Cooks and Corks 2018 at Four Seasons ScottsdaleRead Time: 3 minutes

Meeting Cuisine Innovators

Cooks and Corks is an annual fundraising event by the Scottsdale League for the Arts.  Hosted at Troon North, the gorgeous Four Seasons resort in North Scottsdale, this gala was not only filled with beautiful people but amazing food and delightful beverages.

The First Of A Series of Culinary Events

Cooks and Corks basically kicks off the first of a series of culinary events at the beginning of what locals refer to as the busy season.  Every year starting around the third week of October, people flock to Scottsdale to escape the coming winter.  People in the know will come to Arizona early but by January this desert gem is full of people from everywhere coming to enjoy the perfect weather.  

The Scottsdale League of the Arts hosts several culinary events for the busy season to keep locals and snowbirds happily entertained.  Cooks and Corks is the first, in December is the Brunch Club at Mountain Shadows and then in April is the Scottsdale Culinary Festival.  

Watch The Culinary Innovators At Work

While the food is divine, the best part of Cooks and Corks is getting to see the chefs create their masterpieces real time.  Cooking over tiny stoves and grills, they manage to pull of some amazing dishes.   The lines can be long sometimes but you have a few hours to circle around and chat with all the great restaurants. 

Chefs That Stood Out

There were a few chefs that really stood out with not only their dishes but their unbridled enthusiasm for being a part of the event.  These chefs took the time to talk to their adoring fans and answer questions about their creations.  For a foodie the next best thing to eating the food is being able to compliment the chef! 

Scottsdale’s Best Foodie Restaurant Fat Ox

Foodie haven Fat Ox‘s Chef Steven Chops Smith managed to create amazing dishes despite only two tiny burners on a foldout table cooking in the dark.  Chef Rochelle Daniel also of Fat Ox did not attend. Chops made an awesome pasta dish with duck sausage. Even in the dark, Fat Ox made sure everything was cooked perfectly and as beautiful to look at as it was to eat. If you haven’t been to Fat Ox yet – shame on you! Get over there. 

Four Season’s Divine Desserts

Chef Lance Whipple has been with Four Seasons for 15 years.  His desserts are well known among Scottsdale foodies.  You can try his many creations throughout the Four Seasons Resort and at their wildly romantic Talavera restaurant.  At Cooks and Corks he was featuring caramelized goat’s milk in a Cinnamon and Cajeta creation. 

The Sensational Jewel’s Bakery & Cafe

Jewel’s Bakery and Cafe is a place to watch.  The infectious enthusiasm of Chef Justine Dachel is impossible not to love.  What’s better than chicken and waffles? Chicken and waffles with champagne! Moet and cranberry reduction with sweet Belgian waffle, crispy fried chicken lollipops. This delight was such a hit there was a very long line at her table all night.

Many Options To Delight The Senses

Between Moet and Chandon’s Rose Imperial, Tito’s Vodka‘s seasonal cocktails, the butternut squash soup, the delightful smell of meat cooking over an open flame, thee were many things to delight the senses.  Four Season‘s location is breath-taking and if you arrived early you saw the beautiful sunset.  It was truly a delight to see the dozen or so chefs hard at work making their ideas come to life.  This is a MUST DO for next year if you missed it.