An Arizona-based food, beverage and travel writer since 2008, I launched this website in 2015 to document my culinary adventures, beverage escapades, gardening endeavors, and travel in the Phoenix area and beyond. Also find a comprehensive calendar of Phoenix-area food and drink-related events on my Events page.
I publish round-ups every Tuesday as a photo recap of my recent drinking and dining adventures. You can read past Rubee Tuesdays HERE.
The Vig Park West in Peoria
Tuesday, January 2: The Vig Park West (Peoria). We were in the area running errands, so it was the perfect chance to finally visit this location, which opened in May (read more here). As we’ve experienced at other Vigs, we loved the casual, comfortable vibe, friendly service, and executive chef Jeremy Pacheco’s menu that highlights local ingredients. Our impromptu dinner included the Brussels sprouts salad with roasted squash, candied cashews, and bacon for me, and the French Dip for Ernesto:
Wednesday, January 3:Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion (Phoenix). It’s no secret that I think that James Beard award-winning Chef Christopher Gross helms one of the best restaurants in the country, and our latest visit was just another confirmation. This time, we had reservations to enjoy the three-course Classics menu served on Tuesday and Wednesday nights (a ten-course tasting menu is offered Thursday through Saturday - see a video of our anniversary dinner here).
Be sure to enjoy some craft cocktails, which are just as impressive as the food and the wine list.
Cocktail menu at Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion
I love savory components in my cocktails, so started with Foie Gras (foie gras-washed rum, aged lavender syrup, and bitters) and ended with Cep Mushroom (Del Bac whiskey, vermut blanc, Amer Picon, mushrom broth).
I’ll be sharing a video with more from our visit, but for my three courses, I chose Christopher’s signature foie gras terrine, an incredible Two Wash Ranch guinea hen (I added optional shaved white truffles), and cognac baba, a dessert created for last year’s Louis XIII Remy Martin dinner.
Thursday, January 4: Phở Tan Thanh (Peoria).We spent the afternoon with my parents shopping at Lee Lee’s market and then an early dinner at the Vietnamese restaurant inside the store.
Bánh Xèo at Phở Tan Thanh in Peoria
Our spread included three of my favorite Vietnamese dishes: chả giò (Vietnamese spring rolls), bánh xèo (a crispy rice flour crepe stuffed with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts), and bánh hỏi thịt heo quay (BBQ pork served with rice noodle squares, lettuce, herbs, and rice paper to make your own rolls).
Friday, January 5: Casa Filipina (Phoenix). I finally carved out time to return to my favorite Filipino spot, and it was so nice to see Tony and Tess again! In 2015, I wrote a comprehensive blog post which you can read here.
We ordered what have become four favorites: Lumpiang Shanghai (Filipino egg rolls), binagoongan (eggplant and pork belly with fermented shrimp paste), tortang talong (eggplant omelette), and chicken inasal (marinated chicken grilled and served with pancit and rice).
And because it had been so long since my last visit, I bought more than the usual treats to take home.
Chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies, ube cheesecake, baklava, macapuno/coconut tart, ensaymada (sweet bun), sapin-sapin (layered coconut and sticky rice cake), pan de sal (rolls), adobong mani (garlic fried peanuts), and atchara (pickled papaya relish):
A weekly feature, Rubee Tuesday is a recap of my week's adventures in dining and drinking in the Phoenix area.
Mariposa Latin Grill in Sedona
Wednesday, May 23. My aunt and uncle from New Hampshire were visiting Arizona for the first time and we had a fun week of exploring Arizona, including a visit to the Desert Botanical Garden.
Temperatures at 105+ were a little too warm for me, my husband, and my dad, so we relaxed at Gertrude's, the on-site restaurant, where we enjoyed snacks and cocktails.
That night I joined photographer Jenelle Bonifield and Janet Gordon of The Gordon Group who introduced me to one of her clients, Kazzit, a brilliant new winery resource. We met at Christopher's and Crush Lounge, where I interviewed co-founder Babak Motamedi and Master Sommelier Laura Williamson. After learning about this application, I'm excited to share this indispensable tool for travelers and wine lovers. Look for an upcoming interview and feature in June.
Babak Motamedi, Chef Christopher Gross, Laura Williamson, MS
As described on the website: "Kazzit was founded by long time friends Babak Motamedi, a wine-lover and entrepreneur, and Peter Kasperski, the proprietor of Scottsdale’s Kazimierz World Wine Bar and owner of one of the largest collections of fine wine in the United States. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive source of information for all things wine, Kazzit was created to bridge the information gap between wine producers and consumers. Still in its first year of operation, Kazzit is helping select vineyards and wineries tell their stories to an international audience of consumers". You can find out more at http://kazzit.com
We chatted over cocktails and charcuterie as we learned the Kazzit story. My husband and I also stayed for dinner at Christopher's to take advantage of Restaurant Week with a three-course meal at the chef's counter, starting with foie gras torchon paired with a glass of Domaine Bru-Bache Jurancon.
On Thursday, May 25th, we began our Sedona road trip with breakfast at Rock Springs Cafe. They're known for their pies but my stack of dinner-plate-size pancakes was so good, I was too full to order a piece. Next time!
We then headed to Jerome to show our visitors this unique historic mining town founded in 1876. Located on Cleopatra Hill, its winding roads offers beautiful views of Arizona.
We spent a couple hours in Jerome wine tasting at the Echo Canyon Winery tasting room with my friend Cody, aka The Wine Monk, visiting galleries and shops such as Rickeldoris Candy & Popcorn Company, and ending with a stop at the Grand Jerome Hotel. I came home with wine purchases from Echo Canyon and Caduceus Cellars.
Next was the beautiful drive to Sedona with stops at photo op viewing sites. Once there, the men relaxed with beers at Oak Street Brewery & Grill while I spent the afternoon shopping with my mom and aunt at Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village.
To end our family day, I had planned dinner and sunset at one of my favorite Sedona restaurants - Mariposa Latin Grill - and it couldn't have been more perfect.
We were seated on the covered patio and greeted with complimentary appetizers from gracious chef and owner Lisa Dahl - flaky corn and queso empanadas with pineapple criolla, addictive Aguacate Frito (fried avocado) with pimentón aioli, and smoky grilled housemade chorizo (a must-order!) We rounded out our delicious feast with dishes such as grilled rack of lamb accompanied by a roasted yellow pepper coulis and cilantro-mint pesto, a juicy veal chop with zesty house chimichurri, decadent mashed potatoes scented with lemon and draped with lobster in a buttery garlic sauce, and sweet finales of key lime pie and chocolate and pistachio gelato.
As sunset approached, the restaurant and patio quickly filled with people gathered to celebrate the stunning view (video below). It was a glorious ending to a beautiful day in Arizona. I'll be back at the end of the month to join Mariposa as they celebrate two years with a festive party. You can register to join in on the festivities here.
We ended the night at Market Street Kitchen for, as usual, excellent cocktails by Garrit Guthrie and Chef Hunn's winning menu, including fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade, burrata with heirloom tomatoes, pasta alla vodka with lobster, and a fantastic special of fresh littleneck clams tossed with sauteed leeks and nduja.
On Saturday, May 27th, we celebrated my aunt's and uncle's (17th) and my parents' (53rd) anniversaries at one of Arizona's gems - Different Pointe of View. Sommelier Ian spoiled us with a round of bubbly and Chef Anthony sent out fabulous oysters and scallops that had mom and dad exclaiming they were the best they ever had. This special occasion also happened to fall on Arizona Restaurant Week. DPOV is one of the best deals in town where the special three-course prix-fixe includes full-size dishes from the regular menu with choices in red.
Seared scallop on polenta cake topped with herb-artichoke tapenade
A memorable dinner and gorgeous sunset, what a grand finale to the weekend! (video below):
For last week's Rubee Tuesday recap of visits to Desert Mountain Club for the Arizona Foothills Magazine Best of Valley Party, Cafe ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho, Arrowhead Grill, and The Mix Up Bar and T. Cook's at Royal Palms Resort, see photos at this link
To browse past Rubee Tuesday recaps, visit this link.
A recently-launched feature, Rubee Tuesday is a recap of my week's adventures in dining and drinking in and around Phoenix.
Chef Bob Tam's Momo Ramen Burger at Bitter and Twisted
Tuesday, June 28. I attended a Modern Luxury Scottsdale Magazine event to celebrate their Best of the City 2016 issue at the Omni Resort at the Montelucia, a beautiful venue and one of our favorite resorts. We were greeted with cocktails and guests feasted on delicious food from the team of Executive Chef Michael Cairns and Executive Sous Chef Marcos Seville, such as roasted New York strip loin with creamy cauliflower puree and crab cakes with mangio aioli. Afterwards, we joined writer friend Teresa Traverse and Jacob and Natalie, Homeboys Hot Sauce Best of the City winners, for a cocktail at Prado. Thanks for the excellent margarita Victor!
Wednesday, June 29. It's always a treat to get together with Melissa Larsen, editor of Arizona Foothills Magazine. Not only was I looking forward to a double date with her and her husband, but it would be their first visit to one of my top favorites - Bitter and Twisted. We made it for the last days of the June-only Daring Dining Menu, and Chef Bob Tam sent out a few surprises he's been working on. Wow!! Every time I come here I'm reminded of what a creative genius he is (homemade bagaoong - yes!). And, as always, so happy they still had a couple of High Spirited Cupcakes left.
"Grits & Eggs" with Chinese sausage, garlic chives, bean sprouts, soy, Homeboy's Hot Sauce, sesame shallot oil, homemade bagoong
Gin Soaked Summer" with Plymouth Gin velvet cake, blueberries, limoncello French buttercream
Thursday, July 30. I couldn't be more thrilled for my wonderful friend Kristy, co-founder of Where Should We Eat, as I celebrated her baby shower with friends and family at Drexyl. Congratulations to Kristy, Mike, and Baby W!
Friday, July 1. If you're active in the beverage industry, you've probably met my gregarious and sweet friend Kelli, who is currently the Disaronno Brand Ambassador West. That meant that as we caught up over Kir Violettes, I received beverage gifts (and education!) during our lunch at Christopher's - another favorite that I need to get to more often. Thank you Kelli!
Saturday, June 3. We joined our dear friends and most frequent dining partners, Bill and Lill of AZ Bitters Lab, at one of our favorite steakhouses - Phoenix' iconic Durant's (though I'm overdue to write a feature, here's a past Happy Hour article I wrote for AZ Wine Lifestyle). A special bonus was having Mari Howe join us for a cocktail before she moves to Hawaii next week (and an order of her beautiful handmade jewelry).
Of course, we made sure to bring our Free Dessert for Life chips!
Check back next week when I visit Proof at the Four Seasons for my Spanish burger launch, Arrowhead Grill, explore the Scottsdale Artwalk with visits to Sel, 5th and Wine, Citizen Public House, and head to DeSoto Market for a special event.
