Foodie news roundup for the week of Nov. 5.
Join Quiessence and Arizona Rune Wines for an evening of seasonal garden cuisine next to Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm on Nov. 14. This from-the-garden dinner will pair this fall’s harvest with some of Arizona’s best wines from winemaker James Callahan of Rune Wines. The night begins with a passed hors d’oeuvre and sparkling wine reception and the option to take a tour of Soil & Seed Garden. Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m.; $89 per person, plus tax and gratuity. To reserve your seat for this at-the-garden wine experience, call 602.276.0601.
All Grimaldi’s locations in Arizona will be accepting donations of new and unused (nonviolent) toys and clothing on behalf of Childhelp until Dec. 25. If you are unable to donate at your local Grimaldi’s, visit Childhelp’s Amazon Wish List to make a donation of toys and clothing. While there, dig into the seasonal pumpkin cheesecake, available until Dec. 2.
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria and the Scottsdale Police Department are partnering together for a Tip a Cop fundraiser event to support Special Olympics Arizona on Thursday, Nov. 15, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at its three Scottsdale Locations. Scottsdale police officers will trade their badges for pizza aprons and athletes from the Special Olympics will be helping Grimaldi’s staff dish out some pies. Donations will be accepted in any amount, all to benefit special Olympics
For $19, guests can enjoy a limited-time Grateful Plateful (pictured) serving of half a rotisserie chicken, rosemary stuffing, gravy, roasted Brussels sprouts and fresh cranberry at Doughbird through Nov. 30. The culinary creation will be available for dine-in or to-go and $2 from every plate will be donated to St. Mary’s Food Bank.
Through Friday, Nov. 30, Macayo’s locations around the state will be participating in a fundraiser benefiting the Sojourner Center, with a goal to raise $10,000 for the organization. Macayo’s will donate $1 for every pumpkin flan and margarita cheesecake dessert sold, as well as $1 for every Perfect Patron and Barrel Select Margarita sold throughout the month.
Fat Ox invites you to enjoy your choice of a pasta, entrée or dessert, all brimming with fresh truffle flavors, or add fresh-shaved white or black truffles to your favorite Fat Ox entrée, during the Scottsdale restaurant’s truffle weekend (Nov. 8 through Nov. 11). Dishes include Carbonara Tajarin with white truffle, Parmesan and pancetta; wild salmon with black truffle, salsify, Meyer lemon and mushroom crumble; and Fior de Latte gelato with fresh-shaved white truffle.
Someburros president Tim Vasquez has unveiled his children’s book, “The Taco Stand.” The fictional story follows a family’s matriarch, Isabel, who’s cooked-with-love Mexican food catches the eye of a would-be investor who offers to transform her life with a major business opportunity. As she mulls the difficult decision, Isabel must weigh the importance of family and fortune, and between continuing her humble way of cooking for her community, or jumping headfirst into the world of big business alongside the investor. Local fans who purchase “The Taco Stand” at any Someburros location or at Isabel’s Amor for $14.95 will score a free dessert of their choice from Nov. 12 to Nov. 18. Dessert options include churros, chocolate chimis and more.
Arizona craft cideries are joining together to host an inaugural Southwest Cider Festival on Saturday, Nov. 10. The event will be at Cider Corps in Downtown Mesa from 1 to 6 p.m. At the Southwest Cider Festival, guests will have the chance to sample cider from more than a dozen craft cideries from Arizona, California, Texas, Colorado, Washington and New York as well as enjoy bites from local food trucks and live music. A portion of all tickets sales will go to Operation Homefront, a nonprofit organization supporting military families in our communities. Tickets are $50 and include up to 20 samples of ciders and a $5 voucher for food at one of several food truck vendors. More details about the festival can be found on its Facebook page.
On Nov. 14, CRUjiente Tacos will celebrate its two-year anniversary from 3 to 10 p.m. with all-day happy hour specials including $3.50 Korean fried chicken taco, $3.50 pork belly taco, $4.50 crunchy pork taco, $2 off cocktails and wines, and $1 off all draft and bottled beer.
On Nov. 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sonoita Vineyards in Elgin hosts the 18th Annual St. Martin’s Sonoita AVA New Release Festival and the 34th Anniversary of the Sonoita AVA (American Viticulture Area). Festivities include blessings of the new vintages, barrel tasting with Sonoita Vineyards, interactive and educational winemaker discussions, vineyard tours, and tastings of new and current releases from local Arizona wineries and vineyards. Additional festivities include holiday shopping with onsite vendors, activities for children, and live music. Two local restaurants, The Steak Out and Roadrunning Wood Fire Pizza, will be onsite with lunch offerings available for purchase. Admission is $35 and includes 15 tasting tickets and a souvenir glass. Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.sonoitavineyards.com.
The Culinary Festival at Notre Dame Prep is set to take place on Saturday, Nov. 10. NDP will be transformed into an elegant outdoor dining venue for the annual festival, beginning at 6 p.m. This year the participating restaurants include: Bourbon Steak, The Breakfast Joynt, The Capital Grille, Ciao Grazie, Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizza, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Ironwood American Kitchen, Mojo Yogurt, Snooze, The Thumb, Toro, and The Vig. The Notre Dame Prep Baking Club will host a dessert booth. Beer will be provided by Scottsdale Beer Company. Registration is online at ndpsaints.org/culinaryfest. The cost is $100 per person.
Spinato’s is giving away free dessert to anyone who donates $10 to the restaurant’sThanksgiving turkey drive for St. Mary’s. They are accepting donations through Nov. 15 at all five Spinato’s Valley locations.
Phoenix Rescue Mission’s Frozen Turkey Saturday event on Nov. 10 aims to collect more than 1,000 turkeys, which will be delivered directly to families in need for the Mission’s upcoming Food Box Delivery Day to be held the following weekend on Nov. 17. Those who drop off a turkey on Saturday, Nov. 10, can also tour the Mission’s Community Solutions Center and enjoy a free lunch and listen to live musical entertainment. Leading up to the event, the public can also drop off turkeys or food boxes at Phoenix Rescue Mission’s Community Solutions Center (1801 S. 35th Ave. in Phoenix), between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Voila French Bistro is hosting a charity three-course wine-paired dinner on Thursday, Nov. 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. The dinner is $89 per person and includes dishes like salmon three ways and mushroom-stuffed chicken. A portion of the proceeds from this special dinner will be donated to The Singletons (formerly Singleton Moms).
Breckenridge Brewery is hitting the road for its second-annual Breck Trek culture tour with its fifth stop being Tucson. Breck will take over the city the week of Nov. 12 with events including an intimate first-come, first-serve concert with Matt Nathanson (Nov. 14); an exclusive beer-pairing dinner at Union Public House (Nov. 15); and bar crawl/classic movie screening and live mural painting featuring local artist fleks, starting at Casa Film Bar (Nov. 13). All events are free and open to the public, though you have to win tickets here to the beer-pairing dinner.
Taste Tidbits
