Top Phoenix chefs pair up for Devour’s second summer dinner series

With locals escaping the extreme temperatures and a lull in business and leisure travel, summer is a challenging time for businesses in the Phoenix area, especially restaurants. 

“I’ve seen the summer season lengthen over time, causing more of an impact on local restaurants, especially in the past few years,” said Justin Beckett, who has run his Arcadia eatery Beckett’s Table for 15 years.

Last summer, Local First Arizona, a nonprofit organization that works to drive community and economic development throughout the state, launched the Devour Summer Chef Series to help drum up some business.

The series is an extension of the popular Seven Chefs Dinner, a multi-course, locally sourced meal created by the seven Arizona chefs who cooked together at New York City’s prestigious James Beard House in 2015. The Seven Chefs dinner is held annually in conjunction with Local First Arizona’s longstanding Devour Culinary Classic in February.   

For the summer series, Beckett will kick things off at his restaurant, cooking with chef Lori Hashimoto of Hana Japanese Eatery.

“Anything to create interest in restaurants during the summer helps,” Beckett says. 

The series consists of five dinners on the first Tuesday of each month from May through September. Each dinner takes place at a different restaurant with multicourse menus created by two of the five chefs. Attendees can expect four or more courses highlighting local and unique ingredients paired with wine or craft cocktails, with some fun surprises throughout the evening.

Chef Stephen Jones will partner with Bernie Kantak of Citizen Public House, The Gladly, Minnow and Beginner’s Luck for the August dinner and Gio Osso of Virtu Honest Craft and Pizzeria Virtu for the September dinner. For August, Jones and Kantak are planning a Cuban theme with South Beach vibes.

“The first year was an exploration built on an idea,” Jones says. “We weren’t sure what it was going to look like, but it was a lot of fun for the chefs and the diners. We’re excited to do it again with a few changes and more interaction with the chefs and guests.”

Last summer, the five dinners could only be purchased as a complete package. To attract more diners this year, guests can purchase tickets either individually or as a package at a discount.

“Selling the dinners individually offers a more affordable option and allows people to select those that work with their summer schedule,” Beckett says. “People can also buy packages and split them or give dinner tickets as gifts as a way to support local restaurants.”

While the same five chefs are featured in this year’s series, the chefs are working with new partners this summer. The menus will also feature exclusive dishes that diners won’t see on each restaurant’s regular menu.

Guest chefs are also on the docket. Scott Holmes of Phoenix favorite Little Miss BBQ will cook with Beckett and Kantak at The Gladly on June 23. The dinner will have a summer road trip theme featuring West Coast-inspired dishes from Beckett and East Coast flair from Kantak. Holmes will add Southern flavors. A diverse array of ingredients, including Iberico pork, bluefin tuna, prime beef brisket and caviar will make up unique dishes such as burnt end tacos, a play on chicken wings with roast duck and strawberry-rhubarb pie.

“One of the reasons I wanted to do these dinners, other than cooking with my friends, is the opportunity to see what they’re into right now and what ingredients they’re excited to use,” Kantak says. 

The long-term plan is to expand the series to include more restaurants and chefs. Each event serves about 50 guests.

“These dinners offer moments of connection and an interactive experience where the chefs spend time with the guests,” Beckett says. “We want diners to know how much we appreciate their business all year and especially in the summer months by creating a special experience for them.”

Individual dinner tickets are available online for $250 per person or as a package.