Roundup: What’s New in Food

A quick roundup of tasty restaurant news that has passed our desks lately.

What’s New in Food This Week

If you’re headed to the Arizona Taco Festival this weekend, you’ll be privileged of having the opportunity to try an upcoming restaurant’s “first taste” before the much-anticipated opening in December: Distrito. Distrito is one of three new restaurants Chef Jose Garces plans to open at The Saguaro Hotel (formally The Drinkwater). Chef Garces has named Dave Conn Chef de Cuisine of the new restaurants, and this weekend, taco festival patrons will have the opportunity to meet Chef Conn and taste their three tacos they’ve entered in the competition, the Mahi Mahi, Carnitas, and Chicken Ropa Vieja. The new restaurants include Distrito (opening in December), featuring an expansive selection of Chef Garces’ famed small plates and 100 varieties of tequilas and an array of specialty cocktails, Village Whiskey, a bar evocative of frontier drink parlors of old that boasts a collection of domestic spirits and artfully crafted cocktails alongside classic American dishes, and Garces Trading Company (GTC) Coffee To-Go, serving Chef Garces’ custom-roasted GTC coffees and house-baked goods. Both Village Whiskey and GTC Coffee To-Go are opening in November. View photos of the Distrito tacos below:

• RA Sushi in Old Town is celebrating its 14th anniversary with a circus-themed party on October 20th from 8pm-midnight. The event will offer complimentary entertainment and food and drink specials. Guests will be able to participate in a raffle to win gift certificates, goodies and prize baskets from local business. Tickets are $5 each with all proceeds benefiting Pima Elementary School PTO’s fun drive for school supplies. DJ Convince will spin Top 40 hits until 11pm, and stilt walkers (oh my!) will wow and amaze the crowd. Specials include the Big Top Roll ($7), Ringmaster Roll ($12), High Wire Desire ($7), and Trapeze Squeeze ($7). For more information, call 480-990-9256 or visit RAsushi.com.

• On Monday, October 17 at 6:30pm, ZuZu will host its monthly Chef’s Table featuring Row Eleven Wines and an all-pinot noir menu for the evening. Four courses will be served, each with its own wine pairing. The menu features: Ginger-Crusted Ahi (with Sweat Peas and Pinot Noir Reduction), Duncan’s Farm Organic Greens (with Warm Mushroom Thyme Flan, Truffled Shoestring Potatoes, Braised-Lamb Tortellini Slow-Roasted Chop (with Braised Savoy Cabbage, Bacon Palouse Lentils) and ZuZu Carrot Cake (with Cream Cheese Frosting). Cost to attend is $52, plus tax and gratuity. Guests can take advantage of a special room rate of $159 for those who attend the Chef’s Table. Reservations can be made at 480-248-2000.

• Tom’s Tavern & 1929 Grill, located in downtown Phoenix, has reopened, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week. The restaurant’s Executive Chef Jason Choate has created an entirely new menu showcasing a variety of traditional tavern fare prepared fresh daily, utilizing locally sourced, sustainable produce and meats whenever possible. The in-house meat smoker sets his new menu apart as all the beef brisket, turkey, ham and pork butt as well as bacon are made in-house. Chef Choate also offers an “All Day” menu beginning at 10:30am featuring signature items and tavern favorites including the Ruben for $12, the Tavern BLT with house smoked bacon for $10, plus a contemporary twist on the menu, a Quinoa Garbanzo Spinach salad for $9. Meat-lover’s can indulge in the restaurant’s Trilogy Platter – featuring house made-beef brisket, pulled pork and smoked pork ribs with bourbon, spicy and homemade golden barbecue sauces served with chipotle mac n’ cheese, seasonal vegetables and soft rolls for $22. For more information, visit TomsTavernPhoenix.com.

• The 28th Annual Noche de Gourmet is scheduled for November 4th from 7pm-midnight at the Wrigley Mansion. The semi-formal event is expected to draw over 1,000 attendees, showcasing signature dishes from over 20 of the Valley’s finest restaurants and complimented by an exclusive collection of beers, wines and top shelf liquors. The evening will feature live music, a silent auction, an exclusive art exhibit and a prize raffle benefitting the Childen In Need Foundation. Cost to attend is $100/presale tickets or $125/week of the event. VIP admission is available for $200/ticket. For more information, visit nochedegourmet.com.

• Montelucia Resort & Spa continues their Sunset Cinema series with ‘A Holiday Affair’. The outdoor film series will feature the holiday’s most popular movies and a decadent menu of gourmet popcorn, specialty hot cocoas and other holiday-inspired treats. The series kicks off on October 23rd with a Halloween screening of The Addams Family. Admission is complimentary and open to local and resort guests. Be sure to dress warm and arrive early as space is limited (movies begin at 6pm and seating is available first/come, first/serve). Upcoming showings include Planes, Trains & Automobiles (November 27), Elf (December 4), Love Actually (December 11), A Christmas Story (December 18). For more info, visit Montelucia.com.

• Take a cruise with Chef Eddie Matney and his family! (yep, you read that right) Chef Eddie Matney and his family is set to sail aboard Regent’s Seven Sea’s Navigator for an Alaskan adventure and you can join him. Guests will travel for a 7-day Culinary Cruise that starts in Vancouver on June 13th and ends with a grand finale in Anchorage in June 20th… a great excuse to get away and skip next year’s summer heat. Guests will have the opportunity to cook with Eddie and enjoy some of his best dishes, including some of the freshest seafood. Stay tuned for a cruise presentation at the end of October to see what this vacation has in store. Until then: as a part of the package deal, guests will receive a free round-trip airline ticket, unlimited Shore Excursions, free luxury hotel package, free beverages including fine wines and spirits, free pre-paid gratuities, free ground transfers and have their in-suite mini bar replenished daily. For more information, visit eddieshouseaz.com and click on ‘Cruise with Eddie’.

• A new deal site has launched for Valley residents: Looterang. This Scottsdale-based company allows consumers to link their debit or credit cards with the Looterang system to receive customized deals and cash back every time they swipe their card at a participating merchant. There are no prepayments and no coupons to print. For example, say you like the deal for The Cove Trattoria (20 percent cash back), you opt in. When you visit the restaurant, you’ll receive 20 percent back (either as credit on your credit card or cash in the bank) just by swiping your card. One user in their best test earned back more than $90. More than 100 Phoenix-area merchants have agreed to participate offering deals between 10-40%, including The Lodge, Over Easy, Cupz Coffee, Devil’s Advocate, Indulge, Nourish and more. Visit looterang.com for more info.