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Over the weekend, the Desert Botanical Garden’s main attraction shifted away from its blooming spring wildflowers, and instead onto creative and delicious bites to eat.
The 2025 Devour Culinary Classic took over the gardens for two days of food. Chefs from around the Valley, along with a few from around the state, crafted small bites with big flavors in hopes of winning over the crowd, and the judges.
Alongside the sizzling grills and bubbling fryers, DJs spun tunes, artists painted among the flowers and musicians filled the gardens with sights and sounds fit to accompany the smells and tastes of the festival. This year marked the 16th annual Devour, an event founded and held by Local First Arizona.
Chilte chef and co-owner Lawrence “LT” Smith (right) grilled skewered prawns at Devour. His dish was a runner up for best in show.
Sara Crocker
Devour 2025 winners
While many attendees enjoy a stress-free day of eating and strolling through the garden, the pressure is on for participating chefs. The food festival doubles as a cooking competition, with the winners of a host of categories decided by a panel of local experts along with People’s Choice Awards, voted on by attendees.
This year, the very top spot went to chef Matthew O’Haris of the TPC Scottsdale for his al pastor pork belly taco. Runners up for the Best in Show category were Chilte’s chef Lawrence “LT” Smith, who served whole grilled prawns with mole, chef Bernie Kantak of The Gladly with cactus ham with chicharron and nopales and Valentine head chef Donald Hawk, who put a gourmet spin on a Sonoran hot dog, topping it with smoked trout roe.
In 2023, Devour added a category for the best use of heritage food. This year, Litchfield’s at the Wigwam won the category with a buffalo and tepary bean stew.
The judges for the 2025 competition included Arizona Republic reporter Bahar Anooshahr, chef Christopher Gross, chef Lori Hashimoto, former Phoenix New Times and Arizona Republic restaurant critic Howard Seftel and Tucson chef Janos Wilder.
The Gastronomic Union of Tucson served a sunset-inspired layered dessert featuring a cloud of caramel corn. It was the people’s choice winner for best sweet bite.
Sara Crocker
The people’s choice awards, for which attendees could use QR codes at each table to cast their votes, were split into three categories.
The Best Savory Bite award was a tie between Clever Koi’s Pork Chashu Gordita and the Gastronomic Union of Tucson Chefs’ Sonoran Beef Roulade. The collective of Tucson chefs also took home the people’s choice award for Best Sweet Bite, with its Seville Orange and Prickly Pear Verrine topped with caramel popcorn. For Best Sip, Icocnic Cocktail Co. won the top spot. At the festival, the local producer showed off its mixers in two cocktails and one booze-free refresher.
Iconic Cocktail Co. served a vibrant mix of sunset-hued drinks. The maker of craft drink mixers won the people’s choice award for best sip.
Sara Crocker
Scenes from the Desert Botanical Garden
Over the course of the two day event, the generally tranquil grounds of the Desert Botanical Garden buzzed with life as chefs and their teams worked hard to crank out fresh tastes at their tents. Attendees strolled around the cactus gardens mingling, tasting and sipping their way through the large festival. Sculptures and metal lanters from the current rotating art exhibit, Light Bloom, shimmered among the food tents.
Here’s a look a the festivities.
Sculptures and live artists mingled among Devour attendees.
Sara Crocker
Uchi, the Austin-born Japanese restaurant with a outpost in Old Town Scottsdale, served shrimp ceviche in a creamy, bright leche de tigre swirled with a vibrant cilantro oil.
Sara Crocker
Latha served a comforting oxtail grilled cheese. Meltingly tender oxtail barbacoa, pimento cheese and pineapple chutney were sandwiched between toasted milk bread topped with queso and a dash of berbere.
Sara Crocker
Bluefire Grille, a restaurant at Hilton Scottsdale Resorts & Villas, served a delightful Southwestern amuse-bouche. Its birria blue corn tostadas paired tender meat and tepary beans with roasted corn and a crisp chip. Fiery salsa macha was balanced by a dollop of pureed candied winter squash.
Sara Crocker
Nella’s Innovative Kreations highlighted blue corn through a cookie frosted with maple creme and puffed amaranth.
Sara Crocker
Claws were up for this bite from Renata’s Hearth, a restauraant at the Arizona Biltmore Resort.
Sara Crocker
The Desert Botanical Garden’s Sunset Plaza was full of local favorites including Kembara and Citizen Public House.
Sara Crocker
Valentine’s Sonoran Hot Dog featured a dry-aged beef dog topped with yuzu mayo, hatch green chile jam, chayote, housemade green chile bacon and bright orange smoked trout roe.
Sara Crocker
James Beard Award semifinalist chef Donald Hawk and his team served a gourmet spin on Sonoran hot dogs from Valentine’s booth.
Sara Crocker
Clever Koi’s pork chashu gordita was a tie for the people’s choice award for best savory bite.
Sara Crocker
Citizen Public House paired rice pudding, roasted butternut squash and mini churros with a barrel-aged Manhattan.
Sara Crocker
Live painters, including those from the Scottsdale Artists League, worked and showcased their works during Devour.
Sara Crocker
Sweet Republic put the finishing touch on its toasted matcha marshmallow pops by giving the exterior a quick torching. Located right near the exit, it was the perfect sweet treat to end the festival.
Sara Crocker
