Devoured Phoenix Culinary Festival 2015 Saturday

Many of the best (but not all) Phoenix Area Restaurants participate to dazzle you with the best they can offer you in culinary delights. This year 30something restaurants, 30something wineries, and several breweries gave their best on Saturday. Tickets were $90. a day to the public. Art museum members paid $80 for one day or $140. for the two day event. There also was a VIP option that 500 people took advantage of that cost a whopping $150 A FORKING DAY that let them in early and got them some additional treats from Chef Kevin Binkley of Binkley’s Restaurant.

They start you off in a reception room before you stand in line and wait to devour. Aloha Cakes make tasty coconut cakes, Little Chocolate Nut candies were offered from NutWhats, Doc’s Ice Cream was there, Grass Fed Beef Crisps, and Kettle Heroes were there with many unique flavors of Kettle Corn.

11:30 the doors open and we make it outside.

The first thing was a really tasty Brussels Sprouts with Cheese and Lemon thing from Proper. Good thing I forking got one early because they ran out of food around 1:00. It wasn’t proper but PROPER DID run out of forking food around 1:00.

The next was Epicurean Foods with charcuterie.

St. Francis made a fresh wheat-berry salad.

Green/Nami made vegan donuts and vegan lane cakes out of palm.

My husband’s favorite bite came from the Blue Hound,

It was Boudin Balls over creamy grits.

He wanted to come back and get another one but was too forking full at the end.

Geordies was a chunk of steak infused with rosemary.

This one I didn’t eat and forking don’t remember but my husband enjoyed it. The sandwich was some kind of pork with apple slaw on a pretzel bun.

Otro made some sort of shrimp and grits.

The Pizza People made a refreshing salad.

Alto Ristorante E Bar made lobster risotto and a really special ice cream float.

The most beautiful plated food pictures didn’t forking come out and were from Cartwright’s/Tonto. They made a pan seared venison and an amberjack fish that was forking outstanding. It was FORKING Difficult for me to take any photos. The sun was very bright and half the forking time I couldn’t see the screen so I had to guess and shoot. It was also difficult juggling plates and a wine glass and also pushing threw the crowd.

San Tan Brewing Co. gave out pork sandwiches and brisket macaroni and cheese.

The Vig made some sort of kimchi taco and gave out almost a full lunch of surprisingly really well prepared and good quality salmon.

Little Cleo’s gave out oysters, shrimp and well prepared scallops.

Sadly my photo of Sochu House/Red Thai Korean rice cake stir fry didn’t come out. It was packed with delicious flavors and was among my favorite dishes I tried.

The Cleaver Koi put out a very impressive selection of geoduck, frogs legs and tamarind nori nut crackerjack.

The Wigwam’s Prime Beef Short Ribs with coffee cardamon soil was outstanding.

II Terrazzo at the Phoenician Made spring pea cavatelli with parmesan and truffle and some sort of strawberry dessert that had a weird spongy white thing on top that could have been used to scrub dishes.

Cuttlefish made lump crab arancini.

I forking think this is the braised rabbit from The Post.

Cibo made saffron risotto and a bruschettina with anchovy and grapefruit.

Ingo’s Tasty Food made an unusual toast with avocado grapes and creamy cheese.

Chelsea’s Kitchen Short Ribs over Mashed Potato. (this one I didn’t care for because it had that bland pot roast taste to it) But the carrot on top was good.