At Chefs for Farmers last weekend, organizers Iris Midler, Christina LaBarba, Jimmy Contreras, Matt McCallister and their team pulled off the best food and wine festival Dallas has ever seen

It takes a village to raise an idiot, but it takes Iris Midler to turn potential weather disaster into rainbows and sunshine. That woman, who leads the Chefs for Farmers organizing team, pulled off a giant W yesterday when she relocated this year’s Chefs for Farmers marquee event from Lee Park to Gilley’s in Dallas’ Southside on Lamar.

Every year I look forward to Chefs for Farmers, and this was the best Chefs for Farmers ever! Gilley’s turned out to be an ideal venue for the food and music festival, which bills itself as “the down home, no-fuss” festival of the year. The venue had plenty of space to host all the chefs, wineries, breweries and vendors who participated. The acoustics were just right. There was convenient parking, a drum corps and bagpipes. And the weather inside Gilley’s – unlike the predicted thunderstorms at Lee Park – was perfect. Loved seeing food writers and chefs from all over the U.S. attending and serving great food.

Is it too early to cast my vote for Gilley’s as the site for next year’s CFF? Great job, Iris and CFF team!