Devour Phoenix

We were saddened by the news that a member of our culinary community has fallen upon some hard times. Very hard times. Lisa Giungo, better known as Lisa. G of downtown restaurant fame, has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and is undergoing treatment to battle the disease.     We were heartened to hear that our culinary community is coming together to help her out while she rallies. Many of our local restaurant owners and community leaders have visited her in the hospital, sent care packages and continue to check in on Lisa during her treatments, which subsequently have left her unable to work.     See Chow Bella's write up featuring Tracy Dempsey, chef-owner Tracy Dempsey Originals,  Layne Kizler, owner, AZ Dog Sports and Carolyn Ellis, Arcadia Farms and their effort to collect donations for Lisa's living expenses while she undergoes aggressive treatment for the next few months.     For those who wish to donate, please write checks to Layne Kizler and in the Memo section of the check, please write "Gift for Lisa Giungo" and mail to: Layne Kizler AZ Dog Sports 4848 E. Cactus Road Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Cash donations may be dropped off at: Tracy Dempsey Originals 1323 W. University Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281 Please give Tracy a call/heads up at 602.376.9021 Here's wishing you the best, Lisa! 

What are you doing on September 1?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared August 4th-10th National Farmer's Market Week to "further awareness of farmer's markets and of the many important contributions farmers make to daily life in America."  Check out Good Food Finder's resource list or Local First Arizona's list of Farmer’s Markets! 

Be sure to stop by a farmer's market this week and thank your local farmer!

In 2010, Upward Projects restaurateur Craig DeMarco helped found Devour Phoenix after he read an issue of Travel and Leisure magazine that ranked cities by a variety of living standards, including dining, and found that Phoenix ranked at the bottom of all lists, except resorts and golf.  “We didn’t even register on national media. I went to (then Phoenix Mayor) Phil Gordon and said, ‘You run this city, this is ridiculous. Where’s the city pride?’ He said to start a restaurant association, and we started Devour Phoenix.”

Since then, Devour Phoenix (and the Devoured Culinary Classic, the state’s premier culinary festival) continues to grow in popularity and gain media attention, both on the local and national scenes.

Whether it is restaurants like St. Francis and Barrio Café being featured by Guy Fieri on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” or Eat St. profiling local food-truck favorite Short Leash hot dogs, we would say that there is an argument to be made that Phoenix is becoming a dining destination.