Foodie Events from Dec. 15 – 21: Holiday tea, champagne & a Chinese-Sonoran feast

It’s the last weekend before Christmas! If you’re not spending it wrapped up with holiday shopping, check out some of the local events happening around town.

To name a few, there’s Holiday Tea at the Loews Ventana Canyon, S’mores night at Borderlands Brewing, and champagne tasting at Tap & Bottle North — that’s just for Friday!

Keep on reading to see what else could be in store for your weekend. Also, shameless plug for the Tucson Foodie and Maynards Presents – A Chinese Sonoran Christmas Feast on Tuesday, December 20. We’d love to have you join!

It’d be impossible to round up all of the upcoming events, so don’t forget to check out our Events Directory for a full list of upcoming Foodie events.

HOLIDAY TEA AT LOEWS VENTANA CANYON

Thursday & Friday, December 15 & 16 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Loews Ventana Canyon, 7000 N. Resort Dr.

Details are a bit limited, but Loews Ventana Canyon is hosting its Holiday Tea in their Cascade Lounge. There’ll be a delightful three-course holiday-inspired tea menu and champagne along with a live harpist in Cascade Lounge.

Cost: $65 per person. Select from morning or afternoon seating.

YAY BUBBLES! TICKETED TASTING AT T&B NORTH!

Friday, December 16 from 5 – 8 p.m.

Tap & Bottle North, 7254 N. Oracle Rd.

Sample 15 sparkling wines from around the world! Tap & Bottle will be pouring Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Lambrusco, Pét-Nat, and more. Small bites will be provided by Holy Focaccia to accompany the wine flights.

Tickets will have timed entry: 5 – 6:30 p.m. and 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Cost: $49 includes tax and tip and 15 pours. Purchase your tickets here.

S’MORES NIGHT SATURDAY

Saturday, December 17

Borderlands Brewing Company, 119 E. Toole Ave.

Borderlands is hosting a S’mores Night on their patio on Saturday. They’ll be supplying graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, and fire pits! Enjoy some s’mores with your friends and family. By the way, S’mores pair well with their Award-Winning German Chocolate Cake Porter.

Cost: $10 which includes your very own s’mores kit.

Quince Cooking Workshop with Carolyn Niethammer

Saturday, December 17 from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.

The Mission Garden, 946 W. Mission Ln.

Spend some time learning how to cook with quince with Carolyn Niethammer, local food writer and jam expert.

This class will cover the basics of making quince jam and using quince in other sweet and savory dishes. You will also learn the origins and history of quince trees and fruit and their use through the centuries. The techniques you will learn for making quince jam are transferable to other fruit jams.

The class will give you:

• Recipes for jam, and baked goods
• A small jar of jam to take home
• Enough quince fruit to make a batch of jam at home
• Refreshments include a quince empanada and a slice of quince torte

Cost: $60. Purchase workshop ticket here.

GLUTEN FREE SHORTBREAD & CIDER FLIGHT

Saturday, December 17 from 1 – 7 p.m.

Bawker Bawker Cider, 400 N. Fourth Ave.

Join Bawker Bawker for a “sweet” evening with the Gourmet Girls. They’ll feature a flight of three shortbreads with delightfully paired ciders (3.5 ounces), including:

MR. BING’S SUPPER CLUB PRESENTS THE HOLIDAY GALA

Sunday, December 18 from 5 – 8:30 p.m.

Savoy Opera House, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Rd. #22

Take a magical journey to a swingin’ time that pays homage to Andy Williams and Bing Crosby Christmas specials. You’ll be transported to yesteryear with world-class entertainers Katherine Byrnes, Brian Levario, Chach Snook, and Crystal Stark at the majestic Savoy Opera House in Trail Dust Town.

The intimate evening will be filled with singing, dancing, and comedy.

Cost: $85. Buy your tickets here.

TUCSON FOODIE AND MAYNARDS PRESENTS: A CHINESE SONORAN CHRISTMAS FEAST

Tuesday, December 20 from 5 – 8:30 p.m.

Maynards Market & Kitchen, 400 N. Toole Ave.

 Chef and artist Feng-Feng Yeh (the brainchild behind the Chinese Chorizo Festival) will be partnering with local Indigenous chef Rusty Ramirez to bring us a special Chinese X-mas dinner.

The dinner will be focused on Chiltepin’s native culinary heritage to the southwest while exploring how it can be utilized to evoke Chinese cuisine. This union of Indigenous and Chinese cuisine will tell an intersecting story of the resilience of the peoples of Tucson.

Fun stuff:

• Peking Duck demonstration by Forbes Meat Company
• Hand Pulled Noodles demonstration by Chef Feng-Feng Yeh
• Large selection of vegan and GF-friendly dishes
• Wine pairing (optional)
• Gift bag

A truly can’t miss kind of evening!