CITYSunTimes Web Exclusives April 2010
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FOOD & WINE
It is April, spring has sprung and thoughts turn to outdoor food fests. The big guns of the Valley food scene will be out in force this month with three fabulous opportunities to tantalize your taste buds.
First up is the 2010 Forks & Corks event on April 8 at the Camelback Esplanade. Stars of the Valley’s culinary scene join forces once again for a high-energy celebration of food and wine at the seventh annual Forks & Corks. More than 20 of the top chefs from renowned restaurants and resorts will be on hand to prepare specialties from their respective menus. Guests will indulge in savory samplings while enjoying jazz by Doc Jones & Nayo. Tastings from boutique wineries and microbreweries will also be available, as well as a silent auction featuring opportunities to purchase Arizona getaways and gift certificates.
Proceeds from the event will provide scholarships for the Arizona Hotel and Restaurant Education Foundations, local non-profits that support the rising stars of the industry.
The 21-and-over event runs from 5:30-8pm in the courtyard of the Esplanade (Camelback and 24th Street). Tickets are $65 in advance or $75 at the door. For more information, call 602.604.0729 or visit forksandcorks.org.
The first annual Arizona Barbeque Festival (ABF) will complete the week on April 9-10. The brainchild of EaterAZ.com’s Rick Phillips and David Tyda, the event brings together the finest of foodies and down-home grillers to celebrate the best in BBQ at Southbridge in Old Town Scottsdale.
More than 50 BBQ teams, ranging from world champions to eager first-timers, will compete for $20,000 in prize money in this Triple Crown, Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned event.
The festival kicks off on Friday, April 9 with ABF’s opening night VIP dinner, which will feature local celebrity chefs and others who will compete for BBQ bragging rights. Dinner will be paired with fine wines and spirits as well as entertainment.
Saturday, April 10, the main event runs from 10am-4pm. Guests will enjoy $2 samples (half to charity) of the competitive barbecue while listening to live music, browsing the on-site farmer’s market, watching cooking demos by celebrity chefs, entering a Texas Hold-Em Contest, voting on a beauty pageant, walking through the expo of green exhibitors and letting the kids loose in the Kid’s Zone.
Select proceeds from all profits will benefit Operation Homefront, a non-profit that provides aid to the families of enlisted American military.
For more information, visit azbbqfestival.com.
Finally, the grandmother of them all, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival, offers six days of food, wine and fun from April 13-18. The Scottsdale Culinary Festival is the longest running festival of its kind in the United States and draws more than 40,000 visitors looking to enjoy fabulous food, fun and festivities.
This year’s festival will feature a host of events from cooking demonstrations by some of the nation's top chefs to a one-of-a-kind James Beard out of the house dinner. It will also benefit numerous arts and arts education programs throughout Arizona and provide scholarships for students enrolled in culinary institutes.
The Festival’s main event is the Great Arizona Picnic, Saturday, April 17, from 12-9pm and Sunday, April 18, from 12-6pm at the Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza, 7380 East 2nd Street. Sample food from more than 50 restaurants, and enjoy cooking demonstrations from local and national chefs. Taste creative vodka drinks at the Absolut Bistro, sample over 200 beers in the Southwest Festival of Beers, enjoy Mexican food and Patron margaritas at Camarones Margarita Village, and rum-themed drinks at the Bacardi Beach. Dance to rocking music performed by bands on two main stages. For the families attending on Sunday, be sure to check out the Kids Zone.
For more information, visit scottsdaleculinaryfestival.org.
FOOD & WINE Web Exclusive | CITYSunTimes April 2010