Chefs for Farmers returned to Houston this past weekend after making its Space City debut last year. The culinary event began as a small farm to table dinner in Dallas in 2010 with a mission to showcase the local products of farmers and ranchers by pairing them with talented chefs across the region. Eventually, the mission grew into a multi-day festival with a number of restaurants, wineries and distilleries participating.

The Houston Chefs for Farmers one-day celebration was such a success last year, the organizers added an extra day to this year's event with it running September 30 and October 1 at Hanover Autry Park. We were in attendance on Day One, a hot, sunny Saturday and we definitely got our fill of beef, booze and baking sun.
I had my husband, Classic Rock Bob, as my companion for the walk-around feast. We noticed the absence of the huge vegetable and fruit display from Chef's Produce that greeted us the year before. However, it made its appearance the second day of the festival. Our first stop was Truth BBQ's watering hole and it was a great beginning. The crew was luring us in with dancing and smiles, so we grabbed their offering of sliced brisket atop a slice of Martin's potato bread, served with pickled red onions and Truth's A Big Dill pickle chips. The brisket was mouth-wateringly tender with a beautiful smoke ring. I was also impressed by the pickles. I am a big fan of dill pickles and I just discovered Truth sells their version online.
We ventured over to Auden to try the wagyu beef taco from Chef Kirthan Shenoy. We enjoyed the kick from the pineapple and tomato salsa. Our Smoky Paloma cocktails from Tequila Ocho and Vago Mezcal were a perfect and completely accidental pairing.  Auden is an upcoming restaurant at Autry Park from Shenoy and his wife Pastry Chef Kripa Shenoy.  We were told that it is shooting to open October 20.
Our next tasty bite was from Brick Vault Brewery and BBQ located in Marathon, Texas. We were super happy that the crew from Brick Vault made the long trip to Houston because the Spicy Queso Flameado Sausage blew our minds. It was probably our favorite dish of the day. The tortilla on which it was served was completely unnecessary but the heat from the sausage and the drizzle of what looked to be an avocado-tomatillo sauce made a perfect combination. It was topped with microgreens and cilantro from Verdegreens Farms for a touch of freshness. Considering the spicy heat, that was a good thing.

Next to Brick Vault was a local Houston barbecue favorite, Blood Bros. They were serving a Tea-Brined Smoked Duck Salad which was a nice contrast to the beef-heavy selections at many of the stands. It also had hydro greens from Verdegreens Farms and the calamansi duck fat dressing added a pop of citrus for a well-balanced dish. The duck slices were very tender and not over-smoked, which is my preference.
There was section of the festival dedicated to restaurants using Rosewood Wagyu Beef. Rosewood Ranches is a family-owned ranching business out of the Ennis/Dallas area. Nobu Houston was putting Rosewood's wagyu ribeye to good use on a skewer, kushiyaki-style, topped with a Peruvian sauce. I want to say it was aji amarillo but I am not sure I heard that correctly. Whatever it was, it was a delicious sauce for the beef without adding too much heat.

Next door to Nobu, was Albi with its Pomegranate Glazed TX Wagyu Coulotte. The pomegranate sauce was surprisingly savory despite being blended with molasses and I couldn't get enough of it. I might have left a few bright magenta dots of it on the white-clothed table.

CRB had hit his beef limit so we went in search of something a bit lighter. But first, he availed himself of an Old Fashioned cocktail from the Maker's Mark stand. This year there seemed to be more liquor representatives on hand along with a few wine distributors and thankfully, Evian and La Croix waters.
We found Hando on the other side of the festival. Its team was dishing out a Smoked Scallop Ceviche with Squid Ink Chips. The fresh cucumber, red onion and fennel were mixed with chopped Japanese scallops and yuzu tobiko (fish roe) which is a classic pairing for Japanese scallops. The crispy wonton chips added a crunchy texture. It was a refreshing switch from the meat-centric fare and especially appreciated in the late September heat.
Another cooling treat was the Smoked Brisket Ice Cream from Sweet Bribery, which just partnered with Craft Creamery to open Sweet Bribery by Craft Creamery. We had enjoyed the brisket ice cream at the Houston Rodeo Uncorked Best Bites in 2022. At the previous event, it had been served as a ice cream cookie sandwich and I fell in love with the salty-sweet combination. For the Chefs for Farmers festival, it was served in a plastic scoop spoon with a salted chocolate chip cookie piece perched on top. It was my second favorite bite of the day.
We grabbed a couple of cocktails from Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and the Whiskey Sour nearly knocked me over. This was a sipping tipple so CRB and I sat down on a step to watch the salsa dancing led by Jocelyn Munoz, aka the Salsa Mommy. She taught the participants a few steps before encouraging them to add a little pizzazz to their moves.
The crowd for this year's event seemed a little lighter compared to the previous year, probably due to the fact that it was a two-day affair this time. Though we were there on Saturday, some of the main happenings were held on the following day. We know a few people who made it to both days of the event but CRB and I are getting a little too old for that much fun and food.
As we began to succumb to the meat sweats, as well as the heat sweats, we made one more go-around, another Smoky Paloma in hand. There were several restaurant stands serving lamb but the sun was beginning to get to me as well as a full stomach. I made an attempt at Musaafer's Tandoori Lamb. It was very good but also a large portion and I found myself leaving some of the juicy lamb behind in favor of eating the tasty sauce and naan bread.
I thought I couldn't eat another bite but I was about to nosh on three more. Small Bites by Erika Villareal was making fresh mini donuts right out of a special custom fryer. They were almost like a beignet in donut form. Word must have gotten out because a long line was forming and the fried morsels took a couple of minutes to cook. It was well worth the wait. Three mini treats were handed over and I began with the cinnamon sugar one. The flavor was amazing but not as crazy good as the salted caramel version. The Nutella drizzled one was also delicious but the salted caramel donut was one of the yummiest things I have eaten. And I don't usually care much for donuts. Unfortunately, Small Bites is a pop-up that does special events. I am either going to have to stalk them or have a special event for myself.
We finally had our fill, though I managed to try the Brisket Bruschetta from Marmo before leaving. There was a guy standing in front of the chef and gushing about it so I had to give it a go. The brisket was rather creamy in texture but I found myself really digging the bread on which it was served. It was a nice last bite to end a day of indulgences.