At the turn of the millennium Houston was known by many names; The Bayou City, Energy Capital of the World, Space City, Clutch City and, of course, Screwston. While Houston was celebrated for the characteristics that led to these nicknames, one thing we weren’t celebrated for was our food. Though Houston has always had rich food traditions, these cuisines were isolated to their own cultures or existed under the radar.

For nearly two decades now, Houston has been in the midst of celebrating an evolution of these food cultures into a vibrant culinary scene that is increasingly recognized nationally. Whether its David Chang promising to move to Houston if he ever leaves NYC, or the New York Times’ recently consistent glowing reviews of Houston as a culinary destination.

As we grow and change as a metropolis, there is something necessary to us maintaining our roots and remembering the ground we walk on — both literally and figuratively. Eating local food connects us to our ancestors, the generations of Houstonians who had to eat what could grow here. And because it directly connects us to the land we live in, the food connects us to each other.

Chef Fest Houston on March 4 is doing just that — making a full-scale festival out of the local produce, protein and people that nourish us. The Region’s Top Chefs will be hubbing in Houston to introduce party-goers to their food chain straight from farm to table. The event will take place amid pastoral scenes (on the 12-acre sustainable farm located at Harvest Green, complete with chickens, goats and growing produce) accented by the fragrant aromas and happy sounds of a great meal.

Who should you be looking out for? Check out the list of heavy hitters.

Matt McCallister of FT33
Chris Zettlemoyer of Renegade Kitchen Food Truck
Jason Kerr & Becca Reyenga of Little Kitchen HTX
Monica Pope of Sparrow Cookshop
Stephanie Hoban of Ripe Cuisine
Ryan Trahan of Dark Roux
Robert Lyford of Patina Green
Andrew Wiseheart of Contigo
Ara Malekian of Harlem Road Texas BBQ
Adam Brick of Marina's
Jill Bartolome of Aqui
Ned Elliot of Foreign & Domestic

Desserts by:
Rebecca Masson of Fluff Bake Bar