More than two dozen local restaurants are expected to participate in the Empty Bowl Luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 3, and all of the money made goes to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

A handmade ceramic soup bowl made by a member of the Southern Arizona Clay Artists is included in the $10 to $15 ticket price. So for the price of a meal you get to eat and take the dish home with you. That's pretty sweet.

I'll post the rest of the press release about the event after the jump:

2011 EMPTY BOWLS LUNCHEON WILL BE HELD NOVEMBER 3 AT KINO COMMUNITY CENTER

Over 24 local restaurants will participate; Community Food Bank will benefit

TUCSON (October 8, 2011)—The 2011 Empty Bowls Luncheon will be held on November 3, at the Kino Sports Complex Community Center at 2805 East Ajo Way in Tucson. This annual event benefits the Community Food Bank, , which provides education, advocacy and food for people throughout Southern Arizona, including Pima, Santa Cruz, Cochise, Graham and Greenlee counties.

Community members are encouraged to drop into the Community Center between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. for a tasty meal of soups and bread provided by over 24 local eateries and restaurateurs. No reservation is necessary.

The cost for the luncheon— $10 or $15 per person—includes the gift of a beautifully handcrafted ceramic bowl donated by members of the Southern Arizona Clay Artists (SACA) organization. The empty bowl is a visible reminder that hunger is still a problem for many residents of our community.

According to the organizers, Tucson’s Empty Bowls luncheon is an outgrowth of a widespread grassroots movement to combine art with outreach in support of food banks, soup kitchens and other organizations that fight hunger here and across the world. The idea, which originated with a high school art teacher in Michigan in 1990, has raised millions of dollars to date; the not-for-profit Imagine/RENDER Group, was organized to help replicate and promote the project.

To date, the restaurants listed below are planning to participate in the local Empty Bowls; others are being added to the list on a daily basis:

eegee’s Corporation
Ric's Café

El Charro Café
Rigo's

Frankie's Philly Cheesesteak
Saffron Indian Bistro

Guadalajara Grill
Silver Saddle Steakhouse

Hilton El Conquistador Resort
Tavolino Ristorante Italiano

Janos- Downtown Kitchen & Cocktails
Teresa's Mosaic Café

Jonathan’s Tucson Cork
Tohono Chul Tea Room

Los Portales
Tooley's Café

Lotus Garden
Trader Joe’s

Omar’s Highway Chef
Vivace Restaurant

Opa! Greek Cuisine
Zona 78

Pima College Culinary Arts
Ric's Café

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