Filtering by Tag: Four Seasons Scottsdale

SCOTTSDALE: Four Seasons Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month: The Mecinas Brothers Dinner

September 06, 2016 / Christina Barrueta

August was Hispanic Heritage month and the Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North celebrated it in grand style August 12-14, 2016 with a weekend of culinary festivities and exclusive guest experiences. On Saturday afternoon, I attended two delicious and informative culinary seminars led by Four Seasons chefs Samantha Sanz and Manny Calderon demonstrating regional specialties from Sonora and the Yucatan.

On Saturday evening, Executive Chef Mel Mecinas was joined by his brothers Chef Honorio (Gordon Ramsay Pub in Las Vegas) and Pastry Chef Juan (La Patisserie in Los Angeles) in the kitchen for an incredible dinner at Talavera.

Although the three brothers possess more than 75 years combined in the culinary field, it was the first time they had teamed up to delight diners in Scottsdale. Their Oaxacan roots shone in the one-of-a-kind tasting menu paired with Mexican wines and Nick Padua's mezcal cocktails. It was a spectacular evening of Mexican flavors, culture, and familia.

Aperitivos were a chef's collaboration: Shrimp ceviche with sal de gusano and nopales; memelita with black beans and quesillo; chile de arbol hot sauce; lamb barbacoa taco with queso fresco; and molote stuffed with potato and chorizo. Cocktail pairing: La Piña Picante (Mezcal Nuestra Soledad, fresh pineapple, habanero tincture and cilantro).

Course two was Chef Honorio's marinated seabass with chayote squash, hearts of palm, and mole amarillo. Wine pairing: L.A. Cetto Chardonnay, Baja California, Mexico

This was followed by Chef Mel's Press coffee-rubbed New York strip loin with prawns, Oaxacan chorizo, calabacitas, mole negro and mole rojo. Wine pairing: L. A. Cetto 'Reserva Privada' Nebbiolo, Baja California, Mexico.

Chef Juan's beautiful dessert course: White corn flan with leche quemada ("burnt milk" ice cream), compressed peach, pumpkin seed brittle and edible flowers, paired with Cafe Borracho (Press coffee with El Jolgorio Mezcal, Aztec chocolate bitters, and horchata foam).

It was truly an exceptional evening of brotherly love and family talent. A heartfelt thank-you to the Four Seasons Scottsdale Resort at Troon North for including us in such a fantastic and memorable occasion.

For a recap of Sunday's Industry Oaxacan Brunch, visit this link.

I was hosted by the Four Seasons and my evening was complimentary.

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tags / Four Seasons Scottsdale, Mel Mecinas, juan, Honorio, Hispanic Heritage

SCOTTSDALE: Four Seasons Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month: Culinary Seminars

September 06, 2016 / Christina Barrueta

Chefs Samantha Sanz and Manuel Calderon of the Four Seasons

August was Hispanic Heritage month and the Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North celebrated August 12-14, 2016 with a weekend of culinary festivities and guest amenities, from Friday evening's mezcal tasting to Sunday's Oaxacan Industry Brunch. The main event took place Saturday night, when Executive Chef Mel Mecinas was joined by his brothers Chef Honorio (Gordon Ramsay Pub in Las Vegas) and Pastry Chef Juan (La Patisserie in Los Angeles) in the kitchen for an amazing dinner at Talavera. Visit this link for a photo recap.

I began my weekend at the Four Seasons on Saturday afternoon with culinary demonstrations led by Talavera Chef de Cuisine Sam Sanz and Banquet Chef Manny Calderon.

L to R: Chefs Manny, Juan, Sam, Mel, and Honorio

Our dishes would be paired with Azunia tequila cocktails.

Kailee Asher, Brand Ambassador and Mixologist for Azunia

Talavera GM Karma and the talented group

Chef Sam showcased the flavors of her hometown of Nogales in the Mexican state of Sonora. with a family recipe for smoked marlin and queso (cheese) empanadas. The crispy masa pies were stuffed with a delicious filling seasoned with onions, chiles, tomatoes, and cilantro, and garnished with a traditional nopales (cactus) salad. "They're rich in fiber, and this salad is really refreshing and nice for the summer." Based on her grandmother's restaurant recipe, diced tomato, onion, radish, and avocado were tossed with a bright cilantro-lime vinaigrette.

Chef's Sam's wonderful empanadas were complemented by a fresh and bright cocktail made with Azuñia blanco tequila, Chareau aloe vera liqueur, honey, lime and cucumber juice.

Chef Manny represented his hometown of Valladolid with the regional Yucatán dish of cochinita pibil - pork marinated with achiote, a paste of annatto seeds, garlic, onion, oregano, cloves, and bay leaves, and sour orange juice, wrapped in banana leaves, and cooked low and slow for five hours.

The earthy, rich pork was wrapped in a tortilla and accompanied by traditional pickled onions, and was paired perfectly with a sweet and spicy Azuñia tequila cocktail made with Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, guava juice, and dried orange.

After a fun and educational afternoon, we strolled back to our room, where we were greeted with chips and Chef Mel's exclusive salsa, along with samples of his mole rub, sotol and mezcal, and take-home recipes.

We sipped, noshed, and admired this beautiful Sonoran desert view as we relaxed before our dinner reservations at Talavera. Click on the picture below for photos of our special evening.

I was hosted by the Four Seasons and my experience was complimentary.

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tags / Four Seasons Scottsdale, Mel Mecinas, Honorio Mecinas, Juan Mecinas, mezcal, Azunia, Talavera, Hispanic Heritage

The Four Seasons Hosts El Celler de Can Roca Tour: Wine Tasting with Sommelier Josep Roca

August 18, 2016 / Christina Barrueta

Sommelier Josep Roca of El Celler de Can Roca

For the third year, BBVA Compass and El Celler de Can Roca of Girona, Spain are bringing the 2013 and 2015 Best Restaurant in the World recipient on a global tour, with planned stops in London, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Santiago de Chile, and their exciting arrival this week in Phoenix. Joining the three Roca brothers - Executive Chef Joan, Sommelier Josep, and Pastry Chef Jordi - is a team of 40+ to ensure that each dinner is a flawless experience of what this three-Michelin-starred restaurant executes in Spain.

As a prelude to the invitation-only dinners being held Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week at the Four Seasons Scottsdale, on Tuesday, August 16, I was invited to an exclusive wine tasting led by Sommelier Josep Roca at Talavera. I not only learned what I could anticipate for my dinner Thursday night (100 guests, nine courses, 20 plates, and 200 ingredients, including dishes never seen before and created just for the Phoenix dinners), but also learned about some of Sommelier Josep's favorite wines.

Nancy Zezza, Corporate Banking Manager of BBVA Compass welcomed our group and noted what a rare opportunity we were enjoying. "It is truly an honor for BBVA to have the Roca brothers here in Phoenix. We are so very excited about the events this week."

We were led to our seats at a table dotted with plates of Noble Bread and machego cheese and invited to learn about the wines that were chosen. As each of the Spanish or California wines were poured, Sommelier Josep Roca described the winery and winemakers, growing regions, why they were selected, and his personal tasting notes, via translator Francisco. "Wines are not only the results of fermented grapes. They are also the interpretation of a landscape. a climate, a certain region, and also a way of life and a philosophy."

We start with the 2015 Arnot-Roberts Chardonnay, Trout Gulch, Santa Cruz (Sonoma County) as we were told to take note of "apricot, vanilla, fennel, green apple, and subtle notes of toasted hazelnuts with a very intense, very pleasant aroma of toasted bread."

1994 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva Rioja: "This second wine is without a doubt one of the most original white wines that is made in Spain. Here you can taste the history." He tells us that this Viña Tondonia Rioja can be aged another 30 years, and to taste "the nuances of vanilla, dried apricots, honey, and quince, with a very delicate finish of salinity."

2015 Dirty & Rowdy Evangelho Vineyard Old Vines Mourvèdre: "It has a very bold name," he laughs. He points out that "in Europe they perceive California wines as wines of the new world, but I want to show that this is actually not true. The vineyard from where this wine is made is 140 years old. And it's actually very close to Spain because the Monastrell [also known as Mourvèdre] is a varietal that we find along the Mediterranean coast from Murcia all the way north through Girona."

Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Valbuena 2010: "What we're pouring now is one of the most renowned and most important winemakers in Spain. This is the Valbuena 2010, probably one of the best vintages." "In terms of aromas, we can perceive vanilla, coffee, brioche, cocoa and a slight nuance of smoked paprika. It's very balsamic and sharp in scent. Instead of alcohol, there is freshness. In the mouth it is elegant, velvety, with wonderful harmony and acidity."

2004 Torres Grans Muralles: "Now we'll travel from central Spain to an area closer to us, Catalunya, Conca de Barberà. The soil is a lot more volcanic...This is a wine with a lot of opulence and intensity, but at the same time fresh, and 2004 was a great year in terms of balance."

Next, we spend some time comparing two different styles of Rioja wine - 2005 Remirez de Ganuza Rioja Gran Reserva and 1994 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva. "One from the point of view of innovation, and the other one from the point of view of tradition." As we sip and savor, among the many differences we learn are that, "the first one is fermented in stainless steel and aged in new American oak barrels and the second fermented in massive barrels that have been used for four generations. One uses selected yeast, the other one uses yeast that is in the environment, fields, and wood containers."

2014 Weingut Dönnhoff, Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese: Sommelier Josep tells us that riesling is one of his favorite varietals and this spätlese from Nahe, Germany has a "wonderful acidity and sweetness combined. There are seven categories of Riesling wines and I think this will be the most appropriate for early evening events like these."

We finish our tasting with two sherries. The first is A.R. Valdespino Coliseo Amontillado VORS Sherry. "This one is from Jerez, one of my favorite areas in Southern Spain. Amontillado is one of the subtypes of sherry and this combines aromas of hazelnut with notes of iron, salt or algae, intense deyhydrated fruit, flavors of umami, and has an aging potential of 80 years." He recommends pairings of mature cheese or oysters.

Our final pour is Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Oloroso Sherry 30 Year Old. "This has been aged for 40 years and it's almost like two wines at the same time. The beginning is sweet, the finish is very dry with tasting notes of bitter orange, chocolate, coffee, plums and different spices."

"It was a pleasure to share these wines with you," Sommelier Roca concludes. "I hope you have enjoyed this selection. It is a wide and varied range. Each wine is a landscape in a bottle, a philosophy of life, and we hope that you have discovered your favorite wine tonight."

I was honored to participate in such a memorable evening. Gracias to Josep Roca and BBVA!

We finished our wine tasting with a reception of delicious small plates from Chefs Mecinas and Sanz of the Four Seasons: Heirloom tomato confit with burrata, marinated chicken wrapped in prosciutto with honey-yogurt sauce, crispy rock shrimp with miso, strip loin with mole Oaxaqueño, Spanish octopus with saffron aioli, and grilled lamb chops.

For a recap of the special BBVA Celler de Can Roca 2016 tour dinner and photos by Debby Wolvos Photography, click on the picture below.

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tags / Celler de Can Roca BBVA Tour 2016, Scottsdale, Four Seasons Scottsdale