In case you haven’t heard, Tucson joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2015 as the United State’s first City of Gastronomy.

On June 29, UNESCO headquarters in Paris will host a special reception honoring the Tucson City of Gastronomy designation.

Tucson’s own James Beard award-winning chef Janos Wilder will represent Tucson with the following menu:

Janos Wilder’s City of Gastronomy Designation Reception Menu 

Passed Botanas

• Chilled Mango Soup –  spicy crab aioli, jalapeño orange vinaigrette
• Braised Beef Cheek – Anita’s soft tacos, cabbage radish slaw, salsa fresca
• Mushroom, Queso, & Poblano Flautas – saguaro blossom crema

Made-to-Order Action Stations

• Shrimp Mojo de Ajo – frijoles maneados, roasted pepper, cabbage slaw, pickled cholla buds, chiltepin salsa
• Pork Tenderloin Adobado – chipotle black bean sauce, achiote vinaigrette, guacamole
• Beef Salpicon + Escabeche – green chile sauce, prickly pear crema

Tray Passed Desserts

• Assorted Mezcal, Bacanora, Tamarindo, & Chile-Scented Chocolate Truffles

Libations

• Ahumado Fresca – Mesquite smoked honey, house made tamarind sauce, Sotol, lime
• Whiskey Del Bac

The Parish bartenders Stephanie Kingman and Kris Carr created the Ahumado Fresca, which was the winner of the Tucson Feeds Paris Cocktail Challenge hosted by Wilder and the Carriage House.

While Tucsonans will miss out on the Paris menu, Wilder is bringing the flavors of other UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy with his annual Around the Globe Culinary Tour at DOWNTOWN Kitchen + Cocktails. Each city will have their own Carriage House class and dinner, plus a special menu available alongside DTKC’s main menu.

This year’s cities include the following:

• Dénia, Spain: May 30 – July 17
• Florianópolis, Brazil: July 18 – August 21, class and dinner July 21
• Shunde, China: August 22 – October 2, class and dinner August 18
• Zahlé, Lebanon: October 3 – November 13, class and dinner September 29

While the Dénia class has passed, the menu available through July 17 features the following:

Appetizers

• Manchego & Piquillo Pepper Arancini (3) + Ben Forbe’s Chorizo Chipolatas – romesco sauce
• Tuna Crostino – olive oil purée, manzanilla olives, marcona almonds, orange supremes, dry-cured ahi shavings, blood orange oil
• Gazpacho Verde – cucumber, honeydew, avocado soup with crab, fennel, lemon crème fraiche salad, dehydrated strawberries

Main Courses

• Shrimp + Calamari with Smoked Paprika – garlic butter, black squid ink cooked rice, red pepper aioli, lemon + herb espuma
• Grilled Pork Tenderloin + Summer Cherry Compote – patatas bravas, goat cheese and pickled onions
• Orange Seared Duck Breast – sweet and sour honey orange, black bean fritter, charred eggplant purée, watercress salad with candied orange zest, Marcona almonds and blood orange oil

Dessert

• Cherry Pannacotta + Almond Turron – Licor 43 spiked cherry sauce
• Drunken Orange Polenta Cake + Olive Oil Ice Cream – orange compote

For Wilder’s notes on Paris, visit carriagehousetucson.com.

DOWNTOWN Kitchen + Cocktails is located at 135 S. 6th Ave. and can be reached at (520) 623-7700. For more information, visit downtownkitchen.com.