TASTE OF THE REPUBLIC
Chef Brian West brings together more than a dozen talented local chefs to interpret the “Six Food Republics of Texas”. This private event takes place at the Alamo. Enjoy gourmet bites paired with wine, cocktail tastings and beer. Partial proceeds to benefit Fiesta® San Antonio and the Remember the Alamo Foundation.
2023 Taste of the Republic Chefs
A multiple James Beard Award nominee, Chef Weissman made his name in San Antonio with projects as diverse as Le Rêve, Il Sogno, The Sandbar and Mr. Juicy.
Whether “Chef Kirk” is running the kitchen at Hotel Havana’s showcase River Walk restaurant Ocho or honoring the taco traditions of Northern Mexico at Milpa, there’s a lot of love for the chef who battled the baskets on “Chopped” — and won!
Chef Ceasar brought Sangria on the Burg to the Medical Center area in 2016, where he’s been turning sangria flights, inspired tacos and handcrafted sliders into an art form.
Tacos that capture the spirit of Mexico, seafood with the soul of the North Pacific Coast, enchiladas from the heart of Texas. Their common bond? Chef Ochoa and the Laredo-to-San Antonio appeal of Palenque Grill.
How do you build on the success of the Spanish-infused sensation Toro Kitchen + Bar? With the modern Mexican style of Cuishe Cocina Mexicana. Chef Bazan brings the food of the Americas, Mexico and Spain to San Antonio. Your ticket to Taste of the of the Republic isn’t just a ticket — it’s a passport.
Lucy Cooper’s Ice House in San Antonio and New Braunfels made Chef Smith a hometown star. Now thanks to “Guy’s Grocery Games” and “Chopped,” we’re sharing her with the world — and with you.
When he’s not defending his title as the undisputed champion of the San Antonio Grilled Cheese Fest, Chef De Los Santos is the creative force behind Benjie’s Munch, where the bar-and-grill food we love so much finally gets the respect it deserves.
At Cherrity Bar, Chef Bradley celebrates a passion for Japanese ramen and street food that makes Top 10 lists year after year, a passion that translates fluently into the Texas traditions of Taste of the Republic.
The San Antonio power couple who brought us Bite and Chez Vatel have done it again with style and grace at Bistr09 in Alamo Heights.
These high school friends redefined San Antonio barbecue when they opened 2M Smokehouse in 2016. Now after writeups in The Wall Street Journal and Bon Appetit and a pair of James Beard nominations, they’re expanding with a second location.
Born in Jamaica, trained at the CIA, Chef Blaque made San Antonio fall in love with Jamaican jerk chicken at The Jerk Shack in 2018. She’s been profiled in GQ, named No. 1 for fried chicken by the Express-News, and now joins the newest group of James Beard nominees.
Already a San Antonio treasure for her perennial Chinese favorite Sichuan House, Chef Zhao followed up in 2021 with the cosmopolitan Dashi Sichuan Kitchen + Bar, where she hosted the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America series that same year.
Taste of the Republic crowns a King & Queen
San Antonio jazz master Doc Watkins will join beloved actress and TV personality Ara Celi
for Fiesta® San Antonio’s VIP culinary event at The Alamo April 20
For years, San Antonio’s been entertained by the jazz piano virtuosity of Doc Watkins and the captivating charm of actress and TV personality Ara Celi. This year, for the first time ever, the two will reign as King and Queen of the Republic at Taste of the Republic at The Alamo, the VIP culinary kickoff event for Fiesta® San Antonio on April 20.
The newly crowned king and queen bring a legacy of San Antonio credentials. Watkins is the owner and marquee headliner of the stylish Jazz, TX nightclub, restaurant and cocktail bar at the renowned Pearl complex. San Antonians know Ara Celi for her signature “just inside Loop 1604” flourish on local TV ads, along with film roles in “American Beauty,” “Machete” and “Bruce Almighty.” She also owns the local chain of high-end barbershops called Matador Men’s Grooming.
The debut coronation of a king and queen comes just days after Taste of the Republic announced its all-star lineup of 12 local celebrity chefs, who along with founding chef Brian West will serve food from the six culinary regions of Texas paired with wine, spirits and beer. In another first, Taste of the Republic moves to The Alamo this year, just in time for the opening of the new Ralston Family Collections Center of historical artifacts including the Alamo collection of musician Phil Collins.
TASTE OF THE REPUBLIC © 2023