In February 2020, during an extremely rainy weekend, the sold-out Devour Culinary Classic packed about 3,600 soaked attendees into Desert Botanical Garden. For 2021, Devour — easily the biggest food festival in the Phoenix food world — will be happening at home. In fact, it’s called Devour at Home. And it's happening Saturday, February 27, and Sunday, February 28.
Here's how it'll work: The fest is split into two nights, each featuring different chefs and restaurants. Each will offer a limited, one-night-only prix fixe menu for up to four people. You pre-order and pick it up at the restaurant between 4 and 6 p.m.
The restaurants booked for Saturday are: The Breadfruit & Rum Bar, Wrigley Mansion, Cibo Pizzeria, FnB Restaurant, Gallo Blanco Cafe & Otro Café, Gertrude’s Restaurant, the larder + the delta, Parlor Pizzeria, Sel, and Southern Rail.
The restaurants booked for Sunday are: Aioli Gourmet Burgers, Beckett’s Table, Citizen Public House, The Gladly, Hana Japanese Eatery, Hot Noodles Cold Sake, Nook Kitchen, Rancho Pinot, and Shift Kitchen + Bar coming down from Flagstaff.
"Tickets," which are essentially pre-orders, open to the public at 9 a.m. on Monday, February 1, and close at 5 p.m. on Friday, February 19. Each costs $200, and participating restaurants will receive 100 percent of those proceeds. Local First Arizona, the event’s organizer, expects pre-orders will sell out fast.
To keep things from being too much of a bummer compared to previous years, the fest has added some little extras, including virtual sessions with chefs, raffles, and a #DevourAtHome plating contest, judged by local chefs. And fear not, swag collectors. In addition to warming instructions, orders will come with Devour Culinary Classic signature wine glasses, a 2021 Devour at Home placemat, a commemorative thermal tote, and more gifts.
For more information, see the Devour website.