Chefs For Farmers Food & Wine Festival Announces Dallas Chef and Restaurant Lineup
Local and out of town chefs will showcase their skills and support local farmers
(Featured photo courtesy Chefs for Farmers)
One of Dallas’ most anticipated events, Chefs For Farmers Food & Wine Festival, returns with a powerhouse lineup up of chefs and restaurants for the Main Event on November 3, 2024. To celebrate the festival’s 14th anniversary, Chefs For Farmers is bringing together Dallas’ top chefs and restaurants, highlighting the very best from local, and out-of-town, farms and artisans.
This year’s festival features a lineup of Dallas’ most acclaimed chefs, each offering something special for the city’s food lovers. Among the highlights is Chef Toby Archibald of Quarter Acre, whose New Zealand-inspired Kingfish ceviche, prepared with locally sourced ingredients, will be a must-try at the Main Event. With a focus on creating innovative dishes that reflect his international influences, Toby’s presentation at the festival will provide attendees with a taste of both global flair and local produce.
Each year, participating chefs put immense creativity and behind-the-scenes effort into every dish they present, and Travis Wyatt, Executive Chef of Mirador, is no exception. His standout creation, the Caviar Donut, is a testament to both innovation and meticulous prep work. What festivalgoers won’t see is the full day of preparation, with the team starting as early as 4 a.m. to fry the donuts to perfection. The dish combines a sweet glaze infused with fish sauce, creating a delightful sweet-and-salty contrast, topped with rich caviar.
Another standout is Chef RJ Yoakum of Georgie. RJ brings a rich culinary background, including time spent at the prestigious French Laundry, to this year’s festival. After moving to Dallas, RJ has made it his mission to grow and elevate the city’s food scene, much like the festival itself, which was the first of its kind in Texas. By using local ingredients from Texas farmers and ranchers, RJ strives to change and build Dallas into a top-tier food city. His dish for this year’s festival, is a creative play on carbonara with puffed black pepper naan, smoked pecorino fondue, and sliced cured pork jowl.
The festival offers more than just standout dishes; it serves as a unique gathering for chefs from all over, offering them a rare opportunity to step away from their kitchens and connect with fellow culinary professionals. Chef James Johnson has worked at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse for 18 years. His deep roots in Dallas include working under renowned Chef Dean Fearing and as a sous chef at The Mansion on Turtle Creek.; Johnson enjoys reconnecting at the festival with chefs he’s mentored. Many now run their own successful restaurants and also participate in the festival, and it fills him with pride to witness their growth. For Johnson and all the chefs, the festival is not only about presenting creative dishes but also about fostering community and camaraderie. It’s a time for chefs to reflect on their journeys, celebrate each other’s achievements, and enjoy being part of the vibrant Dallas culinary scene.
Chefs For Farmers Food & Wine Festival isn’t just for local talent. This year’s event welcomes a powerhouse lineup that includes a few big name, out-of-town chefs.
Chef Clément Loubeyre from Restaurant Benoît in New York, a contemporary French bistro by renowned chef Alain Ducasse, brings the artistry of French pastries to the heart of Texas at this year’s Chefs For Farmers Food & Wine Festival in Dallas. Benoît, known for its refined yet approachable dishes, is making its mark on the festival by elevating the dessert offerings with an innovative take on French pastry. Chef Loubeyre’s featured creation, a sweet potato cream with smoked crumble, pear, and kefir milk sauce, brings together the rustic charm of local Texas farms with the sophistication of French culinary techniques.
Chef Steve McHugh is bringing San Antonio flair to the Dallas culinary scene with Cured at Pearl. This will be Chef Steve’s fourth year attending the Chefs For Farmers Food & Wine Festival, and he is looking forward to connecting with other chefs and diners from a larger Texas community. Cured focuses on the purity of the natural ingredients used in their dishes, and this year they are serving Pickled “Pimento” Cheese and fermented hot sauce all over a twice-baked saltine cracker. Chef Steve hopes that bringing his business to Dallas will encourage attendees to come and experience San Antonio and its dining culture themselves.
For an in-depth look at the chef and restaurant line-up, visit chefsforfarmers.com/dallas-festival/dallas-chefs/. For more information on the various events and experiences you can expect to see at Chefs For Farmers Food & Wine Festival, visit chefsforfarmers.com/dallas-festival. Don’t forget to receive email notifications and exciting festival updates.
See information below for details regarding this year’s Main Event
The Main Event at Old City Park
Where: Old City Park 1515 South Harwood Street, Dallas, Texas 75215
When: Sunday, November 3, VIP: 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., GA: 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Tickets: VIP: Sold Out | GA: $145
About: Returning for its 14th consecutive year, don’t miss the Main Event, also known as our signature festival celebration, highlighting the best of the best from Texas and beyond. Taking place at Old City Park, turn up the heat on your taste buds as you sample delectable bites, showcasing the very best tastes from The Lone Star State. We curated a collection of the most talented chefs from our own backyard and other favorite, culinary destinations across the country, pairing them with an array of local, family farms from the 214 to concoct unforgettable dishes to show you why supporting local is what it’s all about. But that’s not all that’s not all! We’ll keep the drinks flowing as you WINE down with sips from various wineries and spirit brands. Loosen up your belts, folks – each ticket is all-inclusive of unlimited food, drinks, live entertainment and more.
Guests will also be able to vote for your favorite dish to win The Best Bite Presented by American Airlines AAdvantage® Mastercard® credit card.
American Airlines® Mastercard® credit cardmembers receive a 15% off exclusive ticket discount at checkout. $25 of each General Admission ticket sold will go directly to The Seed Project Foundation. Buy Tickets for The Main Event here.
About Chefs For Farmers Food & Wine Festival:
Chefs For Farmers is an annual, three-day food and wine festival in Dallas, TX that grew from an intimate farm-to-table dinner in 2010. Our goal is to showcase the dynamic talents of Dallas chefs, artisans, and farmers, who make exceptional, seasonal, and sustainable food possible. Chefs For Farmers Food & Wine Festival celebrates Dallas as an established foodie town through a handful of exquisite and mouth-watering experiences that highlight the local dishes this city has to offer. For more information visit, http://chefsforfarmers.com/dallas-festival/ and follow Chefs For Farmers on Facebook and Instagram.
Partners:
American Airlines® Mastercard®, American Farmland Trust, Andrew’s Distributing, Angel’s Envy, Aviation Gin, Benjamin Lee Bison, Canvas, Central Texas Lamb, The Chef’s Warehouse Texas, Chefs’ Produce Company, CultureMap, Deleón Tequila, Don Julio, Ketal One, Eataly, Edible Dallas & Fort Worth, Element Moving, FARFA, Flavour Gallery, Frey Ranch Distillery, Hill Country Dairies, Infiniti, Kroger, LaCroix Sparkling Water, Maker’s Mark®, Melinda’s Foods LLC, Mirador, Modern Luxury Dallas Magazine, Old City Park, Oyster Bay Wines, Pappas Bros., PaperCity Magazine, Pivot, Rosewood Ranches, Samson & Surrey, LLC, Sandals®, Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits, Society Insurance, SpotOn, Still Austin Whiskey, Veroni, and Licor 43.
Participating Restaurants:
Adios Fajitas, Benoît New York, Bittersweet Pastry Shop & Cafe, Bonnell’s Restaurant Group, Burger Schmurger, Café Herrera, Commons Club, Commissary, Cured At Pearl, Dive Coastal Cuisine, Duchess Fort Worth, Empire Baking Co, Evan’s Meat Market, Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs, Fruition Restaurant, Gelato La Boca, Georgie, Green Point Seafood & Oyster Bar, Harwood Hospitality, Haywire, Heritage East, Il Modo, Joa Grill, Jonathon’s Diner, Jonathon’s Forestwood, Knife Italian, Knife Steakhouse, La Casita Bakeshop, La Maison Bleue Cafe, Lane’s Oak’d BBQ, Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar, Meridian, Mirador, Monarch Restaurant, Moonlight Dining, Nena Postreria, Nikki Greek Bistro, Nobu Dallas, Nuri Steakhouse, Omni Dallas Hotel | Café Herrera, One90 Smoked Meats, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Perch Bistro And Bar, Petra And The Beast, Quarter Acre, Rayo Bar And Lounge, Red Maple Catering, Rough Creek Lodge & Resort, Rye, Scardello, Starship Bagel, Sugar & Sage Bakery, Tango Room, The Cowboys Club, The Saint, Trick Rider Frisco, Wade’s Landing, Whisk Crêpes Café, Wolfgang Puck Catering.
About The Seed Project Foundation:
The Seed Project Foundation (SPF) funds educational, agricultural, and community initiatives that support sustainability. Sustainability is a social challenge that improves the current quality of life without compromising future generations. The Foundation was established on the premise that funding sustainable ideas today will support ecological and social balance in the future. Providing seed money for causes that enhance the principles of sustainability is our mission.
Since 2020, the SPF has operated McKinney Roots, a food donation farm in McKinney. Our mission is to supply fresh produce to the food insecure by growing and distributing it to local nonprofits, and churches in Collin County. By doing this we are alleviating hunger with healthful, nutrient-dense food. The farm currently grows over 21 varieties of produce and raises 150 laying hens using only organic and natural practices. The farm uses 2 acres for field crops, an innovative chicken coop for rotational grazing, and a hydroponic greenhouse to grow primarily lettuce year-round. Our goals are to improve the health of the food insecure in our community and to educate people about local food and farming. Volunteer or donate to help McKinney Roots keep growing more to give at www.mckinneyroots.org.
About Giving Tree Acres:
Giving Tree Acres Community Farm is a nonprofit organization providing fresh, organically grown fruits, vegetables, pasture-raised eggs, and grass-fed proteins to underserved communities. In 2024, we will begin supporting three community organizations and expand as our farm output grows. Our vision is to transform existing food pantries, community farm stands, and schools in underserved communities into healthy food havens by vastly increasing the amount of fresh, nourishing foods available. By increasing access to fresh foods, we aim to build healthier, more resilient communities. For more information, visit www.givingtreeacres.org.
Photo Credit: Kathy Tran
