25 Nov Eat Local Week- celebrate local food!
3rd Annual Edible Austin Eat Local Week will celebrate the bounty of local food in Central Texas, and raise money for Urban Roots, a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture as a means to transform the lives of young people and to increase the access of healthy food in Austin. More about Urban Roots at: http://www.youthlaunch.org/
The first year (2007)) we raised $8K and last year (2008) we raised $25K for Urban Roots. 100% of all the money raised goes directly to Urban Roots. This is important for people to know because there are many "restaurant week" events now where only a (usually small) portion of the money raised goes to a nonprofit. Edible Austin Eat Local Week is 100% a fundraiser for Urban Roots. The participating restaurants and markets write their checks directly to them, and all the money donated at the various events is collected directly by Urban Roots as well. Edible Austin is the producer of this week-long event, which is growing every year!
This year we have over 60 participating restaurants and markets. They will be offering Eat Local Week Specials featuring locally sourced menu items or products. We are encouraging people to go to these places to support local food and experience the difference! Our participating restaurants offer a local dining experience for everyone’s budget—from Hula Hut to Uchi; from Changos to Wink; from Whip In Parlour Café to Perla’s; from Magnolia Café to Chez Nous. Try a Home Slice Pizza local arugula pizza one night and reserve at Primizie—where you can choose from a full all-local menu—another. Celebrate the holiday spirit and make it an all-local holiday office party or family event at a participating restaurant this week. Find a list of all our participating restaurants and markets below and their locations and what they will be offering at: http://www.edibleaustin.
In addition, there are over fifteen unique events celebrating local food and the food and drink makers who make it possible. Each event has a fundraising component for Urban Roots in support of Eat Local Week. These events provide many entree points for people to experience local food—from film, fine arts, fitness, culinary and cocktails arts, academia, holiday shopping, and more. Take the Urban Farm Bicycle Tour and discover Austin’s hidden local food-producing gems—urban farms, farm stands and community gardens. Get inspired by the acclaimed food movie, FRESH, at the Paramount Theatre and meet the film’s director and farmer, sustainable food hero Joel Salatin, who will both be on hand for a special reception before the film and a Q&A after. Witness the 2nd Annual Tipsy Texan Local Cocktail Contest while sipping all-local holiday cocktails served by our local distillers. Watch the hit foodie film of the year, Julie & Julia at the Alamo Drafthouse while enjoying a feast prepared inspired by the food in the film, with a special appearance from author Julie Powell. Find more information on these event and many more (details below) at: http://www.edibleaustin.com/
Event underwriters and sponsors for Eat Local Week include: Alamo Drafthouse, Austin Museum of Art, Better Bites of Austin, Bicycle Sport Shop, BookPeople, City of Austin, GO TEXAN, Habitat Suites, Owl Tree Roasting, Palm Door, Paramount Theatre, Pink Avocado, Tipsy Texans, Wally Workman Gallery, Whip In, Whole Foods Market, Zhi Tea.
Participating restaurants and markets:
360 Uno Trattoria
Alamo Drafthouse
Asti Trattoria
Aquarelle
Beets Living Foods Café
Bleu River Grille
Blue Dahlia Bistro
Borboleta Gourmet
Buenos Aires Café
Carmelo’s Ristorante
Changos
Chez Nous
Cipollina West Austin Bistro
The Cupcake Bar
Eastside Café
East Side Show Room
Fabi and Rosi
Finn & Porter (Hilton)
FINO
Flipnotics Coffeespace
Get Sum Dim Sum
Guero’s Taco Bar
Home Slice Pizza
Hula Hut
J. Black’s
Jeffrey’s
Judges’ Hill Restaurant & Bar (at Mansion at Judges’ Hill)
Kerbey Lane Café
La Condesa
Lakeway Resort and Spa
Lambert’s Downtown Barbeque
Leaf
The Leaning Pear, Wimberley
Magnolia Café
Manuels
Mulberry
Olivia
Paggi House
Parkside
People’s Rx
Perla’s
Primizie Osteria
Reel Popcorn
Satay
Snack Bar
Somnio’s Café
The Soup Peddler
SWB – Southwest Bistro (Hyatt)Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop
Tacodeli
Tanalee’s Tea Room and Patisserie, Bastrop
Thai Fresh
Thunderbird Coffee
TRIO at Four Seasons
Uchi
Ventana Restaurant
Vino Vino
Whip In Parlour Café & Market
Wink
Markets
Austin Farmers’ Market
Farmhouse Delivery
Greenling Organic Delivery
Royal Blue Grocery
Wheatsville Co-op
Whip In Parlour Café & Market
Eat Local Week EVENTS
Visit the EcoCalendar to view in calendar format and share specific events with friends!
www.austineconet.wpengine.com/calendar
www.austineconet.wpengine.com/calendar
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4
BookPeople hosts a Multi-Media Sustainable Food night, previewing Eat Local Week, with special guests from the food film and book worlds, including Ana Sofia Joanes, director / producer of FRESH; Pamela Walker, author of Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas , Chef Alain Braux, author of How to Lower Your Cholesterol with French Gourmet Food, and more! Local farm food tastings and local beer and beverages will be offered. 6–8 pm.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5
Kick-off event at the downtown Austin Farmers’ Market with proclamation by the Mayor of the City of Austin, a 24-carrot salute and other special activities. 10 am. Free.
Urban Farm Bicycle Tour: Discover some of Austin’s local food-producing gems on a family-friendly bicycle tour, including optional stops at Boggy Creek Farm, Zhi Tea, Rain Lily Farm, Hands of the Earth Farm, school and community gardens and more—featuring farm tours, sampling local food products and a chance to win fabulous prizes, including a fully- outfitted cruiser bicycle. Tour departs from Bicycle Sport Shop (South Lamar location), Austin Farmers’ Market (downtown) and Sunset Valley Farmers’ Market. Presented by Bicycle Sport Shop with additional sponsorship from Whole Foods Market, Yellow Bike Project, Sustainable Food Center, Capitol Metro and others. Author Pamela Walker will be signing copies of her book, Growing Good Things to Eat in Texas at Boggy Creek Farm during the Tour.
Register at: http://www.
Edible Austin Tea Festival: The Edible Austin Tea Festival is a gathering of the Austin area’s fine tea purveyors and tea rooms who will sample and demonstrate all that is mysterious and wonderful about tea. Chef Jesse Bloom of Ecstatic Cuisine will offer tea-paired food plates for $10/ plate. Also featuring tea talks, demonstrations, traditional tea ceremonies and tea products for sale. Tea participants include Barefoot Botanicals, Buddah’s Brew, Jade Leaves, Sesa Tea, Steeping Room, Sweet Leaf Tea, Tea Embassy, Texas Medicinals and Zhi Tea. The Tea Festival is also a stop on the Urban Farm Bicycle Tour. Free. 10 am to 2 pm at the Zhi Tea Gallery, 4607 Bolm Rd.
Paramount Theatre presents a special screening of FRESH, the provocative and inspiring food film. Joel Salatin, writer, local food spokesperson and owner of Polyface Farms will join FRESH director and producer Ana Sofia Joanes as our special guests for an audience Q&A after the film. Ticket prices are $15, $25 and $100. The $100 tickets are limited and are the best seats in the house and will include admission to the pre-screening reception for Joanes, Salatin and other featured guests to be held at the State Theatre lobby—featuring Austin’s top chefs preparing locally sourced food tastings and local beverages, beer, wines and cocktails. Participating restaurants are: Asti / FINO, Wink / Zoot, Primizie Osteria, Kerbey Lane Café, The Leaning Pear, Cipollina, Blue Dahlia. Participating beverage artisans will be: Zhi Tea, Tipsy Texans, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Paula’s Texas Spirits, Dry Soda, Texas Hill Country Wineries. There will also be opportunities to meet and connect to many of Austin’s local food nonprofit and support groups at the event as well. Additional sponsorship provided by Habitat Suites. Tickets are on sale now at austintheatre.org/fresh.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6
Drink Local Coffee Festival, hosted at Owl Tree Roasting. Whether your love for coffee is professional or recreational, this event will offer a taste of Austin’s burgeoning coffee culture. Sample coffees from a dozen of Austin’s favorite coffee roasters. There will be numerous coffees to taste and coffee drinks to try. There will also be a barista "jam", a showdown of talent between some of the best baristas in Central Texas. (BBQ lovers will also have the opportunity to preview the brand new Franklin BBQ, located behind Owl Tree Roasting). 11 am–2 pm.
Drink Local Night
tipsyinviteHosted at Palm Door with hors d’oeuvres by Pink Avocado Catering. A celebration of locally made spirits featuring the 2nd Annual Drink Local Cocktail Contest produced by Tipsy Texans David Alan and Joe Eifler, searching for the best seasonal cocktail from the region’s finest mixologists. Meet your local distillers and sample their favorite holiday season cocktails. 6–9 pm.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7
Alamo BeneFeast will feature the hit movie Julie & Julia, and Alamo chefs John Bullington and Trish Eichelberger will prepare an exquisite dinner inspired by food featured in the film. Q&A with Julie Powell (Julie in the movie) after the show! Get your tickets now! 7 pm.
Happy Hour with The Cupcake Bar at Finn and Porter: Visit Finn and Porter (Hilton) for a local happy hour from 5-7pm. Enjoy appetizers from Finn and Porter and Custom Cupcakes from The Cupcake Bar.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8
Austin Museum of Art presents a Gulf Coast Sampler, 6:30–8 pm. Enjoy a sampling of cuisine and ideas about regional food. Southern food historian Elizabeth Engelhardt, Arthouse Director Sue Graze, chef Jesse Griffiths, and fisherman Roberto San Miguel discuss culinary traditions, sustainability, David Bates’s art, and fish tales. Tickets $15 ($10 museum members) and includes exhibition viewing. Limited seating. For more information and to buy tickets, go to: amoa.org/gulfcoastsampler.
Whole Foods Market hosts Local Growers First Frost, 5:00–10 pm. Ice skate for a 50 minute ice skating session and skate rentals for only $10, with all proceeds benefitting Urban Roots, with support from GO TEXAN—featuring live entertainment and refreshments on the Plaza with local food, wine and beverage vendors offering tastings of their wares in the store during the event.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9
Better Bites of Austin hosts an Edible Local Holiday Gift Fair at City Hall. Meet your local foodmakers and buy local products for making your own custom holiday gift baskets with locally made treats from the best of Austin’s local food artisans. Or bid on artisan-select, pre-made baskets. 4–8 pm.
Fino’s Chef’s Table with Balcones Distillery: Founder and distiller Chip Tate, from Balcones Distillery in Waco, TX, brings his Baby Blue & Balcones Rumble to the table. Enjoy Bar Manager Bill Norris’ Cocktails, cask samples & more. 15% of the proceeds will be donated to Urban Roots.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10
Fine Food Art Gallery Night at Wally Workman Gallery, features a curated show of well-known Texas artists offering works of art with a FEASTING theme. Chef-prepared local foods and cocktails by Tipsy Texans, Paula’s Texas Spirits and Les Dames d’ Escoffier (Austin). A portion of all art sales will benefit Urban Roots. 6–8 pm.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11
Meet Your Local Brewers Happy Hour presented by Whip In Parlour Cafe & Market. Enjoy the fabulous tastes from our local breweries and meet their makers: Live Oak Brewing Company, (512)Brewing Company, Independence Brewing Co., Real Ale Brewing Company, Saint Arnold Brewing Company and Shiner Beers. $20 event ticket gets you a pint glass to taste up to six beers! Also featuring emcee Jim Hightower and live entertainment in the Whip In Beer Garden with James McMurtry, Steve James and Nathan Hamilton where you can enjoy a la cart gourmet foods from the Whip In Parlour Cafe & Market and others vendors including: MMMPanadas, the Best Wurst, Sushi-a-Go-go, The Texas Cuban, Flip Happy Crepes, Claudia’s Mexico City Tortas, The Mediterranean Chef, Vital Farms, Buddha’s Brew, WaterOak Farms, Austinuts and Austin Slow Burn. 4–8 pm.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12
Finale event! Media Celebrity Local Food Cook-off. Come to the downtown Austin Farmers’ Market to witness Kate Weidaw (KXAN) and Bryan Beck (KGSR) duke it out preparing a dish using all local ingredients from the market. 10 am–noon. Our celebrity chefs will be assisted by students from the Culinary Academy of Austin. Judges will include other media personalities, farmers from the market and Urban Roots youth.
Ticket information and more details on all these events at: http://www.edibleaustin.
About Urban Roots: Urban Roots is a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture as a means to transform the lives of young people and to increase the access of healthy food in Austin. Farm interns, ages 14-17, are hired to work from February to May. Growing over 20,000 lbs of produce every year, Urban Roots donates 40% of that to hunger relief and sells the rest at farmers’ markets and farm stands run by the farm interns. YouthLaunch is a local non profit whose mission is to provide empowering service for young people with the vision that all young people develop the skills, confidence and resiliency they need to grow into productive, community-minded adults.
About Edible Austin: Edible Austin is a quarterly publication that celebrates Central Texas’ dynamic local food culture and the people who grow, sell, cook, create, and savor it. Established in 2007, Edible Austin serves the 30 counties surrounding Austin and is a member of Edible Communities.
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