Arizona Restaurant Week is but a few weeks in the distance and Southern Arizona restaurants are observing the tasty culinary week.

Tucson is home to numerous top-notch restaurants, many of which will be participating in the culinary festivities from September 18 through 26, 2010. Participating restaurants will offer a three-course dinner menu of signature dishes for $19, $29 or $39 per person, excluding beverages, tax and gratuity.

Attendees of the event will enjoy diverse culinary menus from a variety of restaurants through out Tucson including: Amarsi Ristorante, Blanco’s Taco and Tequila, Fire and Spice, Maynards market and Kitchen, North, Dove Mountain Grill, Cactus Rose, Dos Locos, Tequila Factory, The Melting Pot, Zinburger, Turquesa Latin Grill and several more. A list of restaurants is available on the Arizona Restaurant Web site, www.arizonarestaurantweek.com. The site lists restaurant by name, food type and location, making it easier for guests to find close options to enjoy.

If Arizona Restaurant Week whets your appetite, if would seem only fitting to mark your calendar for another fall culinary event.

An inspired production of the Tucson Originals, Tucson's leading group of independent restaurants, the Tucson Culinary Festival is a kaleidoscope of food, wine, spirits, and fun, taking place from October 28-31, 2010.

The Tucson Culinary Festival will feature 40 of Tucson's finest independently owned restaurants, 150 wine and spirits from around the world, events at both Loews Ventana Canyon and Maynards Market and Kitchen, and proceeds benefiting local nonprofits, this event proves Tucson's vibrant culinary scene is thriving and also helping those in need.

More details will be posted on the Tucson Culinary Festival website as special guests, sponsors, and details are finalized.

This fall, be sure to explore the culinary options Tucson has to offer from top chefs, standout restaurants and to-die-for dishes.

To Learn More

Arizona Restaurant Week, www.arizonarestaurantweek.com.

Tucson Culinary Festival, www.tucsonculinaryfestival.com.