During ACL’s sold-out Feast Under the Stars, the music festival traded tacos and beers for a sit-down wine-paired dinner from award-winning chefs around Texas and beyond on Thursday, October 6.
The alfresco family-style feast took place in Zilker Park near one of the stages, echoing Austin Food & Wine Festival’s sit-down dinner, which was canceled last spring due to storms. Eater photographer Robert J. Lerma was on the grounds to capture the intimate sunset dinner course-by-course and glass-by-glass.
The chef line-up included Los Angeles chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo—the dynamic duo behind Animal, Jon & Vinny’s, and more—plus Texas stars Tim Love and Jason Dady, and hometown heroes Andrew Curren and Janina O’Leary. Wine was provided by Austin Hope Wine Collection.
The $250 ticket granted attendees access to the unique experience. Austin native and UT Longhorn baseball standout Huston Street (now playing for the Los Angeles Angels) was on-hand as an event host.
As for the five-course meal, each prepared by different chefs, there were tomatoes, burrata, carpaccio, doughnuts, and more, paired with wines from Austin Hope. The full menu follows below.
- First course—The starter featured heirloom tomato, strawberries, burrata, big cherry gastrique, basil oil, and black Russian rye and was provided by chef Dady.
- Second course—Chefs Shook and Dotolo presented sirloin carpaccio with savoy cabbage, sesame, and kochukaru.
- Third course—Chef Curran served up soft polenta with braised lamb, olives, parmesan, arugula, and gremolata.
- Fourth course—Chorizo was stuffed with whole rabbit roulade, along with cauliflower purée and crispy rutabaga from chef Love.
- Fifth course—Pastry chef Janina O’Leary served her signature salty dulce dessert, a brioche doughnut with salted dulce de leche.
- ACL Festival [Official]
- The Full Austin City Limits Food Lineup for 2016 [Official]
