devour phoenix

My, oh my.  Where to even begin??  Now that the food and drink has properly digested and settled – yet the abundant tastes, sights and smells remain perfectly ingrained in our minds – let’s take a fond look back at the events of the 2nd Annual Devoured Phx Culinary Classic, shall we. . . .

First, a snapshot:
- Over 3,000 came through the Phoenix Art Museum in two days!  (Yes, it was a record.)
- 65 Restaurants
- Over 30 Breweries, Wineries and Spirits
- 5 Bands including headliner, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers
- 10 Chef Demonstrations on the SubZero/Wolf Ferguson Stage
- New VIP kickoff event, Palette to Palate, paired four Valley chefs with four local artists to create both visual and edible experiences on Friday night
- New AJ’s Fine Foods Dessert Lounge, a sweet addition to the two-day event
- Local company Wright Choice Promotions provided the environmentally friendly Taterware plates and forks
- Arizona made napkins
- Approximately 400 recycled wine bottles (and counting)

Media and Other Shout Outs:
- The Devour coalition restaurants cleaned up (14 medals total) in the food critic’s version of the Olympics! Howard Seftel handed out his ‘medals’ to the following establishments:
Gold: The Parlor, The Breadfruit and Barrio Cafe
Silver: Postino, St. Francis, Petite Maison, Tuck Shop, Cibo, FEZ and Short Leash Hot Dogs
Bronze: Maizie’s Cafe, Switch, Cheuvront and Tammie Coe
Read the full article here.

- FOX 10
- Chow Bella
- Downtown Phoenix Journal
- Weekly Wine Journal (story + video)
- 944 Magazine
- Arizona Foothills Magazine
- Bite Me Brownies
- Food Tramp Diaries
- Mouth by Southwest

Palette to Palate Highlights:
Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Cafe and Artist Lalo Cota
Roasted Corn Cocktail with chile and white cheese
Shrimp & Coconut Ceviche
“Low Rider” Margaritas
Don Julio Tequila Tastes complemented by pineapple sprinkled with chile, and cinnamon-dusted orange segments.

Chef James Porter, Petite Maison and Artist Randy Slack
Fennel Pollen Donuts topped with Salmon Fricasse and Lemon Creme Fraiche
Served with Dos Cabezas Wineworks 2009 El Norte Syrah Blend

Chef Aaron Chamberlin, St Francis and Artist James Angel
Sliced Beets Cured with Organic Farm Raised Scottish Salmon with Honeybell Tangelo and Creme Fraiche
Served with Arizona Stronghold Vineyard’s Tazi, a blend of mostly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc

Chef Payton Curry and Artist Geoffrey Gersten
Handcrafted Sausage made with Berkshire Pork and Black Arkansas Apple on an Escarole and Radicchio Salad
Spoonful of Steak Tartare atop a Salt & Vinegar Pringle Potato Chip
Pillsbury Wine Co’s. Wildchild White Crop Circles, a dry white field blend comprised of Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia, and Muscat

The List:
Saturday Restaurants
Arcadia Farms Café
Arrogant Butcher
Barrio Café
Bombay Spice Grill
Carte Blanche Gourmet Tacos
Chelsea’s Kitchen
Cheuvront Restaurant & Wine Bar
Cibo
District American Kitchen & Wine Bar
Espressions Coffee Roastery
Fez Restaurant & Bar
Four Peaks Brewing Co.
Frank & Albert’s at Arizona Biltmore
Gallo Blanco Café
Green Restaurant
J&G Steakhouse
Julia Baker Confections
La Grande Orange Grocery & Pizzeria
Los Taquitos
Maizie’s Café & Bistro
Modern Steak
Narcisse Champagne & Tea Lounge
Olive & Ivy
Phoenix City Grille
Postino
Province
Relish Burger Bistro at The Phoenician
Roka Akor
San Tan Brewing Co.
St. Francis
Switch Restaurant & Wine Bar
Taggia at Firesky Resort & Spa
Talavera
The Mission
The Parlor Pizzeria
The Vig Uptown

Sunday Restaurants:
Arcadia Farms Café
Beckett’s Table
Bliss & ReBAR
Boa Bistro
Caffé Boa on Mill
Carte Blanche Gourmet Tacos
Chelsea’s Kitchen
Cheuvront Restaurant & Wine Bar
Cibo
Citizen Public House
Cowboy Ciao
Different Pointe of View
District American Kitchen & Wine Bar
El Chorro Lodge
Espressions Coffee Roastery
Fez Restaurant & Bar
Frank & Albert’s at Arizona Biltmore
Green Restaurant
Hula’s Modern Tiki
Julia Baker Confections
Kai Restaurant at Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort
La Grande Orange Grocery & Pizzeria
Narcisse Champagne & Tea Lounge
Petite Maison
Postino
Prado at The InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa
Province
Relish Burger Bistro at The Phoenician
San Tan Brewing Co.
Short Leash Hotdogs Mobile Food Truck
St. Francis
Switch Restaurant & Wine Bar
Tammie Coe Cakes
The Breadfruit
Tuck Shop

Wine, Beer and Spirits:
Dos Cabezas WineWorks
Jerome Winery
Pillsbury Wine
Quail Distributing
Silvertap Wines
Su Vino Winery
Global Wines, Beer & Spirits
Colores del Sol Malbec
Etude Pinot Noir
Empty Glass Wine Company
Greg Norman Shiraz
Penfolds BIN 138 Chateau
Santa Barbara Chardonnay
Sledgehammer Zinfandel
Souverain Chardonnay
Stags’ Leap Cabernet
St. Clement Chardonnay
St. Jean Robert Young Chardonnay
TAZ Fiddlestix Pinot Noir
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Shiraz/Cabernet
Four Peaks
San Tan Brewing Co.
Lumberyard
Honey Brown
Sam Adams
Mexican Moonshine
44 North
Compass Box
Tres Leches
Forward Brands Distributing (AZ)
Arroyo Vodka
BB’s Apple Pye Liqueur

Chef Demonstrations:
Saturday
Jacques Qualin, J&G Steakhouse
Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Cafe
Anthony Dias Bleu (James Beard Award winner & leading wine expert)
Julia Baker, Julia Baker Confections
Aaron May, Vitamin T

Sunday
Payton Curry, Guerilla Gourmet
Bernie Kantak and Mixologist Rich Moe, Citizen Public House
Michael O’Dowd, Kai
Matt Smith, Boa Bistro/Caffé Boa and Empty Glass Wines
Justin Beckett, Beckett’s Table

The Bands:
Saturday
What Laura Says
Hot Birds and the Chili Sauce

Sunday
Steve Ansel & The Jackson Street Band
Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers
Calumet

A HUMONGOUS THANK YOU to everyone who participated and attended this year’s Devoured event at the Phoenix Art Museum.  For all the great photos and posts from everyone, please be sure to visit Devour’s Facebook page! And please be sure to post your own photos and comments there too.

Photo credit: Mouth by Southwest