Austin is home to several family restaurant dynasties, but we only know of one father-and-son chef duo who are currently active participants in our local culinary scene – chef Jack Gilmore, co-owner of Jack Allen’s Kitchen, and his 27-year-old son, Bryce Gilmore, proprietor of Odd Duck Farm to Trailer. Chronicle contributor Mick Vann and I tag-teamed this assignment, trading off reviews and interviews with the Gilmores, doing our best to get a picture of each man and his culinary signature. What we encountered was a shared family work ethic and passion for cooking with local ingredients that manifests itself in two distinctively different palates. We came to the conclusion that whether you relax on the patio with a generous helping of Jack’s hearty, down-home Texas fare or nosh on one of Bryce’s sophisticated small plates under an umbrella near the trailer, you’ll be getting an authentic flavor of Austin from a man who loves what he’s doing.
This article appears in May 14 • 2010.