Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
Local First Arizona has announced the winners of the 18th annual Devour Culinary Classic, an event that featured more than 100 Arizona restaurants and purveyors.
The gathering was held from Feb. 21 to 22 at Desert Botanical Garden in partnership with Art State Arizona.
A panel of writers, culinary professionals and industry experts evaluated the dishes served at the event, according to a press release. Judges scored entries on taste, presentation, degree of difficulty and creativity to determine Best in Show, Best Use of Heritage Food, Gold Medal, Silver Medal and Bronze Medal awards.
This year’s event also included expanded People’s Choice Awards selected by attendees, such as Most Innovative Dish, Most Sustainable Dish, Best Beverage, Best Dessert, Favorite Packaged Good and the Bob McClendon Locally Sourced Award. Renamed to honor the legacy of Bob McClendon, the award recognizes the dish that best highlights locally sourced ingredients, including indigenous, heirloom, low‑water or desert‑adapted foods.
Event volunteers helped divert more than 3,100 pounds of waste from landfills through recycling and composting.
Devour Culinary Classic 2026 award winners
Devour 2026 Best of Show
Carcara — Prickly pear pork belly, jicama and raspberry caviar
Chef Dominique St. Pierre
Double Gold Medal Winners
Citizen Public House — Pork belly pastrami
Chef Bernie Kantak
Cuisine Privé — Ranchero brisket with crispy root vegetable gratin
Chef Sandra Kazouh
Gold Medal Winners
Litchfield’s at the Wigwam — Duroc heritage pork belly confit on heirloom masa arepa
Marisco Boys — Ceviche mixto; oyster pie tee amuse
Westin Kierland — Wagyu tataki
Uchi — Sake tom kha
Dahl Restaurant Group — Pineapple pork tostadas; squash apple bisque
Feringhee Modern Indian — Dal makhani fondue; chicken saag wala
IndiBar — Papdi chaat with mint and tamarind; Afghani murgh with pickled onions
Shift Kitchen and Bar — Juniper‑nixtamalized squash, piñon ’nduja, pangrattato
Urban Phoenix Culinary Collective — Carnitas de pato; beef birria mac and cheese bombs
Desert Diamond Casino — Crabcake with shortrib
Bob McClendon Locally Sourced Award
George and Gather — Whipped goat cheese on toasted Barrio sourdough with balsamic date purée, local honey and toasted pecans
People’s Choice: Amelia’s Mexican Kitchen — Vegetarian enchilada mole madre and vegetables
Heritage/Indigenous Foods Awards
Mujer Bonita — Crispy carnitas sope
Shift Kitchen and Bar — Juniper‑nixtamalized squash
The Rez: An Urban Eatery — Mesquite crepe with Navajo lamb and prickly pear
Classic Cooking Academy — Corn consommé
People’s Choice: Mujer Bonita Catering — Gluten‑free crispy carnitas on a blue corn sope with fire‑roasted morita‑orange sauce, topped with pickled onion relish and roasted garlic crema
Honorable Mention: Chefs Lynn Becker and Lori Hashimoto, Hana Japanese Eatery — “Sip, Learn, and Discover Sake” demonstration
People’s Choice Awards
Most Innovative Dish — Frites Street X Capital Farms — Tokyo + Sonoran‑inspired cottage fry smashburger
Best Beverage — Iconic Cocktail Co. — Strawberry sage margarita and spiced honey old fashioned
Best Dessert — Desert Diamond Casino — Pistachio bread pudding
Favorite Packaged Good — Kettle Heroes Popcorn
Silver Medal Winners
Phoenician Tavern — Kobe beef sliders
Scratching the Plate — Mesquite biscuit with gravy
Humble Bistro — Cremini sachetti; lobster shrimp mini
McArthur’s at the Arizona Biltmore — Southwest shrimp cocktail
Fellow Osteria — Beet tartare
Clever Koi — Duck potstickers
Frites Street and Capital Farms — Tokyo and Sonoran‑inspired cottage fry smashburger
The Gladly — Tuna crudo; grilled Hereford beef
JW Marriott Camelback Inn — Blackened mahi mahi with three sisters relish
JW Marriott Kembara — Crab fried rice
Latha — Shrimp aquachiles; sorrel
Steadfast Diner — Reuben salad
Aioli Gourmet Burger — PBJ+A burger with sriracha peanut butter and apricot jelly
Arizona Wilderness — Oklazona slider with wagyu beef; confit wings
Creations by Sergio — Slow‑braised pollo pibil with white bean purée; vegan ceviche
Desert Diamond Casino — Surf and turf
George and Gather — Whipped goat cheese on toasted Barrio sourdough with balsamic date purée, local honey and toasted pecans
Mujer Bonita Catering — Crispy carnitas on blue corn sope
Bronze Medal Winners
Oliver’s Modern American — Ceviche cups
The Rez: An Urban Eatery — Navajo blue corn pupusas; mesquite crepe with lamb
Merkin Vineyards — Local lamb meatball; shoyu ramen with garden vegetables
Tryst Cafe — Rock shrimp salad
Kneller’s Deli — Corned beef; smoked whitefish salad
Phoenix Culinary Collective — Achiote roasted pork; vegan chorizo
The Herb Box — Prosciutto‑wrapped shrimp
Salt + Sol at the Hilton — Salt‑cured bacon‑wrapped dates with Crow’s Dairy; Solano BLT
AC Lounge at Nortera — Harissa chicken tostada
Amelia’s Mexican Kitchen — Birria enchilada mole madre
Classic Cooking Academy — Corn consommé; tepary bean hummus
Hearsay — Beet and horseradish‑cured gravlax with watermelon radish butter
Prado — Prime ribeye pincho with butternut and coconut purée
Gertrude’s by Tarbell — Crispy duck confit tacos; XVOO‑poached rock shrimp
Renatta’s Hearth at the Arizona Biltmore — Smoked brisket tostones rellenos
