Tucson Culinary Festival 2011

2011 Guest post by Meghan Preston. This event has passed.

The annual Tucson culinary festival will be bringing an unprecedented amount of food filled events to the area in late October. The festival will be highlighted by four separate Tucson food events taking place October 27-30 and presented by the Tucson Originals, a group of independently operated restaurants in southern Arizona.

On October 27, the 6^th Annual World Margarita Championship will take place at Maynards Market and Kitchen, located on 400 N. Toole Avenue in Tucson. The patio of the restaurant will be home to this unforgettable event which will offer a mix of cocktails, food and music. Multiple drink makers will take the stage to prepare homemade margarita creations. Attendees will be able to try out over 14 different margaritas and a number of different tequilas. There will also be a wide variety of food up for grabs, including sonorant dogs and tacos.

Starting on the opening day of the culinary festival, all Tucson Originals restaurants will be offering up discounted and special menu pricing for all meals. Over 20 restaurants will be offering up discounts from some of the great independently operated dining spots in the city.

The festival will carry on with the Reserve and Grand Tasting on Saturday, October 29. The reserve tasting will serve as an exclusive opportunity to meet some of the special guests of the festival, including a host of top chefs and drink makers. Attendees will get the chance to take advantage of some specialty cocktails and appetizers before the Grand Tasting.

Beginning at 6pm at the Grand Ballroom, Lounge and Foyer, the Grand Tasting will offer up a three hour opportunity to enjoy wine and dishes from all over the world. Over 35 different chefs from Tucson Originals locations will be on hand to whip up some delicious food. Also, the winners of the Margarita Championship and special drink makers will be there to share drinks and tips throughout the night.

The culinary festival will wrap up on Sunday, October 30 with the Copper Chef Challenge and BBQ. Taking place at the Loews Ventana Canyon, the Kiva Patio and Ballroom will be home to an outstanding mix of barbeque from different Tucson Originals locations. For children, there will also be pumpkin carving and cooking demonstrations. The challenge will be highlighted by a matchup of two groups of great chefs in an effort to come up with some original BBQ creations.

The 2011 Tucson Culinary Festival will also serve to benefit three great causes this year. Proceeds to the New Beginnings will help homeless women and children find stability in Tucson apartments and homes. Some of the proceeds will also go to the Diamond Children’s Center at University Medical Center, helping to provide specialized care for children. The third cause will be Arizona’s Children Association, which offers foster care, adoption, health and prevention programs for children in the state of Arizona.

Overall, the 2011 Tucson Culinary Festival will be a great opportunity to experience some outstanding events this fall. Most importantly, the proceeds from the events will serve to support some great causes in the Tucson area.