Taste of the NFL comes to Phoenix as Super Bowl’s largest culinary, philanthropic event

PHOENIX — Taste of the NFL is an annual event ahead of the Super Bowl that will bring gourmet food, celebrity chef competitions and presentations to the Valley on Feb. 11.

The walkaround tasting party will be held at the Chateau Luxe in north Phoenix, while all proceeds will benefit GENYOUth’s End Student Hunger fund which provides monetary and equipment grants to schools to increase access to meals.

“Taste of the NFL is one of the premier experiences here during Super Bowl,” Beau McMillan, owner of restaurant Cala in Scottsdale, told KTAR 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Evening News on Friday.

“There’s over 30 incredible chefs right here in the Valley participating, big celebrity chefs like Andrew Zimmern and Carla Hall, Tim Love … I’ve been a part of this for six years in the past, and I’m happy to do it in my own backyard.”

McMillan said each chef wants to bring their A game to this event, and food options he’s seen include tailgate classics and high-end dishes.

Highlight recipes from last year’s event in Los Angeles include Hall’s root beer glazed chicken wings, Love’s Texas goat birria tacos, Zimmern’s sweet and sour meatballs and Lasheeda Perry’s caramel apple oatmeal cream pies.

More than 30 NFL players and retired athletes will attend the event to sign autographs, participate in festivities and presentations.

“What’s cool about Taste is there used to be every city was represented, these football players are going to come in and say hello, they sign autographs, you can meet a hero. I think they’re kind of keeping a little bit of a secret but I think they got some great entertainment they’re going to surprise us with,” McMillan said. “I’ve seen a Little Big Town, I’ve seen some really good entertainment at this event.”

Taste of the NFL is also the largest philanthropic event of the Super Bowl, GENYOUth CEO Ann Marie Krautheim told The Official Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee Show in November. 

The money will benefit schools in Arizona and across all NFL markets, according to the league. Krautheim said the 2022 event raised more than $1.5 million.

GENYOUth was founded in 2010 and has partnered with Taste of the NFL since 2020.

Last year, more than 2,100 people attended the event, and it became the fourth-most watched broadcast on NFL Network during Super Bowl week.

Taste of the NFL will be open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and tickets are available online.