Tag: Local First Arizona

Project Roots AZ “Taste of the Garden” to feature locally grown food

Local non-profit Project Roots AZ hosts its inaugural fundraiser, “Taste of the Garden” on Saturday, April 30th at 6 p.m. The Spaces of Opportunity garden at 1200 W. Vineyard Rd in Phoenix will host well respected Phoenix area chef members of Local First Arizona who will prepare foods grown and harvested by Project Roots AZ volunteers.

“Creating dishes for people that come directly from the community gardens at Spaces of Opportunities is a perfect way for stakeholders to see a value in what we are doing first-hand,” said Bridget Pettis, Project Roots AZ co-founder and former WNBA Phoenix Mercury player and Chicago Sky coach.

Pettis started the non-profit in 2019 to provide access to nutritious foods and promote a healthier way of living in urban neighborhoods. She uses her gardening knowledge to help educate the undeserved in Arizona with community gardens and mobile kitchens. Volunteers grow fruits and vegetables in two community gardens then have them donated to local food banks, sold at farmer’s markets and sold through produce box deliveries. These proceeds then get reinvested in the non-profit to help feed more people.

“Most people in the Valley don’t have the luxury of experiencing food that comes directly from garden to table, that’s something we are excited to share during this fundraiser,” Pettis added. “The chefs we are working with are amazingly creative. The dishes they’ve crafted showcase the fruits of our labor perfectly.”

Monies raised from the “Taste of the Garden” event will help support programs including gardening classes for kids & adults and cooking demonstrations that help educate the community on how to cook and prepare their own food. Tickets are $100 each and can be reserved here.

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.

“Show Us Your Tickets” for a FREE breakfast cocktail at OEB

If you’ve been or are going to the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament this weekend take your ticket to OEB Breakfast Co. for a FREE breakfast cocktail. Only minutes from the TPC Scottsdale, the promotion is good for one week after the tournament. Choose a Mimosa or another breakfast cocktail with proof of attendance.

TLC eXperience rescheduled dinner is next week

The planned January dinner had to be rescheduled for next Saturday February 19th at the new hip event venue Juncture in Phoenix. The monthly supper club menu is a surprise and starts with cocktail hour at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6. The dinner makes a great late Valentine’s Day gift if you can’t make it to Monday’s dinner at Agritopia.

Still time to order your meals for Devour at Home

Local First Arizona’s Devour Week is a couple of weeks away but you only have until next Friday, February 18th to order your dinners for Devour at Home. Tickets are still available for the Seven Chefs dinner on the 20th which is the lick-off of the annual event. Both events are expected to sell out in the next week so don’t hesitate.

Restaurant delays for Pork on a Fork lead to permanent food truck.

Almost a year ago I blogged about the award-winning Pork on a Fork opening a restaurant in Chandler but like many businesses there have been challenges. In November 21st Sips & Bites’ I mentioned that with delays the owners set up their food truck at the location of where their restaurant will be. With continued delays the food truck is now permanent fixture with a drive-thru opening in March. They still hope to open the restaurant and the food truck will be there until it does. A limited menu of dishes is available Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday’s starting next week February 20th.

Arizona Restaurant Assoc. announces Spring 2022 Arizona Restaurant Week

The 10-day event returns Friday May 20 – Sunday May 29th with local restaurants offering creative dishes created for ARW. The popular event offers 3-course prie-fixe dinners are served for $35, $45 or $55 depending on the restaurant. Many new and returning restaurants participate in ARW with a list of restaurants and their menus available on May 1st and gets update as new restaurants get added. Reservations are highly recommended during the 10 days.

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.

Local First Arizona announces the return of “Devour at Home” in 2022

Local First Arizona announced that when Devour Week returns for its 13th year in February 2022 its signature event will be “Devour at Home” for the second year in a row. To kick-off the popular culinary event “Devour Week”, will be the in-person “Seven Chefs” dinner on Sunday, February 20th.

Like “Devour at Home” in 2021, foodies can order dinner from any number of participating restaurants from January 31st – February 18th and pick up dinner on Saturday February 26th. More than 430 dinners were prepared for “Devour at Home” in 2021 raising almost $75,000 for participating restaurants.  3-course dinners for 2 are $95 and $200 for 4 with orders packed in commemorative tote that includes other goodies.

Returning restaurants include Beckett’s Table, Cibo Pizza & FnB with new restaurants include Sapiens Paleo Kitchen and Kaizen. To see all participating restaurants and menus as they become available visit the website that is updated as restaurants are added. Each menu is in limited quantities and orders are suggested early as they all sold out in 2021.

The “Seven Chefs” Dinner will be the evening of the 20th at The Gladly with details of the 7 chefs and the menu announced in early January. Proceeds from both events will go to participating restaurants. For more information about Local First Arizona visit their website.

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.

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.

Celebrate the 1st TLC Experience dinner of the season

Chef Tom‘s birthday is fast approaching and you can celebrate with him at the first dinner of the Fall season. Sunday September 19th at a private home in Paradise Valley is where the 4 hour dinner will take place. As always the evening’s menu is a surprise but you know it’s going to be good, sourcing from local farms and artisan food makers. Become a member of the EXperince and get more details here.

Labor Day Weekend deals at restaurants around Phoenix

Celebrate at home with a Hopdoddy Burger Bar DIY Burger Kit, Family Packs at Miracle Mile Deli for pick-up, take-out or delivery. Other deals at Dave & Busters at Tempe Marketplace, STK Steakhouse, 50% of cheese pizza on Sunday 9/5 National Pizza Day at Fired Pie, a free domestic draft beer with purchase at Comic X, Slices get 2 large slices & drink for $7.99. BBQ style meals for catering family meals or individual meals from EAT by Stacey Weber. In downtown Phoenix head to Palomar at Kimpton Hotel as they are offering 5-7-9 Happy Hour from 4-6 p.m. $5 beers, $7 glasses of wine & $9 Old Fashioneds with bites to eat from $5-$7.

Ingo’s Tasty Food now open in downtown Phoenix

As mentioned in May the 2nd location of the popular hangout at Block 23 at 101 E. Washington St. across from Chase Field and the Footprint Center. An all-day menu and LGO pastries are served Monday – Friday starting at 7 a.m. with Saturday and Sunday hours coming soon.

The Good Food Film Series new line-up announced

Local First Arizona has announced the next 3 films in the series focusing on the Arizona food community. The Fall film series showcases films dealing with how we heal the earth & how we can connect to the land. The Trail of Arizona Dairy (releasing on Sept. 14), Food as Medicine (releasing on Oct. 12),Farming as a Revolutionary Act for Food Sovereignty (releasing on Nov. 9).

11th annual AZ Taco Festival postponed til 2022

Organizers decided to pause the popular food festival as the Delta variant of Covid-19 is takings its toll. The festival is now re-scheduled April 9th & 10th 2022 and the regularly schedule 2022 taco festival is still scheduled only 6 months later on October 22nd & 23rd 2022. All tickets purchased for the 2021 festival will be honored in April 2022. Head to their website for more information.

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.

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.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria launches new Spring menu

The new menu at the 7 Arizona locations celebrates the Garden of Flavors thru June 7th. Seasonal ingredients include artichokes, asparagus, sweet peaches and more. Dishes like the Panzanella Salad, Bacon & Asparagus Pizza go well with new cocktails such as the Kentucky Peach Mule & Peach Bellini. A new cauliflower crust pizza has been added as has desserts Banana Cream Cheese Cake and Caramel Coconut Cheesecake.

Found:RE Hotel celebrates Women in Wine

The downtown Phoenix hotel and signature restaurant Match Market & Bar feature wines made by women all month long in honor of International Women’s Day Monday March 8th. 18 wines from around the world are featured with a portion of sales donated to Hope Women’s Center. Many of the wines feature also donate to women’s causes around the world.

Local First Arizona film series highlights local food economy & community

March 9th is the first of a monthly series of its Good Food Film Series featuring 12 independent short films. Each film discusses the challenges the farm and food community faces over the next year. The first film titled “The State of Arizona Farmland” about the owners of Blue Sky Farms. April 13th will be “Are Edible Landscapes and Trees the answer to Arizona’s Rising Climate Crisis?” and May 11th brings “The Business of Farm to Food Banks“.

A Su Salud virtual kitchen offers healthy Mexican food.

Pita Jungle has jumped into the virtual kitchen game with A Su Salud at its Tempe location. Meaning “to your health” A Su Salud offers Mexican wood fired specialties available for pick-up or delivery from DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grub Hub and Postmates. Bowls, burritos, salads, tacos and fajitas are on the menu along with healthy kid options and Pita Jungle desserts.

All-you-can-eat tacos at Jalapeno Inferno

Every Taco Tuesday customers visiting the Pinnacle Peak, DC Ranch and Park West restaurants can get as many tacos as you can eat for $10.99. The special price is for dine-in only.

 

 

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.

FRANCINE adds new dishes using award-winning olive oil

The Scottsdale restaurant is now using MillPress Imports olive oils sourced from Spain for new dishes. FRANCINE owner Laurent Balasz met MillPress owner Tim Balshi 15 years ago and uses his olive oil at his L.A. restaurant Fig & Olive. A few of the south of France inspired dishes using the olive oil include Mediterranean Branzino, Grilled Lamb Rack and Golden Apple Pear Sorbet.

Devour at Home pre-orders start February 1st

Foodies can start to order meals for the virtual food festival starting this coming Monday. Local restaurants will prepare meals for the weekend of February 27th and 28th. The virtual Devour at Home is the 2021 version of the annual Devour Culinary Classic from Local First Arizona. Only 25 orders from each restaurant will be available with 10 restaurants participating each day. Orders can be placed starting at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. on February 19th. For more information and to place an order visit https://www.devourphoenix.com/

Pita Jungle’s new food truck rolls out in February

The locally owned Mediterranean food restaurants with locations around Phoenix debuts its new food truck next month. Selections from their menu will be available around Phoenix and will soon be available for private events and corporate functions. New dishes just for the on the go crowd will be available along with meal combos at a set price. Find out where to find the food truck at https://www.pitajungle.com/

National Tater Tot Day at Angel’s Trumpet Alehouse

Enjoy the popular side dish on February 2nd at the downtown taphouse and restaurant with a Basket O’ Tots for $7. The special is available all day and even during happy hour form 3-6 p.m. where you can get $5 pints of local drafts and $9 flatbreads. You can ask for basket upgrade for only $2 more.

Daily Dose debuts dinner at its midtown location

Good news for dinner fans, the restaurant known for fresh and scratch made brunch debuts dinner on Tuesday February 2nd at its 20th St. and Highland location. New dishes include Chorizo Mac n Cheese, Roasted Baby Back Ribs, a selection of loaded fries and more. A new budget friendly happy hour will also be available and includes new cocktails.

 

Devour at Home, a virtual Devour Culinary Classic coming in February

2021 is almost here but we’re not out of the woods yet from Covid-19 so virtual get togethers are still happening in the new year. Continuing to support local restaurants Local First Arizona announced their annual Devour Culinary Classic is going online with Devour at Home the weekend of February 27-28.

Each day local chefs will prepare and have delivered a special prix-fixe meal to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. There will be a limited amount of meals offered with each meal being $200 and feeds 4 people. Each meal includes wine glasses, warming instructions, chef bios, a 2021 Devour at Home place mat and a commemorative thermal tote.

Chefs participating in Devour at Home include Danielle Leoni of The Breadfruit & Rum Bar, Stephen Jones of The Larder +Delta, Silvana Salcido Esparanza of Barrio Cafe and others. Attendees can show off their plating skills from home to win prizes selected by the chefs and other virtual experiences. The nationally recognized event plans to return in person when CDC guidelines allow.

The participating restaurants will receive 100% of all proceeds from the weekend’s event. You can order your meals starting on February 15th and get more information at https://www.devourphoenix.com/.

 

Feed Phoenix initiative wants local food community to help feed the hungry

The city of Phoenix and Local First Arizona have joined forces to feed the city’s hungry for the Feed Phoenix initiative. They are using money from the CARES Act to recruit local restaurants, farmers & food entrepreneurs to provide and prepare meals. By keeping it with local businesses the money spent will stay local, sustain local jobs & supply chain and keep Phoenicians healthy.

“We are proud to be partnering on such a thoughtful and innovative approach to feeding Phoenix families. This initiative will touch all layers of our local food system and make the greatest impact possible for small businesses across various industries. From local chefs featuring three locally-sourced vegetables in every meal to opting for sustainable to-go packaging for delivery, community-driven solutions to complex problems are how we build a stronger local food system,” said Local First Founder Kimber Lanning.

Local businesses looking to participate in the Feed Phoenix initiative have until 12:00 pm on July 17th to submit a proposal to https://www.localfirstaz.com/feed-phoenix . Restaurants, farmers, caterers, mobile markets, and event venues are encouraged to apply for the 3 month program.

Feed Phoenix requirements

Businesses applying have to….

–Be located in Phoenix and have proper licenses and insurance to prepare food for consumption.

-Be able to prepare, store, and safely deliver 500 meals per day. A minimum of one day per week for six weeks, using compostable packaging. 

-Use locally-sourced vegetables as part of the meal to be purchased by Local First

“We are excited that through this partnership we are able to feed individuals and families who are most vulnerable to hunger as a result of the pandemic. This effort also allows us to create economic opportunities for our local businesses and build relationships with our local farmers,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “This innovative approach will benefit our local food system now and in the future.”

“I think it’s important to note the city could have chosen to hire one very large company to prepare all of these meals using food grown on the other side of the country. But instead, they contracted with us to spread the funds around locally so we can impact as many Phoenix businesses and jobs as possible,” Lanning added.

2020 Arizona Food & Farm Forum hopes to go off as scheduled

With current events planning a festival or other culinary events is hard not knowing how the coronavirus will affect future events. I’m hoping the 2020 Arizona Food & Farm Forum goes off as planned on April 28th & 29th 2020. The two day conference of farmers, local food advocates and food entrepreneurs will be held at the Corona Ranch & Rodeo Grounds in Laveen.

Organized by Local First Arizona the forum helps build and strengthen relationships aimed at collaborations between the Arizona food and farm industry. Arizona’s farming future will be discussed among the more than 200 food entrepreneurs and advocates.

“Phoenix is committed to achieving a healthy, sustainable, equitable, and thriving food system and has recently completed a 2025 Food Action Plan that includes various strategies and actions that address food insecurity, urban agriculture, land use, job creation, and the contribution of the entire food system to our local economy,” said city of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.

She added, “We are excited to host the Arizona Food & Farm Forum in South Phoenix to showcase the rich agricultural history of the area, its assets, and value to the development of a resilient food system for future generations.”

Arizona Food & Farm Forum line-up

The 2020 Arizona Food & Farm Forum will have farm tours, workshops and networking opportunities for all to participate in. Keynote speakers include Nephi Craig, Founder of the Native American Culinary Association, Lilian Hill, Executive Director of the Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture Institute and Sara Dolan, Owner of Blue Sky Organic Farms.

“From strategizing local opportunities for farmland conservation to exploring food as medicine, the 2020 agenda is focused on ensuring Arizona can thrive as a delicious and nutritious place to live,” said Kate Radosevic, Local First Arizona Food & Farm Initiatives Manager.

This year’s theme is “Celebrating Heritage and Planning for the Future” with sub-themes….. Planning for the Future is centered around policy and systemic changes, including strategy sessions on Agriculture Workforce Development, Urban Farmland Conservation, and Funding Community Food Systems.

Indigenous Foodways will provide a space for tribal members and allies to explore Decolonization Through Food, learn from the American Indian Farmers’ Panel, and explore Food as Medicine.

Growing a Food Business will offer technical assistance in Building Your Brand; Protecting Yourself & Your Workers in a Hotter, Drier Climate; and Strategies for Diversifying Farm Revenue Streams.

Tickets for the 2020 Arizona Food & Farm Forum are $99 for 2 days & $59 for 1 day. Students, ranchers and young farmers are $40 for 2 days and $20 for 1 day. Local First Arizona members will save 10% when you use the promo code “LOCALFIRST”. For more information and to purchase tickets head to the website.

 

Coronavirus and the Phoenix restaurant and hospitality community

As we are now well into this Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic its taking its toll on every industry around the world. Here in Arizona festivals and events are being cancelled or postponed, restaurants and other business’s are voluntarily cutting back hours. As I saw this weekend several Phoenix restaurants continued to be busy with people going out to eat & drink. Many are sending out emails and posting on social media how their following deep cleaning and sanitizing procedures and following guidelines from local and state health departments.

FnB and Rancho Pinot Grill made tough decisions to close their dining rooms but stay open to provide meals for take out or delivery. I’m sure others will follow with these and other decisions while looking at creative and necessary ways to continue to serve our community and pay staff and other expenses. So far the State of Arizona hasn’t required businesses to shut down the way other states have enforced curfews and closings.

How you can help during the coronavirus

When a cure is found for Coronavirus and the risk of it spreading slows down hopefully many of our favorite restaurants and hospitality industry rebounds with no permanent closures. Sadly I feel several will close permanently due to the sudden drop in business right during our busy season. Dining out is a great way to help local restaurants whether you cautiously dine-in, have food delivered or taken- out or buying a gift card for a future visit. If you do the latter I hope the restaurant or businesses are still in business when you choose to visit.

Looking on the bright side we as a community learn from experiences like we’re going through. New processes are being learned and implemented but may become a reality for when things return to as they were. Full service restaurants like FnB and Rancho Pinot may continue to do more take-out business than traditional dining. As few businesses may fall others will be created to take their place. Hopefully this will be short lived and we can get back to gathering at festivals & restaurants and sharing meals & good times together but it’s up to us to minimize the damage by supporting local restaurants and business when we can afford to and feel safe doing so. Visit Local First Arizona for a list of locally owned businesses you can support. Be safe!