RUBEE TUESDAY: Renata's Hearth, Kentucky Derby at Mowry & Cotton, Wrigley Mansion Podcast, Prime
A weekly Tuesday feature, I publish Rubee Tuesday as a photo recap of my recent drinking and dining adventures. You can read past Rubee Tuesdays HERE.
The Arizona Biltmore
Friday, May 5: Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix. At the Phoenix Open back in February, I ran into talented sous-chef Leo Kuang of Renata’s Hearth at the Arizona Biltmore, and had been trying to carve out time in my crazy schedule to see him ever since.
Serendipitously, we happened to book our reservation on Cinco de Mayo and enjoyed some Patron cocktails and chef bites in the courtyard before dinner.
We then headed to the dining room. Chef Leo and team guided us in our choices - what a spectacular meal! My last visit was over a year ago, and we had stayed away far too long. Our round of starters included tender-smoky WorldClass Octopus a la Veracruz with patatas bravas and Spanish chorizo.
And, of course, if I see luxurious WorldClass Cinco Jotas jamón Ibérico de bellota on a menu, I have to order it.
More winners: Guacamole; Basque Sandwich Bites with jamón Ibérico, Manchego cheese, and truffle plus polenta fries (we order this every time); yellowtail ceviche with avocado mousse, charred tomatillo broth, cucumber, and crispy shallots; and stonefruit salad with winter greens, smoked requesón cheese, and honey vinaigrette made with WorldClass Argentine honey.
Somehow we saved room for entrees and sides, all of which are now also on my must-order list like roasted WorldClass seabass with mole verde and Peruvian rice.
And smoked Wagyu brisket with warm tortillas and rojo, verde, and cashew salsas; Caledonian prawn & scallop rossejat; patatas a la Huancaina (fingerling potatoes with aji amarillo and queso fresco); and warm fava beans with serrano-oregano butter and hen-of-the-wood mushrooms.
We packed up leftovers to-go because we had to squeeze in these decadent desserts (coconut tres leches cake with Bavarian cream, coconut Anglaise, and Chocotorta with caramel cream, champurrado sauce, and whiskey vanilla ice cream) and a Mezcal Carreño flight.
You can also watch our memorable night with our fab server Dani and Chef Leo in my video Reel HERE.
Saturday, May 6: Mowry & Cotton at The Phoenician resort for a Kentucky Derby Porch Party. We were invited to join the festivities at one of my favorite resorts and we are now going to make it a yearly tradition! Mowry & Cotton was a beautiful setting to sit indoors, or on the patio, to enjoy delicious food and excellent cocktails while watching the Derby. And it was so nice to run into Krista (aka @eatlovetravelplay).
You can also see my video Reel HERE.
And because we didn’t want the fun times to end, we headed upstairs with Krista and her husband Bill for a couple of rounds of cocktails at the Thirsty Camel bar.
Monday, May 8: Wrigley Mansion, Phoenix. Stay tuned for another A Taste of AZ podcast! This time I joined hosts Luke and Eric as we sat down with Executive Chef David Brito and Wine Director Jason Caballero of Wrigley Mansion.
And since it’s always a good time at The Wrigley, after the podcast, Jason took us on a tour of the wine cellar and we indulged in Montenegro shots, Fernet, and…a champagne gun.
Tuesday, May 9: Prime at Gila River Resorts & Casinos at Wild Horse Pass. As you’ve seen in past Rubee Tuesdays, we’re huge fans of the wine dinner series at Prime and have yet to miss one. On May 9, they invited guests to explore South America as the last in the spring series (but they’ll be back in the fall!).
Majdi Kayyali. Corporate Vice President of F&B for Gila River Resorts & Casinos, and Advanced Sommelier Troy Tranzow of Prime
We live about an hour away from the resort, so thank you to the team for hosting us for an overnight stay in one of their beautiful suites!
Linda welcoming us with Camille’s Maracuya con Mead with passionfruit and honey
As always, Prime Executive Chef Michael Dei Maggi had fun with the themed region, explaining his inspiration before serving each delicious dish.
And if you’re showcasing South America, it’s no surprise that WorldClass ingredients were on the menu - this night, it was their octopus, sea bass, Argentine beef ribeye and tenderloin, and dulce de leche (it was also a nice surprise to see WorldClass co-founder John Bergman, who joined his team for his first experience at one of Prime’s wine dinners).
Check out this incredible line-up curated by Advanced Sommelier Troy Tranzow, including the bonus addition of Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades rosé champagne!
And as always, we had to have a nightap at the bar with rockstar cocktail expert Camille, who created the welcome non-alcoholic refresher Maracuya con Mead and the Pisco cocktails for the dessert pairing. And we found out Camille has more hidden talents - such as the amazing boozy chocolates we were surprised with.
Check back on my next Rubee Tuesday for visits to Course, a Visit Phoenix tourism bureau Happy Hour, STK Scottsdale, Arboleda, Pa’La Downtown, The Cave at Quartz, and Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken.