James Beard Foundation Chefs and Celebrities Headed to Phoenix This Fall For The Taste America Tour -- Tickets Go on Sale July 8

It might not be possible to make the food-lovers pilgrimage to the James Beard House in New York this summer. But the good news is by the fall, a traveling showcase of culinary all stars, influencers and chefs will be making their way across the country for the James Beard...

By Lauren Saria

June 10, 2013

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

It might not be possible to make the food-lovers pilgrimage to the James Beard House in New York this summer. But the good news is by the fall, a traveling showcase of culinary all stars, influencers and chefs will be making their way across the country for the James Beard Foundation's Taste America Tour, which kicks off in New York on June 12.

The five-weekend traveling event intends to highlight "the nation's unique range of local cuisines" by hitting 10 cities including Phoenix between September 20 and October 19.

The complete list of tour locations:

Boston
Chicago
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Miami
New York City
Philadelphia
Phoenix
San Francisco
Washington D.C.

Famous French chef Jacques Pépin will kick off the program with an invite-only burger tasting at the historic James Beard House in New York City on June 12.

Other events planned for the tour include benefit dinners with James Beard Foundation Award-winning chefs and celebrities, in-store events at Sur La Table, cooking demos, book signings, tastings and more. They're also bringing a Taste America vehicle to tour "local gathering places such as green markets and shopping malls" that will promote regional foods and healthy eating.

The event will also bring "Taste America All-Star Chefs" to each city to serve as James Beard Foundation ambassadors at local events. The lineup includes notable names such as Rick Bayless, John Besh, Richard Blais, Sean Brock, Suzanne Goin, Carla Hall, and Daniel Patterson.

Those with a Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Signature card (the company is co-sponsoring the event) will have special benefits including access to chefs, exclusive recipes, preferred seating and more.

Tickets for the tour go on sale to the public on Monday, July 8 at jbftasteamerica.org. Visit the website for more details as they are announced.

Follow Chow Bella on Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.