Phoenix Cooks! Saturday, August 31
The annual Phoenix Cooks! event is just around the corner, which means that we've officially kicked off the fall culinary event season. This year, the Westin Keirland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale will host chefs including Stephen Jones of Bluehound Kitchen and Cocktails, Michael Rusconi of Rusconi's American Kitchen, Robin Miller from the Food Network and Mel Mecinas from the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale for a day-long celebration of culinary cool. General admission will include food, wine, beer and spirit samples as well as cooking demonstrations. Various classes on everything from beer and wine pairings to olive oil profiles will be held throughout the day and cost $10 in advance or $15 the day of the event. For more information and ticket information, visit the Phoenix Cooks! website.
16th Annual Hawaiian Luau Sunday, September 1
Head up to Harold's Cave Creek Corral this weekend for the bar's annual Hawaiian Luau feast. Co-owner Danny "Maui Dan" Piacquadio says the event is one of the most popular of the year, offering attendees a pig roast luau buffet, Hawaiian dancers and a reggae performance by Grantman & the Island Beat. A $25 ticket includes a Hawaiian buffet with two pig roast buffet stations, smoked mahi mahi, a shrimp and seafood casserole, herb-roasted chicken and other island-inspired eats. It also buys you a seat for a fire knife show and two concerts. For the complete schedule of events or to purchase tickets visit the Facebook event page.
Pillsbury Wine: Harvest Festival at the Vineyard Sunday, September 1
Wine lovers can count on a good time at Pillsbury Wine Company's Wilcox tasting room this Sunday when winemaker Sam Pillsbury and his crew host an overnight Labor Day celebration. The event will begin on Sunday at 1 p.m. with music by Nowhere Man & A Whiskey Girl and food. Admission costs $25 and includes a complimentary outdoor wine glass -- perfect for using while you lounge around the grounds in your folding chair or blanket. Camp out for the night for a nominal fee to enjoy the sunset, stars and $5 glasses of wine. Food will include sheep tacos and salsa and garden fresh sides. Campers will also receive a breakfast surprise. Call the Vineyard Tasting Room at 520-384-3964 with questions or visit the Pillsbury Wine Company website.
Salty Sow and Roaring Fork: Buy One Entrée Get the Second One Free Monday, September 2
Whether you've got the day off or not next Monday, two local restaurants are offering a deal that will make it easy to at least take a day off of cooking. This Labor Day diners at Scottsdale's Roaring Fork and Phoenix's Salty Sow can buy one entrée and get a second free. Signature dishes at Phoenix's pork-centric gastropub include milk braised pork shoulder served with white beans, escarole and pecorino and slow cooked beef shoulder with Yukon gold mashed potatoes, glazed root vegetables and a fried egg. At Roaring Fork, expect classics like spit roasted half chicken with seasonal vegetables, corn bread stuffing and roasted garlic jus and braised Colorado lambshank with mashed potatoes, natural jus, and apple mint gremolata.
SanTan Brewing's SuperMonk IPA Monday, September 2
The Valley's craft beer retailers will welcome SanTan Brewing's most recent seasonal ale this Labor Day so get ready to meet SuperMonk IPA, a "naturally hazy, Belgian Style IPA with notes of citrus and orange peel dominating the aroma." The hybrid beer will mix "hoppy magic of a West Coast IPA with the traditional spice and fruitiness of a Belgian Wit beer" to deliver a light and enjoyable drink for beer-lovers, hopheads and casual drinkers alike. The SuperMonk IPA will pair well with spicy dishes so get ready with the curries, Siracha and salsas. Twelve-ounce cans of the new brew will be available at craft beer retailers from Tuesday, September 2 through the end of October. For a full list of SanTan Brewing retailers visit the brewery's website.
