Chefs, Restaurants, and Participants Announced for Devour Culinary Classic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Erica Fetherston, Local First Arizona: erica@localfirstaz.com, 602-956-0909 ext. 7
Margaree Bigler, Phoenix Art Museum: Margaree.Bigler@phxart.org, 602-257-2105
Cait Huble, Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance: cait@saaca.org, 520-797-3959 ext. 7
Chefs, Restaurants, and Participants Announced for Devour Culinary Classic
Phoenix, AZ (February 1, 2017) - The Devour Culinary Classic week of events has always featured many of the Valley’s most loved chefs and restaurants. This year, the event will also engage more chefs and restaurateurs from all types of backgrounds, winemakers, breweries, distilleries, farmers, local food producers, and artists over one week than ever before.
This initial list of participants is subject to change, and changes will be reflected on the Devour Culinary Classic website at devourphoenix.com/classic/. The confirmed list of participants for all events is below.
Only a limited number of general admission tickets remain for the Culinary Classic on Sunday, and tickets are still available for all other Devour Week events. Tickets are completely sold out for Saturday for the Culinary Classic. Tickets for all available events can be purchased at http://devourphoenix.com/classic/tickets/.
The 2017 Devour Culinary Classic is made possible through support from this year’s Presenting Sponsors: Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel, Bar & Restaurant Insurance, Hensley Beverage Company, Quench Fine Wines, AJ’s Fine Foods, Venue Projects and Venue Builders, Wist Office Products. All sponsors can be viewed here: http://devourphoenix.com/classic/our-sponsors/.
Devour Culinary Classic, Saturday, March 4 Participants
More details and updates are available here: http://devourphoenix.com/classic/event/culinary-classic-saturday/
Featured in the VIP Lounge
Lori Hashimoto, Hana Japanese Eatery - Lori Hashimoto is a chef and co-owner of Hana Japanese Eatery. Lori finds inspiration by combining old world Japanese tradition with her 4th generation Japanese American heritage. Hana Japanese Eatery has been named one of the nation’s top 20 Japanese restaurants by Travel & Leisure and top 10 Arizona restaurants by Zagat. Lori and Hana Japanese are Devour Phoenix Restaurant Coalition members and long-time favorites of the Devour Culinary Classic.
Kelly Fletcher, Tuck Shop - Chef Kelly Fletcher's acclaimed cuisine combines various styles and regions creating a unique version of Classic American. A Scottsdale Culinary Institute Alum, Chef Fletcher has been a local fixture holding tenure at Valley institutions.
Robert Porter, The Thirsty Camel - A member of the United States Bartenders Guild, Robert has successfully competed in several bartending competitions and regularly teaches interactive mixology classes to the delight of attendees. When he’s not busy working on his latest libation, Robert is also an accomplished artist and professional Graphic Designer. Robert takes a great deal of pride in blending creativity, technical expertise, and a desire to provide his customers with an exceptional and inspiring experience.
Chef demonstrations on Saturday will feature Michael Babcock and Clayton Craw of Welcome Hospitality and guests from Ramona Farms and Pivot Produce.
All Restaurants & Participants:
AJ'S Fine Food
Aioli Gourmet Burgers
Alto Ristorante at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch
Artizen, Crafted American Kitchen & Bar
Barrio Café
Cafe Lalibela
Cibo
Clever Koi
Crudo
Desert Rose Steakhouse
Doughbird
Espresso Italia
Flying V at Loews Ventana Canyon
Frasher's Smokehouse
Helio Basin Brewing Company
Dust Cutter Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel
Joe's Midnight Run
Lon's at the Hermosa Inn
MATCH Cuisine & Cocktails at FOUND:RE Phoenix Hotel
NoodleBar
O.H.S.O. Brewery + Distillery
Otro Café
Phoenix City Grille
Pomegranate Café
Press Coffee
Redthai Southeast Asian & Shabu Fondue
Roastery of Cave Creek
Sierra Bonita Grill
St Francis
T.Cook's at Royal Palms Resort and Spa
Tavern Americana
The Coronado PHX
The Dhaba
The Kak Shop
The Vig
True Food Kitchen
Urban Beans 24 Hour Bar and Café
Wren House Brewing Company
Mrs. Klein's Pickle Company
Aloha Cakes AZ
Cookie Girl Cookie Shop
Doc's Artisan Ice Creams
Fairytale Brownies
Kettle Heroes Gourmet Artisan Popcorn
LJ's Gourmet Caramel Popcorn
Peanut Butter Americano
[POPPED] Artisan Popcorn
Sweet Treats Ice Cream
Urban Cookies Bakeshop
Devour Culinary Classic, Sunday, March 5 Participants
More details and updates are available here: http://devourphoenix.com/classic/event/culinary-classic-sunday/
Featured in the VIP Lounge:
Chef Jeff Smedstad, Elote Cafe - Jeff Smedstad is the author of The Elote Café Cookbook, and is chef and owner of Elote Cafe located in Sedona, Arizona. A graduate of Scottsdale Culinary Institute, Jeff has been cooking professionally for over twenty years, most of which has been dedicated to Mexican cuisine. Before opening Elote Cafe, he was the chef and partner for Los Sombreros Mexican Restaurant located in Scottsdale Arizona for 12 years.
Lauren Klein, High Spirited Cupcakes - A self-taught baker, Lauren has been a flour-child since the age of three. The hunger for new trends and crazy ideas, and drive to perfect her craft, and challenge her creativity has propelled HighSpirited Cupcakes from a hobby to something much more. The world of spirits is boundless, and each combination of spirits lends itself to a whole new world of flavor.
Ross Simon, Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour - In 2006, as London became saturated with new bars and great bartenders, Ross decided that he wanted to bring his trade, knowledge and love for cocktails to the United States, Arizona specifically. Since moving stateside, Ross has worked for a number of well-known bars across Arizona; re-organizing and building each venue’s bar menu and team training to implement menus to their fullest potential. In 2014, Ross finally got to fulfill his dream and open his own bar, Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.
Chef demonstrations on Sunday will feature Bernie Kantak of Citizen Public House and The Gladly making a special announcement, as well as members of the the Arizona Vignerons Alliance including Maynard James Keenan and Dale Sparks with a side-by-side tasting of Tempranillo wines.
All Restaurants & Participants:
AJ'S Fine Food
Beckett's Table
Bitter & Twisted & Tacos Chiwas Collaboration
Café Tranquilo @ The Clarendon Hotel and Spa
Churn
Citizen Public House
CRUjiente Tacos
Deseo at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
Different Pointe of View
District American Kitchen and Wine Bar
Federal Pizza
Frites Street
Green Nami
House of Tricks
Hula's Modern Tiki
Joyride Taco House
La Piazza al Forno
Litchfield's at The Wigwam
Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill
Merkin's Vineyards Tasting Room & Osteria
Modern Tortilla
Nico Heirloom Kitchen
Phoenix Public Market Cafe
Postino Winecafe
Quiessence at The Farm at South Mountain
Roka Akor
Shift
Sosoba Phoenix
Southern Rail
Tammie Coe Cakes
The Breadfruit & Rum Bar, Leoni's Focaccia
The Gladly
The Larder + The Delta
The MARKET Restaurant + Bar by Jennifer's
The Parlor Pizzeria
Virtu Honest Craft
Windsor
Worth Takeaway
Mahfam Artisanal Handcrafted Foods
24 Carrots
Tazzina di Gelato
Mamma Toledo's The Pie Hole
NutWhats
The OKB Old Kentucky BBQ Sauce
Zak's Chocolate
Devour Culinary Classic Wineries (Both Days)
The Devour Culinary Classic is pleased to partner with Quench Fine Wines and will be sampling the following local and regional wines for both Saturday and Sunday at the Devour Culinary Classic:
Dos Cabezas Wineworks (Arizona)
Caduceus Cellars (Arizona)
Callaghan Vineyards (Arizona)
Sand Reckoner Vineyards (Arizona)
Page Springs Cellars (Arizona)
Arizona Stronghold Vineyards (Arizona)
JP Chenet
Farm Collective
Klinker Brick Winery
Keenan
Circo Vino Imports
Failla
Appellation Wine Co
Cannonball Wine Company
Adelsheim Vineyard
Vino del Sol
Vias Imports
220 Imports
Hedges Family Estate
New House Vintners
Alcohol by Volume
Clos du Val
The Drop
Spotlight Brands
Love & Squalor
Vinum
Owen Roe
Lieu Dit
Devour Phoenix Bartending Competition
The Devour Phoenix Bartending Competition will take place Sunday, February 26, at 3:00 p.m. at DeSoto Central Market in Phoenix (915 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004). Designed to celebrate Phoenix’s cocktail culture, bartenders from nine metro-Phoenix bars and restaurants armed with a selection of Arizona’s best locally distilled spirits convene for a mix-off of epic proportions. Participating bartenders will go head to head in a series of three rounds, shaking it to compete in the final, mystery basket round for the title of Arizona’s Star Bartender in 2017. Tickets will be $40 each and available for purchase at devourphoenix.com/classic.
The 12 bartenders that will compete for the 2017 title have been selected and will compete in a series of heats followed by a final round that will determine Arizona’s Star Bartender:
Tim Avery - Joyride Taco House
Matt Bermudez - Welcome Diner
Jake Foster - The Parlor
Janessa Hilliard - St Francis
Danny Kang - The Gladly
Michael Liberatore - Citizen Public House
Liza Loewenhagen - The Vig
Matt Minsky - hulasmoderntiki
Gavin Pena - Clever Koi
Manny Pena - The Windsor
Kapono Rowe - DeSoto Central Market
Jaong Woo - Otro Cafe
Seven Chef Singh Along
The 7 Chef Singh Along is a culinary event organized by the Arizona Seven, a collection of top Valley chefs dedicated to raising awareness of our world-class culinary scene and working to bring the James Beard Award back to Arizona. The event will take place Wednesday, March 1, at 5:30 p.m. at Singh Farms’ new location in Tempe. During this family-style wine-paired dinner, each chef will prepare a single course that highlights both their distinctive style, and the bold flavors of Arizona. Each course will be paired with a fine Arizona wine from local producers. Tickets will be $160 each, which includes gratuity and tax, and will be available at devourphoenix.com/classic.
The original “Seven Chefs” are bringing along a couple of friends to create an unforgettable meal presented by ten of Phoenix’s top chefs:
Justin Beckett - Beckett’s Table, Southern Rail
Kevin Binkley - Binkley’s
Cullen Campbell - Crudo, Okra Cookhouse & Cocktails
Jacob Cutino - Homeboy’s Hot Sauce
Kelly Fletcher - El Chorro
Josh Hebert - Posh Improvisational Cuisine
Scott Holmes - Little Miss BBQ
Stephen Jones - The Larder + The Delta
Bernie Kantak - The Gladly, Citizen Public House
Gio Osso - Virtù Honest Craft, Nico
Palette to Palate
Palette to Palate will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 2 in Downtown Phoenix, a location will be announced when it is secured. The event blends the visual arts and culinary arts by pairing chefs and painters to interpret each other's work for a show that is at once unique and insightful into the worlds of the two artists. The evening will feature Arizona wines and award winning chefs, paired with regional artists who will unveil new works at the event. A full lineup of participants will be announced at a later date. Tickets will be $40 each and available for purchase at devourphoenix.com/classic.
This year’s artist and chef combos include:
Chrysa Robertson of Rancho Pinot paired with Chad Little
Charleen Badman of FnB paired with Tom Budzak
Doug Robson of Otro Cafe paired with Hugo Medina
Michael Babcock of Welcome Diner paired with JJ Horner
Devour Film Screening: Elements
Devour Film Screening: Elements at FilmBar on Friday, March 3, at 5:30 p.m. This event is in partnership with Andrew Gooi of Food Talkies and the production team at Bite Magazine. Guests will get to experience the six elements and individuals captured in “Elements” while sampling creations from the featured chefs and makers including Jeff Kraus of Crêpe Bar (smoke), Ross Simon of Bitter and Twisted Cocktail Parlour (ice), Julie Meeker of Mother Bunch Brewery (water), and more. Tickets are $30 each and available for purchase at devourphoenix.com/classic.
Guests that will be in attendance include a majority of those featured in the Elements films:
Brian Konefal of Coppa Cafe
Akos Szabo of Match Cuisine / FoundRE
Derrick Shields of The Farm at Agritopia
Julie Meeker of Mother Bunch Brewing
Jeff Kraus of Crepe Bar
About the Devour Culinary Classic
The Devour Culinary Classic, formerly known as the Devoured Culinary Classic, is the region’s premier week long annual culinary celebration hosted by Devour Phoenix, Local First Arizona, Phoenix Art Museum, and Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance at several distinct venues in Phoenix, Arizona. The goal of the events are to showcase Arizona’s celebrity culinary talent as well as its fine food and drink producers and purveyors, all while furthering metro Phoenix as a dining destination worthy of international prestige. The Devour Week of events will be held February 26 through March 5. More information is available at http://devourphoenix.com/classic/.