Houston and Dallas Chefs Take Center Stage at the Food Oscars’ Vaunted Taste America Event

With changes required by the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual James Beard Foundation’s Taste America event is going virtual Sunday, October 18. That’s when a curated collection of chefs in 20 cities across the country will lead a virtual, communal three-course dinner that coincides with a national broadcast featuring an entertaining lineup of chefs, friends, and special guests from across the U.S.

Cooking from Texas will be chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman of José in Dallas and Houston chef Chris Williams of Lucille’s. Both will create their own three-course menu with dinner ingredients, wines from Dough Wines, and tasting whiskey from Rabbit Hole Distillery, all of which will be available for pickup at the chefs’ restaurants on that Sunday afternoon prior to the October 18 program.

Quiñones-Pittman‘s menu includes: Passion Fruit, Habanero, and Tuna Aguachile; Texas Wagyu Beef Rib-Eye Tacos with Oregano Chimichurri, Pickled Onions, Queso Fresco, and Brussels Sprouts Preparados; and Vanilla Cake with Raspberry-Jamaica Jelly, Horchata Crémeux, and Café de Olla Glaze.

Williams’ menu includes: Gumbo Z’herbes or Stewed Okra and Tomatoes (Fresh Okra and Heirloom Tomatoes with Roasted Corn, Gold Rice, and Fresh Herbs); a choice of entrees (Roasted Cornish Hen with Sweet Peas, Rice Grits, Braising Jus, and Chive O, or Collard Green, Kuchela, Pomegranate, and Quinoa–Stuffed Roasted Acorn Squash with Romesco and Seasoned Bread Crumbs), and Croissant Bread Pudding for dessert.

Access to cooking demonstrations is part of the package. Tickets for both are $150 per person, with details available at jbftaste@bowenandco.com.

This pop-up event will be considerably different from previous years, when celebrity James Beard Award-winning chefs traveled to cities where they teamed with local chefs and cooked dinner for in-house diners.

In 2019, James Beard Award-winning chefs Hugo Ortega of Hugo’s and Sue Zemanik of Zasu in New Orleans teamed with host chef Jon Buchanan at Third Coast restaurant in the Texas Medical Center for the Taste America pop-up dinner. Last March in Dallas, Atlanta-based chef, cookbook author, and James Beard Award winner Virginia Willis joined chef Janice Provost of Parigi for that celebrity chef pop-up dinner.

Participating cities in 2020 include New Orleans, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Charleston, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., among others.