Devoured Phoenix

A couple of fellow food lovers and I got together to attend the annual Devoured Culinary Festival in Phoenix a couple of weekends ago.  This time the promoters held the festival at the Phoenix Art Museum, which was a wonderful backdrop for all the tasty festivities.  The day was practically perfect, a grassy lawn, sunny skies that weren’t too hot (yet), and all the food and wine you could manage!

The idea around this festival is to connect the people eating the food with the people making and growing the food.  Along with all the restaurants that lined up in tents to showcase their wares, some of the local farms attended to make their presence known.  There were seminars and cooking demos every hour on the half hour and while they were interesting, let’s be honest, everyone is there to stuff their faces.

I managed to snap a couple a shots of some of the food we tried, but of course, i couldn’t manage to get it all.  I’m sorry i don’t remember which restaurants they all came from, so I guess you’ll have to just try all the restaurants in phoenix metro…

I wasn’t able to snap some photos of the awesome drinks we tried, but to elucidate, there was a dragon fruit infused rum from Bacardi that they had mixed with lemonade.  It was far and away my favorite drink of the show.  They also had some tequila from Corzo, that they had infused with watermelon, cucumber, and jalapeno.  They shook it with some ice and served it straight up to sip on.  It was much more nuanced than i would have guessed.

Rachel, I, and Brent.

Different types of bruscetta.  On the right was mascarpone with figs, and pistachios, the middle (my fav) was homemade whole milk cheese with a tomato jam, and the far left was a homemade prosciutto and some other things i can’t remember.

Probably on my favorites, a smoked salmon mousse crostini with black caviar and drizzled with basil oil.

Brussels sprouts salad, shredded with cranberries, raisins, large flakes of parmesan, olive oil, and lemon.  I <3 brussels!

Shrimp cheviche with jicama

 

Tuna Tartar with avacado and a radish chip.  very rich and oily.  great mouth coating.

Bolognese (pretty basic in all honesty)

 

Seared Shrimp with guac and a yellow tomato puree

 

Shrimp tacos and quesadillas (really, what would the southwest be without some mexican influence…?)

Deviled eggs and caviar.

 

 

Another one of my favorites.  Tuna Tartar (there was a lot of tuna at this shin-dig), on a garlic tortilla chip, with cucumber, avacado puree and caramel.  The rich taste of the tuna and avacado cleaned nicely with the fresh cooling taste of the cuke, and the crisp crunch of the chip finished off nicely what could have been a whole lot of mush in your mouth.

Roasted yam with a teriyaki glaze and sesame, with some seared beef tenderloin and “sashimi” seasoning (whatever that is…).

Some strange white fish that i don’t remember what it’s called, but it was delicious.

Again, a favorite (so much so, we went back for seconds).  The most tender gnocchiette ever in a garlic cream sauce drizzled with truffle oil.  wonderful.

  I forgot what they actually called this, but it reminded me of a cross between panna cotta and mascarpone.  served atop arugula and drizzled with balsamic and little red things, it was cool and refreshing.

and of course, carnitas.  need there be explanation?

All in all, a wonderful time.  If you get a chance and are in the phoenix area next time, go!!!  I’ll go with you!