5 Reasons you should plan on attending Chef x Fest Next year!

I was fortunate enough to win (2) free tickets to Chef x fest 2018 in Houston, TX. Of course, I was beyond thrilled! It was also perfect timing since I was already heading to the big H to spend well deserved time with my family and friends.

A few reasons why you should plan on attending Chef x Fest next year!
1) Supports Local farmers and chefs
2) Harvest Green Farm is beautiful
3) Quick get-away from the hustle and bustle of the inner city 4) Eat great food that is locally sourced
5) Meet the chefs in person!

So some of you might be asking, “what the heck is Chef x fest?” Well, Chef x Fest is a one-of-a-kind experience of true collaboration between local chefs and local farmers.

Where the event was held
Chef Fest was held at Harvest Green located in Richmond, TX on12-acres of beautiful greenery and it honestly made me forget I was in Houston! The scenery was perfection. Especially since one of my #lifegoals is to have a garden in my backyard to grow my own vegetables. It felt like heaven on earth seeing green goodness blooming from the earth. #breathtaking

My favorite bites at Chef x Fest
Of course, after I checked in, I headed straight to Chef Robery Lyford tent (Chef at Patina Green) to introduce myself. Let me just say that if I could give an award to any table for “Best Presentation,” it would most definitely go to Patina Green! Now, I’m just not saying that because I’m from McKinney! Not only was the presentation phenomenal, the dish presented was lovely! I’d have to say it was one of my favorite dishes! Pictured below is “Beets and Rye” by Chef Robert Lyford. Pickled beets, sprouted rye berries, smoked beet purée, beet skin and rye crumble. If you head to McKinney, you must go and grab one of the best sandwiches in Texas! The Food Network agrees with me, by saying they have one of the best sandwiches in Texas!

My next favorite bite was by Chef Ned Elliott. The Rillette of black hills meat, duroc pork was filling, delicate and so flavorful! I went back for seconds…maybe thirds… but who cares right, I’m just living my best life!

If you love saving the animals, Chef Stephanie Hoban who owns Ripe cuisine was serving stunning bites of vegan cuisine which consisted of krunchy kale salad, bruised Tokyo turnips and creamy mushroom soup. Chef Stephanie was not always vegan, but has been saving the lives of animals for over 16 years and enjoys helping those who prefer meat take a second look at her dish. As you know, I prefer meat. Nevertheless, I stayed at her tent for a while because her dishes were stunning. I could tell that everything was made with love, and we all know that dishes made with love taste so much better!

A few other bites I had were:
Carrot cake by Chef Jill Bartolome who is the pastry chef of Paul Qui’s new restaurant in Houston TX, Aqui. Billjartolome

Roasted Vegetable Taco and Chicken & Waffle in a cone prepared by Jason Kerr + Becca Reyenga – Owners of Little Kitchen TX. This was by far the tent with the longest line. Duh, everyone wants chicken and waffle in a cone, I missed the cone, but the chicken and macaroni was delightful!

Chicken Ham by Chef Matt McCallister of FT33 Dallas. I still haven’t made it out to his restaurant, FT33. Luckily, I had the pleasure of trying his food both at Chef x Fest and Cochon555.

Smoked Grouper by Chef Andrew Wisehart representing Contingo + Chicon in Austin TX

Pork & Turnip Confit Rilletttes by Chef Chris Zettlemoyer of rkcfoodtruck: Renegade Kitchen and Catering

Have I convinced you yet? If I didn’t convince you with words, I hope my pictures did! Can’t wait to see what next year holds! See you there! Thank you chefxfest for collaborating with great chefs who were able to showcase their skill and feed this hungry foodie!