Indie Chefs Week at Foreign and Domestic is a Foodie Smash

January 9th thru the 12th has been and continues to be a very special week at Foreign & Domestic. It’s the first Indie Chefs Week for Austin and it features local chefs and other rising stars from around the country. Please note: no Bobby Flays, Morimoto, Lagasse and all the “celebrity chefs” one usually sees at events like these.

These are all highly talented chefs without the national visibility and the baggage that goes with it. Each night their skills have been and will be on display at Foreign & Domestic. The lineup has featured local talent like Andrew Wiseheart of Contigo, Todd Duplechan of Lenoir, Shawn Cirkiel of Olive and June, Backspace and Parkside, Anthony Fusco from Foreign & Domestic, Mat Clouser of Swift’s Attic, and out-of-towners like Gregory Courdet from Departure in Portland and Edwin Bloodworth from the Gamekeeper in Boone, NC.

Most importantly for the event, even with tickets for the final night at $200, each night was and is sold out. I love the concept, and kudos to the folks at Foreign & Domestic for pulling this together. This is a low-key event which gives Austin foodies a chance to mingle with the chefs and engage in some genuine discussions: that’s a far cry from the Aspen and Miami-type events which are star-studded PR events.

I will look forward to next year’s event, and will make sure to be more prompt in lining up tickets. But this really bodes well for the Austin food scene.

For more information, indiechefsweek.com.