All the news that’s fit to nosh
Taste of Italy: The ninth biannual Taste of Italy event is returning to Scottsdale Stadium on Saturday, October 21 and Sunday, October 22. The event will feature an array of local Italian food vendors, live music, artists and entertainment. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Guests can “ciao down” on some delicious food and take in all this international food fair has to offer for just $15 a person. Kids 12 and under are free. Purchase tickets here.
Creepy Cuisine: Local brunch spot Morning Squeeze is brewing up some spooktacular delights this Halloween season. With locations in Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix, this groovy diner is dishing out killer specials throughout October. Sink your teeth into the Blackberry Boos stuffed French toast with blackberry cream cheese, candied almonds, key lime whipped cream and blackberry compote. Sip on the bloody red Flor de Muerte Brunch Punch with hibiscus syrup, tequila and edible glitter. Fully immerse yourself in pumpkin spice season with a delicious pumpkin spice waffle – a Belgian waffle with mascarpone icing and crunchy pecans. Don’t miss out on these seasonal specials that are bound to cast a spell on your taste buds.
Devour Culinary Classic: Local foodies unite at Local First Arizona’s 15th annual Devour Culinary Classic, a highly anticipated tasting event happening Saturday, February 24 through Sunday, February 25. Partnering with the Desert Botanical Garden and the Southern Arizona Arts and Culture Alliance, Local First Arizona has curated a lineup of the most innovative and indulgent chefs, sommeliers, cicerones, and culinary artisans that the Valley has to offer. With more than 70 esteemed food and beverage establishments participating, this event is sure to be a hit for all guests, from the food-obsessed to the mostly unimpressed. Pre-sale tickets will be available for members of Local First Arizona, the Garden, and SAACA from Friday, October 27 to Thursday, November 2 at devourphoenix.com. Last year’s event sold out in three weeks so get your tickets ASAP.
Happy Hallowine: Get in the spirit this spooky season with two fun events at LDV Winery Tasting Room in Old Town Scottsdale. On Sunday, October 29 from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. grab your ghouls and guys for a wine and pumpkin painting class. The class includes the pumpkin, painting supplies and a glass of wine for $25. Call 480-664-4822 to register. On Halloween (Tuesday, October 31) guests can enjoy a wine and candy flight for just $15 all day.
Fangtastic Brunch: Head over to Z’Tejas Scottsdale on Saturday, October 28 for a yummy Halloween brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Get ready for a ghoulishly good time with a costume contest, face painter and balloon artist. Don’t miss out on its exclusive Halloween drink, La Muerte, featuring select barrel Maestro Dobel Diamante tequila, zesty lime juice and agave syrup, and served with a black salt rim and a purple-dyed skull-shaped ice cube, plus a touch of dry ice for extra flair. This tequila is a Z’Tejas exclusive, found nowhere else. Guests can also indulge in mouthwatering brunch options like bananas foster French toast, huevos rancheros, pork verde chilaquiles, and a barbacoa omelet.
Community Collabs: Local coffee shop Provision is partnering with Bagelfeld’s and Chula Seafood to bring guests some new food options. Provision patrons can enjoy Bagelfeld’s fresh bagels every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. It will also be serving a salmon lox bagel and arugula herb salad with Chula Seafood’s smoked salmon.
Time Warping Delights: Step into the madness at FOUND:RE Phoenix Hotel and Match Market & Bar on Friday, October 27. The hotel and restaurant are celebrating the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show just in time for Halloween. They’re hosting a themed dinner where guests can eat dinner while they watch this cult classic. The menu includes a themed four-course meal starting with “Dr. Frank N Furter Wedding Rice” (red beans and rice with a Fripper’s all beef hot dog). Courses two through four include “Come Up to the Lab and See What’s On The Slab” (Cobb salad with slab bacon, blue cheese, cherry tomatoes, house ranch, and iceberg lettuce), “EDDIE!!!!!” (BBQ glazed meatloaf, bacon fat mashed potatoes and citrus roasted carrots) and “Rose Tint My World” (rose and raspberry tiramisu). Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and dinner and the movie begin at 8 p.m. Cost is $89 per person plus tax and gratuity. To reserve seating, call 602-875-8080.
Cheers to Conservation: This month Huss Brewing Co. released an exclusive beer at The Phoenix Zoo, in support of the black-footed ferret. This animal was thought to be extinct, not once, but twice and The Phoenix Zoo is one of the six breeding facilities for these rare ferrets. The brewery is one of the prominent local brands featured at the zoo and they were asked to craft a beer that champions the zoo’s vital efforts in conservation. The Black-Footed Ferret IPA is a unique, unfiltered brew available now in both cans and on tap.
Eligible Menus:
I Scream, You Scream: Chef Christopher Collins is offering the new and exclusive dine-in-only Maine Lobster Roll, available every Friday at The Collins Small Batch Kitchen and Collins Bros. Chophouse. It’s prepared with fresh Maine lobster flown in weekly and features a Noble Bread New England Pan Roll, house-made Old Bay aioli, shallots, celery, butterleaf lettuce, and is served with Collins Slaw for just $28. Just steps away from Collins Bros. Chophouse is Sweet Provisions, which is offering two new Halloween ice cream flavors including the Candyman which combines malted ice cream with classic Halloween candies like Snickers, Heath Bar, Butterfinger and M&Ms. For a chilling twist, try Boo Scream Ice Cream, featuring orange cream-stuffed chocolate Oreo’s and fudge in vanilla ice cream. These scream-worthy flavors are available only for the month of October.
Fall Fare: Renowned James Beard Award-Winning Chef Scott Conant is unveiling an exciting autumn menu at his modern osteria, Mora Italian. The menu will feature more than a dozen seasonal staples and comforting classics. Some mouthwatering highlights include the citrus-fennel-dusted branzino served with marble potatoes, roasted sweet peppers, caramelized shallots and caper gremolata, squid ink tagliolini featuring clams, shrimp, lobster stock, baby tomatoes and Calabrian chile breadcrumbs, and casarecce with duck ragu, truffle, butternut squash and bitter greens.
New Restaurants on the Block:
Sip and Soar: The visionary team behind the beloved concepts of Wren & Wolf and Trophy Room are pleased to announce their next journey, Carry On. Drawing inspiration from vintage, luxury air travel, this one-of-a-kind cocktail experience is where guests will embark on an annually changing maiden voyage. They will indulge in “in-flight” cocktails that transport them to the top cocktail destinations in the world. This concept is preparing for takeoff in Downtown Phoenix soon.
Paradise Found: The beloved Valley liquor store, Trevor’s Liquor, is set to open its fourth location in late 2024. It will be located at PV, the highly anticipated Paradise Valley Mall redevelopment. It’s the first liquor store in the Valley to seamlessly combine a beer and wine bar, a beer cave, a walk-in humidor, an indoor lounge and a cigar smoking lounge – all complemented by an exceptional array of craft beer, fine wine, unique spirits and luxury cigars. This new 13,700-square-foot venue will also boast a full-service restaurant and bar, a spacious outdoor patio and cutting-edge golf simulators.
