Sat 2/3Titans of Tailgate New year, new food event foodies will want to pencil in their calendars if they’re into A) tailgating B) Jason Dady or C) chill vibez. The Iron Chef-testant and owner of Range, The Bin, Shuck Shack, Tre Trettoria, Tre Enoteca and Two Bros. BBQ Market, shared the news of the first-ever Titans of Tailgate Throwdown and Food Festival, an event the Dadys have been planning for the past six months. “I wanted to do an event my way,” Dady said. “It’s still a food festival with chefs, wine, food, beer, but we wanted to knock it down a notch and make it more casual, chill and fun.” The setup is reminiscent of late food writer Josh Ozersky’s brainchild Meatopia, with chefs from across San Antonio and the nation bringing their talents to the Alamo City. Dady’s inviting chef friends he’s made at various food events around the globe including fellow Iron Cheftestant Shota Nakajima of Seattle. The complete list of chefs includes Dean Fearing (Fearing’s, Dallas), RJ Cooper (Henley, Nashville), Tim Hollinsworth (Otium, Los Angeles), Matt McCallister (FT33, Dallas), Rebecca Masson (Fluff Bake Bar, Houston), Robbie Nowlin (B&N Kitchen, Dallas), Michael Fojtasek (Olamaie, Austin), Phillip Speer (Bonhomie, Austin). Hometown tailgaters include Johnny Hernandez (La Gloria, Burgerteca, Fruteria), Steve McHugh (Cured), Jeff Balfour (Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery), Chad Carey (Hot Joy), Diego Galicia and Rico Torres (Mixtli), Peter Sypesteyn (Bud’s Rotisserie, The Cookhouse, NOLA Brunch & Beignets) and Mark Weaver (Periphery). The chef shared the tailgate theme will echo throughout Sunken Garden with cornhole, lawn chairs, Giant Jenga and perhaps a flag football area. Dady and co. are also looking to add live fire demos for home cooks and barbecue nerds to enjoy. “We just want it to be fun. One of my favorite events is Culinaria’s Burgers, BBQ & Beer, where you enjoy beer, you don’t have to get dressed up,” Dady said. “We want to add one more notch to San Antonio’s belt as a food destination.” $75-$125, 1-5pm, Sunken Garden Theater, 3875 N. St. Mary’s St., eventbrite.com. — JE Credit: Jason Dady
The third annual Titans of Tailgate will roll into San Antonio’s Sunken Garden Theater next month, pitting local chefs against each other in a grilling battle that raises money for local high school culinary programs.

The Feb. 5 event is a partnership between restaurant-focused nonprofit Culinaria and San Antonio chef Jason Dady, a contestant on Food Network’s Iron Chef America and owner of eateries including Range, The Bin, Tre Trettoria and Two Bros. BBQ Market.

Attendees can swig beer, wine and spirits while sampling food from culinarians battling to see who takes home the Titan of the Tailgate title. Past competitors include Dady himself, Stephanie Izard of Cabra in Chicago, Iron Chef Showdown champ David Bancroft of Acre Restaurant in Alabama, James Beard Award winner Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa in Boston and Leo Davila of San Antonio’s Catch the Wave and Stixs + Stone.

General admission tickets cost $75, while children’s tickets run $50 — ages 12 and under enter free. The $150 VIP tickets include a special tasting and private event, along with a meet-and-greet and tailgate swag.

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This article appears in Jan 12-25, 2022.

Nina Rangel uses nearly 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry to tell the stories of movers and shakers in the food scene in San Antonio. As the Food + Nightlife Editor for the San Antonio...