The VIP, VIP Event of Fiesta 2026!
Please Join
Chef Brian West on Wednesday
October 7th
The Betty Kelso Center in the San Antonio Botanical Gardens Doors open 6pm
(Sponsor & VIP Reception at 5:30)
Be part of the fun as we open the doors to opportunity and growth for our culinary community
All tickets include an evening filled with great food, fine beverages, live entertainment, live auction, “Culinary Lottery” and the opportunity to connect with fellow food lovers and supporters of culinary education.
Come hungry, leave inspired!
Featuring dishes from the 6 culinary regions of Texas, as defined by Chef Brian West, along with savory, chef-prepared creations of 14 San Antonio Chefs.
Taste of the Republic is a fundraising event to benefit the following nonprofit organizations: the San Antonio Fiesta Commission and West Point Culinary Institute.
Featuring dishes from the 6 culinary regions of Texas, as defined by Chef Brian West, along with savory, chef-prepared creations of 14 San Antonio Chefs.
Taste of the Republic is a fundraising event to benefit the following nonprofit organizations: the San Antonio Fiesta Commission and West Point Culinary Institute.
Follow Taste of the Republic on social media!
Central Texas
Barbeque, Where there’s Smoke there’s Flavor
Texas Barbecue is very different from the rest of the US. This is because of two factors: the cattle trade and German and Czech immigration to the hill country.
East Texas
Life Behind the Pine Curtain Where the Real American South Begins
Deep South doesn’t actually start Louisiana. It starts in East Texas. Specifically, the area surrounding Houston and the piney curtain.
Gulf Coast
Acadians and the Pearls of the Gulf
The same French-Canadian trappers who sailed to New Orleans and gave the city its famous Creole cuisine also passed through the towns and cities of the Texas Gulf Coast.
South Texas
Vintage Tex-Mex
Though the dishes in this region are based on the flavor profiles and similar dishes found in Northern Mexico, there are distinct differences in Texas’s version of every culinary staple.
West Texas
The Green Chili Line
What Chef Brian West calls the “Green Chili line” runs through West Texas. East of this line, the desert makes it difficult to maintain green chilis like the famous “hatch” green chilis of New Mexico.
North Texas / Big D Metro
Cattle Country from Campfire to Tablecloth
This region owes its signature steak dishes entirely to the old Chisolm trail. When the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth were being built up to accommodate Cowboy travelers, beef was cheap and plentiful.
by Chef Brian West
Read the booklet that started it all. For a full description of the Texas regions, download The Texas Culinary Manifesto by Chef Brian West
Interested in becoming a Taste of the Republic partner? Visit Our Partners page to learn what we look for in community partnerships. Then fill out the form below to learn about our partnership opportunities.
Supporting Sponsors
