RUBEE TUESDAY: Sel, Kembara, Morning Would, Krazy Cajun Seafood & Hibachi, Marcellino's Ristorante
I publish round-ups every Tuesday as a photo recap of my recent drinking and dining adventures. You can read past Rubee Tuesdays HERE.
Malpeque oyster stew at Sel in Old Town Scottsdale
Thursday, December 14: Sel (Old Town Scottsdale). Sel, a personal favorite (one that I featured in my Phoenix Cooks book), introduced a lunch menu this year for the first time.
Celebrating something special? Splurge on caviar and Miyazaki A5 Wagyu. A casual get-together with friends? Check out the Korean short rib buns, carnitas tacos, or Sel Burger. How about a foodie luncheon? I loved my Malpeque oyster stew with truffle-potato puree, smoked trout roe (lead photo above), duck confit poutine, and Old Bay tuile and miso-marinated fish and chips with Tokyo street fries and tomatillo remoulade.
It’s now my go-to for lunch in Old Town! The menu is available 11 am-2:30 pm Tuesday through Friday.
Afterwards, I stopped in to two spots for a margarita assignment I’m working on - Cien Agaves Tacos & Tequila and Prado at Omni at the Montelucia. Be on the look-out for my Experience Scottsdale feature.
Friday, December 14: Etta (Scottsdale Quarter). Our friend Matt Allen is now behind the stick in the dining room bar which opened up seating just a few weeks ago.
I first met Matt when he taught this cocktail class eight years ago, and I’ve been a huge fan of his cocktail skills ever since. Our evening started off with a Vieux Carre for my husband, and a fantastic Negroni for me with Campari, vermouth, rum, banana liqueur, and coffee beans.
To pair with Etta’s excellent cocktails, we dined on delicious House Foccacia with rosemary and black truffle-honey whipped ricotta; Bubbling Shrimp with ginger and cilantro; Wagyu Meatballs with Calabrian chile gremolata; and Cannoli Ice Cream Sandwiches.
Saturday, December 16: Kembara (JW Marriott Desert Ridge). I was so excited to introduce my parents to Chef Angelo Sosa and his new restaurant celebrating the flavors of Asia, especially since my mom is Vietnamese and we had lived in Thailand, where my brother was born.
Needless to say, they fell in love with both the restaurant and Chef Angelo himself (thank you Angelo for bringing mom into the kitchen - that was such a highlight for her!).
Don’t overlook the excellent craft cocktails named after books and Asian authors. Two favorites below: The Sympathizer (Akashi White Oak whisky, Genmaicha tea, toasted rice, and cherry wood smoke poured from a teapot) and The Joy Luck Club (a clarified punch with bourbon, rum, coconut milk, and yuzu).
Angelo chose some of his favorite dishes for us to try and what a feast! We all had different top three favorites (mine were the lamb spring rolls, chili crab, and rendang) but every dish was a winner. You can listen in to Angelo here describing some of the dishes.
Pictured below: Tuna Thai Jewel with ginger-coconut broth; chicken satay; noodles with pork belly and pea tendrils; fish head curry with lemongrass and coconut milk; chili crab with tamarind and sambal; green papaya salad; Wagyu beef rendang; Vietnamese Coffee Donuts and Thai tea shaved ice with pound cake and meringue; Vietnamese egg coffee and a Vietnamese Coffee Martini.
Sunday, December 17: Morning Would (Scottsdale). Course is one of my favorite restaurants, and I had been wanting to get to its “immature sibling” Morning Would for Sunday Brunch.
The party-sized Spritz XL set the tone for a fun morning with our friends Lisa, aka Cocktail Maven, and her husband Gregg.
Morning Would brunch menu in Scottsdale
Loved the clever menu!
And thank you to Nick for treating us to a round of Grasshoppers (part of the Course holiday menu).
Wednesday, December 20: Krazy Cajun Seafood & Hibachi (Phoenix). It’s alway fun to discover a new spot, especially when our friends Jason and Tawnya of CRUjiente Tacos introduce us to one of their favorites!
Thursday, December 21: Marcellino’s Ristorante (Old Town Scottsdale). I’m working on a Scottsdale Aperol Spritz round-up, so of course I had to include Marcellino’s, which celebrated 20 years in 2023. Bonus: Spending time chatting with owners Sima and Chef Marcellino Verzino.
Chef-owner Marcello Vezino of Marcellino’s Ristorante in Scottsdale
We didn’t have time to have a full dinner but shared antipasti, Marcellino’s signature Polenta e Funghi (recipe is in my Phoenix Cooks cookbook!), and a fabulous special of grilled WorldClass calamari.
And thank you to Marcellino and Sima for sending us home with this generous gift! You can see what I did with Marcellino’s delicious sausage ragu here.
Check back on next week’s Rubee Tuesday for visits to B&B Cocktail Lounge, Talavera at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, and The Italian Daughter.
Last week’s recap featured VAI Resort, Kembara, Global Ambassador, La Hacienda, Rosticceria, Arizona Biltmore, Bar Cena, and Campo Italian.