Sunday Supper at Hearth '61
Executive Chef Charles Wiley, Food and Beverage Director Jim Gallen, Jason Raducha of Noble Bread, and Executive Sous Chef Christopher Brugman
One Sunday a month, Hearth '61 at at Mountain Shadows resort invites guests to their Sunday Supper Club. Each event welcomes diners to explore a four-course menu featuring a visiting chef, artisan supplier, winery or distillery collaborating with Chef Charles Wiley. On August 20, I was invited to this beautiful resort with its scenic views of Camelback Mountain for the third installment of their Supper Club series.
Our evening's special guest was Jason Raducha of Noble Bread. If you've ever commented on the wonderful bread found in some of the finest restaurants in Arizona (such as here and here), chances are it's Noble Bread. He's also the owner of Noble Eatery, a popular lunch spot serving delicious sandwiches, soups, and more. Chef Wiley filled us in on how he met Jason "almost ten years when some guy found his way to the back door of Hotel Valley Ho, where I was the chef, with some loaves of bread. Not very unusual, except that the bread was amazing. It was remarkable. It had this incredible texture and toasted aroma and flavor."
Jason Raducha and Chef Charles Wiley
We learned more about Noble Bread as Jason spoke next. "Everything we do is all organic. It's all US-grown wheat, nuts, and seeds, and we cultivate our own yeast." He also spoke about the special relationship with the property, including an exclusive bread served only at Hearth '61 using a blend of pumpernickel and wheat.
Food and Beverage Director Jim Gallen introduced each wine, beginning with our flutes of Mumm Napa Brut Rosé, a sparkling blend of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes. Our amuse bouche was a Noble Bread crouton topped with silky chicken liver mousse, cherry gastrique, and pistachio dust.
Paired with the rosé was Ora King salmon. The perfectly cooked filet was topped with a gremolata made with toasted Noble millet and decorated with a cap of crispy fish skin, served on a bed of sauteed greens, and partnered with sweet peppers and a roasted golden pepper beurre blanc.
Course two brought panzanella salad with Noble Bread croutons made with a blend of rye and whole grain wheat flour, tomatoes, mozzarella, and tomato vinaigrette. Château de Sancerre Blanc, a wine of 100% sauvignon blanc grapes from the Loire Valley, was poured, with its bright minerality and citrus notes a perfect complement to this summer dish.
Tournedo of beef a la périgourdine featured a tender, juicy filet perched on Yukon Gold potato puree and a buttered Noble Bread Super Seeded crouton studded with sunflower, sesame, and flax seeds and accompanied by braised fennel and a rich truffle sauce. Jim Gallen once again chose another perfect wine pairing, this time a Russian River Valley pinot noir - Belle Glos Dairyman.
We ended with a bread pudding made with Noble walnut and dried cranberry bread with black cherry ice cream paired with Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d'Asti. Gallen also gave us a handy tip: "If you want a really fine drink, put this in the freezer for about 35 minutes so it doesn't get too frozen, but be careful when it pops. On a summer day by the pool, it's the best drink ever." I can't wait to try that, thanks Jim!
Check my website calendar for upcoming Sunday Suppers, or https://www.mountainshadows.com/resort/events/sunday-supper-club. The cost is $74 per person and includes wine pairings. For reservations, call 480.624.5458.
Hearth '61 is located inside Mountain Shadows resort at 5445 E Lincoln Dr, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I received a media invitation and my dinner was complimentary.