An Arizona-based food, beverage and travel writer since 2008, I launched this website in 2015 to document my culinary adventures, beverage escapades, gardening endeavors, and travel in the Phoenix area and beyond. Also find a comprehensive calendar of Phoenix-area food and drink-related events on my Events page.
WorldClass grilled Spanish octopus with mole rojo at Vecina in Phoenix
A weekly Tuesday feature, I publish Rubee Tuesday as a photo recap of my recent drinking and dining adventures. You can readpast Rubee Tuesdays HERE.
Tuesday, March 21:Vecina (Phoenix). If we lived closer, we would be regulars at Vecina. I’m always so impressed with the uniquely creative dishes here (not to mention the excellent craft cocktails). On Tuesday, we stopped in for drinks and a quick bite, but couldn’t say no to guacamole, chicken karaage with aji amarillo, citrus gastrique, and togarashi, and what is now one of my favorite octopus dishes in town - WorldClass grilled Spanish octopus and mole rojo with white beans and aji verde.
I was also treated to a preview of one of the best dishes I have ever had at Vecina! Tacos Árabes are now being served daily as a limited special, so get there while you can for this fantastic WorldClass Cinco Jotas acorn-fed Ibérico pork and chipotle crema on flatbread garnished with pickled onions, almond dukkah and micro cilantro.
Our next stop was ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho in Old Town Scottsdale. I love introducing Meridith May (editor and owner of SOMM Journal and Tasting Panel magazines) to my favorite spots since her move from LA. After a feast that included potato pavé topped with Argentine steak tartare and WorldClass caviar, roasted garlic hummus, lobster mac and cheese, glazed Japanese eggplant, and Argentine steak (filet and ribeye), what was her verdict? “The best meal! Chef Lacasce is a genius.”
And speaking of Argentine beef, I have my reservations to a special Argentina Dinner at ZuZu on April 20. Get alll the details, including menu, at THIS LINK.
To learn more about executive chef Russell LaCasce, listen in on our A Taste of AZ podcast on Apple Podcasts, or watch it on YouTube by clicking the photo below.
Wednesday, March 22: I had another double-header the next day, first stopping at Pa’La Downtown for a great interview with chef-owner Jason Alford and general manager Gilles Kolakowski. Look for my column in the June issue of SOMM Journal.
Afterwards, I took advantage of the beautiful weather to finally check out Eden Bar, the rooftop lounge at Kimpton Hotel Palomar, and experience beverage director Clint Spotleson’s fantastic craft cocktails (like the Phoenix Rising below). Read all about it HERE, and see more on my video Reel.
Phoenix Rising at Eden Bar (hibiscus and orange infused Tito's vodka, lemon, pomegranate green tea syrup, and La Poema sparkling rose)
Dinner downstairs at Blue Hound Kitchen and Bar: I first met executive chef Alex Robinson at Royal Palms, and executive sous chef Michael Press at Tanzy, and I have been fans of both talents ever since.
Chefs Alex Robinson and Michael Press
Needless, to say, we enjoyed another stellar visit (here is my last one), with highlights including pao de queijo cheese rolls and espelette butter, crab and yellow tomato chowder, Wagyu with house chili crisp and WorldClass caviar, cilantro-crusted WorldClass sea bass with smoked tomato romesco, and Argentine ribeye. I also made a video Reel here.
Thursday, March 23: Anhelo Scholarship Fundraiser Dinner. Chef-owner Ivan Jacobo has always made giving back to the community a priority (look for a future website interview!). On Thursday, he launched the Anhelo Restaurant Scholarship Foundation by hosting a wine dinner to raise funds for scholarships to the Culinary Arts program at Estrella Mountain Community College. Check out my Reel here for a recap of our amazing seven-course dinner.
A semi-weekly feature, Rubee Tuesday is a recap of my week's adventures in dining and drinking in the Phoenix area.
The Boulders Resort and Spa
Thursday, December 7:Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails at the Hotel Palomar Phoenix Kimpton is one of my favorite spots, so I accepted a media invitation with no hesitation. Last Thursday featured a special Glenfiddich event showcasing the Solera Reserve 15 year old (a personal favorite. aged in sherry casks) and two unique whiskies, part of their Experimental Series - the Glenfiddich IPA Experiment, finished in Speyside IPA barrels (with the IPA a collaboration between malt master Brian Kinsman and a local craft brewer) and Project XX, a blend by Kinsman of 20 malts chosen by 20 whisky experts from 16 countries. Note: You can read my prior interview with Brian Kinsman here.
Our educational evening was led by the knowledgeable and enthusiastic Michael Anderson, Luxury Spirits Specialist at Young's Market Company, and Chef de Cuisine Chris Neff made sure each pour was paired with a delicious dish.
I started with an excellent Glenfiddich Blood and Sand by Phil Clark, head bartender, before a great dinner of:
Course one: Pork belly with apple butter, pistachios, mustard greens, honey, and a wonderful beer vinegar made by Chef Neff. Paired with the Glenfiddich Solera Reserve.
Course two: Diver scallops with fresh spinach tagliatelle, brown butter, butternut squash and fennel salad. Paired with the Glenfiddich IPA.
Course three: Short rib with parsnip puree, smoked mushrooms, and cherry jus. Paired with the Glenfiddich Project XX.
Friday, December 8: Back to Fabio on Fire, a neighborhood favorite (I've previously mentioned it here and here). This time I started with a special of mozzarella di bufala (Italian mozzarella made with buffalo milk) flown in from Naples with arugula, prosciutto di Parma, and a balsamic drizzle. For my main course, I ordered another special, a fantastic rack of lamb roasted in the wood-fired oven with rosemary and garlic potatoes. My husband had his regular order of an appetizer of meatballs and then the lobster ravioli with crabmeat sauce. We ended with strawberry gelato and puff pastry diplomatico, and took home a dozen cookies, sfogliatelle, pandoro (a special holiday cake), and cannolis for my dad.
Saturday, December 9. I'm working on my next feature for Experience Scottsdale, an Aperol Spritz round-up. I've chosen five great spots to enjoy this cocktail or its variations, including the Discovery Lounge at The Bouders Resort. Thanks to Culinary Director Chef Brian Archibald, I not only fell in love with their libation (made with a house barrel-aged Aperol), but spent the afternoon dining and imbibing. Look for details on those dishes and drinks on an upcoming recap here, and my Aperol Spritz list on ExperienceScottsdale.com.
One highlight was a new Boulders Flask cocktail for two, made with smoked ice cubes, the Boulders' exclusive Casa Noble Anejo, El Silencio mezcal, Aperol, Shrub & Co Blood Orange Shrub, lime, and honey water...and it needs a title! Want to win free cocktails and dinner? Enter the Facebook contest here by suggesting the name for this new drink. If yours is chosen, you'll win an etched Boulders glass flask containing cocktails for two, and two entrees from the Discovery Lounge menu at the Boulders Resort. Winner will be announced at 5 pm Monday, December 18, 2017 (UPDATE: Congratulations to Laura R on Facebook who won with El Corazón de Silencio, "The Heart of Silence")
Dinner that night was a media invitation and return to a favorite, Stock and Stable (see past visits here and here, and a Rubee Tuesday visit here). I'm a big fan of Executive Chef Joe Absolor, so a special treat was having a chance to spend some time chatting with this talented chef.
We grazed on kung pao cauliflower, corn dogs made with TenderBelly franks, and Philly cheesesteak rolls before diving into a double cheeseburger with garlic and rosemary frites and chef's spot-on suggestion of the Beer Butt Chicken (super juicy from a beer marinade and served with a lemony jus), ordered with a side of Brussels sprouts and Hasselback potato. Another great night at Stock & Stable, though too full for dessert!
A recently-launched feature, Rubee Tuesday is a recap of my week's adventures in dining and drinking in and around Phoenix.
SumoMaya's Billionaire Roll with wagyu, snowcrab, asparagus, truffle aioli, and gold flake
Wednesday, July 13. I haven't been to Tanzy in a while, and we had a great reminder of how good it is when we took a Tanzygram Teach class, saw a movie at iPic, and returned for dinner. Click on the photo below for a detailed recap.
Thursday, July 14. What took me so long to get to SumoMaya? It's a beautiful restaurant with fantastic food (I especially love Chef Roberto Madrid's Peruvian accents) and excellent cocktails. For details and photos on our first visit, click on the picture below.
Sumo tiradito with hamachi, passionfruit sauce, lemon sorbet, dulce de leche and choclo
Saturday, July 16. Noah Momyer is the new head bartender at Blue Hound by way of Seattle and he's mixing and shaking things up with his creative libation list. Look for a recap and photos to post next week on some of his stellar cocktails, along with a sampling of Chef Sean Currid's recent menu additions.
Fried green tomatoes with spicy remoulade and jumbo lump crab
And since we were right across the street, we popped in to Bitter and Twisted for a Negroni nightcap and a bonus - Ross let me know that I could still get a HighSpirited cupcake! This week's special was theOld Fashioned cupcake with cherry vanilla velvet cake stuffed with Four Roses bourbon pastry cream and frosted with bourbon and orange buttercream.
Monday, July 18. I attended a media event at VomFASS in Scottsdale and felt like a kid in a candy store! It was full of treats to drink, eat, and cook with, including vinegars, oils, condiments, pastas, liqueurs, wine and spirits (be sure to check out their cask-aged selection). Click this link for a detailed recap and more photos.
Monday, July 18. I was also invited to a special Chef's Roll competition at The Camby Hotel. Chef Dushyant Singh of The Camby and Chef Jeremy McMillan of Bourbon Steak pulled out all the stops.
We started with Bee's Knees at a welcome reception before taking our seats to watch the chefs in action. Both a People's Choice and judges' scores were tallied. Congratulations to Chef Dushyant for the win! He will be traveling to San Diego for the Rock'n Chef Final. More information can be found at this link.
