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.
Thursday, May 25: JW Marriott Desert Ridge. We had family visiting from Texas and one of our traditions (see last year) has been to spend a day poolside in a Canyon Creek Lazy River Day Suite. These luxurious cabanas offer a private half bathroom, air conditioning, misting system, indoor and outdoor seating, and more, and the kids love being steps from the lazy river (this year’s video HERE).
And the JW Marriott Desert Ridge pool amenities are actually going to get bigger and better with a current expansion into AquaRidge WaterPark. This $18 million pool transformation will include an enhanced lazy river, Havasu Playground with three new water slides, and an exclusive adults-only Sky Island. Click the photo below to get all the details.
Saturday, May 27: The Mexicano (North Scottsdale). This is one of our favorite spots with one of our favorite chefs - Fidencio Alatriste - and I knew the kids would love the fun menu and colorful vibe.
Chef Fidencio Alatriste of the Mexicano
And good timing! Our visit happened to be three days after the launch of new cocktails and menu items, and you’ll want to add these to your new favorites list:
Amor Amago with tequila repo, lime, agave, and chocolate bitters; Summer Fling Margarita with strawberry and kiwi
Ahi tacos with chipotle mayo and serrano ponzu
Watermelon ensalada fresca
Chicken tinga empanadas
The BEST chicharrones (my Mexican husband said he hasn't had chicharrones this good since he was a kid)
Conchas stuffed with vanilla cream, flan with roasted pineapple and vanilla whipped cream, pineapple empanadas with caramel sauce, and a churro cart with chocolate, caramel, and tres leches dipping sauces. Gracias, Fidencio!
Thursday. June 1: D&Y Chinese (Glendale). A family dinner at our favorite neighborhood Chinese spot included trying three new-to-us dishes from the menu - roast duck carved Peking style with steamed buns, beef chow fun, and honey walnut shrimp.
Friday, June 2: Francine (Scottsdale Fashion Square). Though we’ve been long-time fans of Francine and have been many times, our last visit was more than a year ago so we were long overdue. When we were invited to check out the spring menu, I was excited to meet new Executive Chef Connor Harmon and try his dishes. What a talent! We loved both the savory dishes, and his dessert creations. Here’s our fabulous feast (and you can watch a video Reel HERE):
Grilled WorldClass Portuguese octopus with piperade, Niçoise olives and fennel.
Grilled WorldClass octopus at Francine
Pure Bliss (gin, Chartreuse, Lillet, Chareau) and vodka Martini with blue cheese-stuffed olives; frito mixto; pea soup en croute with crab; spinach risotto with pistachios and lobster add-on (now my favorite risotto in town!); chicken Milanese; Domaine Georges Lignier & Fils Clos des Ormes Premier Cru.
Herb-crusted WorldClass Patagonian lamb chops with baby vegetable sauté and rosemary olive oil, paired with 2017 Domaine Georges Lignier & Fils Clos des Ormes Premier Cru Burgundy.
WorldClass lamb chops at Francine
Chocolate pot de crème with hazelnut crumble and Grand Marnier chantilly; Espresso Martini; lemon curd tart with torched meringue; Scholar’s Folly (Whistlepig 10-year rye, Averna, Manzanilla sherry).
Olive oil cake with local Steadfast Farm honey, salted caramel sauce, lemon and honey mascarpone, olive oil powder and honeycomb tuile.
Check back on my next Rubee Tuesday for visits to Trevor’s for a Tasting Panel magazine feature, Chilte at The Egyptian Motor Lodge, a Mother Road Beer Dinner at Arizona Biltmore, Course for a SOMM Journal interview, Rice Paper, and Il Capo Pizzeria.
A semi-weekly feature, Rubee Tuesday is a recap of my week's adventures in dining and drinking in the Phoenix area.
Chef Matthew Eck's yellowfin tuna with mango, avocado, yuzu, Fresno chile, and microgreens on forbidden black rice cracker at Fifth Floor Pop-Ups
Wednesday, August 23: Two of my favorite chefs joined forces at Cartwright's Modern Cuisine for a "Food Without Borders" collaboration dinner. Cartwright's chef/owner Brett Vibber invited Chef Fidencio Alatriste of Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess for a special dinner showcasing his Mexican roots. Look for a detailed recap, but here's a sneak peek, including a fabulous Niman Ranch NY strip with cilantro gorditas, mole poblano and pipian verde.
Thursday, August 24:Chef Matthew Eck, sous chef at The Mission Kierland, invited a group of media and fellow food-lovers to the launch of his new concept, Fifth Floor Pop-Ups. We gathered at sunset on the the Fifth Floor Skyview Lounge at The View at Cascade and were greeted with Arizona Sunset cocktails before diving into a wonderful dinner featuring Chula Seafood and Twisted Infusions Farm. This is just the type of spirit and passion that I feel makes our city such a great food mecca. Look for a full recap here on the website next week and follow along 5th_floor_pop_ups for future events.
Friday, August 25: We were back at Fabio on Fire, which I first visited last week (see that here). Once again, Fabio wowed us with his food and I think his rosemary foccacia with burrata, arugula, pacchino tomatoes, and olives might be my new favorite dish. A round of puffy, chewy, charred pizza dough was brushed with fragrant olive oil and rosemary and then topped with peppery argula and creamy burrata imported from Italy. I also loved the porcini mushroom ravioli special, so be sure to order that too if it's on the menu!
Monday, August 28: Would I like to spend my Monday night sampling cocktails at EVO (a favorite Old Town spot I've mentioned before). Why, of course! Six of us gathered at the bar for a media tasting as Jake Russell introduced us to his cocktail creations, along with Chef Steven Fowler's fantastic polpettini with grana padano and roasted mushroom pizzas.
La Paz
La Paz: As Jake shared with us, this is his version of a margarita. He told us how he tried 30 tequilas before deciding to barrel age one himself to get the right amount of oak. For this, he ages Corazón tequila and shakes it with Aperol and lime before finishing with an aromatic elderflower foam (nitrous oxide-whipped elderflower cordial, egg white, and lemon juice).
Limoncello Rosa. Jake starts with his housemade limoncello, fresh lemon juice, and gin. But there is also "pomegranate syrup on the bottom and soda water on top, so you want to make sure you give that drink a good swirl to mix it. It tastes light and refreshing but is also something you can drink dangerously." My kind of of drink.
Barrel Roll: This barrel-aged cocktail was started in February and inspired by a barrel-aged Manhattan. The addition of a Campari sphere makes this cocktail uniquely evolve - "it starts as a Manhattan, essentially, but as the Campari melts, it transforms into a Boulevardier."
Calling for Clarification: I had my first, and only (until now), clarified milk punch at Bitter and Twisted last year, so was impressed to see Jake serving this labor-intensive cocktail. Yes, milk is an ingredient but it undergoes a process where it becomes clarified or clear. Fascinating, right? You can read more about this centuries-old libation technique here. At EVO, Jake uses three kinds of rum - white, spiced, and overproof.
Bronze Boar: We finished our cocktail adventure with this spirit-forward cocktail made by mixing up Pig's Nose blended scotch with Luxardo Sangue Morlacco and a dash of Angostura bitters before pouring into an absinthe-rinsed glass.
EVO serves an Italian-inspired menu with a popular happy hour (4-7 pm). Night owls like me and industry pros love the late-night hours with Chef Fowler's full menu served until 1:30 am. EVO is located at 4175 N Goldwater Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. Menu: evoscottsdale.com
On the way home, my husband had to look at a property which happened to be right next door to Avanti, one of Phoenix' iconic Italian restaurants (it has been open for 43 years). He suddenly had a craving for carbonara, so in we went. I started with a Negroni, of course. My plan was for a light second dinner of carpaccio, but when I noticed the $27.95 lobster special, how could I say no? This summer special is a delicious bargain - a perfectly-cooked one-pound lobster cut in half and claws cracked for easy access, with soup or salad, garlic bread, pasta, and sauteed vegetables. Take advantage of this deal through the end of September. We also had great service - thank you Jerry!
