Tucson chefs, breweries team up for Brews & Bites

A Tucson barbecue restaurant teaming up with a legendary Tucson Italian restaurant.

A vegan deli pairing culinary skills with a restaurant that specializes in seafood.

And the ultimate show of partnering for a good cause: Two Tucson pizzerias sharing recipes and possibly trade secrets in the hopes of walking away with the top bite in Tucson Originals Restaurants’ annual Brews & Bites competition.

A dozen chefs from some of Tucson’s most popular restaurants will partner on Saturday, Aug. 16, with six local craft breweries to see who can create the most interesting and unique small plate pairings.

Co-sponsored by Tucson Foodie, Brews & Bites is all about bragging rights; there’s no real prize in the audience-voted competition beyond being able to boast that your small plate was picked best.

For the chefs, though, Brews & Bites is not about bragging rights; it’s about collaborating with colleagues and sharing ideas.

Brews & Bites started in 2018 as Baja Brews & Bites, a collaboration between Tucson Originals and the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild as a way to spotlight Tucson’s craft brewing industry. The name changed last year after the guild was no longer involved.

This is the fifth Brews & Bites. The event was cancelled from 2020 to 2022 courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic; it returned in 2023.

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This year’s teams and the breweries are:

Crooked Tooth Brewing Co. with chefs Michael Elefante (Mama Louisa’s Italian) and Toby Kyte (Bashful Bandit Barbecue).

Catalina Brewing Company with chefs Brian Steiner (The Highlands at Dove Mountain) and Rick Torres (Noble Hops).

Barrio Brewing Co. with chefs Jacki Kuder (Kingfisher Bar & Grill) and Jamie Harper (Midtown Vegan Deli).

Button Brew House with chefs John Aldecoa (Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon & BBQ) and Juan Almanza (El Taco Rustico).

Screwbean Brewing with chefs Mary Stieger (Gourmet Girls Gluten-Free Bakery/BIstro) and Chuy Tellez (Zio Peppe).

Tombstone Brewing Co. with chefs Mat Cable (Fresco Pizzeria & Pastaria) and Rocco DiGrazia (Rocco’s Little Chicago).

Cocktail Lab AZ will have its Ray Rays Sonoran Spirit Tea on hand, as well.

Brews & Bites will be 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at The Highlands at Dove Mountain, 4949 W. Heritage Club Blvd. Tickets are $65, or $55 for Tucson Foodie Insiders, through TObrewsbites.eventbrite.com.