Guest post by Bekah Bruner. All photos courtesy of Bekah & Derek Bruner.

Bonus Fun Stuff:Culinary Village Event Is A Foodie Fantasyland.

The excitement in the air was palpable. A group of children scampered by joyously, hands full with containers of food.

But not the adults.

The adults could be found calm and patiently waiting in line. The adults single-minded in their focus: BBQ. Delicious food.

The rich aromas: hickory smoke, caramelized pork belly, the peppery spices filled the air and kept us all laser-focused. Hello, Smoked Dallas!

Isn’t she the cutest? She wasn’t sharing, though.

BBQ Sauce. Bacon. Lamb. Brisket.

The lines moved quickly and efficiently. Every pit master and their staff greeted us with smiles and the inviting question, “BBQ?” 

“Yes, please!” I would enthusiastically nod and grin as I accepted treats from booth after booth. “Slow down,” my husband acknowledged with a laugh as he watched me scarf. “But I can’t help it! It’s delicious!” I told him, throwing all thoughts of portion control to the wind.

Immediately my husband and I had a favorite: Opie’s Barbecue. A male & female dynamic duo out of Spicewood, Texas, their brisket was full of thick, smoky flavor. The charred ends were the perfect complement to the rub and moist meat.

Chefs calling the shots

Brisket and BBQ sauce were not the only items on the menu. The event proudly boasted several celebrity chefs including:

• Dean Fearing (Dallas, TX; Fearing’s; Co-Winner Robb Report Culinary Master’s 2015; Author, The Texas Food Bible)
• Aaron Sanchez (Paloma Stamford, CT; Johnny Sanchez New Orleans & Baltimore; Food Network “Chopped”; Cooking Channel “Taco Trip”)
• Nick Badovinus (Dallas, TX; Neighborhood Services; Off-Site Kitchen; Co-Winner, Robb Report Culinary Masters 2015)
• Norman Van Aken (Orlando, FL; Norman’s; NPR – “A Word on Food”)

Fearing’s Quail & Sweet Corn

Other restaurants, such as local Chef and “Father of Southwestern Cuisine” Dean Fearing of Fearing’s Restaurant wanted to keep our tastebuds guessing. No one was more delighted than us to get the last order of sweet corn, collard greens, and quail drizzled with his unique sauce. After several tastes of brisket, this quail was a delightful change.

The tasting wrapped up around 5p, then we spoke with Fearing’s Sous Chef Jorge who has been with them since opening eight years ago. After four hours of serving patrons non-stop, Jorge still had a smile on his face. I asked him: “When did you start getting ready for this event? And how much food did you have to cook?” He paused for a moment. “Monday. We started making our sauces Monday. And food… We made 1200 portions.”

The General Manager of Fearing’s spoke with us next. He told us how special this event was. “It’s not just about the food OR the music. A lot of people don’t know, but Chef Dean as well as some of the other chefs performed earlier. They had a ton of fun!” [Ed. Note: Dean Fearing & The Lost Coyote Band]. 

​Wrapping it up

Amid the free-flowing BBQ sauce, lines of hungry people, and beautiful weather many people could be found lounging on towels or swaying to the beats. (Or because of the beer and meat high, we aren’t sure!) The sound stage was a constant rotation of lively music as the crowds grew large.

Permanent markers and colorful square sticky notes were left out for guests to share what they loved about the event.

• Opie’s
• Chef Dean Fearing
• ​And the Cowboys

We could not get enough of Heim’s bacon burnt ends! Smoky and sweet, these crispy treats hit the spot.

Emma & Travis Heim. Me in the middle stealing their hearts and their bacons.

We spoke with enthusiastic pit masters Emma and Travis Heim. They shared their ultimate Smoked Dallas bacon plan with us: “We figured there would be a lot of brisket. Why not do something different that people love?”

They spent approximately 20 hours smoking 400 lbs of bacon!

EDIT:  They now operate a food trailer for fans who love their bacon burnt ends! Growing, ambitious little foodies, they plan to open their first brick and mortar location on Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth early next year.

Smoked Lamb Tacos from Chef Aaron Sanchez from New Orleans, La.

Classic shrimp and grits from Chef Nick Badovinus in Dallas, Tx.

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Pitmaster John Sanford at BBQ on the Brazos won our tastebuds over with his phenomenal pepper rub. Not too sweet, not too spicy, this flaky pepper rub was wonderful in juxtapose to the savory, deep smoke flavor of the moist brisket.

Last but not least was Chef Norman Van Aken.

Delicious brisket, fresh greens, pickled mango, homemade sweet mayo on a sourdough bun. Ohboyohboyohboy.

There is a reason Chef Norman Van Aken has his own cooking school and this sweet treat is why!

Happy couple, full of meat.

Smoked Dallas, it was a pleasure! Until we “meat” again, our stomachs will remain grateful!

Love, Bekah & Derek Bruner