On November 14, 2020, Driscoll Cuisine & Concepts, a superlative private chef experience, generously treated us and our guests to a special Write On Rubee demonstration dinner to celebrate my new cookbook, Phoenix Cooks. We were spoiled by a roster of three of Arizona’s most talented chefs - Phoenix Cooks-featured chef Steven Fowler (former restaurants include True Food Kitchen and EVO), Derek Upton (Cafe Monarch, Original Gravity) and Joshua Bracher (Second Story Liquor Bar, Sonata’s). Here is contributor Shannon Severson’s mouth-watering recap of a truly incredible evening (for more behind-the-scenes photos and videos, view my public Facebook album here or my Instagram photos).

This year, when gathering friends or family together for a beautiful meal feels more precious than ever, Driscoll Cuisine & Cocktail Concepts has created a business model that allows hosts to have an unforgettable, interactive and custom-tailored experience. Their goal is for “your home to become your new favorite restaurant.”

When Christina Barrueta invited me to a Driscoll-produced dinner at her home, I jumped at the chance, eager to see what the night held in store. I was not disappointed! It was an absolutely unforgettable evening celebrating the best in food, wine, cocktails and company.

We began with a classic Sidecar cocktail, a favorite of Christina’s husband, Ernesto. As we sipped, Mixologist Marissa Taylor explained the inspiration and history of our pre-dinner libation, including its precursor, the Brandy Crusta. A traditional Sidecar is made with cognac or brandy, an orange liqueur such as Triple Sec or Cointreau, and fresh lemon juice. For her version of this citrusy, Prohibition-era concoction, Taylor used award-winning Domaines Francis Abecassis ABK6 VSOP cognac and Royale Orange liqueur for a softer orange flavor. This smoothly refreshing sip was a hint at how our evening would end, as we were told to expect a fun 2020 version of the Sidecar as the night’s finale.

As we enjoyed our cocktail, Driscoll Cuisine & Cocktail Concepts owners Monique Hayward and Chef Brian Driscoll detailed the genesis of their unique private dining venture. Hayward, who works in high technology and is an entrepreneur and former restaurant owner, met Driscoll at Scottsdale’s Citizen Public House and was struck by Driscoll’s work ethic and detail-oriented service. Once he shared his dream of becoming a private chef, Hayward put together a business plan and the rest is history. Their goal is to redefine the private chef experience by bringing a personal touch to deliver experiences that create lifelong memories.

Chef Driscoll recounted the story of a recent anniversary dinner he orchestrated. The couple had a soft spot for Italy and not only did Driscoll create a meal that transported them to that region for an evening, he also procured a bottle of their favorite, hard-to-find wine from the area to complete the scene. It’s little touches like this that the dedicated team takes pride in.

Chef Driscoll told us how he loves being able to come to people’s homes and act as culinary tour guide. On this night, he introduced us to the star-studded lineup of chefs who would cook for us: Steven Fowler, Derek Upton, and Joshua Bracher. Also on hand were hospitality expert Molly Whitcomb and photographer Amy Aranyosi of Golden Light Photography to document the events of the evening.

Our six-course culinary odyssey began as we sat down to a beautifully set table. As the night progressed, the guests were introduced to each dish by its chef creator and to each wine by Chef Driscoll. The details of each dish and each wine made every bite and sip more special. We also enjoyed hearing about the background of each chef, the provenance of their ingredients and the techniques they employed to create each one.

First to be set before us was Guanciale Di Maiale by Chef Steven Fowler. A trio of visually striking black pasta ravioli were stuffed with guanciale (cured pork jowl), ricotta and herbs, placed atop a rich puddle of fennel butter and garnished with a sweet-spicy apple mostarda and crispy rendered guanciale. The delicately balanced flavors were enhanced by the wine that was poured: A 2018 Andronicus Phillip Titus Napa Valley Cabernet blend with aromas of cherry and dark fruit.

The second course was the creation of Chef Derek Upton, who shared his background as a professional musician, his emotional connection to cooking and his recent chef appearances on HBO and Netflix. At the center of the plate was Plantain-Crusted Halibut served with a three-onion consommé (chives, green onions and boiler onions) for an earthy sweetness and al denté snap peas in garlic and soy for an umami crunch. Chef Driscoll paired a 2018 Burgundian Chenevieres Chablis Premier Cru from France to bring out the flavors of the fish. Its mineral flavors were balanced with a hint of anise, lemon peel and salt –– the perfect brightness.

For our third course, Chef Joshua Bracher had spent the early part of the evening tending coals for traditional Japanese yakitori.

Our appetites were whetted for this dish because we could smell the incredible aromas before it arrived on the table. His Chicken and Shishito Yakitori was an elegant nod to Japanese street food, made from succulent chicken thighs marinated for three days before being grilled over hot coals. Nestled on a layer of stir-fried and pickled vegetables including cucumber, carrot and daikon radish, the skewers were finished with sinfully crispy bits of chicken skin and napped in a ginger emulsion sauce we just couldn’t get enough of. Accompanying this was an intense red by Domaine LaThulière made from 100% Gamay grapes, similar to Beaujolais, with raspberry, blackberry, plum and mineral flavors that Chef Driscoll advised was excellent with poultry. He was right!

Chef Fowler was ready to wow us again with his fourth course of Ragu D’Anatra, reflecting his love of Italian cuisine. The dish he made was new to me, Venetian duck ragu served with bigoli - a thick, rustic, hand-rolled pasta - and garnished with the light, fresh flavor of pea tendrils. Alongside was a perfectly cooked, crispy-skinned duck breast with Calabrian chile topped with even more crispy duck skin and set on a generous dollop of bourbon-orange foam. This beautiful dish combined the elegant and hand-hewn, and was perfectly paired with a red wine from - where else? Italy! The Regina Di Renieri IGT 2016 in our glasses was a Syrah grown in the rolling hills of Tuscany, with deep, layered, complex flavors of crushed berries and oyster shell minerality on the finish.

Already impressed with the fabulous food, wine and informative narration, every guest couldn’t stop themselves from being curious and eager for what would come next.

The fifth course was a 24-hour Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin from Chef Upton, served with a fried potato mash, roasted rapini, a rich and velvety demi-glace and a playful garnish of crisp potato skins. Chef Derek explained this was his ode to the meat and potatoes he loved growing up in his Portuguese-Italian home, but with an elevated twist on the classic. The beef tenderloin melted in our mouths as we sipped a 2019 Pierre Amadieu Gigondas with its big, bold tannins and dark fruit flavors enhancing that unctuous demi-glace.

Steven Fowler helping to plate Derek Upton’s sous-vide tenderloin

Chef Bracher was soon ready with kombu maki for course six, a centuries-old traditional Japanese dish. He presented his Pork Belly Kombu Maki beautifully in a seaweed packet tied with burdock root. The pork belly was slow-cooked in its packet for three hours to fork tenderness and served with burdock root in three clever presentations - creamy burdock-coconut puree, roasted burdock glazed with honey and sesame, and crispy burdock root garnish. A splay of enoki mushrooms crowned the dish, which was served in a most delicious pool of dashi braising liquid. We all asked for more of the braising liquid because we just couldn’t get enough of that umami flavor. Chef Driscoll poured a 2018 Paul’s Zinfandel from Sobon Estate Rezerve, whose tannic structure and hints of black pepper made the Asian flavors in the dish sing.

Last, but not least was our final course where all three chefs presented us with their own sweet bites. Chef Fowler gave us his playful “Twinkisue,” a Tiramisu made from Twinkies! Talk about elevating a common ingredient… he worked his magic with layers of whipping cream, Frangelico, mascarpone, and cocoa powder. Crunchy candied hazelnuts lent a satisfying crunch and the sweetness was perfectly cut by a raspberry gelée beneath the desert.

Chef Upton got daring with a Foie Gras Mousse-Stuffed Chile Chocolate Truffle atop dark cherry coulis, a balsamic cherry reduction that balanced the rich hazelnut, chocolate and spice flavors that spilled from the chocolate at first bite. Just a rich, indulgent delight!

Chef Bracher presented us with a beautiful Key Lime Cheesecake Brûlée, a goat cheese cheese cake layered with an oatmeal-raisin crust, lime curd and burnt sugar. Beneath it was a painstakingly pure grape concasse –– a reduction made from individually skinned and seeded Concord grapes, which were then wine-reduced for intense flavor. All three luxurious bites were enjoyed with a Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler Beerenauslese ice wine and its nuances of honey and candied fruit.

But there was still one more taste to be enjoyed! Mixologist Marissa Taylor kept her promise with her 2020 version of the Sidecar, cheekily dubbed “Stuck in the Car” as a nod to the quarantine life this past year. A combination of Brenne Single Malt, a French whisky with a citrus, blueberry and floral flavor profile, Royale Orange, fresh prickly pear syrup and a twist of lemon, its gorgeous pink hue was part of her approach to cocktails. Taylor is inspired by the colors and native flavors of the desert.

With that, our Driscoll Cuisine and Cocktail Concepts dining adventure drew to a close, but there’s no doubt we won’t soon forget this incredible meal and the hospitality we experienced. We all bonded throughout the evening –– with fellow dinner guests, the lovely serving crew, and the talented chefs who led us on this memorable culinary journey.

With all the tumult of the world outside our own walls, Driscoll presents an easy, elegant and even educational way to treat family and friends to the perfect night without ever having to leave home.

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A Dreamy Dinner with Driscoll Cuisine & Cocktail Concepts