Maynards Kitchen and Bottle Shop brought bold flavors and playful innovation to the table last Friday during one of the Agave Heritage Festival’s marquee events.

The sold-out Agave Heritage Dinner featured a five-course menu prepared by Maynards Kitchen Executive Chef Roderick LeDesma, paired with agave-based cocktails, highlighting the region’s culinary and cultural ties to agave.

The cocktails were made with La Gritona Reposado Tequila, a well-known, family-owned distillery led by Melly Barajas.

Known in Mexico as the Queen of Tequila, Barajas provided the tequila that inspired both LeDesma’s dishes and the drink pairings crafted by the restaurant’s lead bartender, Star Kabisch.

LeDesma said that while he has previous experience hosting different wine- and beer-themed dinners, the heritage dinner was his first time preparing an agave-focused feast, which he was more than happy to take on.

LeDesma worked closely with Kabisch to explore the tequila’s tasting notes, using that as a foundation to craft his menu with full creative freedom.

“I really tried to come up with something that was elevated but still fun and approachable,” LeDesma said. “I want people to come and see what dinners are about now at Maynards and leave with a little more education about the product, whether that's the spirits or the food.”

First course

The dinner’s 60 attendees were seated communally at the restaurant's spacious outdoor patio area and greeted with a welcome drink: a classic tejuino made with corn masa, lime sorbet and piloncillo, or unrefined cane sugar.

Kabisch welcomed attendees and introduced the drink, breaking down its components. The smooth flavors of La Gritona tequila enhanced the traditional elements, adding depth to what might otherwise be considered a simple, familiar beverage.

Next up was an array of snacks, which included chips, salsa, bean dip and LeDesma’s take on guacamole featuring a special ingredient: foie gras.

“Just because I like puns, I made foie’camole,” LeDesma said with a laugh.

The addition of this French delicacy mixed with the creamy avocado provided an extra note of umami to the already rich guacamole.

The innovation of the foie’camole set the tone for what was to come.

Servers soon arrived carrying boards of bite-sized appetizers, including tuna tartare and short rib salpicón sopes.

The tartare was texturally pleasing, with the chicharrón holding the pile of tamari-marinated tuna providing a light crunch. The tuna burst with flavors of the sea, and the black truffle grated on top added a touch of richness. Subtle in nature, the truffle was a welcome addition to an overall refreshing dish.

Second course

As the sun started to set and conversations flowed across the long tables, a moment of silence struck the crowd at the sight of the first entrée—roasted bone marrow.

Each guest received an oversized bone brimming with rich marrow, topped with pickled vegetables, oxtail marmalade and a layer of melted Oaxaca cheese. Served alongside a warm flour tortilla, the dish invited a hands-on, indulgent experience.

The marrow itself was buttery, carrying the essence of roasted meat and melting almost as soon as it hit the tongue. The pickles and marmalade cut through the richness beautifully, creating a perfectly balanced dish.

The drink pairing was a neat pour of La Gritona’s new Bara Cara Blanco tequila alongside a shot of sangrita verde.

“When I first tasted this (tequila), I tasted a lot of vegetable, green, notes so I wanted to pair this with a sangrita verde,” Kabisch said. “It's bright, it's tangy, it's a little spicy and it brings out a lot of wonderful notes in that Bara Cara tequila.”

The energy of the evening was in full swing when LeDesma took a break from the kitchen to surprise the crowd with a “bone luge”—taking a shot of Bara Cara through a hollowed bone marrow vessel. The gesture drew laughs and cheers, with a few guests joining in to try it themselves.

Third course

The next course paid tribute to the Sonoran Desert’s intensity—specifically, its heat.

The centerpiece was grilled cabbage served over a base of mole amarillo. Light brown in color and reminiscent of Japanese curry, the mole delivered an immediate punch of spice—bold, but not overwhelming.

The cabbage was expertly charred, giving it a smoky depth and steak-like essence while still retaining a satisfying crunch. It was topped with salsa macha, a rich Mexican chili oil made with a variety of dried chiles, bringing a smoky, layered heat to the dish. A bit of huitlacoche, the earthy corn fungus often called “Mexican truffle,” added a desired nuttiness, and a soft, lightly sweet nopal fritter was an added treat on the plate.

The third cocktail of the evening was cleverly titled It’s a Dry Heat, a twist on a traditional Oaxacan old fashioned.

Kabisch explained how she infused La Gritona with grilled pineapple and used the same macha oil featured in the cabbage dish, tying the pairing together perfectly. Strong and spirit-forward, the cocktail allowed the tequila to shine while also acting as a palate cleanser for the lingering spice of the mole.

As a final touch, Kabisch carved pineapple leaves as a garnish, mimicking the shape of the agave plant.

Fourth course

The final entrée could easily be considered the chef’s magnum opus and was undeniably the fan favorite of the night: a filet mignon Crunchwrap, LeDesma’s elevated take on the iconic Taco Bell classic.

At its core, it was a simple dish, the star being the tender, roasted Argentinian filet mignon paired with rich bone marrow refried beans. In a clever move, the vegetables were plated on the side to help retain their crunch.

“It just seemed like something fun, everyone knows what it is, but we’re going to make it really cool,” LeDesma said. “It’ll feel familiar since it looks like a Crunchwrap, but also it’s completely different and has these deeper layers of flavor going on.”

The simplicity is what made the dish shine. It was still a Crunchwrap at the end of the day, but executed with skill and a bit of humor.

Guests couldn’t stop talking about it, with more than a few happily noting it smelled just like Taco Bell—in the very best way.

The dish also had a personal touch: LeDesma’s wife, Gabriella Coleman, who helps run Maynards Bottle Shop, helped inspire the creation. LeDesma shared that the two rarely cook at home and often pick up Taco Bell on the way home from work. This dish was a nostalgic nod to those shared moments.

The final drink pairing, Sal y Sol, was a salted plum margarita—a sweet, refreshing way to wrap up the evening’s cocktail menu.

“I was inspired by my favorite childhood treat here in Tucson,” Kabisch said. “I used to go to the ice cream man and get a half an orange or lemon with a saladito plum inside.”

The drink echoed that nostalgia, glowing bright orange with a red candied rim. Sal y Sol was lighter than the bolder cocktails earlier in the evening, offering a sweet end to the experience.

Fifth course

No meal is complete without dessert, and this one ended on a high note with a Paloma tart—a brown sugar–brûléed grapefruit topped with meringue and served with a cinnamon anglaise.

The tart offered a mix of textures: creamy, slightly chunky, with a pie-like crust that held it all together. Bright, citrusy and richly sweet, it was a delicious dessert and a perfect way to finish.

LeDesma noted that all the citrus and produce used throughout the night were sourced locally through Pivot Produce and Maynards’ own garden.

The dinner was special not just for the quality of the food or the creativity behind the pairings, but also for the sense of place it afforded attendees.

Every dish, every pour and every story shared throughout the night was rooted in Sonoran culture, local ingredients and the people behind them, making the experience unequivocally Tucson.

Griffen Engelberg is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact him at at gje1@arizona.edu.

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please support our work with a paid subscription.