In it’s third year, Hot Luck Food Festival is quickly becoming a must to kick-off the Memorial Day weekend and J.Standard is proud to be a part of the festivities for our 3rd year! Hot Luck has gained local and even national popularity because it manages to catch the “authentic” spirit of Austin: food, music and fun. Over the four-day holiday weekend, attendees had the opportunity to enjoy some perfect bites from chefs across the country, crafted libations and the best familiar tunes straight from their original vinyl, while taking place in various unique venues throughout Austin. Those that were ready for more, after indulging in all the fantastic food each day, headed downtown to experience the Austin nightlife and enjoy a variety of talented musicians at Mohawk, Antone’s and Barracuda. A real “choose your own adventure” experience!
Hot Luck 2019 - Day 1: “The Giddy Up”
Hot Luck kicked off festivities on Thursday, May 23rd at Mohawk, an exclusive welcome party for all chefs, VIPs, and Whole Enchilada ticket holders. Attendees were greeted with the captivating smells of Canadian chef icon, Matty Matheson’s rendition of a Beef ‘n Cheddar sandwich. Matty collaborated with Austin’s very own Aaron Franklin (Franklin BBQ) to create the perfectly messy, yet delicious and oh-so filling sandwiches. Every nook and cranny of Mohawk was filled with chefs serving up his or her mouth-watering masterpieces. Austin’s Callie Speer of Holly Roller served up possibly the best homemade Chex mix ever made and helped cool down the crowds with her boozy infused snow cones and popsicles. Also helping represent ATX culinary scene was the one-and-only Yoshi Okai from Otoko, who sliced a giant Bluefin tuna to order, serving up insanely fresh sashimi. A line circled around the bar for Portland chef Elias Cairo of Olympia Provision’s charcuterie, which was well worth the wait. Despite the mesmerizing food, Robert Ellis held his own on stage with his signature white suit, piano skills and captivating tunes. The night was one for the books and a perfect preview of what was in store for the next days of the festival!
Hot Luck 2019 - Day 2: “Hi How Are You”
In true Texas Summer style, the Austin sun was shining bright for “Hi, How are You”. That didn’t stop attendees from standing in line outside Franklin BBQ, for the much anticipated famous smoked meats of Franklin BBQ. Attendees made a beeline to Franklin BBQ brisket booth, which quickly “sold out” Representing Portland was Gabriel Rucker with his cheeseburger flautas, which were a hit with the Tex-Mex capital locals. Newcomers Ivana and Yamila Maldonado from Cuyo made their Hot Luck debut with their family recipe, beef empanadas. Todd Duplechan and Jess Maher from Lenoir served up the most delectable mini crawfish dishes, which was worth the work one has to put into eating crawfish. In between bites attendees stayed cool by visiting the many bar experiences throughout the event. Libations and laughs flowed freely!
Hot Luck 2019 - Day 3: “Al Fuego”
“Al Fuego” is the grandest and most buzzed about food event during Hot Luck and for good reason. Guests explored dishes cooked over open flames from renowned chefs from all over the nation. The Saturday event was held at The Wild Onion Ranch, a stunning, Texas-sized ranch, covered with so many chefs that attendees had a hard time deciding where to start first. Pizzeria Bianco’s served up their famous “Rosa Pizza”; who knew pistachios on pizza could be so amazing! Greg and Gabi Denton from Latin America steakhouse Ox in Portland, blew everyone’s minds with their rendition of a grilled cheese sandwich with chorizo and chimichurri. Salt and Time’s beef short rib pastrami gyro, Phillip Speer’s masa and lard whoopee pie, the list goes on and on and on……. Distilleries, breweries and wineries really brought their game to Al Fuego, serving up crafted creations within each of their interactive bars. Nothing says Texas more than Hot Luck on a beautiful open ranch with fired up smokers, delicious bites and boozy experiences!
Hot Luck - Day 4: “Coupe de Grille”
What better way to end a fantastic food festival and kick off one’s “Sunday Funday” than with brunch, all while surrounded by beautiful classic hot rods? Closing out the festival was “Coupe de Grille” at Austin Speed Shop, allowing chefs to showcase their signature brunchy noshes. Mason Hereford from Turkey and Wolf put an upscale twist to the McDonald’s hash brown with caviar. Katie Button from Button & Co. Bagels served up her famous bagels with cream cheese and smoked black cod. Austin’s Alex Manley of Swedish Hill Bakery delighted attendees with her melt-in-your-mouth brisket filled croissants. To beat the heat attendees flocked to Christina Tosi’s infamous Milk Bar truck, serving up cereal-milk, soft-serve, ice cream; of course with all the nostalgic toppings one could imagine. Attendees washed down all the tasty food and quenched their thirst with Tito’s DIY Bloody Mary’s, cold brew, craft beer, ciders and wine.
If you haven’t been to Hot Luck, what are you waiting for? Start planning your 2020 Memorial Day weekend and come see why Hot Luck is quickly becoming known as the best food and music festival in Austin!
Blog: Stephanie Garcia // Production: J.Standard Events and Pen & Prue. //. Tents & Rentals: Marquee Events & Moontower Rentals // Music: DJ Capn’ Jim & DJ Freedom Rock // Lighting: Ilios // A/V: Nomad // Power: Event Power // Creative Agency: Guerilla Suit // Chef Supplies: Performance Food Service & Ace Mart // Ice: IceWorks// Bar Service: Duty Now for the Future // Transportation: Uptown Valet & Concourse Valet // Photographers: Pooneh Ghana :: @poonehghana // Jackie Lee Young :: @jackieleeyoung // Chad Wadsworth :: @chadwadsworthphotography // Danielle B. Atkins :: @daniellebatkins // Cody Cowan :: @codyrosscowan