Category: luxury dining

Sips & Bites: News from the Phoenix restaurant community

Quick sips & bites of news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries and wineries.

Miracle Mile Deli celebrates National Sandwich Month

Starting Monday August 1st the central Phoenix deli is serving up a weekly sandwich special for only $12. 8/1-8/6 – Corned Beef Sandwich 8/8-8/13 – Brisket Sandwich 8/15-8/20 – Combo (Pastrami & Corned Beef) 8/22-8/27 – The Straw. Each sandwich comes with a choice of sides and a dill pickle spear.

Phoenix City Grille offers exclusive Caymus Vineyards tasting event

Wednesday August 3rd join the vineyard’s Arizona Market Manager Stephanie Martindale for a tasting of five wines. Enjoy sipping on Emmolo Sparkling, Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay, Sea Sun Pinot Noir, The Walking Fool Red Blend and Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon. Wines tasted during the event will be available for purchase with limited seating costing $25 ++ per person. Reservations can be made by contacting Britinee Reed at 602-510-7170 or privatedining@phoenixcitygrille.com

Hearth ’61 welcomes Chef Eugenia Theodosopoulos

The Chef and owner of Essence Bakery Cafe in Arcadia will be the guest chef at the restaurant’s Sunday Supper Club in August. The four-course dinner is set for August 14th at 6 p.m. and is paired with wine. Seats are $189++ per person and can be reserved here.

Sardinia’s food featured at Queen Creek Olive Mill’s dinner

The Italian region’s flavors and foods will be on prepared for August’s Tavalo dinner. Thursday August 18th from 6:30 -9:30 p.m. guests will dine on a 6-course’s with optional wine pairings. Much of the ingredients are locally sourced including from Golden Rule Dairy in Elfrida. Dinner is $124.99 per person and wine pairings are an additional $39.99. Reservations can be made here.

Caffe Vita opens tomorrow with FREE oat milk lattes.

The Seattle based coffee roaster opens its first Arizona location in the former Easley’s Fun Shop at 5th Ave. & McDowell Rd. Lattes will be available from 7 a.m. – 6p.m. Read more about the opening and more here.

Don’t forget to check out my podcast Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment.

Pyro to be first restaurant at The Grove

The intersection at 44th St. & Camelback Rd. has always been one of the busiest in Phoenix and will get even busier when the mixed-used development The Grove opens later this year. The first restaurant to announce it will open there will be the Japanese bistro Pyro from Omaha-based Flagship Restaurant Group.

“The Flagship Restaurant Group team and I are very excited to bring Pyro to The Grove,” said Nick Hogan, CEO and co-founder of Flagship Restaurant Group. “We felt that it was the right time to bring our brand-new concept to this location, as there is much development taking place in-market and residents and travelers in Phoenix are always looking for the right mix of creativity coupled with responsibly-sourced fare. Everything we serve our guests is fully transparent, from the farms the vegetables come from to the areas where each of our fish is sourced. We are looking forward to another new chapter in the city.”

Flagship’s other concepts in Phoenix are Châm Pang Lanes, Palma and Ghost Donkey in the Roosevelt Row Arts District.

What to expect at Pyro

When opened Pyro will be 4,200 square feet including large outdoor patio with an open hearth and full bar. The restaurant uses an open flame for cooking sustainably sourced seafood and proteins. The fire will give each dish its own unique layers of flavor and texture. The cocktail bar will offer classic and signature cocktails from a wide variety of spirits and wine.

“The Grove is dedicated to bringing innovative and exclusive dining options to the Valley with a sophisticated flair,” said Mike Ebert, managing partner at RED Development. “Pyro is setting the standard for the caliber of culinary offerings we’ll be welcoming at The Grove, we couldn’t be more honored to announce an original concept as the first restaurant to call it home.”

Don’t forget to check out my podcast Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment

Camelback Inn to host a Winemaker Weekend with Paul Hobbs

The legendary JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa is welcoming winemaker & winery owner Paul Hobbs for a fun filled weekend next month. Taking place in the resort’s Lincoln Steakhouse on Friday and Saturday April 22nd & 23rd guests will have three opportunities to meet the winemaker and taste his wines. Enjoy 1, 2 or all 3 of the events at this 21 and older weekend.

-A welcome reception takes place at 5:30 p.m. Friday night with wine poured from Crossbarn, his Central Coast wines and from Hillick & Hobbs in New York’s Finger Lakes region. Hors d’ oeuvres and paired cheeses will be served for the two hour reception. Seats are $125.53 per person with a 2 person minimum can be reserved here.

-Looking to learn more about his wines, join Hobbs for a wine seminar in the Lincoln’s private dining room. The tasting and seminar will focus on his old world and new world wine along with ancient wines from Armenia. Seats are available at available at 3:45 & 4:00 p.m. for a $100. 17 per person with a 2 with a 2 person minimum and are available here.

-End the weekend with dinner on the restaurant’s patio enjoying the sunset and the best wines from his portfolio. Limited seating is available for the multi-course dinner that includes breathtaking views of Camelback Mountain. The dinner starts at 6:00 p.m. and is $188.93 all inclusive per person with a 2 person minimum and can be reserved here. The JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa is at 5402 E. Lincoln Dr. Paradise Valley 85253.

Chef Angelo Sosa to open Tía Carmen at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort

Early April will see the debut of Tía Carmen, a contemporary Southwestern cuisine restaurant from Bravo’s “Top Chef” and HBO Max’s “Selena + Chef” Angelo Sosa. He and seasoned restaurateur Mark Stone’s new signature restaurant at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort is named the after Sosa’s aunt. Chef Sosa learned alongside chefs Jean-George Vongerichten, Alain Ducasse, Stephen Starr and Masaharu Morimoto before opening his Michelin recommended Añejo Restaurant, a Mexican hotspot in New York City.

“Throughout my life, my Tía Carmen instilled in me a passion and love for cooking, teaching me the impact and the power that food can have when made from a place of pure love,” said Chef Sosa. “The discovery of traveling through the Southwest gave me the opportunity to explore the region through the lens of ranchers, potters, farmers, and artisans. I have always had a deep fascination and appreciation for Southwestern food traditions. It has been an honor and privilege to be able to contribute to this beautiful and rich culinary narrative.”

The menu from Chef Angelo Sosa

Serving dinner, Tía Carmen’s dishes will be made with regional ingredients from local purveyors prepared in a wood-fired grill. The menu will be written in three sections, light + fresh, maize + harina, and charcoal + wood + fire. Chef Angelo Rosa’s signature dishes will include Tuna Crudo with chilled corn coconut broth accented with jicama and garnished with dill; Southwestern style tri-tip kebabs garnished with Thai Basil, cilantro, pickles, and serrano chilis; Lamb Ragu with mesquite noodles; and Tía Carmen’s Chicken Guisado, a stew made with succulent pieces of thigh meat and seasoned with a mélange of cumin, annatto, arbol, and oregano.

Mitchel O. Bushell is creating a cocktail program emphasizing local herbs & spices, distilleries and ingredients for house made syrups and juices. Many of the cocktails will be prepared with artisanal agave spirits. The wine program is being curated by former Morimoto Restaurant Group’s Eduardo Dingler. Emphasis will be on wines from Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe and other west coast wineries and emerging wineries in Europe.

The 130 seat restaurant is designed by Thomas Schoos and his L.A. based hospitality design firm Schoos Design. The “Earth meets Art” theme offers a clean and warm ambiance with natural forms from the local landscape. Plateware and the Southwestern tablescape from Phoenix’s Blue Door Ceramics was made exclusively for Tía Carmen. For more information and to stay up to date about the opening follow @TiaCarmen.Phx on Instagram.

Chefs Rochelle Daniel & Samantha Sanz headline James Beard dinner

Two of Phoenix’s top chefs are collaborating when the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America returns on Wednesday, February 23rd. Chefs Rochelle Daniel of Fat Ox & Atria and Samantha Sanz (pictured) of elements are teaming as part of the Foundation’s 18 city chef hosted dinner series to raise money, support and celebrate local restaurants. Sanz will host the dinner as its being held at elements restaurant at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort where she’s Chef de Cuisine.

The three course menu will showcase each of the chef’s unique styles of cooking and the restaurants they represent. Dinner begins a bread course from Breadworks by MJ Coe and James Porter. First course gives guests a choice of Sakana Blue baby scallops with shrimp mousseline, apple and seafoam or a vegetarian-friendly brown butter-poached cauliflower with apple and hazelnuts. For an entrée, guests can choose smoked beef short rib with porcini tamal, black truffle mole and pomegranate or a mushroom steak with truffle mole and pomegranate. For dessert guests will enjoy a coffee-chocolate tart with whiskey caramel. Each course is being paired with Arizona’s Rune Wines and a flight of four whiskeys from Rabbit Hole Distillery.

The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. and seats are $350 per pair and also include a swag bag. As part of the Taste America initiative to help local restaurants and diners support the local industry 65% of the dinners ticket purchase goes to the featured chefs to support their business and the remaining 35% goes to the James Beard Foundation’s national programs including Open for Good which has helped restaurants survive the pandemic and re-build. Seating is limited and Covid-19 safety protocols will be enforced. To join Rochelle Daniel and Samantha Sanz get your tickets at the Foundation’s website.

Sips & Bites: News you can use from the Phoenix restaurant community

Quick sips & bites of news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries and wineries.

Root for the Cardinals with a team inspired beer, shake & cookie

With the NFL playoffs starting tomorrow and the Cardinals making the playoffs for the first time since 2015 you can show your support with team inspired food & beverages. PHX Beer Co. just released the limited edition Bird Gang Beer. The lager can be purchased in a 32 oz. crowler at their Phoenix taproom or Scottsdale restaurant.

Miracle Mile Deli is selling the Cardinals Caramel Strawberry Shake ($5) and Black and Red Cookies ($4) just in time for Monday night’s game versus their rival L.A. Rams. They will be available throughout the Cardinal playoff run.

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain promotes 2 on their culinary team

Former catering chef Landon Post has been promoted to Executive Chef and Chef de Cuisine Samantha Sanz has become the new face of the resort’s signature restaurant, Elements. Executive Chef Beau Macmillan has been the face of Elements for over 23 years and is staying on board in reduced role as Culinary Advisor spearheading culinary events at the resort including Nirvana Food and Wine Festival.

Valley chefs feeding the homeless on MLK Day

4 of the valley’s top chefs have partnered with St. Vincent de Paul to serve over 500 steak dinners to the valley’s homeless on Monday January 17th. Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco), Mark Tarbell (Tarbell’s), Chef Vincent (Vincent’s on Camelback) and Mark Lupino (Steak 44, Ocean 44 & Dominick’s Steakhouse) will be joined music composer and celebrities David Foster and Katherine McPhee Foster. The 17th would of also been Muhammad Ali’s 80th birthday.  Steaks are only part of the meal organized by philanthropist & Ali friend Jimmy Walker as part of the “Never Give Up” program.

Santé to start serving lunch and happy hour on Monday

The healthy food restaurant that opened last month in north Scottsdale will start serving lunch and happy hour on Monday January 17th. Lunch will be from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. and happy hour from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Myke’s Pizza now open for lunch

The popular downtown Mesa pizzeria is now open for lunch Tuesday – Sunday starting at 11 a.m. Owner and pizza maker Myke Olsen serves 10 hand crafted pizzas, a house salads and a chocolate chip cookie. Seasonal pizzas will also be offered and on weekend rotating desserts.

Don’t forget to check out my podcast Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment.

Robert Irvine fundraiser at Sanctuary Resort to benefit military members

Celebrity chef Robert Irvine comes to town this Saturday, January 8th as he and Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Executive Chef, and celebrity chef himself, Beau MacMillan co-host the “Mission Impossible” dinner. The event is raising money for Irvine’s foundation that supports active & retired military members, first responders and their families. 10% of the proceeds from the night’s dinner will be donated to the foundation.

The evening with Robert Irvine starts at 6 p.m. with a reception on the resort’s Paradise Views patio followed by dinner at 7 in The Views Ballroom. The dinner paired with wines is $295 per person plus taxes and gratuity. For reservations call 866-975-3039.

Sips & Bites: News you can use from the Phoenix restaurant community

Quick sips & bites of news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries and wineries.

Enjoy the dog days of summer with a new Trapp Dawg at Trapp Haus BBQ

The downtown Phoenix BBQ joint is offering 3 new all beef brisket hot dawgs for a limited time starting Monday August 2nd. These dawgs are available 7 days a week for $7.99 each. The Lou — topped with potato salad and crispy fried onions. The Jersey — topped with crispy potato and cheddar cheese sauce. The Village — topped with BBQ baked beans and jalapeño honey slaw.

Hearth ’61 Sunday Supper Club with guest chef Sean Currid

The Maple & Ash Executive Chef will join Chef Chuck Wiley’s team to create a 5-course menu paired with Australian wines from Barossa Valley selected by Mountain Shadows F & B manager Jim Gallen. Reservations  are required for the Sunday August 15th dinner that starts at 6 p.m. Seats are $149 ++ per person and can be made by calling 866-572-8774. To see the pairing menu visit their website.

Chompie’s hiring fair for new Phoenix location and other locations

All four valley locations and the soon to open north Phoenix location is looking to hire back & front of the house help. They are holding a 3 day job fair at the Embassy Suites at 4415 Paradise Village Pkwy S. Phoenix 85032. 80 employees are needed for the new location with additional employees needed to support the growth at other locations. The job fair is Monday, August 2nd 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 3rd 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. & Wednesday, August 4th 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Candidates should come prepared with a resume and be prepared to interview with hiring done on the spot.

Eat Up Drive- In is now open for lunch.

The fast casual Arcadia Lite restaurant that opened in March is now open for lunch and extended their hours 7 days a week from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. The restaurant features individual and family style meals for dine-in or to-go.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria to support the American Heart Assoc. in August

For all 31 days in August guests who donate $5 will get a $5 Bounce Back card to use at any Grimaldi’s nationwide (except To-Go locations in Austin TX & Scottsdale AZ and NYC, NJ & CT locations) until Dec. 31st 2022. Guests can donate up to $25 to get $25 Bounce Back per visit.

Don’t forget to check out my podcast, Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment.

Renata’s Hearth to open at the Arizona Biltmore this week

A couple of weeks after re-opening with a new look, the Arizona Biltmore Resort debuts its new restaurant, Renata’s Hearth on Tuesday. The Central & South American inspired restaurant will tempt you palate with its smoky aromas of chiles, meats and more. The restaurant joins the newly opened outdoor Inspire Bar.

Chef Jose Figueroa Ortega’s menu pays homage to his Hispanic heritage with its meat and seafood dishes. Ortega’s taste for southwest flavors started at a young age while cooking at home with his family. He built on what he learned at home by attending the Arizona Culinary Institute to hone his skills before working at Cafe Monarch & Tarbell’s. His photo worthy dishes include Grilled Branzino, Renata’s Pozole Blanco and Mole Negro Rubbed Smoke Wagyu Brisket.

Signature cocktails will include the Burnt Paloma and White Sangria and the Los Muertos and Smoked Pineapple. Two signature carts will roam the restaurant including a fresh guacamole & Spanish tapas cart and the Mezcal Mavens will have their craft cocktail cart. Inspire Bar pays tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright whose influences are found throughout the resort that dates back to 1929.

Moroccan lanterns strung from trees along with tiles and aged leather will set the mood. “We believe that Renata’s Hearth will be unlike any other restaurant that exists in the current Arizona culinary scene,” said Cornelius Cover, general manager at Renata’s Hearth. “The alchemy of authentic flavors and the essence of smoke mesh in a sophisticated atmosphere perfect for nights out and special occasions.”

For more information and to make a reservation visit their website.

 

Sips & Bites: News you can use from the Phoenix restaurant community

Quick sips & bites of news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries and wineries.

Good news National Cold Brew Day is Tuesday 4/20

Those liking a cold brew can get a free can at Press Coffee when you spend $5 or more on their app.

Trapp Haus BBQ pop-up at Found:RE Hotel

Phil “The Grill” Johnson takes his smoker and more around the corner this Sunday April 18th for a pop-up appearance at the downtown Phoenix hotel. From 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. hotel guests and locals are invite poolside to enjoy Phil’s smoked meats, a DJ spinning some tunes and creative cocktails from Match Market & Bar. Admission is free, reservations needed.

Kitchen United Mix giving $10 off $30 for vaccine

The Scottsdale ghost kitchen with more than 10 restaurants under one roof is offering $10 off $30 order from any or all restaurants under its roof. Use promo code “Vaccine” when ordering.

Winemaker dinners at Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa taking reservations.

The upscale resort with views of the McDowell Mountains released the dates for its upcoming winemaker dinner series. Paul Hobbs Winery is next Wednesday 4/21, Copper Cane Wednesday 5/19 & Miner Family Wines is Wednesday 6/23. Each dinner starts with a reception at 6:30 followed by a 4-course culinary experience of food & wine at 7:00. “Take Home” wines are available for purchase at the end of the dinner. Each person is $145++, seating is limited and reservations are required and can be made by calling 480-629-6231.

Cider Corps named 5th Best Cidery in Country

USA Today named the three year old Mesa cidery one of the best out of over 800 cideries vote on by a panel of judges. Started as a hobby during recovery from an injury suffered in Afghanistan, retired SGT. USMC Jason Duren says” it means a lot to be considered as one of the best”.

 

%d bloggers like this: