Save the Date: Gumbo Throwdown

As if it weren't enough for the Vineyard Farmers Market to connect local farmers with local consumers, they host great events—I love the "Chefs at the Market" series, for example. Coming up on February 6, the market is inviting several chefs to compete in the annual Gumbo Throwdown!

I sampled the goods last year, and as a self-proclaimed "gumbo expert"—let's just say I was eating gumbo while my peers still sipped from a bottle—it was a fun experience. I'm a little bitter because I was invited to judge this year's competition, but I'll be out of town; which means you should go and eat on my behalf.

Here are the deets.

• Date & Time: Saturday, February 6 | 10;00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
• Cost: $8 for a sample ballot | $5 for a bowl (available after 11:30 a.m.)
• Competitors: Vatche Moukhtarian (Cracked Pepper Bistro), Roy Harland (Elbow Room), Karsten Hart (Erna's Elderberry House), Pino Borrelli (GiGi's Cucina Italiana), Scott Sauer (Max's Bistro), & Michael Shackleford (Trelio)
• Live Music: Lonesome Jem & the Lunatics featuring Jemmy Bluestein

Writing out that list, I'm now even more bitter I can't make it—that's a lot of culinary muscle!

Need more info? Contact Felix Muzquiz at 599-269-9343 or visit www.VineyardFarmersMarket.com.