Will travel for food

New 4-day food and wine festival showcases Texas' best in historic locale

The James Beard Foundation is partnering with Culinaria and Visit San Antonio on the new statewide festival.

Photo courtesy of Visit San Antonio

Texas is in the national spotlight when it comes to food, and this fall, San Antonio will play host to an innovative, Texas-sized showcase of the Lone Star State's culinary stars.

The Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival will debut October 27-30, 2022 with four days and nights of programming and more than 100 chefs, ranging from national all-stars to rising talent in the industry.

On October 28-30, Tasting Texas will take over San Antonio's historic Travis Park with a daytime Culinary Market, deemed a highlight of the festival. On October 29, the banks of the San Antonio River will flow with top-shelf tequila for tastings along the River Walk.

The festival will continue nightly with collaborations by visiting chefs. Initial headlining chefs include Rick Bayless (Chicago), Alex Raij (New York), Esaul Ramos Jr. (2M Smokehouse), and Steve McHugh (Cured and Landrace).

San Antonio’s history as the birthplace of Tex-Mex cuisine and its recent designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy make it an obvious choice to showcase diverse talent from across the state.

The event is a collaboration between the James Beard Foundation, Visit San Antonio, and San Antonio food nonprofit Culinaria.

“Texas and San Antonio offer unrivaled culinary experiences and with Tasting Texas we invite everyone to see for themselves what makes the Lone Star State truly great and delicious,” says Marc Anderson, president and CEO of Visit San Antonio, in a release. “The work we will all do collectively during this weekend to further highlight local talent and provide networking opportunities for Texas and national chefs will create mouthwatering benefits for Tasting Texas festival-goers.”

Tasting Texas also aims to spotlight women and minority communities, and proceeds will benefit the James Beard Foundation’s scholarship programs for developing minority culinary talent, as well as ongoing relief efforts for restaurants recovering from the financial impact of the pandemic.

Ticket prices, a full schedule, and a complete list of participating chefs will be announced soon.

The James Beard Foundation is partnering with Culinaria and Visit San Antonio on the new statewide festival.

Photo courtesy of Visit San Antonio

The James Beard Foundation is partnering with Culinaria and Visit San Antonio on the new statewide festival.

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Airport News

DFW Airport to welcome new Eva Air offering nonstop flights to Taipei

Eva Air

A new airline will hit the runway at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport: Called EVA Air, it's a Taiwan-based airline that's expanding its service to the U.S., by adding nonstop flights from Taipei to Dallas/Fort Worth.

No airline currently flies nonstop from DFW to Taipei. A connecting flight takes nearly 20 hours, while a nonstop would take about 16 hours.

According to a statement from the airline, the new service will commence in late 2025. This represents the seventh route to the U.S. for EVA.

The flights are scheduled to starting November 3, 2025, with plans for five weekly flights between Taipei (TPE) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

"Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is ranked as the third busiest in the world by passenger traffic. With frequent business activities and convenient connections to Central and South America, the new route is expected to fulfill high passenger and cargo demands," EVA's statement said.

According to AirlineGeeks, EVA Air president Sun Chia-Ming credited the growth at DFW as well as a shift in tech companies from California.

Further details will be announced once finalized including exact schedule, aircraft, and ticket price, which are still to be determined.

According to Business Traveler, EVA currently offers U.S. flights from Taipei to Houston George Bush Intercontinental, Chicago O’Hare, New York (JFK), Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and Seattle-Tacoma.

DFW Airport has recently seen an influx of new destinations and carriers planning to offer service, including

Air India, which will offer nonstop flights between DFW and New Delhi
Cathay Pacific, which will launch a new nonstop route between DFW and its hub in Hong Kong beginning in April 2025
Fiji Airways, which will launch its new direct flights from DFW to Fiji on December 10, operating three times per week: every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with flights also going to New Zealand and Australia.

Speaking of Australia, American Airlines added a new direct nonstop to Brisbane in February 2024.

The airport also just broke ground on Terminal F, its long-awaited sixth passenger terminal, which is expected to open in 2027. If all that's not enough, it was also recently awarded the honor of being home to the No. 1 best airport bar in the U.S.

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