Austin Food & Wine Festival will Rock Your Tacos again and adds a wurst-themed kickoff

Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman
·2 min read

The 11th iteration of the Austin Food & Wine Festival, the weekend-long fandango that cemented the city's reputation as a gustatory destination, returns Nov. 4-6 to Vic Mathias Shores in the shadow of the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

Put together by C3 and Food & Wine Magazine, the fest includes themed events, such as the competitive Rock Your Taco night and the new Wurst Weekend Kickoff. (Look out New Braunfels, we're coming for you and Wurst Fest. Kidding. Yours is still the best family-themed wurst fest.)

You can also linger at the Pit Fire chomping on nibbles licked by live flames. Split the rest of your time between expert cooking shows and chats, along with the centerpiece sampling tents that feature solid and liquid delectables from dozens of your favorite cooks.

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Austin Food and Wine Festival on Nov. 6, 2021. The fest has put tickets on sale and released the lineup for 2022.
Austin Food and Wine Festival on Nov. 6, 2021. The fest has put tickets on sale and released the lineup for 2022.

Advice from a veteran — take it slow and easy. It's not a competition.

Celebrity chefs will be thick on the ground. Tim Love of Lonesome Dove and Jesse Herman of Koko's reign over the Bavarian-themed kick-off on Nov. 4 night with all things porky — brats, sausages, beer and wine.

Among the contestants at Rock Your Taco on the evening of Nov. 5 will be Sarah Heard and Nathan Lemley (Foreign and Domestic), Shion Aikawa (Tatsu-ya), Tiffany Derry (Roots Southern Table) and Steve McHugh (Cured).

John Chan (Chan Hospitality), Diego Galicia and Rico Torres (Mixtli), and Sarah Grueneberg (Monteverde Restaurant) are among the chefs who will conduct public demos. Around the Fire Pit will be Sonya Coté (Hillside Farmacy), Jessie Kuykendall (Milpa, Ocho) and Shota Nakajima (Banzai Teriyaki, Taku).

Austin Food and Wine Festival on Nov. 6, 2021. New for 2022 is a Bavarian-themed Friday night kickoff.
Austin Food and Wine Festival on Nov. 6, 2021. New for 2022 is a Bavarian-themed Friday night kickoff.

The expansive chef showcases will include dozens of reps from Alma Alcocer (El Alma) to Kristina Zhoa (Dashi Sichuan Kitchen + Bar).

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As one might guess, this is an excellent way to plan your meals out during the next year.

More veteran advice: You won't get to all of them. Don't sweat it.

Several different types of passes — One Day, The Weekender and VIP All-In — go on sale at 10 am. Aug. 19 at www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets. See the full lineup there as well.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin Food & Wine Festival 2022 tickets on sale, chefs lineup out