The 12th Annual Paella Challenge will return to San Antonio’s Mission County Park on Sunday, March 20, bringing Spanish fare, micheladas and live music to the city’s South Side.
Organized by celebrity chef Johnny Hernandez of SA’s Grupo La Gloria restaurants, the competitive event usually highlights creations from 30 or so culinary creators from San Antonio and Mexico. This year will be no different, Hernandez told news site MySA, since he’ll be welcoming four chefs from south of the border. Also joining the fray are young culinarians whom came in via the H-E-B High School Challenge.
The competition pits paella-creating teams against each other in throwdowns organized along categories such as Contemporary and Modern Classical, which are judged by a panel of experts. Some chefs opt to showcase expected proteins such as chorizo, seafood and chicken. Others opt for less-conventional choices such as rabbit and wild boar.
To make things interesting, the challenge also includes a People’s Choice category, which allows attendees to vote for their favorite.
In addition to more than 30 paella dishes to sample, this year’s event will feature amenities such as a michelada bar and VIP tent, MySA reports. Hernandez told the news site admission pricing and a music line up are both the works. However, he expects tickets to go on sale later this week.
Mission County Park is located at 6030 Padre Dr., and the event will benefit Kitchen Campus, Hernandez’s nonprofit connecting middle school- and high school-age students with cooking and nutrition.
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This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 8, 2022.