CHEF'S SUMMER SERIES
Chef Carlos Calderon of North Italia, 2995 E. Skyline Drive, has created three unique menus for a summer series of dinners, with each loaded with seasonally inspired Italian dishes. The first dinner takes place at 6:30 p.m. on June 25 and features a prosciutto and melon salad, an eggplant cavatelli, and a braised chicken scarpariello with a Nutella mousse chocolate tart closing out the night. The dinners are served family-style with wine pairings at a cost is $45 per person. Seating is limited and reservations a must. For more information or to make reservations call 299-1600 or click over to northitaliarestaurant.com.
CHEF'S SUMMER SERIES TOO
Chef Ryan Clark of Agustin Kitchen, 100 S. Avenida del Convento, has invited some of his favorite Tucson chef pals to join him in creating a series of memorable dinners each month. The upcoming dinners are as follows: Wednesday, July 9, 6 p.m., featuring "Sweet Tooth" Pastry Chef Marcos Castro from Westin La Paloma with a five course dinner paired with wine for $69 per person, and Wednesday, Aug. 6, 6 p.m. featuring Chef Tyler Fenton from Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink with a four course dinner paired with local beers for $65 per person. Seating is very limited for all events. Reservations can be made by calling 398-5382.
SUMMER COOKING
Locavore alert! Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, 7000 N. Resort Drive, is presenting a series of three cooking classes featuring Sonoran Desert native foods, such as prickly pear and mesquite pods. Each class offers participants an opportunity to have hands-on experiences in the resort's state-of-the-art kitchens and interact one-on-one with the chefs. Guests are taken through the process of creating a dish, from picking the fruit on the resort's grounds to preparing and eventually eating their culinary masterpieces. Each cooking class covers a different portion of a meal, ranging from cocktails to desserts, and features the property's different chefs including Executive Chef Ken Harvey and Pastry Chef Krista Owens. The classes are held on select Fridays, beginning July 13 at 2 p.m. Each summer cooking series is $25 per person. Call 299-2020 ext. 5107 to register.
SUMMER BREWS
Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St., is hosting a beer tasting every Saturday this summer, featuring beers from around the world. Sample five beers with bites for $20 every Saturday (the tasting on the 2nd Saturday will be at Maynards Market), then at the end of every summer month, they'll pair the brews from that month's tastings with cuisine from Cup Cafe for a very special beer dinner. For the schedule of beers and more info, go to hotelcongress.com.
SUMMER PIG OUT
This Thursday, June 19, Jonathan's Cork, 6320 E. Tanque Verde, is hosting their Patio Pig dinner concept again, with this week's pig roast themed as "Brazil Night," featuring the beautiful roasted swine and foods inspired by Brazil, perfectly timed in the midst of the World Cup! For more information visit the Tucson Cork's Facebook page or website.
