Chef David Marks

Tohono Chul Garden Bistro

David Marks is executive chef and food and beverage director of the Garden Bistro at Tohono Chul, where his menus celebrate Sonoran Desert flavors and ingredients from local farmers. He has more than 20 years in professional kitchens and graduated with valedictory honors from the Connecticut Culinary Institute. He was executive chef of Café A La C’art and Carte Blanche Catering and held leadership roles at Feast and The Arizona Inn in Tucson, and Cowgirl Creamery in California. His team has won awards at the Salsa, Taco & Tequila Challenge, the World Margarita Championship, and Taste of Oro Valley, and his wine dinners have become a Garden Bistro hallmark.

Featured Dish: Smoked Venison Posole
White and red hominy stew with mesquite-smoked, slow-cooked venison in a rich, smoky chipotle chile broth, garnished with fresh cabbage, radish, lime, cilantro, blue corn tortilla rajas, and chiltepin.

Chef Ryan Clark

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

Ryan Clark is executive chef of Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, where he leads five dining venues plus banquets and events. A Tucson native and 2008 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he was executive chef of Casino Del Sol and its Forbes Four-Star PY Steakhouse before joining Loews in 2024. He is the only chef to win Iron Chef Tucson three straight years. He wrote the cookbook Modern Southwest Cooking and was named American Culinary Federation 2022 Western Region Chef of the Year. He is an American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef and a Tucson City of Gastronomy Chef Ambassador.

Featured Dish: Heirloom Corn Tostada (GF)
Kosho-braised K4 Ranch short rib, I’itoi onion miso, frijoles refritos, mezcal crema, chiltepin salsa, and Mexican lime.

Vegetarian option available.

Chef Ramon Delgado

The Grill at Hacienda del Sol

Ramon Delgado is executive chef of Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, where he leads The Grill and the resort’s dining program. He was born in Hermosillo, Sonora, and started as a dishwasher at 16. He trained through Marriott’s culinary school, then built a Tucson career at Loews Ventana Canyon, Desert Diamond Casinos, Omni Tucson National, and JW Marriott Starr Pass. He is an American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef. He draws on the bold flavors of his native Sonoran cuisine, mentors students in local culinary programs, and judges competition events such as Iron Chef Tucson.

Featured Dish: Sonoran Cowboy Stew / Discada
Slow-braised bacon, chorizo, pork, beef, onions, bell peppers, poblano, jalapeños, tomatoes, spices, and Mexican lager.

Chef John Martinez

Tito & Pep

John Martinez is chef and owner of Tito & Pep, the mesquite-fired neighborhood bistro he opened in Midtown Tucson in 2018 after nearly 20 years in the kitchen across the U.S. and abroad. He grew up in Tucson cooking classic Sonoran dishes alongside his grandmother. He then spent nearly a decade with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, helping open restaurants around the world, before coming home. His cooking draws on the multicultural history of Tucson, using those flavors and a mesquite-fired hearth. In 2022, The New York Times named Tito & Pep one of its top 50 restaurants, and Martinez was a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Southwest.

Featured Dish: Roasted Calabaza over Smoky Carrot Mole
Toasted pepitas, goat cheese, and piloncillo-sherry gastrique.

Chef Travis Peters

S + P Creative

Travis Peters is a chef and partner in S + P Creative, a culinary collaboration with chef Devon Sanner. He has more than 20 years in professional kitchens and draws on his family’s deep roots in the region. He is known for blending Southern and Sonoran flavors. He won Iron Chef Tucson in 2017 and took first place on Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games. He is a founding member of the Gastronomic Union of Tucson, and as a Tucson City of Gastronomy Chef Ambassador has represented Tucson UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in Dénia, Spain and Macao, China.

Featured Dish: Night of the Lepus
Carnitas de conejo, mole blanco, mole rojo, pomegranate, and toasted sesame.

Chef Devon Sanner

S + P Creative / Zio Peppe

Devon Sanner is a chef and partner in S + P Creative, a culinary collaboration with chef Travis Peters, and co-owner of Zio Peppe. A Tucson native, he trained under James Beard Award winner Janos Wilder. He rose to chef de cuisine at Janos and Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails, then became executive chef of The Carriage House. He later led the culinary program at Ventana Canyon Club and Lodge. He is a cofounder of the Gastronomic Union of Tucson, and a 2023 Iron Chef Tucson finalist. As a Tucson City of Gastronomy Chef Ambassador, he has represented Tucson UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in Macao, China, and Parma, Italy.

Featured Dish: Ha:l Finance
Mesquite flour financiers, Tohono O’odham squash crèmeux, and spiced pepita brittle.