RUBEE TUESDAY: Judging the Devour Culinary Classic, We-Somm Wine Dinner, Caesars Republic with Giada de Laurentiis, Tarbell’s Tavern, MercBar, The Americano, Il Bosco, Four Seasons Scottsdale
Chef Giada de Laurentiis at Caesars Republic ground-breaking
A semi-regular feature, I publish Rubee Tuesday on Tuesdays as a photo recap of my recent drinking and dining adventures in the Phoenix area.
Saturday, February 22: Devour Phoenix’s Culinary Classic at Desert Botanical Garden. This is always one of my favorite events (see a past recap here), and this year I was invited to be one of the judges. Though it was an unusual rainy day, it didn’t deter the crowds or the talented chefs.
L'Auberge de Sedona: Pastry Chef Morgan Gurney’s parfait with beet and berry coulis filling.
Our judging panel included former restaurant critic Howard Seftel, and visiting writers Astrid Taran (New York), Jillian Dara (Boston), and Carey Sweet (San Francisco). With so many creative bites, it was a tough - but delicious! - job. For the official results for both days of the festival (editor Craig Outhier of PHOENIX Magazine was the Phoenix judge on Sunday), visit this link: www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/the-judges-verdict-of-every-dish-at-devour-culinary-classic-2020
Sunday, February 23: We-Somm pop-up wine dinner at The House Brasserie. We were invited to attend the inaugural pop-up hosted by the talented team of Advanced Sommelier Wesam Kawa (Cafe Monarch) and Chef Abel Ley for a We-Somm multi-course dinner paired with fine wines from around the world.
We were greeted with a 2006 Salus chardonnay (a label that donates a portion of their sales to treating people with Alzheimer’s) as we mingled on the patio with the 40 people who had made their reservations. It was especially nice to see Wesam’s wife Sarah, who I know from cocktail competitions, and to meet Chef Abel’s wife Jennifer.
Wesam shared how We-Somm “began as a goal, a vision, a dream.” “I imagined you being in these seats long ago when I started this journey - people who love good food, good wine, and good hospitality - and it means the absolute world to us that you thought enough of tonight to be here.”
Wesam Kawa and photographer and sommelier Everardo Keeme
“You have no idea what this means to us,” agreed Chef Abel. It was an amazing experience with stellar pairings and fantastic dishes. I was told out they sold out so quickly that they had to add more seats. I can’t wait util the next one! To learn about future dinners, visit We-Somm at this link.
Wednesday, February 26: Groundbreaking for Caesars Republic - Caesars’ first non-gaming U.S. hotel is coming to Scottsdale at Fashion Square Mall and we celebrated at a groundbreaking ceremony with special guest celebrity chef and TV personality Giada De Laurentiis, who will be opening two new restaurants, Luna by Giada and Pronto by Giada, in the hotel.
The 11-story hotel will offer 265-rooms and dining options including Giada’s restaurants and a poolside lounge. Learn more about the plans for Caesars Republic Scottsdale at this link.
Afterwards, we stopped in at a favorite - Tarbell’s Tavern - to snack on chips and dip, order a bottle of wine, and share a lobster roll and patty melt (with great chips and fries by our friend Flip at Frites Street, who supplies many of the Valley’s finest restaurants).
And our final stop was MercBar. At an earlier media VIP party we attended, owner Rick Phillips had mentioned he has spent years perfecting his East Coast-style pastrami and smoked salmon. When he said he had a batch ready, we made a beeline. Wow! the pastrami was tender and juicy with a delicious spiced crust, while the smoked salmon was incredibly silky and buttery. While they’re not on the MercBar menu, hopefully Phoenicians will soon be able to order them for pick-up through an online store called Little Pickle.
And of course, the drinks with cocktail pro Gavin Pena at the helm are perfect. Look for more details when I catch up on the Rubee Tuesday recap of our media visit.
Thursday, February 27: The Americano - As I mentioned here, I am in love with this new modern Italian restaurant from the Pomo Restaurant Group. You can read all about it at this link. We stopped in shortly after it opened (which I will share on another Rubee Tuesday catch-up), and I joined fellow media pros last week for another visit. Our group of six were greeted with prosecco by general manager Paride Guerra and head sommelier Nick Padua on the patio.
We were treated to passed hors d'oeuvres including eggplant with whipped ricotta and herb crumble, tuna tartare on squid ink lavash, and venison meatballs with celeriac puree and agridolce, and signature drinks - the best-selling Versace On The Floor (chile-infused vodka with coconut and white balsamic, and basil ol foam) and Vespers topped with a show-stopper grapefruit smoke bubble.
Here assistant GM shows the cocktail in action. My Instagram DMs blew up when I posted this video!
Then it was time for dinner.
We were led to the Milano Room, one of two private dining rooms, where we were regaled with an incredible Italian feast expertly paired with wine chosen by somm Nick:
Catalana di Pesce with Rocky Point Shrimp, King Crab, Fennel, Celery, and Tomato Herb Vinaigrette
Octopus Fritto in a Squink Ink Tempura Batter with Pickled Fennel, Fennel Purée, and Salsa Peperoncino
Spaghetti Chitarra Verde with Pesto, Castelvetrano Olive, Pea Tendril, and Herb Crumble
Agnolotti del Plin with Spinach, Taleggio, Ricotta, Pepita, and Calabrian Chile
Wagyu 7x Farm Sirloin with Potato Puree and Grilled Broccolini
Stracciatella Pannacotta Four Textures of Beets, Stracciatella Gelato, Toasted Pistachios
And I may have been spoiled by a special off-menu after-dinner drink - a smoked mezcal Negroni. Thank you Christopher!
Another spectacular evening at The Americano, and we already have plans to return with four of our friends. Kudos to chefs Matt Taylor and CJ Kahley!
Friday, February 28: Il Bosco - I first discovered Il Bosco when I was researching this story on Experience Scottsdale about Scottsdale’s best pizzas, and it was the perfect spot to meet my friend Rebecca, a producer on the Emmy-winning PBS show Plate & Pour, for an al fresco dinner on the cozy patio.
I started with an Aperol Spritz, and then shared my favorite sausage-stuffed peppadew peppers and a trio of pizzas:
Joanna with spicy sausage and pepperoni
Mia with pancetta and a soft-cooked egg
Bella with porcini and cremini mushrooms and scamorza cheese
Thanks to owner Jeff for taking time to sit down and chat with us. What a perfect way to spend a Friday afternoon!
Saturday, February 29: Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale - If you are going to have an extra day in February, I can’t think of a better place to enjoy Leap Day than at one of my favorite properties.
Happy guests gathered to experience #FSTAkeYourTime with a special pop-up sunset lounge featuring Leap Through Time cocktails and tasty bites such as Moroccan-spiced cauliflower, shrimp ceviche and Kalbi beef kabobs.
And since we were just steps away from Proof Canteen, we ended our night with well-crafted cocktails, addictive pretzel knots, and, for me, two new favorites - reuben poutine (house-cut fries topped with smoked pastrami, stout gravy, AZ cheese curds, and turmeric sauerkraut) and a slice of phenomenal salted caramel and pretzel chocolate cake.
I’ll be catching up on past recaps, and stay tuned for the next installment featuring FLINT by Baltaire, a Tarbell’s Wine Store Royal Tokaji wine dinner, Asado Hour at Andaz Resort, Chula Seafood, and Straight Up Whiskey Bar.