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West of Western Culinary Festival
Category :
Chef2Chef News Desk
Phoenix,
AZ, February 13, 2006 -- Westerners are famous for being closed-mouthed
and taciturn... unless they’re bragging, of course. In Arizona, local
chefs have bragging rights to being among the best in the nation, and
they prove it by dishing it out in March at the third annual
celebration of the West of Western Culinary Festival. The two-day food
and wine extravaganza, held in the heart of the burgeoning downtown
Phoenix arts and cultural scene, features over fifty chefs who are
collectively redefining the image of the West.
Named “a who’s
who in Arizona food” (Karen Fernau, The Arizona Republic, March 16,
2005), this young festival presents many acclaimed talents, such as
James Beard Foundation Best Chef Southwest award winners Bradford
Thompson of Mary Elaine’s at The Phoenician and Roaring Fork’s Robert
McGrath; joined by Silvana Salcido Esparza of Barrio Café; Beau
MacMillan of elements at Sanctuary; Lee Hillson of T. Cook’s at The
Royal Palms, and many, many others at The Grand Tasting, where top
chefs working alongside their staffs in a flurry of non-stop food
preparation and delivery display their technique al fresco.
The
party also includes The Wine Table, with experts pouring over fifty
wineries from worldwide vineyards. Admission to the Grand Tasting and
The Wine Table is inclusive with the Festival Food & Wine Pass
admission.
New programming this year includes: a different list
of chefs presenting Saturday and Sunday; wine and food talks by local
restaurant critics and cookbook authors; inter-active demonstrations
for adults and children; and a new festival design.
A big-top
tent and additional canopies will provide respite from the Arizona sun
and weather, creating a relaxing outdoor experience.
Take a
break from sampling the dozens of dishes and wines to stroll over to A
Desert Diversity Expo, featuring fresh boutique and heirloom produce by
local growers and food producers, all for sale with Arizona-made
prepared food items. Live acoustic jazz will play under the trees,
completing the Garden Party atmosphere.
The Festival is
produced by Cakewalk Projects in partnership with Food & Life
Arizona, KTAR 92.3 FM & 620 AM, Slow Food Phoenix, Community Food
Connections/ Downtown Phoenix Public Market.
West of Western
Culinary Festival will take place Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March
25, 2007 from 12 – 5pm at Arizona Center, 455 N 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ
85004. Tickets may be purchased in advance at a reduced rate, or at the
gate. Single day passes start at $57; two-day passes start at $105.
West of Western Culinary Festival is a prix-fixe event- there are no
extra charges for food samples or wine tastings. Youth Passes are
available; children 8 and under admitted free. Ample parking available
at covered garage at the Festival site.
For more information or to purchase tickets, contact West of Western Culinary Festival at http://westofwestern.com or (602) 262-5652.
Chef Bradford Thompson and the crew of Mary Elaine's
at The Grand Tasting
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