Scottsdale, Ariz. (February 2008) – Drinks will be flowing, cuisine will be abundant and live music will fill the air as the 30th annual Scottsdale Culinary Festival transforms the Scottsdale Center for the Arts into a spectacular culinary experience called “The Eat, Drink and Be Pretty Party,” Friday, April 11 from 7 to 11 p.m. “This event is unlike any other in the Valley,” event chairman Pat Chang said. “The energy of the guests and the lively atmosphere of food, drinks and live music is what this event is all about.”

Four distinctive epicurean evenings have been planned with specific liquors to be savored either “On the Rocks” or “Off the Rocks.” Starting Tuesday night, Southern Wine & Spirits will sponsor Kazimierz World Wine Bar in serving the finest vintages of aged and renowned wines from around the world. See this flier for additional information.

The sights, sounds and incomparable tastes of the Southwest’s premier culinary festival returns for its 30th year as the nation’s longest-running culinary celebration. Presented by The Arizona Republic, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s 2008 edition reaches new heights with a mixture of soirees, such as the prestigious Friends of James Beard Benefit Dinner, Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs dinner, the sumptuous Wine Country Brunch, and a series of gourmet get-togethers hosted by Food & Wine magazine, with proceeds benefiting the performing art programs around the Valley.

The Viking Experience presents Cooks & Corks, a renowned culinary event at the heart of the Great Arizona Picnic and the Scottsdale Culinary Festival. Viking will have the kitchen heating up with fierce culinary-world masterminds the likes of which Cooks & Corks has never seen before. In celebration of the 30th anniversary, Chef Rock from season 3 of Hell’s Kitchen, Bravo Top Chef Sam Talbot from season 2 and Chef Dale Levitski from season 3, and Chef Robin Miller from the Food Network will astound guests with cooking presentations while divulging culinary secrets and tricks of the trade.

SRP presents the “Friends of James Beard” dinner, a once-in-a-lifetime collaborative dinner featuring seven nationally renowned James Beard Award-winning chefs, kicking off the 30th annual Scottsdale Culinary Festival. Each chef will prepare one exquisite course, using the skills and vision that earned them the coveted James Beard Award, complete with carefully selected wine pairings. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet the featured chefs and local James Beard Award winners at an intimate reception. Chef Robert McGrath of restaurant REM in Scottsdale will be the emcee for the evening.

Now through Monday, March 10, the Scottsdale League for the Arts (SLA), the non-profit organization behind the 30th Annual Scottsdale Culinary Festival, invites you to vote for your favorite nominees for the prestigious Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame at www.scottsdaleculinaryfestival.org.

Vote for one individual in each of the following categories: Culinary Chef Extraordinaire, Culinary Media Master and Culinary Ambassador.

In honor of the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s 30th anniversary, the Scottsdale League for the Arts has created a new and exciting Saturday evening event that will have guests bubbling over with delight. This intimate and elegant soiree for the senses will take place in the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, which will be illuminated with soft, flickering candlelight and decorated with fresh, brightly colored floral and greenery arrangements. Guests can step out in their favorite cocktail attire and indulge on Chandon Champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, , delectable mini crème brulees and velvety New York cheesecake bites, as they peruse a selection of paintings by Ludvic. His paintings have been hung in galleries and universities all over the country and reflect a Mediterranean style from the 17th century.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – On Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. Food & Wine Magazine reunites five culinary giants at Camelback Inn who have all been named the magazine’s “Best New Chefs” throughout the years. The event will feature the combined culinary talents of five previous winners of Food & Wine’s annual ranking of up-and-coming chefs, including Chuck Wiley of Café ZuZu in Scottsdale, Gavin Kaysen of Café Boloud in New York, Paul Virant of Vie in Western Springs, IL, and Robert McGrath of restaurant REM in Scottsdale. Chef Laurent Tourondel, the Executive Chef/Partner of BLT Restaurants is the host chef for the evening.