The Austin Food Community: Coming Together to Benefit Daniel

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When people ask me what my favorite place in Austin is, expecting I’m sure to get a restaurant or artisan shop recommendation, I always reply with the same answer:

The Austin Food community is my favorite place.

While we absolutely have some amazing chefs and artisans in our town, and we’re blessed with so many organizations that are passionate about good food and overcoming the hunger crisis, I personally believe that the greatest thing about the food producers, crafts people, chefs, media, and bloggers in our town is the strong community we’ve formed over the years. As the Austin food scene has skyrocketed into the national spotlight, it would have been very easy for the community to splinter and individuals to focus only on what’s best for them. Instead, we’ve taken the more difficult path, working daily to keep our bonds strong and our support for one another unscathed by the new phase in our food culture’s development. While we’ve had our growing pains, the same underlying commitment to community that makes us unique has kept us together.

I couldn’t be more humbled to have the opportunity be part of Austin’s food community. It has changed my outlook on food, family, friendship, wellbeing, and human connections.

And now, true to our roots, the Austin food community is coming together to take care of one of its own. In the spirit of Austin Bakes for Japan, when we turned our sights across the globe to help those we didn’t know but knew were in need, we are circling our wagons in support of Daniel Curtis, the Associate Director of Food and Beverage at The Carillon. Daniel’s life was forever changed by a driving accident and while he is attacking his recovery with the same energy with which he approached his profession, the medical bills are piling up and he now needs the assistance of our community.

The chefs we know and love from the best restaurants in town are coming together on July 13 at 6:30pm to honor Daniel and offer their food, creativity, and passion to all of us in return for donations to help Daniel. Josh Watkins of The Carillon, David Bull of Second Bar + Kitchen, Shawn Cirkel of Parkside, Shane Stark of Kenichi, and Paul Qui of Uchiko will cook together in an event we’ll most likely never see again. The Tipsy Texans will bring their mixology skills to the bar and Austin Cake Ball and Kohana Coffee with compliment the dinner created by this amazing lineup of chefs. The Derailers will provide the soundtrack and the lovely AT&T Conference Center the venue.

While I could focus on how amazing this event will be (and it WILL be), what’s more important in the end is what this event demonstrates about the power of community and food to connect and sustain us throughout the ups and downs of life. While I know the menu will be memorable, I expect the visceral power of a community coming together to help heal will be unforgettable.

Tickets for the event are $75, and VIP tickets are $150. If you can’t make the event but want to contribute to Daniel’s recovery and the power of the Austin food community, you can donate in any amount or help spread the word about the event. Together we can make a difference for Daniel.