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

Rawhide Western Town Returns To Its Frontier Roots

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:00:52 +0000

Merging cowboy customs and the Gila River Indian Community, Rawhide Western Town & Steakhouse at Wildhorse Pass rolled out a revamped menu and new activities to offer the best of both cultures. Utilizing local ingredients from the Gila River Indian Community and Rawhide’s own Akimel Basho Farm, consulting Chef Michael Cairns and Executive Chef Jon Anderson serve up traditional Western eats while blending modern tastes. The menu includes seasonal dishes such as sweet corn polenta cakes as well as staples like lamb chops, fried chicken, and a variety of steaks, which can be cut to your liking by the “Town Butcher.” Providing more than just hearty Western fare, Rawhide offers a slew of entertainment options like the Deadman’s Drop rock climbing, the Spirit of the West comedy theater, gold panning and Friday night bull riding. And every Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., locavores can choose produce from the garden while mingling with community farmers, artisans and vendors at the Wildhorse Pass Farmers Market. The market also offers children’s activities, cooking classes, breakfast and brunch, and story telling.

Cafe Carumba: Spirited Southwest Grill

Mitchell Tay — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:42:48 +0000

Scottsdale has a wide selection of restaurants ranging from American to Western style dishes making where to eat sometimes a difficult decision. If you’re in downtown Scottsdale and unsure on where eat let me make a recommendation for you, check out Cafe Carumba.

Pork Gordita

For those of you that love Mexican food you might be asking, “What a minute, that doesn’t look like a gordita!” Cafe Carumba has a unique food palate that’s primarily Southwestern infused with a bit of Mexican style cooking. What you see above is an open faced gordita loaded with beans, pork, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and fresh cheese with a side of sweet potato fries. The ingredients were very fresh and juicy. The gordita tortilla was fluffy, a great base to all the fixings on top. I’m a pretty big eater and this definitely hit the spot. It wasn’t too little or too much.

My colleague, Kelly, had the Chicken Chili Club Sliders.

Chicken Chile Club Sliders

This is their most popular dish on their $5.99 lunch menu. The Chicken Chile Club Sliders has two very generous portion sliders that has chicken, bacon, green chile, pepper jack cheese, and tomatoes. Kelly kindly let me sample a piece of one of her sliders and I have to say it was quite good. The chicken was very juicy with the tasty crisp bacon that’s smothered with the pepper jack cheese and green chiles. Another thing I really enjoyed was the chips and salsa which is complimentary. The chips were warm and lightly salted. The salsa is more of a garlicky style that’s not too spicy but not really mild, a great appetizer.

Their $5.99 lunch menu is a great deal. You can check out their menu here. They plan to add to their delightful selection seasonally so be sure to check that out. If you find that nothing on the lunch menu strikes your taste buds at that moment they have a fairly good amount of dishes to choose from their regular menu. Best of all, Cafe Carumba is in the heart of downtown Scottsdale and very easy to find.

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

Fish Roundup at the Scottsdale Waterfront this Saturday