Local First Arizona just announced the winners of the 15th annual Devour Culinary Classic and the chefs from the Gastronomic Union of Tucson (GUT) came out on top!
The event, which was in partnership with the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA), showcased some of Arizona’s top chefs this past weekend on Saturday, February 24 – Sunday, February 25 at the Desert Botanical Garden.
A panel of top food critics and journalists from around the country tasted dishes served by more than 50 restaurants and purveyors — scoring on taste, presentation, degree of difficulty, and creativity.
The GUT team consisted of Juan Almanza, Kelzi Bartholomaei, Mat Cable, Michael Elefante, Obadiah “Obie” Hindman, Sarah Lamberth, Roderick Ledesma, and Devon Sanner. The judges were pleased to say the least, calling the dishes “mouthwatering,” “killer,” and “luscious.”
Keep scrolling to read about GUT’s award-winning dishes at the 2024 Devour Culinary Classic.
“Best in Show” Dishes
- Birria Campanelle – Campanella with Barrio Beer Beef Birria Guisado, Cotija, Cilantro Oil, Avocado + Lime Salsa, Corn Crema
- Tacos de Canasta de Calabazo + Cascabel – Mesquite Roasted Local White Squash, Cascabel Chiles, Pepitas, Tepary Beans, Corn Tortilla, Pomegranate Pickled Shallots, Azafran Vegan Crema, Mushroom Chicharron with Sonoran Chile Crisp, Mico Cilantro
- Jamaica & Limoncello Cheesecake
This year’s other awards were the Double Gold Medal, Gold Medal, Silver Medal, Bronze Medal, and Heritage Food Medal. The second year of the Heritage Food Medal honors the best dish with ingredients that are indigenous, heirloom, low-water, desert-adapted, or locally sourced (within a 100-mile radius of the restaurant) and more sustainable for Arizona.
Climate-smart foods are essential for farmers, chefs, and diners to support and expand for the future of our state.
In addition, Devour volunteers helped attendees divert a record three tons of waste from the landfill to recycling or composting, a 70% diversion rate.
Keep up with the latest by following GUT on Instagram. Also, read our August 2022 article “A Pop-Up Dining Experience with the Gastronomic Union of Tucson (GUT).”
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
