All-star roster of native El Paso chefs team up Sunday for Austin benefit dinner

The Texas Food & Wine Alliance is coming out of its pandemic hibernation with its first Wine & Dine dinner series event in more than 14 months. 

The culinary nonprofit will bring together seven celebrated chefs who are all natives of El Paso for a collaborative dinner Sunday night at the Garrison at the Fairmont hotel in downtown Austin. 

The Fairmont's Andre Natera will serve as host chef for a group that includes chefs Fermín Núñez (Suerte); Rico Torres (Mixtli in San Antonio); Alan Delgado (Oxomoco in Brooklyn); Omar Flores (Muchacho and Whistle Britches in Dallas); Andrés Padilla (The Plaza Hotel at Pioneer Park in El Paso); and Jake Rojas (Tallulah’s Taqueria in Providence, R.I.).

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It is the second time these chefs have gathered for a meal to showcase the food of their cities and homes. 

“As luck would have it, a large group of really talented chefs has come from the city of El Paso,” Natera said in a statement. “El Paso is one of the most underrated culinary destinations in the country. We are hoping to showcase our hometown’s talent and flavors with this dinner.”

The wine-and-spirit-paired dinner will benefit Texas Food & Wine Alliance's programming, including grants and the Culinary Arts Career Conference for high school students. Tickets for the first dinner in this year's series cost $250 and can be purchased at texasfoodandwinealliance.org. 

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More dinners in the Wine & Dine series, featuring talent from around the state, will be announced later this month. 

The menu for Sunday's dinner below:

• Passed appetizer of suadero moletes by chef Fermín Núñez
• Passed appetizer of ceviche by Chef André Natera
• First course of ensalada de nopal by chef Andrés Padilla
• First course of Rhode Island squid a la plancha with salsa macha and chicharrón by chef Jake Rojas
• Second course of black bean and rajas tamal with a smoked tomato salsa by chef Alan Delgado
• Second course of pipian con pollo with arroz by Natera
• Third course of grilled tablitas with cebollitas asadas, salsa de molcajete, fresh flour tortillas by chef Omar Flores
• Third course of chile Colorado and calabacitas by chef Rico Torres
• Assorted desserts and coffee bar by Fairmont Austin pastry team