U.S., to New Yorkers and global visitors as part of this collaboration.”
