Chef/restaurateur Ned Elliott hosted a week of eclectic sold out dinners at Foreign & Domestic (503 E. 53rd) last January. Crowds filled the little restaurant’s dining room and guests paid premium prices for seats at the counter. This was all to watch young chefs on the rise around the country as they prepared, described, and served their own contributions to five nights of multi-course tasting menu marathons. In the spirit of the online camaraderie that brought the chefs together, each guest received a menu booklet with a description of every course, plus the chef’s name and Twitter handle.
This year, some of last year’s participants are eager to return and there will be some new faces, as well. Elliott and the organizers have also designated a “Local Chef” night where you’re likely to appreciate the culinary stylings of such ascendant Austin chefs as Brandon Martin, Erica Beneke, Erica Waksmunski, John Bates, Mat Clouser, Todd Duplechan, Monica Glenn, Nathan Lemley, and Rosie Shipman.
“We’re excited to host Indie Chefs Week again and we hope to showcase chefs with a strong viewpoint who can share ideas and inspire each other,” says chef Elliott. Tickets are available at various prices, depending on seating arrangements and days of the week; communal tables ($175 with wine pairings during the week)are cheaper than the counter, for instance, and weeknights are cheaper than the 20-course, $300 blow-out on Saturday night. Updates and profiles of featured chefs are posted frequently on the Indie Chefs website.
January 7th-11th, 2014
Indie Chefs Week at Foreign & Domestic
306 East 53rd 512/459-1010
Tuesday-Saturday, 5:00-10:00pm
This article appears in November 22 • 2013.