Sips & Bites: News you can use from the Phoenix restaurant community

Quick sips & bites of news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries and wineries.

Rio Verde on the map for March’s TLC eXperience dinner

The sunset, desert and the stars will be the setting on Sunday, March 27th for the monthly supper club’s dinner. The Vista, a private ranch in the northeast valley will play host when Chef Tom’s mystery menu is served. Cocktail hour starts at 4:30 with dinner at 5:30. Seats are limited and are $175 per person and can be reserved here.

No spring training, no problem at Il Vinaio.

The downtown Mesa restaurant is giving locals and out of towners an exciting evening next Tuesday, March 8th with its Daylight Wines Pairing Dinner. The 4-course dinner will be paired with winemaker Doug Bezenberg in attendance. The dinner & wines are $48 per person and starts at 6:30 p.m. Il Vinaio is at 270 W Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201.

A few seats left for the Pillsbury Gone Wild dinner

Sam Pillsbury pairs his award-winning wines with dinner next Friday March 11th for the 6 course dinner at their Cottonwood tasting room. The dinner is $139 with wine, $98 without and you can reserve your seat(s) by calling Val at 949-466-1054.

Pedal Haus Brewery brews a special beer for International Women’s Day

The female leadership at the local brewer will be brewing Desert Classic Pale Ale to celebrate women on March 8th. The beer, part of their rotating hop series at their 3 Phoenix area locations won’t be available until April. When it is $1 of every pint will be donated to the non-profit Pink Boots Society.

Gilbert Pizza Festival postponed til 2023

Organizers had hoped to have the inaugural pizza festival in the east valley in March 2020 and you know by now what happened. Rescheduled to March 2021 and another postponement came again. All things were good for March 2022 but the venue was booked. Fast forward a year from now organizers are planning March 18th 2023 to make the festival happen. Tickets purchased will be honored in 2023 but if you want a refund email dave@phxfest.com

Don’t forget to check out my podcast Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment.

Gilbert Pizza Festival slices up crave worthy food for first annual event

Update: Festival tentatively postponed until April 25. Tickets to be valid then. Those wanting a refund can email dave@phxfest.com until March 21st. Check back to details.

Details were announced this week for the inaugural Gilbert Pizza Festival on Saturday, March 21st 2020. 15 pizza vendors will meet up south of downtown at the Gilbert Civic Center for six hours of pizza heaven starting at 11 a.m. Slices will be sold for $2-$4 and whole pies will be available.

Local pizza makers Fiordino’s Pizza Muffin Truck, Il Bosco, Freak Bros., NYPD and Jimmy & Joe’s are a few scheduled to participate. Local craft brewer Arizona Wilderness will be pouring beer and wine for festival goers. The festival will offer a dessert station to sweetin’ things up along with lawn games from AZ Board Source, live music and a kid’s craft zone.

Tickets for the Gilbert Pizza Festival are available online for $10 at their website. The festival is expected to sell out in advance like the Phoenix Pizza Festival from the same event organizer. Kids 12 and under are free. More pizza vendors are being added and stay up to date by checking their website.

The Gilbert Civic Center is at 50 E. Civic Center Drive, Gilbert, AZ 85296.

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