Three years ago, the folks behind the Scottsdale Culinary Festival invited local foodies to make nominations for its Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame, whose winners are selected by private committee and then feted at the culinary fest's awards dinner. It was the first time in the award's history that nominations were open to the general public.
Now it's that time of year again, and this year's nomination categories are different than in the past. While "Culinary Chef Extraordinaire" is still up for grabs, "Culinary Ambassador" and "Culinary Media Master" are no longer in the mix. Instead, you can nominate your choices for "Pastry Chef Extraordinaire" and "Best Wine List." The chef and pastry chef nominees must have been a chef for at least five years, while the restaurant nominees must be located in Arizona and have been in business for at least five years.
Submissions are due by January 1 to Joe Zanovich, director of management and social events, at joe (at) scottsdaleculinaryfestival.org This year's winners will be announced at the banquet on April 12. The festival itself takes place from April 13 to 18, so mark it down in your shiny new 2010 calendar.
