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.
A weekly feature, I publish Rubee Tuesday as a photo recap of my recent drinking and dining adventures. You can read past Rubee Tuesdays HERE.
Tuesday, September 12:The Canal Club (The Scott Resort). Our second dinner for Arizona Restaurant Week was the Cuban-inspired restaurant at The Scott. Three highlights from our delicious visit - ropa vieja tostones, chipotle-mango WorldClass Ibérico pork ribs with shaved Brussels sprouts and elote puree, and black bean dip with tostones (off the regular menu - you can find the recipe in my Phoenix Cooks book).
Thursday, September 14: Che Ah Chi at Enchantment Resort (Sedona). We were invited for a overnight stay and a special ZD wine dinner at Enchantment, a gorgeous resort with stunning red rock views. Stay tuned for my recap in the Travel section.
Saturday, September 16:The Market Restaurant + Bar (Phoenix). We closed out Arizona Restaurant Week out with a long overdue visit to this Phoenix gem. Not only does Jennifer Russo’s restaurant consistently offer one of the BEST Restaurant Week menus in town, but we were also spoiled with a tasting of the entire menu!
Monday, September 18: Virtù Honest Craft (Old Town Scottsdale). It was a perfect way to kick off the week when the Italian Association of Arizona gathered us together for a beautiful night of wine and food. Click the photo below to watch my video reel.
Tuesday, September 19:Persian Room (North Scottsdale). When I was assigned a “Travel the World” feature for Experience Scottsdale, I knew right away that one of the restaurants I would feature is Persian Room. Click the link to read about my favorite dishes like lamb koobideh and kash o'bademjan.
Wednesday, September 20:Rose Garden (downtown Phoenix). Back for another fun cocktail class led by Trey, this time paired with Chef Kam’s delicious bites of Khmer beef jerky, papaya salad, and shrimp rolls.
I had promised my husband that I would squeeze in a visit to Franco’s Italian Caffe this week, so after our class, it was off to one of our favorite Italian restaurants!
Thursday, September 21:Over Easy (Glendale). The Glendale location at 67th Avenue and Deer Valley celebrated their Grand Opening, and we have a new favorite neighborhood breakfast spot! You can read all the details of their 12th location HERE.
Three of our favorites on our first visit: Mimosa flight, Banana Nut French Toast, and Chicken Fried Steak with Potatoes O’Brien.
That night, we were invited by Rancho de los Caballeros resort in Wickenburg for a special night at Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion with guest Chef Jacob Ellis to kick off of their Celebrity Chef Ranch Weekends dinner series. The series kicks off on Nov 11 with Chef Beau MacMillan. Get all the details, including dates for Chefs James Porter, Lisa Dahl, and Christopher Gross HERE.
Check back on the next Rubee Tuesday for visits to Nogales and Tucson, Mora, Federal Grill, JT Prime, Cottonwood, Herb Box, an Omni Tempe staycation, and a CALA Alliance Peruvian dinner.
A weekly feature, I publish Rubee Tuesday as a photo recap of my recent drinking and dining adventures. You can read past Rubee Tuesdays HERE.
Friday, August 25: Merkin Vineyards Tasting Room (Old Town Scottsdale). A Scottsdale City Lifestyle assignment on dishes using local honey brought me to one of my favorite chefs - Steve Zimmerman.
We were treated to an array of delicious dishes from this talented culinary star - some of which you can read about in the digital issue at this link (page 25), and others that were chalkboard specials.
And I was thrilled to be one of the first to try the new line of naturally-flavored Queen B sparkling meads (lavender, rose petal, jasmine, and bergamot)!
For dinner that night, we were off to Jade Palace (North Scottsdale). Locally-owned Tequila Corrido was the guest of honor at their first cocktail dinner featuring GM Roman Kettler’s excellent cocktails.
Sunday, August 27:Osteria Mia (North Phoenix). We had family visiting from Vegas, so we treated them to dinner at one of our neighborhood favorites.
Monday, August 28:Tia Carmen (JW Marriott Desert Ridge). The SOMM Journal gathered some of Arizona's finest wine and beverage professionals at Tia Carmen for a Gavi Masterclass. The first stop on the Gavi World Tour, it was a delicious deep dive into this Italian white varietal. Click on the photo below for a video, including the delicious spread that the chefs at Tia Carmen created.
Tuesday, August 29:The Rose Garden (Downtown Phoenix). We had a media sneak peek of the new Sur La Bar mixology class that officially launches September 20. For all the details, check out my video by clicking the photo of Trey Biven below:
Afterwards, we were off to celebrate Lauren Allen Culinary Events at their rebrand launch party at The Royal View House, a luxurious 8,600-square-foot home on a 1-acre estate. Coincidentally, I had been to this beautiful property before as it is the home of one of the co-founders of WorldClass, who now rents it out as a stunning venue.
Lauren Allen is known for her exceptional private dinners and events, and her launch party was another fabulous example. Congratulations Lauren!
Wednesday, August 30:Anhelo (downtown Phoenix). We’ve been back to Anhelo recently, but not for a full tasting menu experience. In fact, the last time we had made a reservation to do so, it was our anniversary last November and we had to cancel. We were blown away when we walked in and chef-owner Ivan had closed the restaurant just for us and created a special re-do Anniversary Dinner with this spectacular custom menu.
Needless to say, Anhelo, which has been a long-time favorite, now holds a special place in our hearts. Thank you to Ivan and his team for spoiling us with a once-in-a-lifetime experience!