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.
Check out the June/July 2023 issue of SOMM Journal for my latest Sonoran Scoop column featuring Course in Scottsdale. You can find it on page 20 of the digital issue on the SOMM Journal website.
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A weekly Tuesday feature, I publish Rubee Tuesday as a photo recap of my recent drinking and dining adventures. You can read past Rubee Tuesdays HERE.
Abel Arriaga of Compa Spirits at Arizona Biltmore
Thursday, July 6: D&Y Chinese (Glendale). For our final dinner with family visiting from New Hampshire, we headed to our favorite neighborhood Chinese spot (you can see more in past Rubee Tuesdays here). Another delicious feast, including a new favorite - tamarind crab with fresh crab from their seafood tanks.
Sunday, July 9: Compa Spirits cocktail dinner at the Arizona Biltmore (Phoenix). Another fun educational experience with guest host Abel Arriaga, founder of Compa Spirits, this time at Renata’s Hearth! He’s been introducing Arizona to some fantastic artisanal spirits. Check out this fantastic menu by Chef Daniel Weber and cocktail pairings by lead bartender Tara.
You can see more on my video reel by clicking the photo below:
Chef Carlos Rodriguez Rios of ‘Hearth 61 and Course, Abel Arriaga of Compa Spirits, and Lisa Carrington of The Cocktail Maven
Monday, July 10: Course (Scottsdale). I was thrilled to be invited to Course’s inaugural wine dinner. In celebration of the new summer tasting menu and the Sassicaia summer release, chef-owner Cory Oppold and GM Nick Padua paired dishes with wines from the Kobrand Imports European portfolio.
Nick and Cory introduced each course, and special guest Steve Schwartz of Kobrand shared the story behind the wines. What a spectacular dinner!
WorldClass caviar and creme fraiche sorbet cone
This is also the five-course dinner being served Tuesday and Wednesday nights (with different wine pairings), so make a reservation to experience it for yourself.
Thursday, July 13: Chantico (Phoenix). I had a great time joining fellow writers for a special evening with Sandra Felix, Director of the Baja California Sur Tourism Board, to learn more about this beautiful destination. Can’t wait to visit!
Four of my favorite Chantico dishes: Shrimp aguachile, halibut ceviche, grilled tiger shrimp with coconut rice, and cochinita pibil.
Check back on my next Rubee Tuesday for visits to The Americano, Toror at the Scottsdale Fairmont Princess, Arboleda, Bourbon and Bones Peoria, and Proof at the Four Seasons.
A weekly Tuesday feature, I publish Rubee Tuesday as a photo recap of my recent drinking and dining adventures. You can read past Rubee Tuesdays HERE.
At Chilte in downtown Phoenix, diners can add on WorldClass caviar to a savory dish like the green chorizo vampiro (pictured below) or sweet such as the fabulous guava tart with white cheddar and shrimp dust here.
Tuesday, June 6: Trevor’s on Mayo Blvd (North Scottsdale). I had a fun time with my fellow judges for a blind seltzer tasting. Look for the results in an upcoming issue of Tasting Panel magazine.
Wednesday, June 7, 2023: Chilte (downtown Phoenix). In the July issue of A Taste of AZ magazine you’ll be able to read all about Chilte, one of Arizona’s most exciting new restaurants, and my interview with Chef Lawrence Smith. Since I wrote that feature, Lawrence introduced some new menu items, so here’s a peek at a fantastic feast where I was joined by my friends from WorldClass. You can also watch a video Reel HERE.
I wasn’t able to fit them in my article, but the craft cocktails created by Chef Lawrence are just as spectacular as his creative Mexican dishes. Clockwise from top left:
Green Chile Margarita with house-roasted green chiles
Por Siempre with sotol, piloncillo and mole bitters
El Verde Peligroso with gin, kiwi, epazote and celery bitters
Whiskey Sour
Sangre De Maize, a mezcal and corn Negroni
One of many signature dishes, Lawrence created Black Pink for his episode on Food Network Chopped where the secret ingredient was chocolate. It’s an amazing combination of WorldClass langoustine red shrimp in a chocolate-spiked agua chile with pink grapefruit, cucumber, and house tostadas.
Black Pink at Chilte with WorldClass langoustino red shrimp
Other must-orders:
Yuca fries with furikake, queso cincho, and Buddha’s Hand aioli.
Chicharrones with charred tomatillo guacamole, jamaica and chile de árbol salsa and Benny Blanco flour tortillas.
Chorizo verde vampiro with handmade tortillas, green chorizo, queso Chihuahua, and salsa macha.
Quesadilla with queso Chihuahua wrapped in a hoja santa leaf with salsa verde, goat cheese, chiltepin, salsa macha, and a sprinkle of chicatanas (Oaxacan roasted ants).
Birria with miso consommé and salsa tatemada
Marrow Burger with green chile, bone marrow, white cheddar, caramelized onions, lettuce, and Chimayo aioli on a Noble Bread bun served with Frites Street fries dusted in togarashi and cotija.
And tip: On Wednesdays, wine by the bottles are half-price, like the Mexican chardonnay below, Château Camou from Guadalupe Valley.
The Grilled Romaine with goat cheese and smoked corn was another new addition that debuted on June 7. Be sure to add the option of three juicy WorldClass Patagonian lamb chops to your salad (or a double order like we did!)
WorldClass Patagonian lamb chops can be added to the grilled Romaine salad
I had to order two of Chef Lawrence’s favorite cocktails as an after-dinner drink(s) and they were just as stellar as my first cocktail: Hada Madrina (absinthe, gin, and pineapple garnished with queso cincho and chiltepin) and the Carajilllo (local Provision espresso, Spanish 43, orange, and lavender).
The perfect ending? Guava tart with cheesecake and guava curd in a sablée crust with coconut tres leches and white cheddar and shrimp dust (don’t forget the option of caviar for $10; it was a brilliant combination!) and a round of sotol.
Thursday, June 8: Mother Road beer dinner at McArthur’s at the Arizona Biltmore resort. I became a fan of this craft brewery after visiting them on a Flagstaff press trip for Arizona Beer Week (check out my write-up here). I partnered with Mother Road Brewing for this event, so look for my detailed recap next week. For a preview, you can watch my video Reel by clicking HERE.
Friday, June 9: Course (Scottsdale). As I mentioned in this Rubee Tuesday, Course just opened last month and it’s a fantastic addition to our dining scene. I’m also featuring GM and sommelier Nick Padua and chef-owner Cory Oppold in my next Sonoran Scoop column in SOMM Journal, and stopped by for an interview. Look for it in the August issue.
Rice Paper is located in the same shopping center, so afterwards I picked up lunch to bring home (and enjoyed a Mexicanese Margarita while I waited for my order). Nick had recommended the Bruce Lee roll with pork, shrimp, crispy roll, jalapeño, Grandma’s hot sauce, Thai chile, and Ssiracha served with Asian pesto sauce, and it’s now my new favorite here.
Also in the shopping center is one of our favorite pizza spots, Il Capo Pizzeria, so dinner that night was a NY-style sausage pizza.
Check back on my next Rubee Tuesday for visits to Rough Rider, The Mexicano, Arboleda, and Trevor's on Mayo.
A weekly Tuesday feature, I publish Rubee Tuesday as a photo recap of my recent drinking and dining adventures. You can read past Rubee Tuesdays HERE.
Congratulations to Chef Cory!
Wednesday, May 10: Course (Scottsdale). We were invited to make reservations for the Soft Opening and I couldn’t have been more excited! I’ve known chef-owner Cory Oppold for almost a decade, first meeting him when he was executive chef at Atlas Bistro. I knew his dream of having his own restaurant was a long time coming, and, wow, it was absolutely worth the wait.
Cory’s signature creative art-on-a-plate dishes are offered as a 10-course tasting menu Thursday through Saturday, and a 5-course tasting menu on Tuesdays and Wednesdays What an incredible evening! You’ll want to make reservations right now for this special spot that I predict will be one of the region’s defining restaurants in the culinary landscape for years to come; I forgot to take photos of dessert and wine labels, but you can see more on my video Reel HERE.
And did I mention the outstanding team he has assembled, like GM Nick Padua, who leads the beverage program?
Nicholas Padua of Course.
And it was so nice to see so many more familiar faces like Carlos, Joe, and Sheila. Course officially opened on May 11, and its “immature sibling” Morning Would started serving Sunday brunch on May 28. Look for my Course feature in the August issue of SOMM Journal!
Thursday, May 11: Arboleda (Scottsdale Quarter). To celebrate National Tourism Week, Visit Phoenix, the tourism board for Greater Phoenix, invited our group of writers and media pros for Happy Hour at Arboleda. You can see my video Reel below of a fun time at one of my favorite spots, with some of my favorite people!
And since master cocktail craftsman Richie Moe has joined the Arboleda team, we had to retire to the bar afterwards for some more libations.
That night, we headed to STK in Old Town Scottsdale, where we had been invited to a media preview of the Afternoon Tea they were offering for Mother’s Day the following Sunday. What a great idea! I loved the selection of tea sandwiches, scones and desserts, and champagne and cocktail options.
Afterwards, we were also treated to some more delicious bites from the Happy Hour menu, including tuna tartare tacos, falafel and tahini, calamari, short rib quesadillas, tater tots, calamari, and sliders.
Friday, May 12: Arboleda (Scottsdale Quarter). Back to Arboleda, this time with John Bergman, co-founder of WorldClass, who was visiting from Houston, and his team. I didn’t take many pictures as you can see photos from previous visits (including WorldClass jamón Ibérico, octopus, and Argentine ribeye) in past Rubee Tuesdays, but needless to say, it was another fantastic dinner.
Saturday, May 13: Pa’La Downtown (Phoenix). Since John was in town for the weeked, we happily took him up on another dinner invitation - Pa’La Downtown, one of my personal favorites (check out my column featuring Pa’La in the current ssue of SOMM Journal).
We were joined by chef Chris Brugman of Season Your Soul Hosptality (formerly of Mountain Shadows and Castle Hot Springs) and his wife Jill.
John had arranged a special omakase with chef-owner Jason Alford, including the pièce de résistance - whole suckling pig. The entire feast was spectacular! And special thanks to GM and beverage director Gilles Kolakowski for the excellent wine pairings.
Tagliatelle pasta with jamón dashi (made with WorldClass Cinco Jotas jamón Ibérico leg, kombu, and bonito flakes) with spicy capicola, mushrooms, and Parmesan-Reggiano:
Tagliatelle pasta with WorldClass jamón Iberico dashi.
Oysters with tomato ponzu and smoked trout roe
Smoked mussel and cured mackerel hand rolls
Salmon crudo with sea scallop leche de tigre
Roasted carrots with Japanese curry, eggplant miso, and saffron honey
Arcadia Meat Market beef tartare with Japanese milk bread
Seared foie gras with black currant gastrique and duck fat financier
Wood-fire roasted suckling pig
Executive Chef Jason Alford, owner of Pa’La Downtow, and John Bergma, co-founder of WorldClass
Monday, May 15: The Cave at Quartz (Downtown Phoenix). A brand-new craft cocktail addition to downtown helmed by mixologist Maxwell Berlin (formerly of Glai Baan), Quartz offers two different cocktail experiences. The menu at Quartz, a more traditional bar, has specialty drinks based on birthstones, while the reservation-only Cave hidden behind it offers an exclusive menu of cocktails inspired by the deserts of the world.
Quartz in downtown Phoebix
Once you check into the host stand at the entrance to The Cave, you’ll be led down a beautiful rose gold mirrored hallway to your private booth and greeted with complimentary welcome cocktails, such as locally-owned Gran Ponche Mexicano passionfruit and sparkling blanc de blanc:
Complimentary welcome cocktails at The Cave in downtown Phoenix
Be sure to read the inspiration stories on each creative cocktail! Favorites included Dreamtime, The Dancing Herd, Tomb of the Fizzy Kitty, and Souk Sazerac.
Check out my video Reel HERE for more.
Souk Sazerac with overproof rye whiskey, Branca Menta, Moroccan green tea, camel fat, and lemon arrak sand
Conveniently right next door for post-cocktail eats is Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, which had been on my list for a while. You’ll want to add it to yours too. The crispy, juicy fried chicken lived up to the hype and I loved the fried green tomatoes and my sides of collard greens and fried okra too. Plus a shout-out for great service from Mary.
Check back on my next Rubee Tuesday for visits to Epicenter at Agritopia, Tomaso’s, Festivin wine festival at The Wrigley Mansion, and a staycation at Mountain Shadows resort.
