ATX FOOD NEWS | Eating our way through Austin, one delicious bite at a time.

Ain’t nothing more Texan than a chili & barbecue cookoff

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Kay Marley-Dilworth

Do you love chili? I love a great bowl of chili. I love it simple, just a bowl of tender meat and gravy, and I love it fancied up. I love highbrow chili with exotic ingredients and I love lowbrow Frito Pie Chili, served in the bag. It’s all good.

I had the pleasure of meeting George and Linda Odom, both Terlingua International Frank X. Tolbert – Wick Fowler Championship Chili Cookoff winners at RL Reeves, Jr.’s recent Terlingua Pop Up restaurant. They’re exceptionally nice people. I think I called George “Greg” for most of our conversations, and he was too darn sweet to correct me. George was sampling his award winning chili at the pop up restaurant. I enjoyed a huge bowl of divine Mexican chili, a recipe that I’m certain RL perfected in his days as a Lucha Libre promoter, and then was offered a sample of George’s chili. I was happily full from my bowl of chili, but just couldn’t pass up a taster of champion chili. Folks, I licked the plastic jello shot-sized container clean. I licked it, in public. It was that good, a pure Texas bowl of red.

You can try your hand at judging chili, or barbecue and/or a few other items this weekend at the 8th Annual Thanksgiving at Giddyups Tolbert Chili & Barbecue Cookoff. The event is Saturday, November 17, and the first judging starts with Bloody Marys at noon. All foods are free to judge, with the exception of Bloody Marys, which will cost you $5 to enter and sample and rate. It’s all for a good cause, with proceeds going to the American Kidney Foundation. Here is the schedule for turn in, and if you want to judge, show up earlier than turn in and let them know you want to help out. Have a cold beer while you’re judging, it makes it much easier.

Bloody Marys – Noon – $5 entry and $5 to judge
Salsa – 12:30pm – $5 entry
Beans – 1pm – $10 entry
Tolbert Chili – 2pm – $15 entry
Ribs – 2pm – $10 entry
Brisket – 4pm – $15 entry

For more information, or to guarantee yourself a spot on the judges table for a particular category, or to volunteer, e-mail nancy@giddyups.com. Unsure where Giddy Ups is, because you haven’t ever been that far south of the river? It’s only a hop, skip and a jump from ATXFoodnews HQ, but here is a map for all you North Austinites. The event will be outdoors, in the field behind the bar. FYI, as this event is not in the Austin city limits, but in Manchaca, Giddy Ups is a smoking-allowed establishment.

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Categories: Barbecue, Beer, Benefit, Chili, Cookoff, Family Friendly, Nonprofit | Tags: barbecue, Chili, cookoff, pop up | 1 Comment

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Kay Marley-Dilworth

I post a thought every day on my Twitter and Facebook feeds of what I’m thankful for this month, our traditional time of year to reflect on the good things in our lives. Today let me tell you about rolls. Specifically, Parker House rolls. Oh, that yeasty goodness! And where can you grab some buttery baked goodness if you don’t have the skills or time to make your own? Easy Tiger! The Dirty 6th bakery and beer garden that we love for its craft beer and the addictive beer cheese paired with soft pretzels is selling their house-made rolls for $6 a dozen.

These special additions to their menu will be available for an ultra limited time on November 19-22. Pre-orders are encouraged. Just call 512.614.4972 and they’ll take care of you. Your dinner guests need never know that you didn’t bake them yourself.

And, again, that beer cheese! Do they put crack in it, or what? Once you’ve tried it, you can’t stop thinking about it. I’ve even had them bring a side of it for me to slather on a roast beef sandwich. Mmmm! Today I’m thankful for Easy Tiger’s beer cheese and Parker House rolls. One less side dish for me to create on Thanksgiving day, and that means less stress in the kitchen.

Categories: Buy Local, Craft beer, Downtown Dining, Late Night Eats | Tags: bakery, beer cheese, beer garden, craft beer, Parker House rolls | Comments Off

Churchkey: A flat top steel can love affair

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Kay Marley-Dilworth

Oh, Churchkey Can Co., oh me, oh my. Just when the Austin craft beer community had me completely committed to my local beer snobbery, you walked in the door. You glanced over, gave me a sideways smile with a wink and a nod and I haven’t been the same sense. It doesn’t hurt that your packaging is awesome, your flat top steel can is so very easily recyclable, and your six pack packaging is printed with soy ink on recycled paper…soy ink! Oh, no, it does not hurt at all that you appeal to my crunchy granola hipster-in-hiding side, but then you bust out with your owners, those guys who are nothing but heart, totally burning, passionate men who pine for magnificent combinations of hops and barley and grain, who have a huge love for craft beer. And one of them agreed to kiss Mr. Bill….

No, it does not hurt that Adrian Grenier is one of your owners. Nor does it harm your brewery’s movement into new states that he is not only a celebrity but also 100% into his own product. Your co-owners Justin Hawkins and Ryan Sowards are just as excited as you are to launch this beer. Y’all are like Texas cheerleaders, only in skinny jeans and not showing any cleavage. (Side note that Adrian is wearing a t-shirt from Austin’s own Austin Kleon). Aside from the majorly cool packaging and the churchkey included in each sixer, the celebrity cuteness, and the talent of both Hawkins and Ryan, this beer stands alone. Not only do I like it a lot, I will probably forgo other local beers to drink it. I may very well be run out of town for this, so I hope you have a room ready at the brewery. With Adrian, please.

I can’t stop thinking about the feel of the flat top can. Steel gets colder than aluminum, and the smooth chill on my upper lip was a very enjoyable feeling, as is the easy drinking pilsner. At first I thought the beer itself was okay, better than average, but overall, looking back, I’d like some more, please. I realize that you’re having pesky issues with labeling with our infamous TABC, but January cannot come soon enough. I want to be a part of the revolution. I’m totally in with the flat top steel can movement. The freshness of your brew, the brightness of the pilsner makes for a very nice beer. The can itself provides a more in-depth experience. The act of opening the can is a party-making moment. Steel cans have less give to them than aluminum and you have to put your strength into it. The initial hiss and beer spray are a celebration of what’s to come, a truly delectable brew.

Churchkey, you’ve been called “the most hipster beer in the world”, but I applaud the return to steel top cans. I love the drinking experience, it makes it so much more interesting than simply cracking open an aluminum can. And if loving you is hipster, I don’t want to be anything else.