The Drifter Dinner Series was introduced in 2024 by Chef Toby Archibald of Quarter Acre Restaurant.  Four chefs from 4 different areas team up with Archibald to showcase their culinary techniques and styles to present an 8 course tasting menu complemented with cocktails and wines.  Single dinner tickets are sold as well as a season pass that includes all 4 dinners.  We were late to the ‘party’ and so just got one pair of tickets to this third in the series for 2025.  Seating times are staggered between 5:30 and 8:30 and it’s held in the Quarter Acre space.  You can read about our last tasting at this place by clicking here.   Tonight’s dinner featured Chef Kevin Fink of Hestia (one Michelin star) in Austin.  The pacing and portion control of the tasting were spot on and the beverage pairings were good and generous.  And did I forget to mention the food was fabulous?  This was a tasting that ranks with the best of the best.  Both chefs presented some of the dishes and talked with guests during a super fun and relaxed evening.  I shall have to watch for the next series offering and see if I could stay in town to enjoy a season pass.  Get to one if you can or get to Austin or Dallas and try one of these restaurants and let me know what you think.

Set-up

 

Food

Snacks started the tasting and included a Beef Skewers with onion miso and lactic pickles, a Field Pea Panisse made with Texas peas and topped with trout roe, and Chicken Liver Mousse Éclair accented with Comeback Creek blueberry jam.

The liver mousse filled pastry was divine but squooshy.  The decadent mousse was mixed with the blueberry and squeezed out when you bit it plus the pastry was coated in something sweet that all mandated some finger licking to follow.  Panisse is a French fried snack made this time with Texas peas and garnished with the trout roe.  It was good but more mildly flavored than the liver.

The beef skewer was amazing.  Succulent grilled beef was very tender and streamed fantastic flavor into your mouth.  You were to punctuate it with the pepper bits that varied in spiciness.   Yum x2 here..

 

Gulf fish crudo was with onion blossom and trosi pepper.  Tonight it was day boat Golden Eye snapper in a sauce with fermented pepper, mushrooms, green peaches and shallots.  The very tender fish was luscious with the sauce and the light crunch of the shallots.

 

Wagyu Beef Carpaccio with amino aioli was presented with grilled bread.  The beef had the exterior charred then sliced.  Alongside was a grilled sourdough   The tender beef was covering some pepitas.  It was milder flavors but lovely textures especially with the bread.

 

Lightly Seared scallops were in beef tallow broth alongside grilled fruit (apple) and mushroom glass (gel).  Some garlic and ginger rounded out the seasonings on this fabulous dish.  The tallow broth had so much depth in the flavor, I ate every drop.  The apple and mushroom flavors were concentrated by their preparation and simply melded with the barely cooked scallop into an amazing dish.

 

Melon ice cream was decorated with Texas lamb prosciutto and sitting on New Zealand lamb snow.  Oh my, another really yummy combination of flavors and textures.  The well flavored sweet ice cream blended perfectly with the chewy smokey prosciutto.  Then there was the snow beneath that was the essence of lamb.  Another great one.

 

Smoked Gulf Tile Fish was with a lactic butter sauce and charred corn.  The large flake fish was gently cooked and lovely with the tangy sauce.   It was rich and delicate.  A surpise addition was the the fin meat that smoked and presented on a brioche .  The oily part of the fish was ridiculously good and fantastic with the pastry.

 

Texas Iberico pork belly was with Davis Mountains juniper oil and a pumpkin piece and some sauce.  The very fatty pork was smokey and dripped with flavor.  So tender it melted in your mouth.  The piece of squash and the sauce were both also excellent.

 

Sweet corn and yuzu sorbet was topped with fig leaf caramel corn.  The ultra smooth sorbet was good as was the crunchy caramel corn.  A nice textural mix with lovely flavors.

 

Sourdough Ice Cream was topped with tomato jam and shoyu caramel then covered with charcoal dust.  Another smooth ice cream accented with sweet chewy bits of tomato.  Not too sweet but just right.  (Sorry the darkness made it a hard photo)

 

A last set of treats called the Lolly Bag represented some the both chef’s childhood favorites.  Texas toffee was chewy, crisp and delicious.  A small chess pie was in a buttery crust with a wonderful filling.  Send us out on a high note for sure.