Dining Out with the Valley's Culinary Kings & Queens
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| Hannah E Williams |
| From left, Lon's Executive Chef Jeremy Pacheco, Wildfish Seafood Grill Executive Chef Jennifer Anderson, Café ZuZu Executive Chef Charles Wiley,Tracy Dempsey Originals Owner/Chef Tracy Dempsey, and J&G Steakhouse Chef de Cuisine Jacques Qualin. |
Pamela Swartz, author of Dine Out Phoenix and the event's organizer, wasn't kidding when she told us "they don't skimp." Some of the chefs served up more three or more dishes at their stations.
The highlights:
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| Hannah E Williams |
| Osso's watermelon salad, left, and Howson and Prado's mozzarella. |
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| Hannah E Williams |
| Scallops from Cafe ZuZu, left, and SWB. |
Click through for more food porn and our tips for next year...
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| Hannah E Williams |
| Team Mission, left, and Team Zinc. |
And don't even get us started on all the sweets: pecan pie from Tracy Dempsey Originals' Tracy Dempsey, a fruit torte from Arcardia Farms' Carolyn Ellis, sopapillas from the Televera crew, tea-flavored ice creams from Sweet Republic's Helen Yung, and chocolate cake truffles from Julia Baker Confections' Julia Baker (clockwise below).
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| Hannah E Williams |
We washed it all down with Cruz Tequila, Pillsbury Wine and an elderflower Arnold Palmer from Espressions Coffee Roastery.
A couple suggestions...
Give us a little room to breathe, eat and digest! The doors opened at 4 p.m., and we didn't see the line, but it must have been around the block. By the time we arrived and moseyed on inside at 10 after, the place was a madhouse of diners clamoring to score the delicious dishes and face time with the chefs responsible for them.
Announce other events and stick to the schedule. We tried to duck in to both of Sportsman's Wine 101's at least a good 15 minutes before they began, but they were both a) full and b) already in session. Outdoor food demos were somewhat neglected, and the launch of the Dine Out Phoenix mobile app got lost amongst all the chef stations. Next time, make sure everyone has a chance to get a taste of everything.
Still, the chefs were on point, the food was delicious, and we ate ourselves silly and (literally) rolled out...
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