Best food festival in town held at the Desert Botanical Garden!!!!! Always sold out!!! A true culinary classic!!!!!This tasting event of best local restaurants is in its 18th year!! A two-day event of tasting stations of amazingly delicious food, wine, beer and craft cocktails. Artists with their work displayed around the garden along with live music. Free parking. read more

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First- Well Done!! Loved the location at the Botanical Gardens!! It made for a nice way to spread the vendors and keep crowds flowing!! The food vendors did their best to show off their work and for the most part it was pleasing. But, some were overly salty, cold when supposed to be warm, those kinda little things. Neither my husband or myself drink alcohol, so we felt like we really didn't get our money's worth in terms of beverages offered that were non-alcoholic other than water/or tiny lemonade samples. It would be a recommendation for the future to offer some Mocktails or other fun options other than coffee. That said- we purchased the early time and were very pleased with the day and we found some favorite goodies and places that we will try in the future! All the food was beautifully presented and there certainly was no shortage of tasty treats- the problem was having room in your tummy!! Highly recommend for any foodie folks, lovers of beers & wines!! And, people watching too!! read more

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A Foodie's and Wino's must event! I have been attending this event for the past 6 years at least. I appreciate that the event was moved from Phoenix Art Museum to Desert Botanical Gardens- a lot more space and natural beauty. They have an average of 30 food vendors and at least 70 plus wines to try. They also have several craft breweries and hard liquor tents now, so it is not just wines. I think it is worth buying the VIP experience since it offers live music, table, chairs, more restrooms, and two food vendors that are not offered anywhere else during the event. If you go, make sure to collect the discount cards some of the vendors pass out so you can get a discount or free appetizer when you visit their restaurant. read more

Devour Culinary Classic - Festivals Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Devour Culinary Classic has cut back the general admission so much it isn't great anymore. General admission used to start with a reception room that used to be really awesome a few years back....but they slowly cut it back and NOW was replaced with a one man band. For many years I used to enjoy with my general admission Merry Edwards Wine. This wine was quality well made wine. ($38-over $60.) Even the lower end Merry Edwards was awesome. Here at Devour this year I saw (not all) but mostly unknown wines. I saw Marietta (around $10.00). I know some years that wine is drinkable....but some years it's awful. They didn't even have Pillsbury here this year. The wine selection had really dropped by leaps and bounds for general admission. The cost has skyrocketed for general admission. Back in 2012 I got discounts for attending both days. Back in 2012 Devoured only cost me $45.00 a day and I got the really great reception room with more food than I can eat, Great Wines to drink like Merry Edwards and others just as good and lots of great food by the best at show. NOW in 2018 general admission was $105. and I didn't get a reception room, I didn't get any great wine and MOST OF THE BETTER FOOD WAS ONLY FOR VIPS this year...so IT SUCKED. This year they cut back on the food for general admission. Devour Culinary Classic is something I won't do anymore. They've became very expensive and CUT BACK TOO MUCH on general admission. read more

Devour Culinary Classic - A one man band was the replacement for the reception room we used to get. - Festivals Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

It gets better every year. This amazing event takes place at the botanical gardens and features a wide range of food and beverages. Some amazing and some not so much. But who cares? There is so much to choose from it's hard not to have a good time. The selections change every year which keeps it interesting. Can't wait for next year! read more

2018, new location (The Desert Botanical Garden) but other than that a major disappointment. My dining partner and I have been enjoying this weekend fun event for the past 4yrs., 3 of which was at the Phoenix Art Museum. Loved, Loved, Loved, so this year we opted to upgrade for the Connoisseur Package $155 (an hour early entry, plus the Heritage Experience) this yr. which got us less in the long run. The new location I thought was great, plenty of parking, plenty of sitting places to take a break, it was nice to walk and enjoy the garden. The restaurants featured: though some were very good also seemed very weak, not enough "well known" ones that I would of wanted to be there or that have been there in the past. The samples were small, hardly impressive. The liquor, beer, wine was a HUGE disappointment. Most selection especially beer were from too many small craft beer breweries. In addition too little drinking station at each Zone. So our take on the whole event was parking, location was great. Everything is done by Zones. Upon entering you are in zone 9/8, probably the best food: Wigman, Hula, Pa'la, Worth, District, Waffles, Artizen, House of Tricks, Rancho Pinot, all stood out. Frankly, I got tired of everything being some type of Pork Belly or Shredded Beef variation. To note: while sampling in the beginning, looking for drinks (beer, liquor) all I could find was wine and my friend and I aren't day time wine drinkers. So in looking for the "Beer Garden", the food selection/sampling just kept getting worse and worse. Huge disappointment for an expensive day. I'm going to rethink next year... or maybe not. read more

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Really enjoyed the 2019 Devour Culinary Classic (Sunday), my first time attending this event. I believe it was a good value based on the number of excellent restaurants represented and the quality of dishes and friendly service. Had read critical comments about food selection and location from the 2018 event, and it appears that organizers and participating vendors took that feedback to heart because food, wine, and beer were plentiful, tasty, and interesting. I especially enjoyed the gorgeous prawns from Bourbon and Bones, the Tropical Itch cocktail at Hula's Modern Tiki, and the classic chopped salad presented by Citizen Public House/The Gladly. Other standouts included Gallo Blanco, Deseo, Different Pointe of View, House of Tricks, Wren House Brewing, and Beckett's Table. I regret not trying the fried chicken sandwich at Worth Takeaway, which looked beautiful and appeared popular. I am subtracting one star due to a couple of disappointing vendor issues. The Mission restaurant, one of my favorite places in town, was not in their appointed area, and an event volunteer told me that they had not shown up. Not good PR! Also, a representative of Elk Cove Vineyards, a wonderful Oregon winery, refused to serve me a sample of a sparkling rose that he had chilled and open and in plain view, saying "That is a really special bottle." I guess I was not special enough a guest to be served. I don't understand why he would bring wine that he did not plan to serve to the general admission area of a major event. Ironically, I have spent a great deal of money on wines from this winery over the years. Not any more. read more

Devoured Culinary Classic, formerly the "West of Western," culinary festival, was a huge hit! I attended on this past Sunday, and ate my way through the many local restaurants that were there. It was well-run, it happened to be a beautiful day, awesome people watching, and oh so many friends in attendance... what a blast! I didn't take the time to see the Ansel Adams exhibition, so I will have to return to PAM again soon to do that. I did, however, eat the following: -Scallop with English Pea Risotto from Different Pointe of View -Shrimp Ceviche from Chelsea's Kitchen -Gazpacho from Arcadia Farms -Posole from Green -Ginger Sweet Potato Pudd'n from Breadfruit -Lambchop with Farfalle and Savory Creme Brulee from Talavera -Waloo Tataki in lettuce wrap and Grilled Chicken Meatball from Hana -Machaca from Kai Apparently, I missed a kick-ass Beef Wellington from Petite Maison as well as samples from a handful of other restaurants. Jared made up for what I passed on, including a Crab Cake Slider from Relish and three-four extra servings of Cowboy Ciao's Frosted Flake Ice Cream & Brittle with Malted Oatmeal Cookie. Yes, I will definitely have to try to get in an extra workout or two this week to make up for all of those extra calories I "devoured" on Sunday. Thanks to Phoenix Art Museum, Local First Arizona, and The Arizona Republic for putting it on... I look forward to this annual festival in the years to come! read more

Devour Culinary Classic - Festivals Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This is my 7th year going to Devoured Culinary Classic and this was by far the best!! The change of location to the Desert Botanical Garden was a great move!! Beautiful setting and MORE room...... I attend many of the Food events around Phoenix and this one excels!! Amazing Wines, Beers and of course some of the best restaurants in town showing off their talents. read more

This is hands down the best culinary event in town. I've been to them all! This one showcases the top restaurants in town and the chefs love to put out their best stuff. And it you like to eat... be prepared to gorge on some great food (not joking). You really do have to have a plan in place as there is so much to sample. In addition to food, some of the best local wineries and breweries come out and you can sample their finest. The best deal is to become a Local First member as tickets go fast for this event. Localist get first dips at tickets and they knock a few bucks off the price of admission. There are several other foodie events throughout the week leading up to this one that are worth checking out. read more

Devour Culinary Classic - Festivals Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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So many samples and so little time. With the event happening just over a mile from our place, we decided to walk to and fro. Overall, I'm glad we did, but was regretting it the moment we had to waddle our way home. It's not every day you get to eat yourself silly; only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and at Devoured. What seemed to be an endless supply of beer, wine, and great food, turned into tomorrow's 'regrets'. Regret that I ran out of space in my stomach with the ambition to sample everything, regret that I only got tickets for one day, regret that I'll be at the gym for a month working off one day of caution thrown to the wind, and regret that I have to wait an entire year to do it all over again. Pork taco's, venison steak atop polenta, hand made ice cream, bacon meat balls, blue berry fritters, hamburger bites, macaroni and cheese, saffron ice pops, churros, pretzels, deep fried deviled eggs, milk shakes, root beer floats, duck salad, home made dulce de lece twix bars, chocolate strawberries, brownies, cookies, bruschetta, salads, goat tacos, goat cheese, goat milk, short rib ravioli, meat loaf bites, and on, and on, and on, and on. After getting sufficiently stuffed, we took a quick tour of the Phoenix Art museum; an awesome spot for an event by the way, then we rolled our way home. Not really thinking this one completely through ahead of time, the walk home took an added 25 minutes, thanks to the 'brisk' pace we were able to keep. I certainly wish we had driven now :-/ Until next time devoured, you won this battle, but I will certainly win the war. Happy yelping Phoenix! :-) read more

I would have given this event four or five stars the last two years that I have attended, and minus one star would have been simply for the fact that tickets are priced fairly steep at about $100 per person for one day. I thought that price was outrageous my first time, but tried it anyway based on family recommendation. Not only did I feel it justified the cost in 2016, I returned a second time in 2017, and we eagerly planned for 2018 with our biggest family group ever, 10 people total, including family from out of town who came in specifically for this event. The previous two years it was crowded, sure, but no wonder - it was an amazing production that deserved the hype! It was a terrific experience past years at the Phoenix Art Museum. This year, it was moved to the Botanical Gardens and I was happy to give this new venue a chance. I've been to the Botanical Gardens a couple of times previously, and knowing how huge and sprawling it is, I figured they would concentrate the vendors into the more open areas near the front of the entrance, and then allow people to wander further out and enjoy the beauty of the gardens if they so chose. Instead, the new format had ten "zones" randomly plopped at various spaces in this 1-2 mile long loop. Keep in mind two in our party have mobility issues and have a handicapped placard, and we were notified upon entry that a lot of the handicapped spaces were taken. While we easily found handicapped parking, that told me that our party was not the only group that would have found this much walking to be a challenge. Usually at the Art Museum we found a table right away for our less able members, and would help them out by bringing back samples to their table, but this new food tasting / hiking combo meant that perhaps should have worn athletic shoes instead of cute sandals with my dress. We set out on our epic Journey of 10 Zones, finding huge crowds at the first 3 Zones featuring food, but as we carried on, we found Zones 4 and 5 were only for VIP Members? Zone 6 and 8 had several restaurants, all with incredibly long lines. We left one those crowded zones to wander towards Zone 9, hoping to find shorter lines, only to find a lonely single (albeit good) food sample in that entire zone, despite the fact Zone 9 was easily accessible and close to the entrance. Then we wasted even more time staring at the map and wandering about trying to find the mythical Zone 10 until we were notified that was nonexistent on Saturday. So, we turned around, and had to hike back to Zone 8. One of our party joked that if we added the kids it would have felt like Disneyland (walking long distances, standing in lines all day) except with wine samples. Most food was in the back, the garden's distant "Adventureland". I almost gave this one star, except I have to give credit for a few highlights. There were outstanding dessert selections offered again by Doc's Ice Creams and the amazing Toasted Mallow in Gilbert, as well as other fantastic desserts featured (a sweet basil panna cotta stood out to me in particular, but they were so bombarded with people I wasn't able to pick up a card to give them credit.) And yes, the wine and alcohol tastings were extensive. Another aspect that seemed to be overlooked by many but I really liked was the performance artists - lovely models in eclectic costumes that were posing like living mannequins in various areas. If you are OK spending $100 on a ticket to wander around a desert garden and sample wines and desserts, I guess this would be the event for you. However, compared to the previous years, which featured extensive entree selections, actual food was difficult to find. Lines at the places that featured savory bites, such as Aioli Gourmet Burgers, were so long that to get a sample would require waiting 10+ minutes. Combine the wait times with bumbling around to find the next "zone" and hot Arizona sun beating down on your head the whole time - overall I feel like if you want a similar experience head over to a food truck festival. Might be cheaper, and you could end up with more food perhaps? Yesterday, several of our party who chose not to stand in line at Aioli Burger when the crowds were thick, hiked back to that "zone" later to find they were out of samples, and were discussing stopping at In-N-Out Burger on the drive home because they were still hungry. That seems really sad, considering our experiences in past years we left so stuffed that we couldn't even think about food for the rest of the night. There were a total of 10 people in our party, and we all decided that for a collective $1000 we could do a lot better. None of us will be returning to the event in 2019. It's very sad considering how much we adored our past years, but as the saying goes, "You don't know what you've got until it's gone." Adieu, "Devoured". I feel extremely fortunate to have experienced you at your best. You will be sorely missed! read more

This was our first time attending this event and I elected to purchase the VIP tickets. We have been to a number of similar events in California and Arizona and this was definitely one of the best. I think the outdoor location allows the chefs more flexibility in what they can prepare, and the attendees definitely benefit! I think the VIP tickets were worth the extra expense. We got to sample everything before the crowds came in and there were some additional excellent 'bites' in the VIP area. Free parking, great food, wide variety - we will be back. read more

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My second year of Devour in the books. My stomach is ready to pop & I've napped more in the last two days than I can ever remember. This also marks Devour's first year at a new venue. Devour was stationed for years at the Phoenix Art Museum. I was among those sad to see the event move away from the Art Museum (partly because it was walking distance to my apartment, but also) because the venue was both aesthetically pleasing & contained to a relatively small intimate space. That said, I agree with Kimber Lanning that Devour had outgrown the Art Museum. The event needed a bigger space to accommodate more vendors, more foodie patrons, & more space for people to move around in general. On paper, the Desert Botanical Gardens make a lot of sense as a new venue. Its more spread out, has more parking, & the gardens themselves are one of Phoenix's most iconic venues. So how did year one at the Gardens go? I should note that like last year I went both Saturday & Sunday. Just as with last year, Saturday & Sunday have a completely different lineup of food vendors (though the beer, wine, and spirits vendors are largely the same both days). Also just as with last year, the best day in terms of the quality & selection of foods is Sunday. Don't get me wrong, Saturday has a great selection too, but the quality of Sunday's food is best. If you can only go one day during the weekend, go on Sunday. And as with last year, each restaurant was offering anywhere from 1 to 4 different items to taste from. And the food by in large is still awesome with each restaurant giving you taster sized bites in an effort to showcase what makes them great. For the record, my three favorite dishes this year (in order) were: 1) Gallo Blanco's pancake dessert taco, 2) Clever Koi's mango duck in banana leaf and 3) Worth Takeaway's pork sandwich. Let's point out some of the differences this year. For starters, there were three levels of admission. The cheapest (and the one I got) was the Taster admission for $115 per person per day. The second level was the Conoisseiur admission which gets you into some exclusive food and beverage areas. And the top level is the VIP admission. Both the Conoisseiur and VIP admissions get you in an hour earlier than the Taster admission folks, but the VIP admission gets you anywhere at the event at any time. I actually went with a couple that had VIP passes this go around. While they certainly were able to sample items I didn't have access to, it seemed like the biggest benefit for those upper level admissions was an abundance of seating and tables for those folks. The biggest difference however was the setup at the Gardens. Whereas the Art Museum setup relegated the event to an enclosed courtyard & a couple of breakout rooms on the perimeter, Devour (mostly) made use of the entire Gardens park. There were a total of ten separate zones doling out different items, but each zone had at least a few food vendors. So how did it go? Well, mixed. I've seen some of the negative Yelp reviews from some of this year's Devour patrons. While I don't agree with all of their criticisms, I think some of their critiques have a point. Some people didn't like having to walk so much versus years past so that'll just take getting used to. But I will say that some of the criticisms about the overcrowding in certain zones has merit. Zone 2 at the Boppart Courtyard was too packed in. Which is a shame because that also featured some of the state's most popular restaurants. I realize keeping the lines moving is partly the responsibility of the vendors themselves, but next year they should cut the number of vendor booths in half at that location to leave more room to maneuver. Additionally, there were open & available spaces at the Gardens that were largely unused. The northwest quadrant in particular got no usage. I understand some of the park contains sensitive horticultural areas but I saw plenty of dirt areas where booths could've easily been stationed. Bottomline, spread the vendors more evenly throughout the park. Lastly, trim down the number of VIP/Conoisseiur spots. I get that Devour is an expensive event to put on & they need to make money, but the restricted access areas were almost abandoned for much of the day both days. I'd recommend having just one VIP area & make the rest available to everyone next year. All that said, I still highly recommend this event to anyone who loves great food, great drinks, a beautiful backdrop, & supporting local businesses. The new location will have some kinks to work out, but so did the Art Museum location years ago. I trust Kimber & the Local First AZ crew to get this right going forward. This year wasn't quite as magical for me as when it was at the Art Museum in 2017, but Devour is still the ultimate bucket list culinary event for food lovers here in AZ or visiting from out of state. Cheers! read more

This was our 3rd year attending Devoured and while we had a great time, I think it may be our last. What made Devoured a stand-out for me is the all-inclusive price. No lame tickets or having to run around the event so you have the appropriate currency for the appropriate thing. We swore off any food events that operate like this because we generally end up frustrated and hungry. Each year, we've discovered gems we never knew existed and that's been great. My main issue this year were the crowds. I read something somewhere that there was less space because of construction but it seemed like the same size to me. I'm wondering if they upped their capacity. There were times when I was literally in a crowd of people and could not move. This is even worse when most people are holding food and drink. I've got no problem having to wait my turn for a sample but when I cannot walk freely up and down the aisles, it starts to erode the fun factor. I've had a lot of success finding those gems year round with Yelp so perhaps that's taken some of the appeal out of this event too. read more

This is my fourth time at event and sadly my last. The new event venue had bigger space & very nice to view. However it seemed like there were fewer food booths with less spectacular sampling plates along with many restaurants running out of food by 1 pm. The lines to get food were long. I feel that the increased price didnt give me a great experience. I'm sad to say, my previous Devoured events were 100% better. I'll find a new food event to attend. read more

Devour Culinary Classic - Festivals Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Amazing assortment of foods to try! I am so glad that I went for the first time to Devour. It was a little hot outside though this year. I am just not ready for summer! There are so many things I ate I can't even remember all of them. I do remember the maple glazed salmon from the Vig, and the macrons from Phoenix public market. There was some wonderful chocolate thing from Tammy Coe bakery and lots of wine! My only complaint is that I wish it was at a bigger location. It's pretty packed in there times, and a few people were a bit rude. I think we needed more space. Yes it's nice that it's at the art museum but if you're someone who doesn't like crowds how are you supposed to really enjoy yourself? It gets a bit overwhelming. I'm considering VIP tickets for next year but wow it's so expensive! read more

This has been the best food event each year for the past 2 years. It's nicely set up, however this year was more crowded than the last. The range of food is always a plus, however many restaurants served small soft tacos which end up just blending together in my memory. My favorite part of the event are the cooking demos given by chefs of well known restaurants. The chefs do a great job explaining the process of the dish they are cooking and it's definitely a nice break from the endless eating that can go on at an event like this. I loved Relish Burger's Kobe beef burgers, so much so that I will probably try them out at the restaurant in the near future. Different Pointe of View served lobster ravioli with a delicious cream sauce. I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Arizona wineries which were on hand. read more

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW Okay, I'm getting carried away but I was so impressed with our first time attending this event!!! We will NEVER miss this event again! The food was amazing - good job to all the restaurant. read more

Truly amazing food served in small bites or tapas style throughout the Botanical Garden this year. We loved the new venue and cannot wait till next year. Nice selection of desserts, veggie options, and beverages along with the main courses. Bites were perfect sizes, and we were plenty fall by the end. I was disappointed that a couple booths had run out of food by 2:30pm though, and we still had another hour. Otherwise,,,so fabulous. read more

I was really hoping to love this culinary event because it was really expensive and I've heard great things about it. Sad to say, it definitely didn't hold up to my expectations. I really loved the concept of it and I really liked how after you were into the festival that you didn't have to pay for any of the food or booze samples. My issue was the food itself though. Many of the dishes that we tried were not very good and some were actually pretty bad. I think a lot of the restaurants used this event as a platform to try really unique and different dishes and the majority of them dropped the ball. It was unfortunate that a lot of the restaurants just didn't stick to what they know because I've been to several of the restaurants that were at Devour and I normally really like them. The setting was really nice at the desert botanical gardens. Even the wine I wasn't super impressed with. And honestly after you are tasting so many different wines at the same time and in the same glass they all start to not taste great. Most likely wouldn't come back to the event in the future, but I'm glad that I was able to try it out for once though. read more

Dayum you Gabi! I had it my mind (fuzzy as it has been since Sunday) to be the FTR on this event. Well. Who cares! What a fabulous day. It was like seeing family. I saw industry folk, lots of yelpers and so many of my customers and neighbors from the CenPho hood! Corn Dogs from District! Seriously. I could eat those babies for breakfast. Gelato from Chelsea's Kitchen!? Seriously I could eat that for breakfast! Sea Scallops with pea risotto from A Different Pointe of View. Yep. Breakfast. Eggs over easy. Done deal. And the wine! The tequila. And the Dragonberry Rum. Yep. Hair of the dog. Breakfast all the way. PAM has never looked prettier to me. And by the end of the day. Everyone I saw had never looked prettier to me. Recall the wine, tequila and rum! Great event. GO PHOENIX FOODIES! Five stars. Great double date with Rickie, Anton and Dave. The only bad things was the neon green drink band clashed with my black and pink Hello Kitty bracelet. Hmmm... read more

The most stuffed I've ever been in my entire life hasn't been in any of the great food cities of the world. It's been at Devoured, two years in a row. After a vivid recollection of last year: cringing from fullness while simultaneously forcing one of Green's roasted marshmallows down my throat, being unable to stop until I'd tasted every last dish, I thought I'd learned my lesson. This year, I managed not to completely finish any of the dishes (aside from Lon's dark chocolate-dipped salted caramel pop... sweet baby Jesus) and planned to leave feeling uncomfortably full, at most. However, on my way out, I saw that they expanded this year's lineup, setting up a handful of restaurant booths and an entire strip of dessert places inside the cafe and Great Hall. Rat bastards. I literally haven't eaten for 27 hours and am still full. My advice for next year: save anything that comes in a bag for later, and arrive STARVING. I cannot get enough of everything about Devoured. The food is stellar, the lines are non-existent (thanks to the flocks of people that essentially just go to drink and socialize), and the selection is immense enough to cause death by gluttony if you're the kind of person who has to taste everything. P.S .- I didn't even eat any meat and I pretty much rolled out of the festival. read more

Oops sorry for the late review, didn't know there was a thread set up for it. \ I went to the Sunday Event and it was amazing, i don't think i've had that much fun in a while. You will have a chance to try out all the up and coming restaurant in the valley, the big dogs and the chiwauwaus. I strongly suggest anyone who enjoys food or just eating in general should try to attend this event next year. read more

Two words: FOOD COMA. How anyone spends the entire time here is beyond my comprehension? We tried to hit all the hot spots where a line was expected (Kai, Hana, etc) early to avoid some waiting. And we did a really good job to where we really only waited if we had a question for the chef. We gorged...and gorged...and gorged...until we pretty much felt sick. And my stomach was carrying a 6-month food baby. (Thank god I planned ahead and wore loose clothing!) We focused on food and actually didn't drink...strategic plan to save tummy room for grub. The event was well organized between the Art Museum, SAACA, and Local First. Plenty of security, and no "bros" to deal with, at least while we were there. Looking forward to next year! But plan ahead - GA tickets sold out months in advance! read more

What a disappointing event. It seems that this event has declined each year since its excellent inaugural performance at the Phoenix art museum. What once offered delicious and well apportioned food offerings with generous servings of wine has now become an event with 20-30 minute waits for minuscule bites of uninspired food and mere dribbles of wine. One would be more satisfied after partaking in a trip to Costco (this is meant facetiously as we do not eat grocery store samples) and sampling their "worldly" cuisine. Needless to say, we will not waste $100 per ticket next year. read more

This has to be one the best culinary events I have been to. The participants were awesome, from tasty appetizers to meal samples to deserts my tummy had a warm and full feeling when I left. My taste buds were stimulated at each stop, the chefs were friendly and more than willing to tell you what was in it, and how it was made. Drinks were also taken care of from different wines to iced teas and various coffees to margaritas and vodka drinks. Also Fiji Water available for those that just wanted the simple wet. The portions were more than plentiful as there were a lot of booths. Crab burgers, Kobe burgers, scallops, shrimp, lamb chops, carved duck, pastas, all were awesome. Just thinking about the experience is making me full. All for $20, not sure there was a better deal in town over the weekend. The weather also played a role as it was the first weekend that it was nice an warm in Phoenix. Can't wait for the next one! read more

Devoured is my holy day - my Christmas, my Passover, my Winter Solstice, my everything. This year they showcased nearly 50 local restaurants and 30-some wineries. There were several live music acts and people watching to last all day. This event is held the perfect time of year - its a nice warm outside, not too hot. Yes, it can get a bit toasty when standing in the direct sun while consuming alcohol, but that's nothing an ice cold Mai Tai from Hula's won't fix. Being a vegetarian at this event is not an issue. There are plenty of vegetarian options and many chefs will make you a special little plate of their dish meat-free. I sometimes feel a little left out when some of the big-name, popular restaurants don't offer an option but I can go stuff my belly with something else! I do wish they would cap the number of tickets sold to maybe 2,000 a day. I feel like every year this event gets more and more crowded. My poor dad who recently had surgery on his feet did not enjoy this event at all because the sheer number of people bumping into him made him uneasy. Also, what's up with Tammie Coe "selling out" at every food event I go to before I can try anything?! Bring more food, chica!! You know you're popular!! read more

I am so disappointed with my experience yesterday 3/3/18 at The Devour Culinary Classic. This has been a beloved event of ours for years. First of all, the selection of Desert Botanical Gardens as the new venue is a terrible decision. There is no one single large area there, so the event was broken up into small 'zones'. The event doesn't feel like a large gathering anymore, but rather a collection of smaller gatherings. The energy and vibe created by the event when it was at the Art Museum is gone. After determining that a couple of the zones were better than the others, we basically just picked a zone. Additionally, one gets tired of walking the long distances between zones. So now we're just in one zone, which is maybe 20% as large as the singular space at Phoenix Art Museum. Secondly, the food selections for the regular ticket holders were pathetic. There were maybe 2-3 food vendors in each zone, and usually just one vendor in that zone that was appealing. For Godsake, there was a kettle korn vendor and a place offering baskets of seasoned chiles. This is supposed to be a somewhat upscale culinary event. The lines for the places offering something with an actual protein were unreasonable and for good reason....there was little food to be had. It is now a majority drinking event, and make no mistake, we enjoyed many a beverage, but the food portion of this 'culinary' event is now non-existent. What has happened that is new to 2018 is, the majority of decent food offerings have been pushed into the VIP area, forcing people to spend more. Huge mistake that will not work in the long term. If the regular ticket prices need an increase than do that instead, but offer all the food to everyone as was the format in all prior years. I don't know what happens to all these events as they mature over time, I guess they just feel like they have to maximize revenue at the expense of a quality experience. The same has happened to Scottsdale Culinary Festival (used to be food and drink but now just a drinkfest, albeit a good one, with lots of fun music) and Tempe Oktoberfest (is now forcing the choice of VIP by their format, similar to Devoured). Count us as a longtime Devoured fan that won't be coming back in future years unless a change in venue and food quality is made. Very very sad and disappointed at what has become of this beloved event. read more

So hubby and I attended this event a few years ago, when it was at the art museum. It was good then -- though the venue was super crowded and navigating the long lines was a hassle, we enjoyed a number of delicious and memorable bites from excellent restaurants...all of which we later visited for dinner, because...that's the point, right? This year's event (2018) at the Botanical Gardens, though, was a bust. We went on Saturday 3/3 and experienced only a couple of tasty or interesting bites -- kudos to Buck & Rider, and to Dahl -- you represented! Overwhelmingly, though, the restaurants churned out cheap, carnival-quality slop. And the venue was, again, stupidly set up and managed...the Botanical Gardens are huge, so why do you still have so many booths crammed together so the lines are such a pain? Perhaps the masses gorging themselves don't have the palates to know that they were getting slop and swill, but the drop-off in quality is significant and hugely-disappointing -- especially since admission is still pricey. Anybody who comes to 2018's Devour Phoenix expecting a showcase of the Valley's finest will surely leave thinking we're a culinary wasteland, and that is truly a shame. read more

I attended the Devoured event this year with my sister and had a fantastic time. We both were overwhelmed and delighted by all the choices in food, wine, and desserts available for us to try. We went on Sunday and even though there were a lot of people there, it wasn't so crowded that you couldn't maneuver around. Having some seating available inside when you needed a break from the foodie throng out in the garden was a big plus. The weather was perfect, there was plenty of water around, and the staff was on top of keeping the place clean so overall it was just a really well executed event. The cop directing traffic outside made it easy to get in and out stress free and I also really appreciated the free parking. My favorite dishes were actually the ones offered by the Santa Barbara group. I had not been to the new cafe in the museum, cleverly named Palette (it was formerly Arcadia Farms) and I really like what they have done with the place. They had samples of dishes they serve at The Farm at South Mountain and The House at Secret Garden and they were all just awesome. Butternut squash soup was creamy deliciousness in a cup, sweet potato salad was a fresh burst of flavor, truffle mac and cheesy was a-ma-zing, and the roasted pork croquettes were all of my favorite tastes mushed up together. I liked that they had recipe cards available too! Some other highlights were the mussels from Breadfruit, ice cream from Churn, bruschetta from Postino, Elote (corn) from Barrio, burgers from Relish... and so many others that all blended together in my post event food coma. And please, please, please... if anyone knows the name of that mushroom place from Glendale then message me because they are not listed in the program or the website. Even though it is clear on the other side of town from me, I am willing to drive 45+ minutes for those little delectable little fungi! I also discovered my new favorite Spanish red wine called Tinto (Trenza). I was a little disappointed that all the AZ wineries were hidden away all together in the back since I didn't encounter them until towards the end of the afternoon when I had already quit drinking (I was driving). I do think having the desserts and wine available for sale in the great hall was a genius move so that you could grab a couple of treats and bottles to take home with you. However, that was a bit of a hassle since if you did that you had to go thru a different exit because the docents were out in full force executing the "no food or drink in the museum" rule. So, instead we skipped the bottle purchase and decided to take a tour of the museums' resplendent halls filled with wondrous, captivating, delightful works of art (yes, I like to use a thesaurus when I write my reviews sometimes). My sister had never been before so that was fun for her and a great way to walk off some off the excess food and drink before heading home. With my museum membership the tickets were only $50. I know that sounds like a lot but after stuffing ourselves with as much fantastic food from all our favorite places (and some new ones) and as much wine as you want it is actually quite a deal. I agree with one of the other reviewers that this is way better than the GAP event that is part of the Scottsdale Culinary Festival because there you have to pay for food and drink in addition to the entrance fee and so I spent way more money there last year but the quality of selections just does not compare to Devoured. And I get to support my favorite museum and LFA! My sister and I agreed that we will make Devoured an annual event from now on. Next year we will probably bring some more friends or maybe our husbands... if they are lucky! read more

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This was my first time at Devoured and it was great! I know some of the other reviewers were upset about the heat. Perhaps they didn't notice that there was a lovely museum with air conditioned halls and excellent exhibitions that one could retreat to when slightly flushed from all that sun (read: wine). I thought it was well organized with plenty of places to sit down and relax. I am in total agreement with Patrick H. The Kobe and Lobster sliders were definitely a stand out as was the peanut butter mousse with peanut brittle and chocolate fudge. As always, the Pillsbury wines were fantastic. Pillsbury- you did not lie. The Roan red was a wonderful BBQ wine and great for the early spring heat we were experiencing. This event was very successful in my opinion. I am now excited about eating in AZ and we are planning on becoming Pillsbury members. Well done Phoenix Art Museum, Local First Arizona, and The Arizona Republic! read more

Very disappointed with the event this year. We have been attending Devour every year since it's inception at the Phoenix Art Museum. We were hoping the new venue would make the experience even better, but we were so wrong. It was too spread out, the lines were still too long, it was very unorganized and most importantly the food and wine were not up to the caliber of the past. We hope it returns to the Phoenix Art Museum. It was not worth the money at all! read more

So I was teetering between a five star and a four star but decided that my having a hangover on day two was not reeeally Devoured's fault...lol. I went to both days and must say that I think day one was a bit more fun (it was rainy and dreary which made the lines a little less intense and the food a little more satisfying (IMO). One of my faves from day one (and the winner of my day one Yelpee award for best overall performance and best dessert) was Gertrude's ... OMG they had a 'cookies and milk' play that was some kind of delicious ice cream on top of chocolate soup of sorts.....I LOVED that. Other honorable mentions include: Davanti Enoteca (full portions of pork sandwiches au jus.....ridiculously tasty and the smell was out of this world), the tiramisu from North, the ice cream sandwich from Churn (mint ice cream FTW), the whoopie pie from Whoopie Baking Company (seriously the best wp I have ever had...yum), and the short rib ravioli from Federal Pizza (When they had it again on day two I was doing a little happy dance, this ravioli was good...creamy cheese with amazing melty short rib in pasta...how could you go wrong? I was really turned off to FP, but now I am turned on once again! (TWSS)). Day two was a beautiful sunny day in Phoenix, but also made for longer lines and more crowding. The crowd became close to unbearable in the back by Kai. I'm not sure why they had Kai and J&G and a couple of the other sought after booths all in the same section, but the crowd was completely insane. When I finally made it up to the Kai booth, the food wasn't even THAT amazing, but I'm glad I got to taste it before paying for it. Kai had a funky cheese 'cake,' Foie gras mousse (this was off putting....everyone around me thought so too), and a delicious creme brulee (that I have a feeling was not creme, but something much fancier). They served their food in cute reusable dish wear, but only had ONE recycle station that was completely engulfed in the mob of a line that was around Kai. Needless to say, a lot of the adorable glass bottles and bamboo spoons were left on the tables in that section. Ok, on to my own personal Yelpee awards for day two: Best overall performance- Different Pointe of View for their Venison. Holy mother of someone..... this was so flippin delicious. The meat was the most tender meat I have had in a very long time. The polenta cake was amazing. The personal talk with the employees at the booth was even great. I never wanted to go to their restaurant, and now I definitely do, so bravo to them! The winner of best dessert goes to Kai for their delish creme brulee thingy (although they definitely get the winner of most pretentious booth with the biggest crowd sooo...). Honorable mentions go out to: Short leash...always delicious, friendly, and personable (Thanks Brad and Kate!), J&G - their steak with the cheese ball was really good, my only issue was the steak was super rare for me, but the flavor was great, House of Tricks - their duck soup was my second favorite dish overall of the day, so yummy with an awesome play on flavor and texture, Federal Pizza's short rib ravioli (again), Barrio Cafe (always delicious...this was no exception), and (surprisingly) the vegan salad from Brat house was very fresh and delicious. The Yelpee for best drink? Definitely the cucumber concoction from Windsor...I drank too many of these. Ok, Ok, this is all nice, but there are a few things that can be improved upon for this event next year including: Consider the lay out of the restaurants to include some lesser known or less desirable restaurants near the big draws to reduce the crowding in certain areas, make announcements of some kind when the demos start (maybe they did, but I didn't hear it and the one demo I went to started 20 minutes late so we were all sitting there like wtf for 20 minutes), put out recycle bins, don't make us carry one wine glass around all day so we don't have two hands to eat the food with....or provide one of those nifty wine glass slings or trays with the glass, and (I never ever thought I would say this but....) make the portion sizes smaller! Yes, I did say smaller. I had full plates of food being passed out by some of the vendors (*cough* chelsea's kitchen and Davanti*cough*...in fact, I didn't even try Chelsea's kitchen because I knew I wouldn't want that whole plate and didn't want to waste it). I love getting a big plate of food, but when there are 30+ places to try, I felt guilty wasting a ton of food due to either not liking the item or just being too full to eat that much. I bet at least 5000$ worth of food was just thrown away over the weekend due to large portion sizes. If the restaurants gave out a bite or two each, that would be perfect and reduce all of the waste (and allow people to go back and try their favorites again without being WAY too stuffed to do so). Overall, this event was amazing and I will attend next year again! read more

Another really good event. I went on Saturday and my favorites were Modern Steak's kobe beef and lobster sliders and Talavera's beef tenderloin. read more

Sunday highlights: Lobster & pancetta ravioli, with morels and pea shoots from Different Pointe of View. A highlight.... Avocado ceviche from McClendon Farms. Anything Payton Curry touched- both pates, the sausage, the soup.... it was ridiculous. Kai put out an amazing spread: the brioche with an egg was wonderful, the ceviche was wonderful, and pork was delicious. There was a vodka lemonade that was pretty stellar, too. 42 something. Province had some smoked salmon I really enjoyed as well. There was a lot of fluff, and word to the wise, avoid vegan marshmallows, regardless of what they're dipped in.... Mostly though, it was so nice to just be out and about in a beautiful venue, full of people who love food, to run into all your friends... it was a highlight. read more

Guess who is completely over the Great AZ Picnic? Me!! My husband and I agreed that this year we would swap our yearly trek to Scottsdale Culinary Festival's Great Arizona Picnic for Devoured. I have heard wonderful things about it. I have been going to the GAP for about 9 years and it has gotten crappier, boozier, and sluttier every year. The first couple years it had up and coming chefs and unique restaurants. Now it has chains and crappy over-hyped restaurants. Is it still fun? Yeah, kind of. If you want to get drunk and people watch and you have a lot of money to do it. One year my friend and I counted the boob jobs. I think we got up to 38... But I digress... At first we were scared off by the ticket price of Devoured. Then we added up how much we typically spent at the GAP. It turned out to be less and it is in all inclusive price. When we first got in I was overwhelmed and giddy. It was pretty much a blur after that but lots of fun. Good vegetarian choices, LOTS of wine and booze tastings, Roger Clyne and his delicious tequila, and way less annoying people than GAP. And useful too! We walked out with cards and menus of restaurants we are dying to try. We got home late afternoon and I immediately fell into a food/wine/bliss coma and didn't wake up till 9pm. read more

Annually this is one of my favorite weekends of the year. The two-day general admission ticket ran about $160/pp this year which, while expensive, is very worth it. Between the awesome food, the seemingly never-ending pours of wine and beer, and the always changing amenities this is the best food festival in Phoenix. The crowds this year made it a lot tighter than years past. I'm not sure if that's from more media credentials, more tickets sold, or the fact that every line seemed to be 40% volunteers/employees who were on break. As a paying guest, this is pretty annoying. An additional area of improvement can be with organizing those lines. Between people blending lines together and not moving once they get their food, it gets confusing if two popular spots are next to each other. The restaurants all do a great job in presenting their dishes and it's great to get to try lots of new places. Phoenix represents itself well here and if you like eating and drinking in a beautiful setting...this is a splurge worth doing. read more

Yet another impressive event! While the heat always gets you, it was much less muggy then last year. I was very impressed by the increase in the amount of beer vendors in addition to wine vendors for this year's go-round. The demonstrations by Chef Payton and Chef Kantak + the infamous Richie Moe were definitely a highlight. I think the only improvement would be to segregate desert and coffee oriented offerings in to the shaded corner by the museum, instead of interspersed amongst the rest of the offerings. Otherwise, what a great time! read more

DO NOT PURCHASE GIFT CARDS FROM DEVOUR! They had an offer on the website, which we decided to do because it included many good restaurants. The first restaurant we went to was unable to accept it because they didn't have any systems set up to process it. The gift card offer seemed like a good deal, but it was not! read more