Devour Culinary Classic Announces 2023 Winners
PHOENIX (March 1, 2023) – Local First Arizona is proud to announce the winners of the 14th annual Devour Culinary Classic, a showcase of Arizona’s top chefs hosted Feb. 25-26 at Desert Botanical Garden. The two-day event was the first in-person celebration since 2020.
Photos of the event are available here.
A panel of top food critics and journalists from around the country personally tasted 70 dishes and beverages served by 77 participating restaurants and purveyors, scoring on taste, presentation, degree of difficulty and creativity.
Dishes that qualified for awards were then designated Best in Show, Double Gold Medal, Gold Medal, Silver Medal, Best Dessert/Beverage and the first-ever Heritage Medal.
The Heritage Medal is for the best dishes with ingredients that are indigenous, heirloom, low-water, desert-adapted or locally sourced (within a 100-mile radius of the restaurant) and thus more sustainable for Arizona. Climate-smart foods are essential for farmers, chefs and diners to support and expand for the future of our state.
The esteemed Devour judges had this to say about the festival:
Tim Carman, Washington Post national food reporter
“This is my first time in Phoenix, and I knew so little about the food scene, I wanted to explore it. Sure enough, Devour has been an amazing chance to survey many different restaurants in a short amount of time. And the botanical garden is a beautiful setting. My god, the scale of some of the cacti is amazing! It’s an unforgettable experience. You're eating among some of the best restaurants, and you're doing it in a setting that says, ‘Phoenix.’ It’s beautiful, and it’s delicious.”
Nikki Miller-Ka, writer for Food & Wine, Southern Living and other publications
“The restaurants were phenomenal. I had no idea that Arizona had such a rich culinary scene. I’ve eaten so many things I didn’t even know existed, and I’m a professional! It is a very unique experience. The landscape is beautiful, the products everyone is using are beautiful, and the bar is set really high for culinary excellence.”
Lauren Saria, editor of Eater SF
“One of the best things about the festival is the sense of community. Anybody who’s been around restaurants knows it’s not an industry where we can get together very often. So it’s such a special weekend where everybody makes the time to share their food with the festivalgoers, and it’s wonderful to see the chefs interacting with each other. It’s really special.”
Howard Seftel, former Arizona Republic food critic and James Beard Award judge
“What I most enjoy is running across a dish that I've never had before. I’m always surprised by the inventiveness and creativity of the chefs. The chefs do not phone this in. There’s no easier way to get a sense of the Valley food scene than to come to Devour. You could spend weeks going to individual restaurants, or you could come to this event and, for the price of one ticket, sample 40 or 50 dishes.”
Devour Culinary Classic 2023 Award Winners:
Best in Show
Saturday: Chula Seafood- Northern Thai-Style Grilled Swordfish Sausage (Chefs Jason Fenstermaker and Kyle Kent)
Sunday: Hana Japanese Eatery- Mochigome Shumai Pork, Ginger, Onion and Soy
Wrapped in Sweet Glutinous Rice, Steamed and Topped with Hot Mustard (Chef Lori Hashimoto
Double Gold Medal
(Unanimous gold rating by all four judges)
Citizen Public House/The Gladly- Iberico-Duroc Pork Steak, Chops and Porchetta (Chef Bernie Kantak)
Zuzu at Hotel Valley Ho- Wagyu Beef Cheek Empanada (Chef Russell LaCasce)
Gold Medal
Hana Japanese Eatery- Tonjiru Pork Shoulder Soup with Japanese Vegetables
(Chef Lori Hashimoto)
Hana Japanese Eatery- Mochi Donut Hole (Chef Lynn Becker)
Lincoln Steakhouse & Bar at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn- Vegan Oysters Mignonette (Chefs Eric Duchene and John Fraser)
Pa’La- Honey-Saffron Glazed Grilled Octopus
(Chef Jason Alford)
Rough Rider- Beer Brined Veal Schnitzel Bites (Chef Ian Herschberg)
Valentine- Hiramasa Crudo (Chef Donald Hawk)
Belly- Thai-Spiced Grilled Hanger Steak (Chef Michael Babcock)
Dahl Restaurant Group - Three Cheese Empanada (Chef Lisa Dahl)
Dahl Restaurant Group - Kale Salad (Chef Lisa Dahl)
Chula Seafood- California Yellowtail Crudo (Chefs Moniqe Quinonez and Kyle Kent)
Silver Medal
Welcome Diner- Japanese Egg Salad
Zuzu at Hotel Valley Ho- Poached Peruvian Scallop
CaraCara- Short Rib Tostada
Clever Koi- Kimchi BBQ Chicken
Hana Japanese Eatery- Gobo MisoHana Japanese Eatery- Daigaku Imo
Pa’La - Beef Carpaccio
Prado- Citrus Honey Olive Oil Torte
Dust Cutter- Huckleberry Pie and Lemon Curd
The Rez an Urban Eatery- Blue Corn and 3 Sister Bites
Talavera- Ensalada Texturas de Pulpo
Gut Chefs- Goat Cheese Tartlet
Aioli Gourmet Burger- New Mexican Slider
Arizona Wilderness Brewing- Peanut Butter and Jelly Burger
Eat by Stacey Weber- Chicken Salad
Gertrude’s- Pandan and Pitaya Pudding
Poolboy Taco- Poolboy Taco
The Canal Club- Shrimp Ceviche
The Joy Bus- Boiled Egg and Caviar
Best Dessert & Beverage
Best Dessert: Valentine- Smoked Vanilla White Chocolate Mousse
Best Beverage: The Rez an Urban Eatery- Blueberry Sage Agua Fresca
Heritage Medal
Gastronomic Union of Tucson (Tucson City of Gastronomy)- Grilled Picanha Taco
About Local First Arizona
Founded in 2003, Local First Arizona is a community and economic development organization working to strengthen local economies. Local First’s areas of focus include developing entrepreneurship, rural and urban community development, racial equity, environmental action and food access. Local First is the largest local business coalition in the U.S. and advocates for independently owned businesses of all sizes by assisting local owners to compete and collaborate to strengthen Arizona's economy and build state pride. Visit localfirstaz.com for more information and a directory of more than 3,000 Arizona-owned businesses.
About Desert Botanical Garden
Discover the tranquil vibrancy of 50,000 desert plants nestled amid the red rocks of the Papago Buttes at Desert Botanical Garden. An Arizona icon for 83 years in the Valley, the Garden is a compelling attraction and desert conservation pioneer, offering worldly plants, vibrant trails, world-class exhibitions, festive events, fascinating classes and so much more. Visit dbg.org for more information.
About Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance
The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation, preservation, and advancement of the Arts. SAACA strengthens the bonds between people, place, and purpose through collaborative, arts-driven experiences. SAACA (formerly the Greater Oro Valley Arts Council) was created to develop cultivated programming that spotlights local creatives and celebrates unique culture, while providing direct opportunities for artists to make and sell their work. To date, SAACA has created over 200,000 arts-driven experiences, from innovative community festivals and cultural celebrations to creative sector development, and accessible arts enrichment programs. SAACA continues to grow in footprint and in impact while working to pursue the mission of strengthening the bonds between people, place, and purpose. Visit saaca.org for more.
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FULL JUDGE COMMENTS
Tim Carmen
This is my first time in Phoenix. I knew so little about the food scene in Phoenix, and I wanted to explore it, and I thought, ‘What better way than a festival where many of the best chefs came and showcased their work?’ Sure enough, we had 31 dishes yesterday and more today, and it has been an amazing chance to survey many different restaurants in a short amount of time.
The chefs have been so generous with us, explaining dishes, explaining their approach to food. Also getting to know the other judges on the committee.
Being surrounded by the botanical garden, it’s a beautiful setting. Walking through it seeing the succulents, the many different varieties and sizes. My god, the scale of some of the cacti is amazing. It’s a beautiful setting for the festival.
You better get here early. The combination of availability of a wide range of food, some connected intimately to the area, combined with the setting, it’s an unforgettable experience really. You're eating among some of the best restaurants, and you're doing it in a setting that says Phoenix and the surrounding area. It’s beautiful, and it’s delicious.
Laura Saria
It’s been so great to be back in Arizona for Devour this year.
One of the best things about the festival is the sense of community. Anybody who’s been around restaurants knows it’s not an industry where we can get together very often. So it’s such a special weekend where everybody makes the time to be here, to share food and be able to share their work with all the festivalgoers. It’s really wonderful to see the chefs interacting with each other. It’s really special.
There’s so much delicious food here in Arizona. It’s nice to be able to come to one place and get a taste of a lot of different things at one time. I see it as doing pre-research to see which restaurants I want to make time to visit after the event.
Nikki Miller-Ka
My experience here has been amazing. I’m from the East Coast, and this is my first time in Phoenix, and the restaurants have been phenomenal. I had no idea that Arizona had such a rich culinary scene. I’ve eaten so many things I didn’t even know existed and I’m a professional!
My favorite part so far has been seeing everyone enjoying themselves, digging into the plates, the chef coming out and talking to people and being available to their fans and future fans to get the heart of what they’re doing at each restaurant.
It is a very unique experience. The landscape is beautiful, the products everyone is using are beautiful, and the bar is set really high for culinary excellence.
Howard Seftel
I spent 23 years as the restaurant critic at the Arizona Republic.
It’s been astonishing the explosive growth in Phoenix and interest in food coincided with Devour so it was a perfect coming together of what people are interested in and the people who could organize an event to cater to that interest.
Every year Devour seems to hit it out of the park.
Everybody here is a potential customer. The chefs don’t have to worry, ‘Ere some of these people interested in food or not?’ This is a very sophisticated, cosmopolitan audience which is happy to spend their disposable income on wonderful food. So it’s a perfect melding of interests.
What I most enjoy being surprised by is running across a dish that I've never had before that makes me think, ‘This chef has their act together!’ And I’m always surprised by the inventiveness and creativity of the chefs. The chefs do not phone this in. Nobody phones it in.
If you want to get a sense of the Valley food community you could spend weeks going to individual restaurants or you could come to this event and, for the price of one ticket, sample 40 or 50 dishes. There’s no easier way to get a sense of the Valley food scene than to come to Devour.