Devour Culinary Classic Announces 2025 Winners

Written By Lori Cothrun

TPC Scottsdale Wins Best In Show  

PHOENIX (Feb. 25, 2025) – Local First Arizona is proud to announce the winners of the 17th annual Devour Culinary Classic.

The event showcasing Arizona’s top chefs was hosted Feb. 22-23 at Desert Botanical Garden in partnership with the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance. Photos are available here.

A panel of top food critics and chefs tasted dishes served by 120 participating restaurants and purveyors, scoring on taste, presentation, degree of difficulty and creativity to award the Best in Show, Best Use of Heritage Food, People’s Choice Awards, Gold Medal, Silver Medal and Bronze Medal. 

The Best Use of Heritage Food award honors the best dish 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. Increasing the growing and eating of climate-smart foods is essential for the future of our state.

Devour volunteers helped divert more than two tons of waste from the landfill to recycling or composting, for an impressive 57% diversion rate.

Devour Culinary Classic 2025 Award Winners:

  • Best in Show

    • TPC Scottsdale: Al Pastor Pork Belly Taco, Chef Matthew O’Harris

    • Runners up:

    • Chilte: Prawns with Peanut Mole, Chef Lawrence “LT” Smith

    • The Gladly: Cactus Ham with Chicharron and Napoles, Chef Bernie Kantak

    • Valentine: Sonoran Hot Dog, Chef Donald Hawk

Best Use Of Heritage Food

  • Litchfield's at the Wigwam: Buffalo and Tepary Bean Stew

  • Runner up: Nella's Innovative Kreations' Corn Tortilla with Tepary Bean Hummus, Prickly Pear and Sonora White Wheat Berries

People's Choice Awards

  • Best Savory Bite: Tie between Clever Koi’s Pork Chashu Gordita and Gastronomic Union of Tucson (GUT) Chefs’ Sonoran Beef Roulade

  • Best Sweet Bite: Gastronomic Union of Tucson (GUT) Chefs' Seville Orange and Prickly Pear Verrine

  • Best Sip: Iconic Cocktail Co.

Gold Medal

  • The Gladly

  • Valentine

  • Chilte

  • Litchfield’s at the Wigwam

  • TPC Scottsdale

Bronze Medal

  • Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.

  • Azlin at the Clarendon

  • Barley & Smoke

  • Carcara

  • Faro & Brag at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

  • Gastronomic Union of Tucson (GUT) Chefs

  • Herb Box

  • Humble Bistro

  • The Joy Bus

  • Latha Restaurant and Bar

  • Minnow

  • Oliver's Modern American

  • Phoenix Culinary Collective

  • PV Pie & Wine

  • Renata's Hearth

  • The REZ an urban eatery

  • Uchi

  • Yellowbell

  • Zuzu at the Hotel Valley Ho

Silver Medal

  • Aioli Gourmet Burger

  • Barrio Bread and Sonoran Pasta Co.

  • Cafe Lalibela

  • Clever Koi

  • Dahl Restaurant Group

  • Dust Cutter

  • Fellow Osteria

  • Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine

  • Gertrude's at the Desert Botanical Garden

  • Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas Bluefire Grille

  • JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa

  • Kembara at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

  • Lylo Swim Club

  • Mujer Bonita Catering

  • Nella's Innovative Kreations

  • Prado at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia

  • Que Sazon South American Cuisine

  • Roka Akor

  • SanTan Brewing Company

Thank you to our esteemed judges: Bahar Anooshahr, Christopher Gross, Lori A. Hashimoto, Howard Seftel and Janos Wilder. 

Thank you to our sponsors: Young Presidents’ Organization, TCI Wealth Advisors, Sprouts Farmers Markets, Lyft, OneAZ Credit Union, Bar & Restaurant Insurance, Tempe Tourism, Pomegranate Press, Think Pro Graphics & Printing, Refresh Glass, Maverick Beverage Company, WÖlf Cutlery, Hensley Beverage Company, Mill, Framed Ewe, Belhaus, Sharpe Haus, SK Oil, Captains, Visit Tucson, One Stop Mail, Taste of AZ and Q'd UP.

 

Lori Cothrun
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