Asian American Bakers Boxes, National Corn Dog Day, Women Winemakers at the H-E-B, Desert Door's Gold Dust, and More

Here's some of what's happening in Austin's culinary scene, as wrangled from numerous PR releases, words on the digital street, and even the occasional (verified) IRL eavesdroppings.

The sort of delicious things you'll find in a Bakers Box from With Warm Welcome

Yes, it’s your Food News Buffet for the third week of March here in the dregs of our least favorite pandemic.

The 2022 South by Southwest Festival is still going on, though this weekend marks the finale of its spectacle-filled return. Just thought we’d mention that, as we don’t feature the event anywhere else in the whole damned paper, right?

Drop everything, citizen! It’s National Corn Dog Day this Saturday (March 19) and The Corn Dog Guy food truck and Lightlife are teaming up at Spiderhouse Ballroom (2906 Fruth) to offer $1 plant-based corn dogs from noon ’til midnight …

The grassroots organization With Warm Welcome, which celebrates Asian Americans in the culinary community, is coming to Austin with their Bakers Box project. They “aim to showcase the breadth of both emerging and established Asian American pastry chefs and bakers in a beautiful box,” and we reckon their aim is true, as the locals included in this Austin iteration include Hai Hospitality’s Ariana Quant, Alice Huang and Sarah Zeng of Dough Re Mi Cookies, Joyce Yang of Sugar Pine, Teresa Kwon and Anthony Kim of Bom Bakeshop, and many more. Bakers Box has featured 162 pastry people among their events in nine previous cities, and are collaborating with Austin Kuih Co. for the one available here. Note: Pre-orders are available via Tock for pickups, which is one day only – Mon., March 28, at 40 North (900 W. 10th). Each order ($100) includes two boxes with nine desserts in each box, for a total of *accesses calculator app* 18 desserts. See that website for details …

Confession: One of our favorite things to do is tell you when Lick Honest Ice Creams releases their seasonal flavors. Which is why we’re stoked to report: Strawberry Chocolate Swirl, Carrot Cake, Lady Bird Lavender Crisp, Tres Leches, and Tart Toasted Coconut are available at all Lick locations right now …

H-E-B's Kathryne Bosco brings the womanly wine

Celebrate women winemakers with H-E-B’s beer and wine manager Kathryne Bosco, as the beloved grocery store chain’s Mueller location (1801 E. 51st) and the Wine & Food Foundation present a new IMBIBE class exploring female-led wineries. Willamette Valley-based Westmount’s winemaker, Anne Sery, will also be there in-person to help answer all your questions while you sample the sippables (paired with noms from H-E-B’s Main Streat Food Hall) on Wed., March 23, at 4:30 and 6:30pm. That’s $65, and tickets, if still available, are right here …

Or how about a curated road trip with wine at the end, citizen? On Sundays from April 3 until May 8, Austin Detours offers guided tours – 3.5 hours – that’ll take you through the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center before rolling to Duchman Family Winery for an afternoon of delicious tastings. Quite a treat at only $50 per …

Or never mind the wine, you agave-craving connoisseur, and go right for the sotol: Desert Door Texas Sotol will release Gold Dust, the latest limited-edition expression in their Explorer Series, with a weekend of inspired cocktails and more at its Driftwood distillery from March 24 to March 27. Visit the welcoming place to try Gold Dust neat or in the bartender’s choice cocktail. Note: Bottles are available for purchase while supplies last. (Guests are encouraged to RSVP to be entered to win a Gold Dust Explorer Series Kit, with the winner to be announced March 24.)

And of course we’ve got a new round-up of booze to pique your tippling interest, and You Won’t Believe What the Second One Tastes Like. Or, if alcohol’s not your preferred relaxant, our former food editor Jessi Cape talks with Nikki Steward about that acclaimed chef’s cannabis comfort food. And, listen, you don’t want to miss out on whatever seats may still be available at the incredible Indie Chefs’ Road to COMMUNE events coming up next week …

Now eat as well as you can, tip like it’s going out of style, and don’t put away those masks just yet.