The seventh annual Tucson Culinary Festival is this week and the woman I live with, Maya Luria, who is coordinating the event, has encouraged me to encourage you to come out.

Here’s a rundown of what’s on tap:

• Thursday (Oct. 1) is the Milagro Tequila World Margarita Championship from 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. on the patio at Maynards in the Historic Depot, 400 N. Toole Ave. downtown. Nine member restaurants of Tucson Originals are finalists in this competition where guests can sample and then vote on their favorite margarita. Guest votes will be combined with a panel of judges to choose the best margarita. Cost is $35.

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• Friday (Oct. 2), from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m., activities move to Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, 7000 N. Resort Drive in the Catalina Foothills, for the reserve wine tasting, combining samples of more than 40 rare and limited wines with superb food prepared by 14 Tucson Originals chefs all served on the patio of the resort’s Canyon Café. There will also be a silent auction of wine. Guests will also take home their own Riedel wine glass. Cost is $125 per person and is limited to 250 people.

• Saturday (Oct. 3) from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. you can learn the techniques to grilling and using spices and rubs from Chef Alexis Martinez of the Flying V and spice guru Jennifer English, owner of Flavorbank. It takes place on the patio at the Flying V at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. Cost is $25 per person.

• Saturday from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., is the signature event of the festival, the Grand Tasting where guests can sample food from 40 Tucson Originals restaraunts and 150 wines and spirits. It takes place in the Grand Ballroom at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. Cost is $75 per person.

• Sunday (Oct. 4) is the “Blues, Brews & BBQ Sunday Brunch” and “Fourth Annual Copper Chef Challenge” from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Kiva Ballroom at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. It features the resort’s signature brunch with interactive foods stations, tastes of micro-brews and a live blues band. Then Chef Jim Murphy, of Kingfisher Bar & Grill and Bluefin Seafood Bistro, will defend his championship title against Chef Jeff Fuld of Elle wine country restaurant in the Copper Chef Challenge using a mystery ingredient. Cost is $65 per person.

Tickets for all of the events can be purchased online at www.tucsonculinaryfestival.com/ where there are package deals, such as combining Friday’s Reserve Tasting and Saturday’s Grand Tasting for $185 per person and add in the Thursday night margarita championship for a total of $200.

Proceeds from Culinary Festival benefit Tucson Originals, New Beginning and the Parsegian Foundation.

Eastside Nimbus

Nimbus American Bistro and Brewery opened Sept. 24 on the eastside in the former Italia Ristorante (and before that City Grill). The operation is a partnership of Metro Restaurants, which had run the two previous incarnations at the location, and Nimbus Brewery, which has its original and main brewery location in a warehouse area at 3850 E. 44th St.

At the new location Nimbus has about 20 beers on tap and more than 130 craft beers by the bottle.

The hours are 11 a.m. - midnight Mondays through Wednesdays, 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sundays.

• Nimbus American Bistro and Brewery, 6464 E. Tanque Verde Road, (520) 733-1111.

Man v. Food

Watching a guy shove food in his mouth isn’t my idea of entertainment but for those who enjoy that sort of thing, the Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food” show came to Tucson Friday and Saturday (Sept. 25 and 26) and host Adam Richman took on the challenge of downing Lindy’s O.M.F.G. burger of 12 meat patties and 12 cheese slices in 20 minutes. Unless you know somebody who was there, we’ll wait until the show airs Dec. 2 to see if Richman succeeded. If you want to try it yourself, Lindy’s is at 431 N. Fourth Ave.

Richman was also supposed to have paid a visit to El Guero Canelo, 2480 N. Oracle Road, to try a Sonoran Hot Dog.

Contact Michael Luria at mjluria@gmail.com. Meals & Entertainment appears weekly in Inside Tucson Business.