The most pie-ous fundraiser of the year is happening October 17-27 when the third annual Piehole Project’s pie auction takes place online. This year’s auction features 40 unique pies from North Texas’ top chefs and bakers who will create and donate pies to raise funds for culinary scholarships. Piehole Project founders Alison Matis and Cheryl Weis expect the event, which has expanded to include 17 Austin chefs, to raise $40,000 for students.
The auction will take place online at virtualauction.bid/PHP22Dallasand starts at 9 a.m. October 17, concluding at 9 p.m. October 27. Winning bidders will be contacted by Piehole Project representatives to arrange pick up or delivery of the pies.
Knife’s Chef John Tesar, a Michelin Star winner for his Orlando restaurant Knife and Spoon, is creating a Caviar Pie for this year’s auction. “I wanted to do something savory and kind of retro,” Tesar said, “And I used to make a Caviar Pie in the 80s in New York.” This year’s event theme is Celebrating the 80s, which makes this luxurious pie a perfect entry.
The Piehole Projects 2022 Chefs
Matt Balke Encina Jill Bates Cafe Momentum Jeff Bekavac Cane Rosso, Zoli’s, Thunderbird Pies Dunia Borga La Duni Baking Studio Junior Borges Meridian Justin Box Chef Justin Box Keith Cedotal KEESH Katherine Clapner Dude Sweet Steve DeShazo Dallas College Eric Dreyer Monarch Restaurant Joshua Gianni Farrell Will Call Dean Fearing Fearing’s Matt Ford Billy Can Can Donna Griffin Garden Cafe Joshua Harmon Birdie Jeffrey Hobbs Slow Bone BBQ Maggie Huff Homewood Sean Jett Humble: Simply Good Pies Jeana Johnson Talbot-Hill Ranch Susan Lor TJs Seafood Market Mike Matis Fearing’s Restaurant Andrea Meyer Bisous Bisous Patisserie Misti Norris Petra and the Beast/STEPCHILD Joel Orsini Profound Microfarms/Allevare Chris Patrick Bright Box Foods Nikky Phinyawatana Asian Mint Daniel Pittman 33 Restaurant Group Janice Provost Parigi Anastacia Quinones-Pittman José Kent Rathbun Imoto Jeramie Robison Thompson Dallas Andrea Shackelford Harvest Seasonal Kitchen Graham Shockley Ocean Beauty Seafood Dallas Jon Stevens Stock & Barrel John Tesar Knife David Uygur Lucia Sharon Van Meter Beckley 1115 Nick Walker The Village Dallas Ashleigh Wright Dallas Cowboys @ The Star
This year’s Piehole Project theme is “Celebrate the 80s,” which is carried through in the pie flavors and photos. In the 1980s, culinary trends included blackened redfish, New Coke, and Vol au Vents. Culinary schools and programs in the United States were few and very expensive. Workforce development in the restaurant industry meant getting your foot in the door at a restaurant and working for next to nothing. Matis and Weis chose this theme as a fun way to celebrate the progress made in workforce development, and fashion, since then.
