Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa’s renowned Lunch & Learn series

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa’s renowned Lunch & Learn series, featuring interactive cooking demos and top chefs, kicks off this weekend. This Saturday, Aug. 4, Chef Carl Ruiz, owner of the Italian Restaurant Marie’s Italian Specialties in Chatham, New Jersey, will lead an Italian-inspired dinner paired with Italian wines.

The award-winning Lunch & Learn series is now in its 16th year. The series, back by popular demand, will begin on Saturday, Aug. 4, and will run until Sept.1.

Top chefs will join Sanctuary’s Executive Chef Beau MacMillan for interactive cooking demonstrations including a three-course meal with wine, live musical entertainment, Q&A opportunities and take-home recipes. Held in The Views Ballroom, the lunch event on Aug. 11 is priced at $85 per person and begins at 12 p.m., while the dinner events are priced at $145 per person. All prices exclude tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 480-607-2300.

For those that wish to stay the night, an exclusive rate of $199 will be offered each Saturday evening (based on availability, excluding tax and resort fee) with the purchase of a Lunch & Learn ticket. This rate cannot be combined with any other offer.

The 2018 Lineup:

Saturday, Aug. 4 – Chef Carl Ruiz (dinner): Carl Ruiz is the owner of the Italian restaurant, Marie’s Italian Specialties, in Chatham, New Jersey. When not creating delicious Italian meals, he can be seen as a judge on Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games. He will be preparing an Italian-Inspired Lunch & Learn Dinner paired with Italian wines, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 11 – Chef James Porter (lunch): James Porter is a local chef, and owner of TERRA farm + manor in Prescott, Arizona. He will be sharing a farm-to-table inspired lunch, paired with unique American wines, starting at 12 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 25 – Tony Abou-Ganim, Samantha Sanz and Rene Andrade (dinner): Abou Ganim is a world-class mixologist, bar owner and author. He will be creating cocktails for a dinner by local chefs Samantha Sanz of Talavera, and Rene Andrade, formerly of elements, who is opening Tempe’s Ghost Ranch this summer. This will be a Mexican-inspired dinner, paired with Fortaleza tequila cocktails, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 1 – Chef Danny Grant (dinner): Danny Grant is a chef and restauranteur based in Chicago. He was the youngest U.S. chef to earn two Michelin stars (2011 and 2012). Grant will prepare a dinner, paired with some of California’s best wines, starting at 6:30 p.m.