Dallas chefs auction 33 unique pies, including okra cream and crab rangoon, to fund culinary programs
Bidding begins at $75 for creations by 32 local chefs, with proceeds supporting mentorship and awards for Dallas-Fort Worth culinary workers.
By Lucas Navarro ·
Bidding opened on Monday, November 9 for 33 pies prepared by 32 chefs across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The auction runs through Thursday, November 19 and offers bidders a chance to purchase specific dishes such as an okra white chocolate cream pie and a crab rangoon royale. Each pie has one winner, and the starting bid is $75.
The event is the sixth annual Piehole Auction, which began as a fundraiser for The Piehole Project. Since its launch, the project has raised more than $60,000 through the sale of 243 pies. The funds support culinary programs including the Rising Stagiaire, The Cheffies, and Family Meal Hangs.
Chef Andrea Shackelford of Harvest at the Masonic is offering an okra white chocolate cream pie. The dessert features an okra-cinnamon graham cracker crust, a white chocolate cream filling, and toppings of okra flowers, okra powdered sugar, and okra chips. Chef Hao Tran of Duong DeVille is entering a crab rangoon royale, a warm pie with flaky pastry, sweet lump crab, cheese, scallions, garlic, and crispy wonton ribbons served with sweet chile sauce.
Other entries include a foie gras pie styled like a Snickers bar from Chef Jacob Williamson of The Devonshire Club and a duck dish called "Duck Duck Goose!" from Chef Nick Walker of Whiskey Cake. Chef Williamson is competing with two pies, also submitting a beef bourguignon pie for the Alamo Club. Traditional options like pumpkin pie from Chef Maricsa Trejo of La Casita Bakeshop and chicken pot pie from Chef Cara Vasquez of The Flour Shop Bakery are also available.
Bids increase in increments of $15. A buyer can purchase a pie outright for $1,000. Winners can pick up their pies on Monday, November 23 between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. or arrange for delivery between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Pick-up locations include the Dallas College Culinary, Pastry and Hospitality Center in Dallas and Café Modern inside the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
The Piehole Project was led by Amity Thomas, president of Amity Thomas Public Relations, and Jeffrey Yarbrough, CEO of bigInk Commercial Real Estate and co-owner of Hunky’s. The organization launched The Cheffies awards on October 12 at The Village Country Club in Dallas. The Rising Stagiaire program, which pairs rising culinary talent with established chefs for mentorship, also launched in October 2026.
