Start your weekend off with an appetizer. End it with dessert on Tuesday.
Two separate but tasty foodie events are happening in the next few days. Tucson’s first-ever Guacamole Bowl is on Saturday, Jan. 27. Then there will be a night filled with innovative desserts at the Sweet Charity Desserts for a Cause event on Tuesday, Jan. 30.
As the name suggests, the Guacamole Bowl is a celebration of everyone’s favorite dip. With 12 chefs and 12 different guacamoles, attendees will be given a bag of tortilla chips to taste all of the avocado concoctions.
“Of all the food events I have produced or took part in producing over the years, not one has been built for the health-conscious consumer,” event organizer Rob Betancourt says. “This event is a reflection of where we are headed.”
Betancourt also gave a nod to Steve Stratigouleas, owner of Reforma Cocina y Cantina and Union Public House, for helping the event come to life.
Among the restaurants slated to participate are El Cisne, Reforma Cocina y Cantina, Bear Track U, Sonora’s Famous Hot Dogs & Grill, Mama Louisa’s Italian Restaurant and Pima Community College Hospitality. More chefs and restaurants will be announced soon.
The guacamole recipes are currently a secret, but Betancourt says attendees can expect everything from traditional guacamole to flavors like pineapple-mango. By the end of the event, attendees will be asked to vote for their favorite, and the winner will win a prize.
The event was also organized in anticipation of the Super Bowl. Guests are encouraged to sport their team’s jersey. The Guacamole Bowl will also feature information from Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse and homicide survivors to help push awareness surrounding domestic-violence issues.
And if guacamole isn’t enough, salsas, beer and live music will also play a part in the event. Tickets start at $12.
When you’re done with the savory, gear up for something sweeter at the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance’s 5th annual Sweet Charity event. While there is no longer a competition component at this year’s event, the night will feature gourmet desserts, cocktails, and wine samplings, in addition to live demonstrations and cake decorating.
“The event was started to showcase the extraordinary culinary talent in Southern Arizona, while raising money to fund our creative arts therapy programming,” Gretchen Harper, marketing and communications manager, says.
All proceeds go toward SAACA’s Arts Education Outreach and Creative Arts Therapy programs, which benefit veterans and assisted-living communities.
A number of chefs will be bringing their dessert game to the event, including Marlene Carollo of the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain, Wendy Gauthier of Chef Chic, Ellie Lippel of Woops Bakeshop and Susan Fulton of Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery/Bistro.
In previous years, chefs have brought butternut squash panna cotta, snickerdoodle cupcakes, peanut butter and jelly parfaits, bourbon pecan bars, and Aztec chocolate cotton candy.
Tickets are $30 and include dessert samplings with wine and beer pairings.
