Savor Scottsdale, the group of indie restaurants behind the creation of last October’s impressive Eats3 culinary festival, kicked off the countdown to this fall’s fest - now dubbed Crave Arizona - with a “Notorious P.I.G.” dinner Sunday night at Digestif.
More than 80 people packed Digestif for a five-course dinner prepared from a single pig by five different Savor Scottsdale chefs. The evening began with a reception of passed appetizers and wines from southern Arizona’s Dos Cabezas WineWorks.
Digestif chef Payton Curry was first up for the dinner with a stuffed trotter (pig’s feet) salad with Maya’s Farm arugula, sorrel, pecorino and Queen Creek Olive Mill olive oil.
Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar owner/chef James Porter followed with red wine braised leg with roasted fennel puree and cured jowl.
The third course, courtesy of Atlas Bistro chef Brandon Crouser, featured slow-roasted carnitas on a blini with a fried quail egg and shiitake maple syrup.
Before the next course, all five chefs - (from left) Crouser, Aaron May, Tracy Dempsey, Porter and Curry - came out for the kitchen for a wide-ranging Q&A session with the guests.
Porter (left) and Curry share a laugh while bragging about their drinking skills and Porter’s love of Swanson pot pies.
Dempsey looks on as May explains the genesis of his infamous Sasquatch Burger at The Lodge.
May, whose other restaurants include Sol y Sombra, Autostrada and Over Easy, provided the fourth course: standing rib roast stuffed with morcilla sausage and bomba rice served with green garlic calcot onions and salbitxada sauce.
Before the final course, Peter Kasperski (right), owner of Digestif, Cowboy Ciao, Sea Saw and Kazimierz World Wine Bar, introduced Dos Cabezas winemaker Todd Bostock (left), who provided all six wines for the dinner.
Dempsey, executive pastry chef for Digestif, Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz, capped the meal with a trio of desserts: “Pig in the Orchard” (bacon and apple) bread pudding, bacon-flavored ice cream and bacon pecan brittle.
Every guest even received a small bag of Dempsey’s bacon pecan brittle to take home as a reminder of a delicious, informative and fun evening. Only 178 days until Crave Arizona!
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