Sara Crocker
Audio By Carbonatix
Just as blooming flowers and nesting birds are part of the springtime attractions at the Desert Botanical Garden, so too is a boisterous two-day all-you-can-eat celebration of Arizona cooking.
The 2026 Devour Culinary Classic took over the gardens this weekend. Each year, chefs from around the Valley and state bring their crews to cook in white tents set up along the garden pathways. There, they roast, grill and fry bite-sized eats promising king-sized flavors in an effort to win the hearts and votes of the crowd and a panel of judges.
During this 17th year of Devour, an event founded and hosted by Local First Arizona, blue skies and bouncy tunes greeted festival attendees. Groups of food fans eagerly trekked tent to tent picking up small plates and pours while chatting up chefs and restaurant owners.
Devour offers a window into the Valley’s dining scene. At nearly every booth, luxe proteins were on full display. Slices and skewers of steak, slabs of pork belly and duck confit proliferated. Yet, a charming miniature trio of carbs crafted by Proof Bread likewise caught the attention of many guests. A slice of sourdough bread, a twee croissant and tiny iced paska were arranged on plates handed out at the festival. More than once, we saw people stop diners with these plates to find out where they could secure their own.
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Gertrude’s by Tarbell’s greeted Devour diners at the entry with crispy duck confit tacos. -
Indibar’s team, including Executive Chef Nigel Lobo at center, plated Afghani Murgh and Papdi Chaat at Devour. -
Indibar’s Afghani Murgh, a charcoal-grilled chicken with salad and pickled onions, and Papdi Chaat, a street food snack topped with potatoes, yogurt and mint and tamarind sauces. -
Desert Diamond Casino put a luxe twist on potato skins, adding lobster and steak. -
Minnow’s Cafe de Olla Flan, with a five-spice pistachio crumble, was made by pastry chef Benjamin Cadriel. It’s paired with a ginned-up strawberry matcha. -
Chef Bernie Kantak riffed on his classic Citizen Public House dish, pork belly pastrami. -
The Gladly chef Xander Barella made a a fresh tuna crudo with blood orange ponzu. Fellow Gladly chef Adam Harms grilled Hereford beef, plating slices atop a tallow-fried potato chip with crispy capers. -
Chef Lisa Dahl greeted diners at Devour on Saturday. -
Sedona chef Lisa Dahl paid tribute to organic farmer Bob McClendon, who died earlier this month. -
Dahl Restaurant Group dished cups of butternut squash and apple bisque and pulled pineapple-pork tostadas. -
Devour Culinary Classic attracted a sellout crowd to the weekend-long food festival. -
Flagstaff’s Shift Kitchen & Bar celebrated juniper in two dishes, including a Juniper Nixtamalized Squash with pinion ‘nduja and pangrattato. -
Latha’s shrimp aguachile came with a crisp, spicy plantain chip. It’s paired with the restaurant’s warmly spiced sorrel tea. -
Prado’s chefs grilled ribeye in front of Devour diners. Its K4 Ranch skewers were served with a butternut and coconut puree, salsa verde and micro herb salad. -
Ocotillo offered a picnic-style mesquite-grilled chicken skewer over a date-potato salad. -
Feringhee’s team dished chicken saag wala with cumin rice and dal makhani fondue with mini bread rolls. -
Classic Cooking Academy poured corn consomme, garnished with popcorn. -
Uchi served a chilled take on the spicy Thai soup Tom Kha. Uchi’s version was made with salmon, maitake mushroom, chili oil and dill. -
Capital Farms and Frites Street collaborated on a hangover worthy smash burger sandwiched between cottage fries. -
Proof Bread’s twee trio of sourdough, croissant and paska. -
Clever Koi’s Duck Potsticker was topped with a refreshing daikon-apple slaw. -
Humble Bistro’s handmade cremini sachetti in a brown butter, truffle and garlic confit sauce. -
The Tucson eatery Amelia’s Mexican Kitchen featured birria enchiladas in a mole madre. -
Carcara featured prickly pear-glazed pork belly with raspberry caviar on a jicama tortilla. -
Devour guests flocked to the Pavilion at Sunset Plaza for bites, sips and shade. -
The Herb Box’s prosciutto-wrapped shrimp were served with a blackberry glaze and spicy soy mustard. -
Steadfast Diner offered a fresh take on a Rueben. -
Litchfield’s brunch cinnamon roll, topped with a generous swirl of frosting. -
Litchfield’s at the Wigwam served Duroc heritage pork belly confit in a hot honey glaze atop a masa areapa. -
Bite-sized achiote roasted pork tostadas from Phoenix Culinary Collective.
Devour 2026 winners
A culinary competition is baked into Devour. Chefs work not only to ensure that attendees are well-fed but also wowed by their dishes. Attendees can vote via QR codes, while a panel of local food experts judges the chefs’ work and awards several medal levels.
Chef Dominique St. Pierre took home the top honor, receiving Best of Show for her prickly pear-glazed pork belly with a raspberry caviar atop a jicama tortilla. St. Pierre helms the kitchen at Carcara, the restaurant located inside the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown hotel.
Two chefs received Double Gold medals from the judges. Chef Bernie Kantak earned the nod for a riff on his classic Citizen Public House dish, pork belly pastrami. Also receiving double gold was chef Sandra Kazouh of catering company Cuisine Privé for a Ranchero Brisket with a crispy root vegetable gratin.
The Bob McClendon Locally Sourced Award debuted this year. Formerly named Best Use of Local Ingredients, the award was renamed to honor the pioneering Valley organic farmer, who died earlier this month.
Judges awarded George & Gather for chef Fiona Nicholson’s Whipped Goat Cheese, served on Barrio Bread sourdough with date puree, raspberries, local honey and toasted pecans.
The judges for the 2026 competition were Arizona Republic reporter Bahar Anooshahr, PHOENIX magazine editor Craig Outhier, a taste of az co-founder Eric Walters, former Phoenix New Times and Arizona Republic restaurant critic Howard Seftel and Liquid Architecture’s Kim Haasarud. Chef’s dishes were scored based on taste, presentation, degree of difficulty and creativity.
Sara Crocker
The 2026 gold medal winners included:
- Litchfield’s at the Wigwam: Duroc heritage pork belly confit in a hot honey glaze atop a masa arepa.
- Marisco Boys: Ceviche Mixto and Oyster Pie Tee Amuse
- Westin Kierland Resort & Spa: Wagyu Tataki
- Uchi: Sake Tom Kha
- Dahl Restaurant Group: Pulled Pineapple-Pork Tostadas and Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque
- Feringhee Modern Indian: Chicken Saag Wala with Cumin Rice and Dal Makhani Fondue
- Indibar: Afghani Murgh, a charcoal-grilled chicken with salad and pickled onions, and Papdi Chaat, a street food snack topped with potatoes, yogurt and mint and tamarind sauces.
- Shift Kitchen & Bar: Juniper Nixtamalized Squash with pinion ‘nduja and pangrattato.
- Urban Phoenix Catering: Carnitas de Pato and Beef Birria Mac and Cheese Bombs
- Desert Diamond Casino: Crabcake with Shortrib
Devour diners named their own favorites in the People’s Choice Awards. For the Locally Sourced award, attendees favored the vegetarian enchilada in mole madre from Tucson eatery Amelia’s Mexican Kitchen.
Frites Street and Capital Farms’ Tokyo + Sonoran-inspired Cottage Fry Smashburger was awarded Most Innovative Dish. Iconic Cocktail Co. nabbed Best Beverage for its strawberry Sage Margarita and Spiced Honey Old Fashioned.
Guests named Desert Diamond Casino’s Pistachio Bread Pudding the weekend’s Best Dessert. And, Kettle Heroes Popcorn was named attendees’ Favorite Packaged Good.
Amid the busy day, several local chefs shared more about what they made.
