Wine & Dine Dinner with Chefs Tiffany Derry and Michael Fojtasek

Austin food lovers will have the opportunity to be wined and dined by some of the nation’s most acclaimed chefs as the Austin Food & Wine Alliance (AFWA) announces its next chef collaboration dinner featuring renowned Dallas-area Chef Tiffany Derry and local favorite Chef Michael Fojtasek. Money raised will benefit the Alliance’s Culinary Grant Program in Central Texas.

Beaumont native Tiffany Derry is the founder of Tiffany Derry Concepts and co-founder of T2D Concepts, the Texas-based hospitality group behind Roots Chicken Shak in Plano and Austin and Roots Southern Table in Farmers Branch. Tiffany has risen her way through the culinary ranks to run her own restaurant concepts, appear as a contestant and judge on Top Chef and Top Chef Junior and as a regular advisor on Bar Rescue, and cook for President Obama at the White House. She will soon be appearing on PBS competition series The Great American Recipe in 2022.

For this special dinner, Derry will collaborate with Fojtasek, the chef and owner of Olamaie, Little Ola’s Biscuits, and the upcoming Mignette. Since opening Olamaie in 2014, he has received numerous accolades, including a 2020 James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef: Texas, a 2018 and 2019 James Beard nomination for “Best Chef Southwest,” a 2015 James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant, and inclusion in 2015 Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs.

While diners feast on locally sourced fare, the powerhouse culinary team of Derry and Fojtasek will share personal stories and the inspiration behind their cuisine. Each delectable dish will include pairings by award-winning sommelier and Alliance board member Paula Rester Salinas.

AFWA enjoys tremendous community support with H-E-B as a presenting sponsor and key supporters ABC Bank, Barton Springs Mill, Buffalo Trace, Fever-Tree, Hudson Wine Brokers, Lifeworks Restaurant Group, Lone Star Beer, Mountain Valley Spring Water, South Texas Cuisine, Texas Beef Council, Tito's Handmade Vodka, and Vital Farms. The Alliance is the proud beneficiary of the Austin Food & Wine Festival, a three-day tribute to world-renowned chefs and winemakers. A limited number of All-In tickets are on sale now for the can't-miss event, November 5-7.

All funds raised will benefit the Central Texas culinary community through AFWA’s programming, including the Culinary Arts Career Conference for high school students on October 20 and a unique grant program supporting culinary innovation and community giveback — currently accepting applications. 

The Wine & Dine dinner with Chefs Derry and Fojtasek is a 21+ event. To ensure the safety of guests and Olamaie staff, we will require proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours before the event. Guests may opt out of the testing requirement by presenting a completed COVID-19 vaccination card. To save time during check-in, guests may load their completed cards .

MENU:

Passed Appetizers

• Olamaie Deviled Eggs (Fojtasek)
• House-Made "Ritz" Cracker with Caramelized Onion Dip and Caviar (Fojtasek)
• Fried Shrimp and Grits (Derry)
• Chef Tiffany’s Gumbo (Derry)

First course

• Hamachi Roll with Mustard Greens, Turnips, Herbs, and Buttermilk (Derry)

Second Course

• Beef Cheeks with Creamed Collards, Cornbread, and Bone Marrow (Fojtasek)

Dessert Course

• Custard Pie with Salted Orange Caramel, Peanut Brittle, and Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream (Olamaie)

Host or Publisher Austin Food & Wine Alliance