The Tucson Culinary Festival officially gets under way next Thursday with the second annual World Margarita Championship at Cuvée World Bistro. Shelly Moe of Cuvée will defend her 2006 title against eight of Tucson's best bartenders in making the "World's Greatest Margarita."
Tickets are $20 and available at www.tucsonculinaryfestival.com. You'll get to sample every entry (and have your say) - along with a variety of light appetizers. There also will be a panel of expert judges.
Johnny Smith
• Terra Cotta.
• 3500 E. Sunrise Drive, 577-8100.
• Age: 37.
• Hometown: Tucson.
• Years bartending: 13.
• Average time to make a margarita: Under a minute.
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• Signature drink: Pear sidecar.
• Name of margarita: "Citrus Agave Margarita."
Sasha Sanchez
• El Charro Café.
• Several locations, including 311 N. Court Ave., 622-1922.
• Age: 21.
• Years bartending: Two.
• Hometown: Leominster, Mass. Grew up in Oro Valley, for the most part.
• Average time to make a margarita: "It's not the speed, it's the quality :)."
• Name of margarita: "Funky Cold Margarita."
• Of note: Playboy.com. named Sanchez "America's Sexiest Bartender 2006."
Maria J. Mazon
• Papagayo Mexican Restaurant & Cantina, co-owner
• 4717 E. Sunrise Drive, 577-6055.
• Age: 26.
• Hometown: Navojoa, Sonora.
• Years bartending: Four.
• Average time to make a margarita: Three minutes.
• Name of margarita: "The Papagayo Margarita."
Richard Epling
• Rio Cafe (he owns it).
• 2526 E. Grant Road, 323-5003.
• Age: 49.
• Hometown: Tucson.
• Years bartending: Three.
• Average time to make a margarita: 45 seconds.
• Name of margarita: "The Rio Margarita."
Angela Davidson
• Red Sky Café.
• 2910 N. Swan Road, 326-5454.
• Age: 27.
• Hometown: Tucson.
• Years bartending at Red Sky: Three.
• Average time to make a margarita: 2.5 minutes.
• Name of margarita: "The Angerita Margarita."
Jeffrey Hughes
• Jonathan's Tucson Cork.
• 6320 E. Tanque Verde Road, 296-1631.
• Age: 29.
• Hometown: Tucson.
• Years bartending: Nine.
• Average time to make a margarita: "Two minutes depending on how I feel."
• Signature drink: Mud pie martini.
• Name of margarita: "The Traditional Classic Margarita."
Shelly Moe
• Cuvée World Bistro
• 3352 E. Speedway, 881-7577.
• Age: 25 again.
• Hometown: Grants Pass, Ore.
• Years bartending: 13.
• Average time to make a margarita: "30 seconds to make the margarita, 45 if you want me to drink it."
• Signature drink: Vanilla margarita!!!
• Name of margarita: "Grandmaringerita"
Rodney Belknap
• Chad's Steakhouse and Saloon.
• 3001 N. Swan Road, 881-1802.
• Age: 50.
• Hometown: Owego, N.Y.
• Years bartending: 25.
• Average time to make a margarita: One minute.
• Name of margarita: "The Rodney Rita."
Jon Tokar
• Club Congress.
• 311 E. Congress St., 798-1618.
• Age: 30.
• Hometown: Globe.
• Years bartending: Five.
• Average time to make a margarita: 30 seconds.
• Signature drink: Peach Royale.
• Name of margarita: "The Margarita Cocktail."
