COLMAN ANDREWS is an internationally known food writer and editor, winner of 8 James Beard Awards and author of Ferran Adrià’s biography.
September 21-28, 2026
The Ultimate Tex-Mex and BBQ Experience
Austin & San Antonio, Texas
COLMAN ANDREWS is an internationally known food writer and editor, winner of 8 James Beard Awards and author of Ferran Adrià’s biography.
A slow & low trip to the birthplace of BBQ and Tex-Mex
Aborígens is pleased to officially announce its first-ever trip in the U.S.: The Ultimate Tex-Mex and BBQ Experience, centered in Austin and San Antonio, with excursions into the Texas Hill Country.
The tour begins in Austin on September 21st and concludes in the city on September 28th. (There are non-stop flights to the Texas capital from most major U.S. cities.) Our hotels will be stylish four-star properties in central locations. Long-distance travel will be by air-conditioned luxury coaches.
Pitmasters speak the language of fire.
Fine wines in Texas? ask William Chris Vineyards.
San Antonio is the brithplace of the puffy taco. And that's reason enough to visit.
Fire and smoke are cool. Frozen margaritas are even cooler.
EXPERT GUIDANCE
There’s no one better than Colman Andrews to host this trip and show us the best-kept secrets of the Texan culinary scene. The internationally known food writer and 8 times James Beard award-winner will lead the way in this adventure down to BBQ-Land.
PEOPLE
Farmers, artisans, pitmasters, winemakers, cooks, etc. All our hosts are keepers of an ancestral heritage and we will meet them at their places to learn about that legacy.
CUISINE
From BBQ joints and foodtrucks to celebrated high-end restaurants. From homemade meals to Michelin-starred smoked delights. We will taste Austin and San Antonio at its best and will leave no food behind.
COMMITMENT
We go to the basics: landscapes, products, people and history. Gastronomy. Because everything we do promotes local food culture. And we love it.
FUN
We like travelling in a good mood, taking part in witty conversations, having nice moments and forming shared memories. We just want to have fun.
LOCAL FOOD INSIDERS
Aborígens was founded in 2011 by hungry journalists who dedicated half of their lives and livers to researching and showcasing the best of Catalan cuisine to industry professionals and serious eaters.
Dates
September 21-28, 2026
Group
12 guests + 2 hosts
Itinerary
Austin
Hill Country
San Antonio
Highlights
A Deep Dive into the Craft of Barbecue
Explore the classic and modern dining scene of Austin and San Antonio
Private visits to an award-winning winery and historical brewery
Farewell dinner at music legend and food writer Kimmie Rhodes' home
Colman Andrews, an internationally known food writer and editor, was a cofounder and editor-in-chief of Saveur. He is the author of nine works on food, including cookbooks about the cuisines of Ireland, Catalonia and the Italian Riviera, a biography of influential Catalan chef Ferran Adrià, an appreciation of American food products, and a memoir, My Usual Table: A Life in Restaurants. Andrews is the winner of eight James Beard Awards, including Cookbook of the Year in 2010 for The Country Cooking of Ireland. A native of Los Angeles, he now lives in Connecticut with his wife, sportswear and lingerie designer Erin Walker.
ABORÍGENS
Aborígens – Local Food Insiders is a project curated by Catalan journalists and also home of all those who are genuinely interested in food culture. We design and operate extreme food tours, bespoke trips, research and consulting services, and all kind of unexpected culinary adventures for food professionals and hardcore foodies visiting Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain. As Local Food Insiders we promote local food culture by designing and leading activities which respect and reflect the territory, bring people into the community and remain faithful to our food traditions.
Any questions?
Let's try to answer them
WHAT IS COLMAN ANDREWS' ROLE IN THE TOUR?
As a respected author among celebrity chefs and fellow food writers, he will be providing context and his thoughts on all visits and restaurants that we include, comparing today’s food scene with what has been experiencing in the past three decades. It is a true privilege to travel with such an important figure in gastronomy, yet a kind person.
WHY DO YOU INCLUDE CERTAIN MEALS ONLY?
After years of creating and successfully leading culinary tours, from Aborígens we advocate for a slow way of travel, where our guests get to enjoy free time between meals and activities. This said, we also believe that some tasting menus included are long enough to fill you up for the rest of the day, so skip meals or keep eating will be in your hands.
HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO REPEAT THIS TRIP, IN CASE I WANT TO JOIN IN THE FUTURE?
Each itinerary is going to happen one single time. Along one year, we put all the efforts in designing an exclusive itinerary together with Colman Andrews, taking his advice on regions that we should include, meeting chefs and food makers that will help us build memorable experiences, and choosing the right hotels and rural accommodation that match our high standards. That is the only way to reach our goal: our reduced group of guests and ourselves as hosts enjoying a unique food journey just once.
