Taste of Cave Creek: Foodie event adds new wine, beer experiences

Taste of Cave Creek

Foodie event adds new wine, beer experiences.

By Alison Bailin Batz

In its 24th year, the Taste of Cave Creek has grown into one of the area’s top foodie “must-dos” of the fall with 8,000 expected guests. This year is no different, with the North Valley event boasting new restaurants and interactive elements.

“The Taste of Cave Creek will once again be held at Stagecoach Village, so we can take advantage of the outdoor, open-air setting,” says Cave Creek Town Marshal Adam Stein, the longtime event chairman.

“As in recent years, we will have two stages of live music nightly, with acts including Fostersons, Rock the District, and more.”

More than two dozen restaurants––many of whom call Cave Creek, neighboring Carefree and/or North Scottsdale home––are signed on to take part, each sampling from its fall and winter menus for guests both night of the event.

They include:

• Bryan’s Black Mountain BBQ
• Bourbon Cellar
• Brugo’s Pizza & Bistro
• Buffalo Chip Saloon & Steakhouse
• Cartwright’s Sonoran Ranch House
• Desirable Desserts
• El Encanto Mexican Food
• Harold’s Corral
• Grilled Addiction & Wandering Donkey
• Indigo Crow
• It’s a Divine Baker
• J Chen
• Le Sans Soucie
• Local Jonny’s
• Grotto Café
• Mountain View Pub
• The Horny Toad, Roadhouse/Hideaway
• The Treatery
• Tailgaters
• Burritoholics
• Calcukma

Admission is $10. Tickets to sample all the food offerings range from $3 to $5.

“The event will also feature beer, wine, and cocktail gardens. Look for the vodka and tequila tastings for sure. Extra effort was made this year to develop impressive VIP experiences on top of these general admission sampling areas,” says Stein, noting drink sample tickets in the general areas are just $1.

At 5 p.m. both evenings on Oct. 18 and 19, the Taste of Cave Creek will feature a limited-seating VIP beer experience. Hosted in a private area, tickets for this event are $50 and must be purchased in advance. Participants will go beyond simply sampling craft beers. They will sit with brewers to learn about their beer-making process while sampling the beers, each paired with small bites from local chefs, who will also be on-hand to talk about how beer and food work together.

“We will host a similarly focused VIP wine experience both evenings as well, but at 7 p.m. to accommodate guests who want to take part in both,” says Stein, noting the wine experience is also $50 with limited tickets available for purchase in advance.

And finally, Stein promises a “reel” new experience for seafood lovers at the event––a Tito’s VIP experience where representatives from the popular vodka brand will serve cocktails to pair with an old-fashioned shrimp and crawfish boil, courtesy of Creeker’s Cold Beer & Crab’s Shrimp and Crawfish Boil. This VIP experience, also being held at a special separate tent, is available in advance for $15.

Each of these VIP events has reserved seating. Reservations for any of these specialty events must be made in advance by calling (480) 488-6612

A portion of proceeds from the Taste of Cave Creek, which is sponsored by Sanderson Ford and Sanderson Lincoln, will benefit the Sonoran Arts League.