Talk about your hot competition:
More than 40 restaurants, breweries, and food purveyors will gather to compete in the 9th annual Salsa, Tequila, and Taco Challenge on Sunday, September 3.
Admission to the event includes over 100 samplings of handcrafted salsas, creative tequila cocktails, and tempting tacos. Plus, there’s live music, Mexican beer, and samplings of other foods such as artisan popcorn and cotton candy (with a special habanero flavor this year).
The event is hosted by the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance and helps raise money for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and SAACA’s Creative Arts Therapy Programs.
“The event is a spectacular way for chefs to highlight the variety of foods,” SAACA’s Executive Director Kate Marquez says. “We wanted to show that arts, culture, and food all go hand-in-hand. It’s such a fun way for the community to come out and show their support and mark the end of summer.”
At the end of the event, judges and guests get to vote for their favorite creations. So, if blueberry-pineapple salsa and lamb tacos appeal, this is where you want to be.
HISTORY
The first Salsa, Tequila, and Taco Challenge cost $10 and offered 20 different salsa samplings — no tequila involved. The event now brings in over 1,500 people, offers more than 45 different salsas, and has sold out for the past five years.
“One of the partnerships we hold near and dear to our heart is La Encantada,” Marquez says. “We asked them how we could bring arts to their space, and we brainstormed.” Thus, the Salsa Challenge was born.
When the second year rolled around, SAACA decided to add tequila into the mix. A standard ticket included salsa, but an upgraded ticket included tequila samplings.
By year three, SAACA merged salsa and tequila into one ticket and the event became known as the Salsa and Tequila Challenge.
But this year, there’s a new addition to the name…
NEW THIS YEAR
The challenge has expanded from salsa and tequila to salsa, tequila, and tacos.
“The creativity aspect has been upped in the salsas and tequilas,” Marquez says. She says she expects to see the same of creativity with the tacos.
Many participants are return competitors, but the Lodge at Ventana Canyon is joining the competition for the first time this year.
“The Salsa and Tequila Challenge has truly grown to become one of the most significant culinary celebrations of the summer here in Tucson,” The Lodge’s Clubhouse Manager Clay Robideau says in an email. “It is one of the largest community gatherings that celebrates what I think is the most important part of our responsibility as a local restaurant — educating people on the heritage, tradition, and importance of the food in our lives.”
The Lodge will be offering two cocktails, including the Ventana Chocolate Milk and the Carlos Sangria. They’ll also be bringing one salsa and a dessert taco.
“The dessert taco was a team conceptual effort, attempting to push ourselves to think outside the box, and using the taco as a broad term,” he says. “We gave a different perspective to what attendees will be sampling.”
BACK FOR ANOTHER WIN
Last year, Crossroads Restaurant won first place for their salsa and won Best Traditional Salsa in 2015.
They’re back again for a third year and competing with a guacamole salsa, chipotle salsa, a Sonoran Sunrise cocktail, and deep-fried potato and carne seca tacos.
“The event is very exciting because there are a lot of chefs and big restaurants there,” Crossroads chef Aracely Gonzalez says. “Sometimes we feel like the little guys, but it’s exciting to be recognized.”
“SAACA does a really nice job putting all of these restaurants together,” she says. “It’s nice to share the night with friends and music, and I enjoy the food and seeing everyone’s different creations.”
Rigo’s Restaurant has also taken home the gold. Last year, their salsa won second place and their cocktail won first place. They won Best Mild Salsa in 2015.
“It is a pleasure for us to be back,” owner Rigoberto Lopez says. “It is a chance for us to interact with the community in a more direct way.”
This year, Rigo’s will be serving a “drunk” salsa, carne asada taco, Marimbas cocktail, and a mangoyada margarita.
“It feels great when we win,” Lopez says. “We don’t go in thinking about winning, but it’s just about being part of the event and giving back to the community.”
