Festivals
Check Please! Arizona Festival at CityScape UPDATED
Posted on 4/25/13 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
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The most popular locally produced TV show on Eight, Arizona PBS is taking its show on the road, and bringing dozens of restaurants and James Beard Award winners along for the ride.
Eight’s Check, Please! Arizona Festival will take place at CityScape on Sunday, April 28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will feature cooking demonstrations, panel discussions, wine & craft beer sessions, and the chance to audition for a spot on Check, Please! Arizona. Producers are seeking “congenial fans who are passionate about their favorite local restaurant, articulate about food and honest about their dining-out experiences.” Cameras will be present to tape the auditions.
A highlight of the schedule is a panel discussion led by Check, Please! Arizona host and James Beard Award winner, Robert McGrath. McGrath will be joined by fellow James Beard Award winners Christopher Gross, Nobuo Fukuda and Chris Bianco. The discussion will be about Phoenix emerging as a culinary destination, each chef’s unique culinary journey and the experience of receiving the James Beard honor.
Tickets please! DPJ readers: get a $10 discount off your tickets by entering the promo code “Check.”
THE FEST FACTS
Eight’s Check, Please! Arizona Festival takes over CityScape for a live food event exploring its show-inspired lineup of independently owned, Arizona restaurants. From five-star dining establishments to tucked away cafes, the event showcases Eight’s Check, Please! Arizona favorites.
Get a $10 discount off tickets!
Click the image above and enter the promo code “Check” when buying tickets.
WHERE
CityScape, 1 E. Washington St.
Get light rail/parking info
WHEN
Sunday, April 28, 2013, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
PARTICIPANTS
America’s Taco Shop
Amuse Bouche Gourmet Bistro & Catering
Betty’s Nosh
Cornish Pasty Co.
Coup Des Tartes
Durant’s
Eddie’s House
Flancer’s
Four Peaks Brewery
Frasher’s Steakhouse & Lounge
Haus Murphy’s German Restaurant
Hob Nobs Café & Spirits
LON’s at the Hermosa
MacAlpine’s Soda Fountain
Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Café
Petite Maison
Phoenix City Grille
Pittsburgh Willy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs
Shugrue’s Hillside Grill
Tarbell’s
Thee Pitts Again
Vogue Bistro
SAMPLING OF RESTAURANT MENUS
America’s Taco Shop. Grilled meat tacos
Durant’s. Brioche crostini & horseradish cream; roast sirloin and basil pesto; chocolate indulgence cake
Amuse Bouche Bistro. Meatloaf sliders w/tomato glaze; smoked bacon & onion aioli; chocolate éclair cake
Betty’s Nosh. Mushroom soup; stuffed mushrooms
Eddie’s House. Israeli Fattoush couscous
Frasher’s. BBQ pulled pork; gooey butter cake
Haus Murphy’s. Beefy Bratwurst w/sauerkraut
Hob Nobs Cafe & Spirits. Gourmet pizza
MacAlpine’s Soda Fountain. Velvet Elvis Ice Cream soda; pulled pork sandwiches & potato salad
Pittsburgh Willy’s. 2 of their gourmet hot dogs: Freddie G. and Wing Ding Willy
Shugrue’s. Seafood gumbo
Thee Pitts “Again.” Pulled pork
SCHEDULE
Chow Bella Stage
Noon. John Cavanagh of Tuck Shop – The Art of the Perfect Mixer
1pm. Andy Ingram of Four Peaks Brewery – Craft Beer Seminar
2pm. JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNERS DISCUSSION PANEL
Four of Arizona’s James Beard Award Winning chefs will participate in a panel discussion about Phoenix as a culinary destination, each chef’s unique culinary journey and what the James Beard honor has meant to them.
- Chef Robert McGrath. Check, Please! Arizona show host will lead this panel. Executive Chef of Market Street Kitchen, McGrath was awarded Best Chef Southwest in 2001.
- Chef Christopher Gross. Gross, of Christopher’s & Crush Lounge, was awarded Best Chef Southwest in 1995. Gross will host an exclusive wine seminar for VIP guests.
- Chef Nobuo Fukuda. Recently acclaimed for Nobuo at Teeter House, Fukuda won Best Chef Southwest in 2007. Chef Fukuda will serve exclusive VIP samples.
- Chef Chris Bianco. Best known for his world-famous pizza at Pizzeria Bianco, earned Best Chef Southwest in 2003.
3pm. Exclusive Wine Seminar with Mark Tarbell, Tarbell’s
SubZero/Wolf Chef Demonstration Stage
Noon. James Porter – Petite Maison
1:30pm. Eddie Matney – Eddie’s House
3pm. Jeremy Pacheco – LON’S at the Hermosa
VIP Area
1pm. Private Wine Seminar with Christopher Gross
Select tastes by Chef Nobuo Fukuda
Safeway Grill Master Stage
11:45am: Brett Hoffman, Haus Murphy’s German Restaurant
12:30pm: Robert McGrath, Host of Check, Please! Arizona and Executive Chef, Market Street Kitchen
2:45pm: George Frasher, Frasher’s Steakhouse & Lounge
‘Check Please! Arizona’ Audition Stage
12pm- 4pm Opportunity for guests to try out as a ‘people’s critic’ for the popular Channel 8 TV sho
TICKETS
Purchase tickets at www.azpbs.org/checkplease
- General admission is $60. Tickets include food, wine and beer sampling.
- VIP tickets are $100. VIP ticketholders will enjoy exclusive wine tastings; 30-minute early entry (10:30am) to the festival (before general admission); and VIP Valet Parking.
- DPJ readers: get a $10 discount! Enter the promo code “Check” when buying tickets.
Wire | First Annual ‘Grow Phoenix Festival’
Posted on 4/19/13 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
DPJ’s Wire series delivers news and information straight from the source without translation.
Top Valley Chefs Headline First Annual “Grow Phoenix Festival”
Arizona Science Center and Chipotle team up to host free food and science event
WHAT: Arizona Science Center is celebrating the culmination of the Chew on This! film and lecture series with the first annual Grow Phoenix Festival. In addition to educational and interactive activities hosted by Arizona Science Center, the event will feature informative demonstrations by members of the Phoenix culinary community, with a focus on food sustainability in the Valley. A variety of food trucks will join the festival, with a popular local band providing entertainment.
Cooking demonstrations will happen every hour on the half hour (starting at 10:30 a.m.), and will include the following:
- Chef Jon Clancy from M Catering
- Chef Joshua Herbert from Posh Improvisational Cuisine
- Chef Nathan Hirsh from Whole Foods
- Chef Eddie Matney from Eddie’s House
- Chefs Sammy & Zach Sleman from North Italian Farmhouse
Festival-goers who need refreshment will be able to choose from an array of food trucks, which will be onsite between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. They’ll include Island Logo, Burgers Amore!, The Chef Genie, Kona Ice, frufrupops and Paletas Betty. Local band Peppermint James will provide musical entertainment between noon and 2 p.m. (whenever there is not a chef demonstration on stage).
Scientists from Arizona Science Center will be on hand with fun activities for the whole family, including T-shirt design stations, solar manicures, eco-weave projects, a “Calculate Your Food Mile” challenge and much more.
The event is free and sponsored in part by Chipotle Mexican Grill, Whole Foods and M Catering by Michael’s.
WHEN: Saturday, April 20; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
COST: Free
WHERE: Heritage & Science Park (in front of Arizona Science Center), 600 East Washington St.
WHY: Arizona Science Center and Chipotle both share a commitment to the local community and raising awareness of important food-related issues. Chipotle has a track record for changing the way people think and eat fast food through its Food With Integrity vision, including through its own ingredient sourcing, seeking out the most sustainable sources for everything from beans to lettuce and meats. Specifically, Chipotle will serve more than 10 million pounds of locally grown produce this year. Additionally, Chipotle serves naturally raised meat – from animals that are raised in a humane way and never given antibiotics or added hormones – as well as dairy from pasture-raised cattle. Chipotle and Arizona Science Center both wanted to provide a learning platform for all ages, and the Chew on This! film and lecture series provides the perfect, fun way for families to start thinking differently about food, where it comes from, how it was raised and how it will affect the environment around them.
INFO: More information about the event and Arizona Science Center is available by visiting azscience.org or by calling (602) 716-2000.
Gallery | Giving Thanks for the Feast
Posted on 4/16/13 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
Saturday’s Feast on the Street was epic. The event succeeded in turning the simple notion of breaking bread with one another into a spectacular festival.
Thanks to the event’s sponsors (including ArtPlace, National Endowment for the Arts, The Steele Foundation and many more supporters), the volunteers, restaurants, food trucks, musicians and, yes, beer vendors for making it a great party.
And special thanks to artists Clare Patey and Matthew Moore for inspiring ASU Art Museum and Roosevelt Row to make this historic event happen here, in our very own downtown Phoenix. Glasses up!
The half-mile long Feast table brought the community together for a historic event.
Roosevelt Row’s Kenny Barrett helps guests find a seat at the table for the 6 p.m. formal seating.
Roosevelt Row’s Cindy Dach pauses – but for just a moment – with Rhonda Bannard.
Alison Rainey and Carla Wade Logan greet guests with a smile.
Psyko Steve’s Steve Chilton was the man behind the day’s musical entertainment.
Roosevelt Row’s Greg Esser is at the wheel while Bob Rink encourages guests to take a seat.
Jim McPherson, Cory Kinkaid and Nick Bueno welcome you to the Evans Churchill Neighborhood.
Glasses up! Wayne Rainey (in black on car) records the Feast’s formal seating for posterity.
Five Reasons to be Excited about McDowell Mountain Music Festival
Posted on 3/19/13 by Courtney McCune » No Comments
The McDowell Mountain Music Festival rolls into downtown Phoenix March 22, 23 and 24, bringing together music, arts, food and fun. Here are the top five reasons we’re stoked to have this locally grown event happening in our own backyard!
1. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
After nearly a decade in North Scottsdale, the annual music festival is heading south to a new downtown Phoenix address. Margaret T. Hance Park will play host to the event, which will include two stages of both national and local music acts, arts & crafts vendors, food trucks, camping, kids activities and a whole lot more.
John Largay, festival founder and president of Wespac Construction, the organization behind the McDowell Mountain Music Festival, felt there were a number of good reasons to relocate the event.
Largay saw a natural partnership between the MMMF, the Roosevelt district and the City of Phoenix, with their shared goal of bringing arts and culture to the community. Says Largay, “I think it’s something that (we) can build around. So if we’re there to support community and culture, which is really our primary mission . . . I think we picked a good location and I think we picked a good partner in the City of Phoenix.”
He also liked the amenities that downtown Phoenix had to offer. “I love Hance Park. It’s a great fit for what we’re doing,” says Largay,“and from a convenience and logistics, access side, both from a light rail and parking standpoint, it’s very easy for a lot of people to get to.”
2. A ROCKIN’ LINE-UP
With national headliners like The Roots, The Shins and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and a great collection of local artists, this year’s MMMF line-up should have something for just about every music fan – which is exactly what the organizers are going for.
“We think music is universal,” says Largay, “that’s a universal language that speaks to a 10-year-old the same as it speaks to an 80-year-old, so we try to diversify our genres to make sure there’s some entertainment factor for everybody.”
Largay is especially proud that the line-up includes a number of critically acclaimed bands that haven’t stopped in Phoenix for a while, like The Shins and The Umphrey’s McGee.
3. SWEET CHARITY
As if a great location and a great line-up weren’t enough, the McDowell Mountain Music Festival is essentially a charity event, donating 100% of its proceeds to local nonprofits.
According to Largay, it’s been that way since the beginning. The festival started ten years ago as a charity project organized by Wespac employees and their friends and family and has continued to build on that mission ever since.
This year, all of the funds will be donated to three local charities: Phoenix Children’s Hospital, UMOM New Day Centers and Ear Candy Music Charity. Since its inception, the festival has given over $700,000 back to the community.
4. FREE YOGA
You’ll be able to prepare your mind, body and soul for a day of awesome music with a free yoga class from Sutra Midtown Yoga, one of downtown’s coolest studios.
According to Sutra co-owner Matthew Fritz, they will offer a free all-levels Vinyasa class on the Saturday and Sunday mornings of the festival, complete with a live dj. The class will take place inside the festival grounds on the local stage from 10am-11am both days.
The class is open to anyone who’d like to attend, whether you have a ticket to the festival or not. If you don’t have a ticket, but decide you’d like to stick around, yoga participants can buy tickets at the gate for a discounted rate of $45 with their Sutra wristband. That’s a win-win for the mind, body, soul and wallet!
Learn more here: http://sutramidtown.com/events#mmmf
5. JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE
It may sound like a copout, but it’s true: from the afterhours shows at The Crescent Ballroom, to camping at the festival, to the vast array of delicious eats and drinks to choose from – there are countless reasons to be excited about this year’s McDowell Mountain Music Festival.
Most of all, we are thrilled that it will bring together a community of music and culture lovers for a great time and a great cause. And it’s all happening right in our fantastic downtown.
If You Go
What: McDowell Mountain Music Festival
Where: Margaret T. Hance Park – 200 E. Moreland St.
When:
March 22: doors 4 p.m./show 5 p.m.
March 23: doors 11 a.m./show 12 p.m.
March 24: doors 11 a.m./show 12 p.m.
Tickets: http://mmmf.ticketfly.com/
Photos provided by McDowell Mountain Music Festival
Call for Volunteers | Feast on the Street
Posted on 3/18/13 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
DPJ’s Wire series delivers news and information straight from the source without translation.
Calling all Volunteers!
Feast on the Street, Sat., April 13
WHAT
Feast on the Street…a strolling celebration for the eyes and palate! A community dinner party in the new urban harvest tradition. Linking guests through a half-mile long dining table, a promenade of artist-driven street entertainment, demonstrations of sustainability, and a shared joy of exploring the heart of downtown Phoenix through locally sourced food and music.
*This is a FREE public event.
An ambling rediscovery of something natural and unique to each person… long forgotten in the urban landscape.
WHO
Initiated by ASU Art Museum and the Desert Initiative, Roosevelt Row CDC and agriculturally inspired artists – London’s Clare Patey and Phoenix’s Matt Moore
NEED
Calling all Volunteers! Be part of this historic first-ever event.
Register at www.feastonthestreet.org/volunteer/
VOLUNTEER
Sign up & receive a T-shirt, plus discounts/offers at select food trucks
POSITIONS [& shifts]
Set-up (set-up tables, chairs, lights, décor…) 8am-noon; noon-3pm
Beverages (oversee water stations, sell drink tickets…) 1:30-5:300m; 5-9pm
Clean Team (roam event, disposing of trash, etc.) 2-6pm; 5:30-9:30pm
Guest services (distribute information to guests) 1:30-5:30pm; 5-9pm
Parking Attendant (direct guests to parking areas) 1-4:30pm; 4-7:30pm
Rover (offer assistance as needed) 1:30-5:30pm; 5-9pm
Breakdown (dissemble tables, chairs, lights, décor, etc.) 6-9pm; 8:30-10:30pm
*Please note: tasks can change. Event planners will work with you to determine best options based on volunteer preferences and positions available.
WHEN
Saturday, April 13, 2013
WHERE
Downtown Phoenix – First Street spanning a half-mile from Taylor Street (north of Van Buren ) to Moreland Street (south of I-10)
EVENT TIME
2pm – 9pm
SUPPORT
Supported in part by ASU Art Museum, ArtPlace, National Endowment for the Arts, Roosevelt Row CDC and The Steele Foundation
