Chef Toby Archibald is thrilled to introduce the second season of Quarter Acre’s Drifter Dinner Series. Over four months, four chefs from four distinct regions will showcase their diverse culinary backgrounds by teaming up with Quarter Acre Restaurant. At each dinner event, one chef will collaborate with Chef Toby to blend their culinary techniques and styles, offering a distinctive 8-course tasting menu complemented by cocktails and wines that highlight their respective region.
Presented By:
2025 - Guest Chefs
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Chef Misti Norris
Concept: Far Out
Region: Dallas, Texas
Event Date: Friday - August 8
North Carolina native, raised in Houston Texas. Growing up in a Cajun household she found her love of cooking with her maw maw and started learning the importance of preservation and no waste. Spending years working in the best Dallas restaurants she found her own style and took charge of her first kitchen as an executive chef at Small Brewpub where in 2016 she was named a James Beard Award Rising Star Semifinalist.
Most recently, she was the Executive Chef and Owner of Petra and the Beast; a small, thoughtful restaurant focused on the use of farms, foraging, fermentation and fire. Since the restaurant’s beginning in April of 2018 it has gained much recognition including being named one of Esquire’s Best Restaurants in America 2018, D Magazine’s Best New Restaurants in Dallas 2018, and the Dallas Observer’s Best Charcuterie Program 2018, included in the 2019 Best New Chef class in Food and Wine as well as being a semifinalist for James Beard in the category of Best New Restaurants, and multu time James beard semifinalist for best chef Texas. Closed Petra and Beast in 2024 to pursue new endeavors and concepts. Now leading the culinary team at Far Out Restaurant, Misti brings her talents back to her roots on Haskell Street.
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Chef Rodrigo Rivera-Ria
Concept: Koli
Region: Monterrey, Mexico
Event Date: Friday - September 5
In 2015, Chef Rodrigo Rivera-Rio and his brothers decided to open Koli Cocina de Origen, a restaurant focused on celebrating the culinary traditions of northeastern Mexico. This resulted in a tasting menu concept where each dish tells a story. Over the past 10 years, he and his brothers have been included in the list of the 50 best restaurants in Latin America. They have also earned multiple national and international awards, including a Michelin star in 2024, making them one of only 16 restaurants nationwide to receive them. That same year, Chef Rodrigo received the prestigious Knife at the Best Chef Awards in Dubai and was nominated for Best Consolidated Chef in Mexico at the Food & Travel Readers' Choice Awards. Today, he has several other restaurants, including Cometa, Lumbre, and Centli.
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Chef Kevin Fink
Concept: Hestia
Region: Austin, Texas
Event Date: Friday - October 3
Kevin Fink is the owner/executive chef of five nationally renowned restaurants in Austin, Texas, including Emmer & Rye, Hestia, Kalimotxo, Canje and Ezov, as well as two concepts in San Antonio, Ladino and Henbit. Fink has also led the development of Pullman Market in San Antonio, the largest culinary market in the Southwest, featuring a specialty grocer, a whole animal butcher, a sourdough bakery, a chef supply shop, five quick-service eateries and four distinct restaurants. Fink’s restaurants have been recognized among the best in the nation by The New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, Bon Appetit and more. Fink has also been a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest (2019) and Best Chef: Texas (2020).
Fink’s restaurants have also earned significant recognition in Texas’ inaugural Michelin Guide, announced in November 2024. Ezov and Nicosi received Michelin recommendations, Emmer & Rye and Ladino were awarded Bib Gourmands, and Emmer & Rye was one of only two restaurants in Texas to receive a Michelin Green Star. Additionally, Hestia received a prestigious Michelin Star.
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Chef Byron Gomez
Concept: BRUTØ
Region: Denver, Colorado
Event Date: Friday - November 7
Born in Costa Rica, Chef Byron Gomez moved to the U.S. at eight and proudly holds DACA status. His passion for culinary arts began early, and after honing his craft on Long Island, he learned from top chefs like Daniel Boulud, Ronny Emborg, Gavin Kaysen, and Daniel Humm.
While at Eleven Madison Park, Chef Byron joined pop-up events in the Hamptons and Aspen. After a winter in the Rockies, he joined 7908 Aspen in 2019, creating a sophisticated, globally-inspired menu with local Colorado ingredients. He showcased his talents on Season 18 of Bravo’s Top Chef in Portland, OR, and held pop-up dinners across Colorado, including at BRUTØ in 2021.
After 7908, seeking a vibrant community, Chef Byron opened Pollo Tico in Boulder, celebrating his Costa Rican heritage. In 2022, he met Kelly Whitaker at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, leading to a collaboration at BRUTØ in Denver. Working with Mara King, he developed a menu spotlighting local ingredients, earning BRUTØ a Michelin star and a Michelin Green star in 2024. In 2025, Chef Byron was recognized as one of the country’s most exciting culinary personalities on the Food Network’s “Hot List.”
The Charity
Caring for our Tiniest Texans.
Chef Toby is so excited to have Tiniest Texans™ at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center onboard as our charity for this dinner series, this organization means a lot to him and his family, on a very personal level.
When Chef Toby would see photos and cards from out-patients at hospitals, he didn’t really appreciate the idea and meaning behind it or the gratitude being shown to the staff and the hospital team. That all changed in September 2022 when his daughter, Francesca, was delivered to him and his wife 9 weeks early at Baylor Scott and White Medical Center right here in Dallas. From the moment she was born to the day they left the hospital with their healthy wee bundle of joy 7 weeks later, they had the most amazing care in the NICU at Baylor. The support and love shown to them by every single person in that hospital will never be forgotten in their household.
The day they left the hospital, they were so thankful to all those that had helped them get to that point, Chef Toby distinctly remembered saying to his wife, “I get it now, the photos and cards on the wall. As soon as Quarter acre is able to start giving back to the community, I want this place to be where we help first if we can.”
In the NICU, Baylor University Medical Center babies receive care from a team of specialized registered nurses, neonatal nurse practitioners, neonatologists and several other skilled staff. The Tiniest Texans program within Baylor University Medical Center’s Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is focused on offering a comprehensive approach to caring for micro-preemies. For these tiny babies, a brighter future becomes possible by being born somewhere that can provide them with the highest quality of care and support.
The Partners
OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), helps more than 60,000 restaurants worldwide fill 1.8 billion seats a year. OpenTable’s world-class technology empowers restaurants to focus on what matters most – their team, their guests, and their bottom line – while enabling diners to discover and book the perfect restaurant for every occasion
Rooted in more than 250 years of tradition, Reserva de la Familia® is a collection of fine artisanal small-batch Tequilas – and the crown jewel of the Cuervo Family. Traditionally reserved only for the closest friends and loved ones of the Cuervo family, Reserva de la Familia was released to the public in 1995 to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Jose Cuervo tequila.
Tequila is more than just a spirit; it’s a reflection of Mexico’s vibrant culture, and every stage of our process exemplifies this. Each aspect of Reserva de la Familia, from field to bottle, is meticulously hand-crafted. Harvested by the skilled hands of our expert jimadors in the heart of Tequila, Mexico, our organic agave is transformed by cooking in our traditional masonry ovens, releasing a rich tapestry of sweet agave flavors. Following an extended fermentation, we distill our tequila twice in small-capacity copper pot stills as tradition dictates. Our aged tequila offerings then begin their maturation in freshly charred new American and French oak casks.
Reserva de la Familia is the Official Tequila Partner of the MICHELIN Guide in the U.S. This partnership is a testament to Reserva de la Familia’s ongoing commitment to champion authentic Mexican cuisine throughout the U.S., celebrating the deep heritage, history and legacy shared by tequila and high-end Mexican gastronomy.”