Writer Lara Piu
Photography Courtesy of Cartwright’s Modern Cuisine

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or the past 26 years, nearly 5,000 food lovers have descended upon the Taste of Cave Creek to taste and test the eclectic mix and always-scrumptious flavors of the town.

“Every year we look forward to this great event,” says Marshal Adam Stein who will lead this year’s Taste of Cave Creek. “Honestly, I think my favorite part is seeing all our friends and neighbors coming out and enjoying our awesome local restaurants.”

Held October 18 and 19, there will be two new ways to enjoy the event this year: the craft beer VIP experience and a wine tasting VIP experience. The craft beer VIP experience will include a pairing of four craft beers and four courses of food samples, while the VIP wine experience will feature four wines, each paired with a sampling from Cartwright’s Modern Cuisine. Each experience will include a talk by a sommelier or master brewer, as well as the chef’s thoughts on the pairings. Tickets for these special sessions must be pre-purchased on the event website.

Located in historic Cave Creek’s Stagecoach Village, the centerpiece of the event will be tastings from more than 30 restaurants. Bryan’s Black Mountain BBQ, Bourbon Cellar, Brugo’s Pizza & Bistro, Buffalo Chip Saloon & Steakhouse, Cartwright’s Modern Cuisine, Desirable Desserts, El Encanto, Harold’s Corral, Grilled Addiction & Wandering Donkey, Indigo Crow, It’s a Divine Bakery, Le Sans Soucie, Local Jonny’s, Grotto Café, Mountain View Pub, The Horny Toad, Roadhouse/Hideaway, The Treatery, Tailgaters, Burritoholics, and Z’s Asian Fusion are slated to participate so far.

“We love the fact that we have almost all Cave Creek restaurants participating along with some Carefree restaurants and a limited number of North Phoenix and North Scottsdale restaurants,” Marshal Stein adds. “This event is for anyone who enjoys great food and drinks in a fun environment with great music.

In addition to the food and spirits, the two-day outdoor event will feature Crown Kings, Fosterson and other bands that will entertain guests with live music from two stages.

The Town of Cave Creek’s signature event will be held Wednesday, October 18 and Thursday, October 19 at Stagecoach Village located at 7100 East Cave Creek Road from 5 to 9 p.m. Parking is at Cave Creek Road and Schoolhouse Road, where a free shuttle will then take you to the venue. This is the best way to go, as the shuttles will drop off and pick up at the front entrance gate at Stagecoach Village. Free shuttles will start at 4:45 each night. Admission is $10 and samples will be $3 to $5. All tickets can be purchased at the event. VIP experience tickets must be pre-purchased and are limited to only 50 individuals per experience.

tasteofcavecreek.com