Chefs For Farmers Food + Wine Festival Celebrates Dallas Culinary Leaders at Inaugural Community Impact Awards

This article is promoted/partner content and not produced by the editorial staff.

It’s no secret that Dallas’ food scene continues to grow by the day. It seems like each week we’re blessed with a new concept that keeps our “to try” list growing faster than we can get a reservation. But there’s one culinary event that’s simply not to be missed each year: Chefs for Farmers Food + Wine Festival.

Founded by Iris Midler in 2010, Chefs for Farmers (CFF) is hosting its 16th annual festival in Dallas. This year, the non-profit decided to do something new to kick off the festival season and continue to support and recognize the people shaping Dallas’ culinary community: the Community Impact Awards Dinner.

Inside the Inaugural Community Impact Awards

Presented by Headington Companies, the inaugural Community Impact Awards took place at CBD Provisions at The Joule and honored the leaders who’ve made a lasting impact on Dallas’ hospitality. 

Four outstanding individuals were recognized during the evening, including Restaurant Honoree Greg Katz, Founder, Katz Brothers Hospitality; Wine & Spirits Honoree Jamey Bellan, EVP, General Manager, Southern Glazer’s Texas; Hospitality Honoree Marisol Lopez, Director of Sales, HALL Arts Hotel; and Purveyor Honoree Richard Torres, VP, Chefs’ Produce Company. Emcee Bob Sambol, of Bob’s Steak & Chop House, introduced each one to a sold-out room of their peers and praised each for their contribution to the Dallas culinary scene.

The four-course dinner, which included over ninety guests in attendance, featured dishes by CBD Provisions Chef Sezer Deniz and guest chefs Michael ‘Batman’ Rhodes of Café Momentum and Eduardo Osorio of Meridian.

The Chad Houser Catalyst Award Goes To…

Chad Houser, founder of Café Momentum, a James Beard-winning non-profit restaurant that assists youth exiting the juvenile justice system, presented the second annual Chad Houser Catalyst Award to Eduardo Osorio. The award recognizes individuals who uplift and unite others, serving as role models for the next generation of leaders, qualities that Chef Osorio embodies through his commitment to community and philanthropy.

Houser highlighted the work of Chef Osorio at the awards ceremony and explained: “A catalyst is somebody who makes things happen; they show up, they bring people together, they use what they have to create opportunities for somebody else, and that’s Eduardo.”

Chef Osorio partners with a variety of organizations, including Meat Fight, a Dallas-based nonprofit that hosts BBQ-fueled events in support of people living with multiple sclerosis; Piehole Project, a charity pie auction featuring savory and sweet creations from top chefs across Dallas-Fort Worth that supports the local restaurant and hospitality community; and Small Miracle Foundation, which provides free, safe, and dependable childcare for families impacted by cancer. He has also participated in one-time fundraising efforts supporting organizations including No Kid Hungry, Symphony of Chefs, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Mercy Chefs, as well as farm-focused dinners with Outpost 76, Profound Farms, and others.

Upon receiving the honor, Chef Osorio shared, “When I moved to Dallas a couple of years ago, I told my wife I really want to make a difference. I want to make sure we change the perception of what hospitality is; we lost a lot of that during COVID. So it’s not just cooking; it’s showing up when people ask, just to help each other out and to help the community.”

The Best Is Yet To Come

On November 7 and 8, Chefs for Farmers Food + Wine Festival’s Main Event returns to Old City Park in Downtown Dallas. Guests experience unlimited food and drink from Texas chefs who work directly with local farmers. Blending tradition, innovation, and flavor, each chef receives a Chefs for Farmers stipend to source fresh ingredients from local farms to create a unique tasting experience. This helps local farms by buying their products and showcasing their bounty to the greater foodie community.‍ It’s a celebration of the people who grow the food and the chefs who turn it into something memorable — with some fun live entertainment and activations sprinkled in along the way.

The Cause Behind the Chefs

Aside from supporting local farmers, the philanthropic reach of Chefs for Farmers goes even deeper. Ten dollars from each Chefs for Farmers Dallas general admission ticket is donated to The Seed Project Foundation, which is a North Texas nonprofit. Through their McKinney Roots farm, they grow fresh produce and eggs and get it directly to families who need it. They fund local initiatives, support agricultural education, and invest in the long-term health of their community. And they’ve donated more than $700,000 to more than 100 local organizations, feed 350 families every week, and donated more than 61,000 pounds of produce.

At the heart of Chefs for Farmers is the idea that local agriculture is worth protecting, and attending this event supports so many organizations who believe the same.

General admission tickets are available for both days, or you can buy a weekend pass to attend both.

Good food, good people, good work. The perfect way to spend a weekend.