Scottsdale Blog - Things to do in Scottsdale, Arizona » Dining

Celebrate Culinary Creations with Crave Arizona

Kelly Tope — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:06:40 +0000

Savor Scottsdale’s ‘08 smash hit foodie event, Eats3, is “back for seconds” with a fresh name and even bigger appetite to please. Renamed Crave Arizona, the culinary event treats the world’s food and wine community to an expanded statewide celebration of food, wine & spirits.

Activities at the 2009 Crave Arizona event include the “Taste of Art” ArtWalk (a special version of the normal Thursday evening Scottsdale ArtWalk), “Taste of Art” Gallery Dinners, National Bartender Competition & Crave Arizona Kick-Off Party, Library Wine Tasting Series, BBQs & Bubbles and the The Arizona Grand Tasting . The days are filled with food and wine tastings, seminars, discussions, appearances by famous chefs and more. Click here for a full event schedule.

Join us for the 2nd Annual Crave Arizona Food & Wine Festival held on the Bridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront and throughout downtown Scottsdale. Visit www.CraveArizona.com for more information and to purchase tickets to this exciting culinary event!

Scottsdale Dining Discovery Guide

Josh Kenzer — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:44:08 +0000

“As you will see over the next few pages, Scottsdale is no longer the small-time Western town immortalized in thousands of kitschy postcards and 1960s-era travelogues. In fact, it’s grown into a bustling metropolis. So this guide is perfect for when you want to get out of your house (or hotel room), but still stay close to home.”

This is an excerpt from our Scottsdale Dining Discovery Guide. If you’re into culinary delights, this guide is a must have. Download a PDF of it now (7MB download).

SWB, a Southwest Bistro Introduces “Wine Me Dine Me”

Josh Kenzer — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:40:19 +0000

For those wanting to learn more about the wonderful flavors of the Southwest, “Wine Me Dine Me” in SWB, a southwest bistro, is an opportunity to have an up close and personal experience with Chef Juan Solorio and his culinary staff as they take guests on a journey deep into the heart of fresh, authentic Southwestern flavors. Guests at the show kitchen’s “Chef’s Counter” will enjoy his nightly four-course specialty menu complete with tequila and wine pairings, as wood-fired ovens smile out over his bustling kitchen. Some examples of what Chef might serve are: Beef Ceviche with Jicama, Cucumber and Avocado; Heirloom Tomato and Watercress Salad with a Maple-Citrus Vinaigrette; Oven-Roasted Sea Bass with Hominy, Avocado, Tomato and Cilantro Oil; topped off with Cinnamon Rice Pudding with Jalapeño Syrup.

“Wine Me Dine Me” is available Tuesday through Saturday evenings from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Reservations are recommended and can be make by calling SWB at 480-444-1234.

Experience the Scottsdale Culinary Festival

Josh Kenzer — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:14:05 +0000

From April 14-19, Scottsdale will host six food and wine-filled days to satisfy even the most sophisticated palate. Festival events will feature food, drink and music from the Valley’s most notable culinary personalities, and cooking demos from nationally renowed chefs.

For a complete schedule of activities, check out the events schedule on ScottsdaleCulinaryFestival.org.

Montelucia’s Poolside Menu: Around the World in a Dozen Fries

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:28:14 +0000

The Kasbah Bar at InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa is bringing a twist to poolside dining with a menu that boasts more than a dozen different types of French fries from around the world. Guests can dip themselves into the partial-infinity pool while dipping their New Zealand Chippies into the homemade tartar sauce. The unsalted variety with a delectable dark chocolate fondue are a real treat, too, and there’s something to be said for the Japanese fries with Teriyaki wasabi sauce. Did we mention the Moroccan fries with cilantro babaganoush? A timeless guilty pleasure just got a whole lot better! For more information, visit www.icmontelucia.com.

International Taste Comes to Scottsdale With Three New Dining Hotspots

Katarina Kovacevic — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:50:59 +0000

Flavors from across the globe have set their sights on Scottsdale, bringing two new restaurants to the city and one more on the horizon.

Modern Mexican fare mixes with a casual-chic setting at Blanco Tacos + Tequila where the house specialty beef enchiladas will have you scraping your plate. Other updated classics like tacos and queso crisps are reinterpreted with fresh and flavorful ingredients, and the bar offers selections of wine, beer and nearly 30 premium tequilas. For more information, visit www.foxrc.net.

Moving a bit further south on the world dining map, Fogo de Chão brings a taste of southern Brazil to Scottsdale – steakhouse style. The traditional churrascaria features authentic gaucho chefs who roast seasoned meats over an open flame in addition to a gourmet salad bar boasting more than 30 cheeses and vegetables. It’s also home to an award-winning wine list and authentic Brazilian drinks.

Samurai Cowboy will mix the bustling cosmopolitan lifestyle of Tokyo with the conventional cooking of rural Japan – all in downtown Scottsdale! Following Japanese tradition, the restaurant will include a robata grill for cooking seafood and meat in addition to a custom sushi bar where guests can watch chefs create the meals. The restaurant is scheduled to open in mid 2009.

Scottsdale’s Online Dining Guide

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:48:26 +0000

An interactive guide to fine dining in Scottsdale, Arizona

Looking for a great place to eat while in Scottsdale? Look no further than our online dining guide. Read about the culinary superstars that make Scottsdale sizzle. Find out about our native cuisine, western eats and local haunts. If your up for nightlife after dinner, flip to the nightlife guide to find the hottest places to go and stay. We’ve even included a map to help you find your way around town.

Eats3 Photos from Saturday’s BBQ and Bubbles Finale

Josh Kenzer — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:32:43 +0000

Festive Season Menus, Cocktails Provide Holiday Cheer

Josh Kenzer — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:43:57 +0000

Seasonal food and drinks full of cheer are synonymous with the holiday season as everyone rushes between holiday parties and tries their hardest to not indulge in the office treats. Well save those extra calories for a holiday getaway to Scottsdale where you can relax and de-stress during the busy holidays and celebrate with a variety of tantalizing dishes and cocktails.

Lon’s at The Hermosa is offering the perfect alternative to a home-cooked meal during the holidays. Leave the work to the resort’s culinary team and bring your family to enjoy a scrumptious Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner featuring lobster bisque, roasted turkey, pecan wood-grilled lamb loin and caramel pecan pie. Ring in the New Year with selections of warm goat cheese and organic spinach salad, open shrimp ravioli, pan roasted pork and tequila lime tart dessert. And don’t forget to save room for a festive cocktail like the home-made Egg Nog Martini, Espresso Pumpkin Pie Martini and Spiced Apple Carmeltini. For more information, visit www.lons.com.

Hanukkah may only be eight nights, but Chef Eddie Matney of Eddie’s House in downtown Scottsdale celebrates Jewish cuisine all season by mixing modern flavors with traditional treats. Through the holidays, Matney will offer daily specials such as barbeque cantaloupe brisket, potato pancakes with poblano applesauce, or coconut-pistachio macaroons. Matney’s Jewish specials delight with modern, Mediterranean flavors woven into traditional dishes. Think matzah ball soup with cinnamon broth. It’s comfort food with a kick. For more information, visit www.eddieshouseaz.com.

And the perfect way to end any meal is of course with a fabulous dessert so Executive Chef Justin Beckett at CANAL at SouthBridge is offering a variety of tantalizing seasonal desserts to do just that. Indulge in the Linzer Lingonberry Tart with banana curd or savor the Chocolate Pumpkin Charlotte with Pepitas brittle. And you’re sure to love the Southern Pecan Cashew Pie with Cider semi freddo, Black Currant Croissant Pudding with Treakle toffee anglaise, and Egg Nog Cheesecake with Gingersnap crumb crust and cranberry coulis. For more information, visit www.canalaz.com

More Delicious Dining Options Hit Scottsdale Culinary Scene this Year

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:33:04 +0000

Scottsdale’s dining menu continues to evolve as the following eateries are set to open their doors this season – bringing a new flavor to Scottsdale’s already sizzling culinary offerings.

A new venture by local culinary master Aaron May, chef and owner of Sol y Sombra, is a contemporary Italian osteria that will offer all-day dining seven days a week. Autostrada, set to open in November 2008, will serve updated simple Italian fare in a family friendly, sleek and casual setting. The restaurant will feature a full bar with refreshing Italian cocktails in addition to a chosen wine list of Italian varietals. Guests will enjoy antipasti, panini, primi secondi and contorni including fried baby artichokes with mint pesto and lemon, broccoli rabe with toasted garlic and pine nuts, and more. For more information, visit www.eatatautostrada.com.

The Mission will focus on Latin flavor and is the vision of partners Terry Ellisor and Chef Matt Carter of Zinc Bistro in Scottsdale along with Brian Raab of the Merc Bar in Phoenix. Dishes will include guacamole prepared tableside and Carter’s longtime “secret passion” recipe – slow roasted pork. The interior look of the restaurant, created by local designer Charlie Morrow, will include palm wood floors, a marble bar, faux rainwater walls, ornate chandeliers and a wall of salt blocks.

A new high-end, high-energy restaurant, J&G Steakhouse will open at The Phoenician in December 2008 and feature premium cuts of meat and fish. The restaurant is a member of Jean-Georges’ Culinary Concepts team and is the first of his restaurants in Arizona. It will incorporate an individually designed dinner menu with a distinctive selection of appetizers and side dishes as well as sauces and condiments from around the world. Design elements will incorporate stunning city views into its elegant, soft modern look and utilize wood and stone material throughout the space. Jean-Georges Vongericthen, a world-renowned chef and businessman, has established nearly 20 restaurants in United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.jgsteakhousescottsdale.com.