Southern Smoke Foundation, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to providing emergency relief funds nationwide and access to mental health services for food and beverage workers (F+B), brings out the big stars for its annual park party fundraiser: Southern Smoke Festival, presented by Alaska Seafood. More than 70 incredible culinary stars from across the country will join the best wine, spirit, and beer producers, and outstanding live music at Discovery Green in the heart of Downtown Houston.
*New This Year* Food & Wine Best New Chefs
Southern Smoke Foundation is partnering with Food & Wine magazine to showcase the new class of Best New Chefs. Announced in September 2024, Southern Smoke Festival will be the first place that the 2024 class of Best New Chefs cook together.
*New This Year* Yeti Culinary Stage
SSF24 is adding a Culinary Stage, presented by Yeti, for the first time, featuring cooking demos emceed by chef, YouTuber and Yeti Ambassador Brad Leone. Demo chefs include James Beard Award-winning chef and culinary star Christina Tosi of Milk Bar as her Southern Smoke Festival debut, along with star-studded chefs Brooke Williamson, Ana Castro, Fermin Nunez, Pat Martin, Mason Hereford, Kevin Fink, and Tavel Bristol-Joseph.
*New This Year* Wine Bars + Star Bartenders
We’ve invited our favorite wine bars—in Houston and beyond—to pop up at Festival this year. In addition, each bar will be helmed by the best bartenders in the biz.
You’ll see some new faces…
Chefs making their first appearance at Southern Smoke Festival include Jeff Chanchaleune, Ma Der Lao Kitchen, Oklahoma City; Isabel Coss, Lutece, Washington, DC; Kari Crowe, Melt Ice Cream, Fort Worth; Cassidee Dabney, The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland TN; Sam Fore, Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites, Lexington, KY; Renee Erickson, The Walrus and the Carpenter, Seattle; Chelsea Fadda, Pecan Square Café, Austin; Meherwan Irani, Chai Pani, Asheville, NC; Joe Kindred, Kindred Restaurant, Davidson NC; Lucas McKinney, Josephine’s, Houston; Don Nguyen, Khoi BBQ, Houston; Edgar Rico, Nixta Taqueria, Austin; Austin Simmons, Tris, The Woodlands; Zach and Hannah Welton, Welton’s Tiny Bake Shop, Charleston; and Lee Anne Wong, Koko Head Café, Honolulu.
And the familiar faces…
The newcomers will be joined by returning and longtime Southern Smoke Foundation chefs including Angel Barreto, Anju, Washington, D.C.; Ashley Christensen, AC Restaurants, Raleigh, NC; Chris Cosentino, San Francisco; Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago; Aaron Franklin, Franklin Barbecue, Austin; Sarah Grueneberg, Monteverde, Chicago; Cheetie Kumar, Ajja, Raleigh; Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, Birdie’s, Austin; Jordan Rubin, Mr. Tuna, Portland, ME; Caroline Schiff, Monday Diner, New York; Rodney Scott, Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Charleston; and Jason Stanhope, Lowland Tavern, Charleston.
All tickets and packages for Southern Smoke Festival are available at southernsmoke.org.
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