A Taste of AZ Magazine Spring 2022 by ATasteOfAZ

A WEEKEND IN OLD TOWN

Visit several of the wonderful restaurants and businesses that make Old Town a destination.

GOT SOMM? Get to know five of the top sommoliers in town and find out why they love wine!

QUEEN CREEK OLIVE MILL Did you know Arizona is a perfect place to grow olives? Meet this local olive grower.

ONCE IN A BITE TIME

Learn about five of the wild, amazing, once in a lifetime dining experiences in Arizona.

PHOENIX'S BEST BURGERS Bite into this list of some amazing burger spots scattered about The Valley.

LOCALS GIVING BACK The local F&B industry is filled with local organizations doing their part to give back.

PERSEPSHEN This Central Phoenix restaurant is using the top local ingredients in their amazing meals.

LOCAL BEER HIGHLIGHT Check out this local Pale Ale from one of the state's most awarded and beloved breweries.

LOCAL WINE HIGHLIGHT Arizona is steadily gaining recognition for its wine and this local cab is at the top of our list!

THE MICK BRASSERIE An outstanding chef is backed by a spectacular beverage program at this Scottsdale restaurant.

Filet Mignon at Sel in Old Town Scottsdale (more on page 28)

PUBLISHER’ S NOTE WHAT IS LOCAL? It's no secret that Arizona is a melting pot of cultures. People flock to the 48th state from across the world for the natural beauty, vibrant economy, and unique community. The history of the region has deep roots, rich with stories of the Native American and hispanic cultures that precede the United States by thousands of years. Arizona also has a major foundation in agriculture, which both provides work and fuels the state's spectacular food and beverage industries. Much like the indigenous plants that know no state lines, our view of what local means encompasses more than that which can be surrounded by the state's borders. We are proud to highlight native's of the state alongside those who move to AZ, with particular love for small family businesses.

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Writers

Christina Barrueta Alison Bailin Batz Marci Symington Eric Walters Luke Irvin

Photographers Luke Irvin

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A Weekend in Old Town Written by Christina Barrueta

Photographed by Luke Irvin

Art galleries, boutique shops, acclaimed restaurants, and museums – Old Town Scottsdale has all this and more. Whether you’re visiting as a tourist or spending a staycation as a local, you’ll find many of Scottsdale’s finest destinations centered in this walkable hub. For the perfect home-base, soak up history at the Hotel Valley Ho, designed by Edward L. Varney, a student of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Built in 1956, it quickly became a favorite of visiting celebrities (Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner held their wedding reception here in 1957), and its storied past and striking mid-century modern design has earned it a place on the Scottsdale Historic Register. Today, you’ll find chic updated rooms (a favorite is the sleek twostory Loft Tower Suite) and amenities including a full-service spa and the OH Pool with cabanas and weekend DJs. This landmark hotel is also home to executive chef Russell LaCasce, one of the city’s shining stars. Brunch is served daily until 2:30 p.m. with options from sweet strawberry crème brûlée French toast to savory breakfast fried rice. The dinner menu further showcases LaCasce’s skill, from whole roasted cauliflower garnished with lemon aioli, Calabrian chiles, toasted filbert nuts, and parmesan cheese, to braised short rib guisada with a smoky chile broth and quesabirria quesadillas (pictured below). For the full experience, opt for the “ZuZu, Take the Wheel” menu for a multi-course chef’s tasting.

Planning a lunch exploration of the neighborhood? You’re a two-minute walk from gems like Cornish Pasty Co., known for their made-from-scratch soups and classic British dishes, including pasties (filled turnovers). Order a traditional Oggie (stuffed with steak, potato, onion, and rutabaga), or choose from over 40 equally delicious pasties including Eggplant Parmesan with a side of marinara or Spicy Asiago Chicken (pictured above) with salsa and sour cream. Don’t forget to save room for indulgent treats like Banoffee Pie layered with homemade caramel, whipped cream and sliced bananas, or rich Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding with brandy sauce and ice cream. For farm-to-table fare, head to Merkin Vineyards, where you can pair your glass of Arizona wine with chef Steve Zimmerman’s menu of grazing plates, wood-fired pizza, and fresh pasta, sourcing ingredients from the Merkin gardens and orchards. If you’re a wine enthusiast, you’ll want to continue on to the remaining five tasting rooms that are part of the Scottsdale Wine Trail - LDV Winery, Carlson Creek Vineyard, Aridus Wine Company, Salvatore Vineyards, and the newest addition, Arizona Stronghold (opened in Scottsdale in January of 2022).

For Arizona craft brews, wander over to family-owned and operated Goldwater Brewing Co. and order local favorites such as the Hop Chowda IPA or Machine Gun Teddy brown ale. You can bring in food from neighboring restaurants, or plan your visit to coincide with one of Smoke Slab BBQ’s pop-up BBQ, burger, or taco nights. And if it’s a cocktail you’re craving, check out Blue Clover Distillery for libations featuring their Arizona spirits like Hatch green chile vodka and barrel-aged gin, along with a menu of bar noshes, pizza, salads, and weekend brunch. Looking for dinner spots? The House Brasserie is just a two-minute stroll and offers one of the prettiest al fresco settings paired with the talents of executive chef Brandon Jedd. Savor sophisticated dishes like Chilean Seabass (seen on left) with pistachio crumble on a bed of smashed fingerling potatoes in a pool of velvety sauce accented with ndjua (Calabrian sausage), or a jerk-spiced pork chop (seen above) served with creamy smoked parsnip purée, apricot demi-glace, and gingered apples. George Frasher opened the original Frasher’s Tavern more than 20 years ago and continues his legacy with his newest location, a mere five-minute walk from Hotel Valley Ho. There’s usually a full house here to enjoy the steakhouse menu featuring the usual suspects along with dishes that are a nod to Frasher’s St. Louis roots. Sitting comfortably alongside his famous peppercorn steak soup are juicy steaks, Chicken Cordon Bleu, baby back ribs, and sides like green chile mac ‘n cheese and toasted ravioli. Besides the over 100 restaurants, bars, and nightclubs in Old Town, popular activities like walking tours, art installations, the farmer’s market, Western Spirit museum, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Scottsdale Art Walk will fill up your weekend itinerary. In fact, you just may find that a weekend spent in this vibrant district is not long enough.

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Got Somm? Written by Alison Bailin Batz Photographed by Luke Irvin

Being a sommelier for a lauded restaurant or resort is much like being a choreographer in a grand Broadway production. There is the visual presentation to consider, followed by a symphony that must awaken all the senses and make the guests stir. Finally, the wines must dance in step together with the venue’s dishes, working together to elevate each other and result in a standing ovation for all. Meet five of the Valley’s leading sommeliers, each deserving of a standing ovation of their own.

Jeff Menzer – The Mick Brasserie Ever hear the story about how Rod Stewart likes to test a restaurant? Jeff Menzer, the wine director and sommelier at The Mick Brasserie can happily tell you. That's because it happened to him, and he passed with flying colors. The test came when Stewart visited Mistral, a lauded eatery in Boston where Menzer worked for 20 years before moving to the Valley. Upon walking in, Stewart ordered a $3,800 bottle of wine and asked it to be chilled. This request would not be odd, except it was a coveted vintage of red wine specifically served best at room temperature. Without judgement, Menzer obliged, believing that people can like whatever they like when it comes to their wine. Stewart was testing Menzer to see if he would try to condescend. When he didn’t, Stewart named Menzer his permanent server and sommelier whenever he visited the venue. While the certified wine educator has yet to entertain Stewart at The Mick, he is entertaining the masses with his wine program as well as his weekly wine pairing dinners in collaboration with The Mick chef Brent Menke and partners including Schramsberg, Palmaz, Far Niente and more. He also recently finished hosting the firstever SOMM Brawl, a competition to showcase the skills of fellow sommeliers across Arizona.

Photo Courtesy of Jeff Menzer

Maki Pottenger – Bourbon Steak Maki Pottenger lives her life by the motto “Wherever you are, be all there.” While many sommeliers get their starts at small spots before having an a-ha moment and earning a big break, Pottenger began her career first at CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain Resort in Tucson in 2011 and then at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa when she relocated to Scottsdale. Those venues are significant in that CORE is among the only restaurants in Arizona to be named to the Forbes Five Star Travel Awards list of winners several years in a row, and the Camelback Inn is so luxe that it is the locale of choice when Mr. Marriott makes a personal visit to Arizona. The experience led Pottenger to the Mina Group under James Beard Award winner Michael Mina in 2015, first at its Bourbon Steak at the Scottsdale Princess then to San Francisco. Pottenger would return to Bourbon Steak in 2018 as the floor sommelier before taking on the role of lead sommelier in 2019. She currently works closely with Mina Group wine director and master sommelier, Jeremy Shanker. Today, the Court of Master Sommeliers certified Pottenger oversees more than 3,500 bottles and 900 total labels at the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winning restaurant. In 2021, Pottenger was promoted to Wine Director of the Fairmont Resort.

Jason Caballero – Maple & Ash At six feet, four inches tall, and with a past in rugby, Jason Caballero towers over most guests. A gentle giant, Caballero first got into the study of wine while working at Olive + Ivy in the mid-2000s. There, he had the chance to mentor under a Level 3 Advanced Sommelier, a rarity in Arizona at that time. The experience inspired Caballero to make the business his life’s work. After Olive + Ivy, Caballero would hone his skills for many years at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, notably innovating Bourbon Steak’s “Flight Club” series, a friendly semi-monthly wine competition pitting his talents against another sommelier in town to pick the best pairings to accompany the chef’s tasting menu of the night. He would also attain the Level 3 Advanced Sommelier designation before moving over to Maple & Ash as beverage director in 2019. Currently working on his Master Sommelier designation, Caballero oversees a 6,000 bottle collection with 700 labels at any given time at the Scottsdale hotspot. Under his leadership, the restaurant has earned the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence annually. In a full-circle moment the once-student is also now a teacher, serving on the GuildSomm Board of Directors where he mentors others.

Nicholas Padua – The Americano Nicholas Padua was riding high in his early 20s. The Hawaiian native worked his way up at a local restaurant and—despite his age—felt ready for the big-time, so he interviewed for a position as a server Spago by Wolfgang Puck at the Four Seasons Wailea. The only reason he did not get the job: he could not tell the manager the difference between pinot grigio and chardonnay. Undeterred, he took a busser position at the venue to get his foot in the door and poured all of his free time to the study of wine. Taking what started out as negative, Padua educated himself so thoroughly that he turned his wine knowledge into one of his greatest attributes, moving to the continental United States and dominating the wine programs at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Tarbell's Tavern, Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale Troon North, and Bourbon Steak Miami over a 15-year period. In 2019, a confident Padua joined The Americano, first as a sommelier and then in 2020 as beverage director. He not only navigated the pandemic as a leader, but helped the fine dining concept from celebrity chef Scott Conant elevate its wine program to that of legend.

Laura Bruno – Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort During culinary events at Sanctuary, dinner comes with a show. This is most evident during wine dinners, which are so popular that they must be hosted away in the stand-alone event venue on property. During the dinner, chef de cuisine Samantha Sanz has her own demo kitchen just feet from the tables. Rather than simply serve course after course, she dons a microphone-enabled headset and puts on a full cooking lesson. After her performance, a petite red head storms the stage with a microphone of her own. That would be Laura Bruno, the resort’s sommelier and wine educator extraordinaire. During a wine dinner, her aim is to teach a little, laugh a lot, and introduce you to exciting flavors with each glass. She may even bust out a Power Point to save you from taking notes. Her thoughts on pairing food and wine are especially on point, perhaps because she started as a line cook in the kitchens of Michelin-rated eateries in New York City before turning to the study of wine. Today, she holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Wine and Beverage and a Master’s degree in Wine from the acclaimed Culinary Institute at Hyde Park as well as a Level 2 Certified Sommelier designation and a Certified Sake Advisor designation from the Sake School of America. When not on stage, she is focused on expanding the resort wine list to 400 labels, offering a thoughtful representation of wines from across the globe and stateside.

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Queen Creek

Olive Mill

Written by Marci Symington

Photographed by Luke Irvin

While Arizona agriculture is widely known for citrus and cotton, the desert climate offers ideal conditions for a myriad of crops, as Perry (seen on right) and Brenda Rea of Queen Creek Olive Mill discovered. In moving to the Valley with their five children from Detroit in 1996, they noticed an abundance of olive trees, prompting the decision to try their hand in the olive oil business, beginning operations in 2005. Currently, with 10,000 olive trees on 20 cultivated acres off Meridian Road in the suburb of Queen Creek, family-owned Queen Creek Olive Mill is Arizona’s only working olive farm and mill, and has evolved into a tourist destination. Rea’s plan was not only to grow olives and sell the olive oil to the public, but also to educate the consumer on the business by engaging with them and creating an experience around it. Customers can visit the facility, take a tour, shop, and have lunch outdoors on 2-acres of the grove. Some elect to make an afternoon out of it by signing up for the hour-long Olive Oil 101 class. Says Rea, “I used to do all the tours myself and now we have 5 tour guides. It takes you through the history, the nutritional value of olive oil, how to use it, and a tasting.”

The olive farm grew gradually, starting with one small mill and experimenting with testing several varieties of olive trees. Through trial and error, Rea realized the best olive trees for the Arizona climate to be the Greek Koroneiki and Spanish Arbosana varieties. Explains Rea, “We grow the olives, harvest them, process, store, and bottle the oil; we encompass the whole process, from blossom to the bottle.” He also contracts with growers in Yuma, the Imperial Valley, and Chile to supply year-round fresh-pressed olive oil. In the last 17 years, they have developed an 8,000 square-foot retail and restaurant operation adjacent to the mill where customers can shop from over 500 products, including flavored olive oils and vinegars that are blended on-site. Says Rea, “the blending is the fun part, next to creating the flavored olive oils.” Flavored olive oils include lemon, Valencia, Mexican lime, chocolate, vanilla, and garlic, a favorite during their annual garlic festival held every September. Rea also imports balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy, to create flavored vinegars like fig reduction, strawberry, cranberry, and maple—a specialty during Canada Week—in addition to spirited versions like the bourbon or tequila cask. Rea is also a strong supporter of local businesses, offering many local products in the retail shop. “I really embrace a lot of the local producers in the valley because I remember when I was a local producer and trying to get into stores or boutiques, it was very difficult. I don’t make it difficult for the local guys.” Local products featured in the store run the gamut from Cerreta’s Chocolates to Laura’s Gourmet Granola, Valley Honey’s Raw Unfiltered Honey—including olive tree blossom honey—and Arizona wines and craft beer. A visit to Queen Creek Olive Mill intersects tourism with agriculture, a term referred to as agritourism. “I feel it is important to create an experience for the customer,” says Rea. “After a tour, people would ask, where can I find something to eat. And I was sending them into town.” Sensing an opportunity, Rea started selling four panini sandwiches, growing the operation to an all-scratch kitchen that serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes made with local products. In fact, many of the products sold in the retail space have found their way onto menu items. Popular dishes include platters of assorted bruschetta, cheese and antipasto, wood-fired pizzas, paninis, entrées like pork chops and pasta carbonara, and garden-fresh salads.

Implementing a city ordinance to merge agriculture with entertainment, the town of Queen Creek created an Agritainment District, which includes Queen Creek Olive Mill and nearby Schnepf and Sossaman farms. Rea explains, “It allows us to do some really cool things and keep that historic farming community feeling and atmosphere in place. I mean, where else in Phoenix can you sit under an olive tree with a bottle of Arizona wine or a glass of local craft beer, and have a bite to eat while listening to live music?” Watch out Gilroy: For information on The Queen Creek Olive Mill Garlic Festival and other special events, as well as the hours of operation of the store, restaurant, and information on tours, check out the Queen Creek Olive Mill website: www.queencreekolivemill.com. Queen Creek Olive Mill is located at 25062 S. Meridian Road in the town of Queen Creek, AZ. 28

Farmer to Chef Cooperative

picnic & bbq Blue Sky Farms Crooked Sky Farms Pinnacle Farms Agritopia Jeff Kraus Micah Wyzlic Saul Vasquez Tom Baumbach

Saturday, May 14th, 2022, 4-8PM

Once in a Bite Time Written by Alison Bailin Batz

Photographed by Luke Irvin

With flair and finesse, these kings and queens of the kitchen are disrupting the culinary status quo in the most delicious way possible. Behold, the five most over-the-top, outrageously delicious dining experiences in Arizona. Each of these bucket list evenings should not so much be done before you die, but be done so you can really live.

Prix Fixe Menu with Caviar Enhancement – Sel Restaurant Sake and oyster liquor-infused beurre blanc? Tender elk loin next to lobster tempura? Horseradish and white shoyu creme fraiche? With his only limits being his wild imagination, award-winning chef Branden Levine is out to make your tastebuds forget everything they thought they knew about flavor. Chef’s tasting menu, which changes regularly, is meant to shock and amaze, bringing together whimsical and wonderfully plated creations you have likely never tasted before. Expect a perfect combination of sweet and savory bites with shellfish, seafood, and meat each getting its time to shine. The main tasting menu starts at over $100 per person, but consider taking it to the next level by adding a caviar enhancement. The Imperia Royal Osserta Caviar service features 30 grams of the coveted delicacy paired with crispy pomme paillasson, luscious deviled egg crème fraiche, and mignonette.

The Subterranean Cellar Experience – LON’s at The Hermosa Inn Imagine it is the Prohibition Era. You want to imbibe while you dine, but to do so means risking being caught and charged with what was – at that time – illegal. Enter cowboy artist Lon Megargee, who built what is now The Hermosa Inn as his residence in the 1930s. Among the most critical elements of the design: hidden tunnels. The tunnels allowed for Megargee’s guests to make a hasty exit if enjoying an evening of libations and the Sheriff came calling. Though they were eventually ravaged by fire, in 1992 the then-owners took meticulous care to find what was left of these tunnels and rebuild them using steel and reclaimed brick. To honor their original purpose, today they are still used to hide those who imbibe, providing the ultimate in intimate dinners tucked underneath LON’s primary dining room. Accessible from secret stairs inside the restaurant, the cellar only allows for a total of 12 guests at a time. The best way to get the full experience is to order the prix fixe menu that changes regularly for the space, but featuring multiple courses that celebrate Arizona’s storied history while helping you write a chapter of your own.

Omakase with A5+ Hydro or Wagyu Miyazaki – Roka Akor Omakase – loosely translated as “to entrust the chef” – is offered nightly at the luxe Japanese steakhouse starting at $145 per person. This personalized tasting menu features exclusive in-house premium, chef-selected ingredients and is meant to showcase the best of Roka Akor’s three kitchens: the sushi kitchen, the tempura kitchen, and the open robata grill, which uses a Japanese white oak called “bincho” that burns with almost no smoke or flame yet infuses an added depth of flavor into all that touches it. During the feast, guests will first enjoy hot and cold appetizers, premium sushi and sashimi. Then comes the entrees, which are accompanied with a wild mushroom rice hot pot, an earthy risotto-like dish. Before the decadent dessert platter – overflowing with sorbet, ice cream, and exotic fruits – add a bonus course with a sampling of A5+ Wagyu from either the Hydro or Miyazaki Prefectures for the table. Available by the ounce at market price daily, the fork-tender delicacies are currently the highest-end steaks available in the world.

14-Course Tasting Menu with Reserve Wine Pairings – The Reserve Unlike any other dining experience in Arizona, this 14-course adventure is inspired by Michelin-star restaurants across Spain. The intimate, opulent space is helmed by visionary founder Gustavo Lewkowicz, a self-taught chef who took the restaurant world by storm and earned Arizona national prestige with the opening of Café Monarch in 2013, and Benjamin Wald, a veteran of L'ecole in Paris under culinary icon Alain Ducasse and the three-Michelin star Inn at Little Washington. Limited to just a handful of guests per seating, an evening at The Reserve begins with a reception inside the main building, which was conceived by Lewkowicz’s designer wife to resemble the living room in a mansion complete with candelabras and antiques throughout. Then, guests are led to their tables outside near a grand fountain and ample greenery. Once seated each table is taken through the 14 courses (you may read it is only 12, but there are some sneaky bonus bites in there as well) by a Court of Master Sommeliers-trained server and an advanced sommelier that has pairings at the ready. The full experience, which includes the reserve wine pairings, is $625 per person. Sans wine, dinner starts at $325 per person.

The Gross Tasting Menu with Wine Pairings – Christopher’s A visual and gastronomic experience three years in the making, Christopher’s is James Beard award-winning (and recently nominated again) chef Christopher Gross’ ultra-ambitious stand-alone eatery that serves as an epicurean extension of Wrigley Mansion. With a retractable roof that allows for stargazing and fresh desert air when the weather permits, and walls made almost entirely of glass, there are views in nearly every direction – even in the restroom – at this palace of extravagance. There are multiple menus from which to choose depending on when you visit, but for a once-in-a-lifetime level experience, opt for Gross’ wild tasting menu. The eight-course adventure boasts whimsical plates – one plate physically made from an Arcosanti bell and another “plate” an actual art installation designed after his own hand to give an idea – featuring Wagyu beer, caviar, truffles and foie gras. Tip: look under the light fixture for a bonus treat. The dinner itself is $250 per person but is best enjoyed with wine pairings for an additional $230. Each pairing is hand-selected by Wrigley wine director Paola Embry, one of the nation’s most respected sommeliers.

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Phx's Best Burgers Written by Christina Barrueta

Photographed by Luke Irvin

Aioli Gourmet Burgers What started as a single food truck run by childhood friends has grown into a fleet, along with a catering company, and multiple restaurants. Led by Chef Tommy D’Ambrosio, a Food Network Chopped Champion, burgers are topped with signature aiolis, from white truffle to green chile. The most awarded is The Italiano, topped with slices of mozzarella, tomato, applewood smoked bacon, basil-garlic aioli, and a drizzle of balsamic. You’ll be just as happy with the malted milkshakes and sides like sweet potato fries and beer-battered onion rings.

Jade Bar (Pictured Below) For a superlative burger to match the view, head to Jade Bar at Sanctuary on the northern slope of Camelback Mountain. Relax and enjoy panoramic vistas of Paradise Valley as you sink your teeth into the All-American Wagyu Burger. We’re talking a 6-oz Linz Wagyu smashed burger enveloped in a double layer of Tillamook cheddar and American cheese. The burger is capped with caramelized onions, shredded lettuce, tomato, and Elements signature sauce accented with Calabrian chile on an artisan Breadworks brioche bun. Sitting sidecar are fresh and crispy hand-cut Kennebec potato fries.

Bourbon Steak (Pictured Above) As an award-winning steakhouse and ode to beef, it’s no surprise Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak is home to a killer burger. For a luxurious hand-held entrée found only on the bar menu, order the Dry-Aged Wagyu Cheeseburger (a blend of American Wagyu and 24-day dryaged beef) with caramelized onions, American cheese, house sauce, and pickles on a Noble Bread brioche sesame seed bun, served with signature duck fat fries. The perfect pairing? A glass of Clau de Nell Anjou cabernet franc.

The Stand Arcadia Burger Shoppe The Stand marries the vibe of an old-school joint with a made-from-scratch take on the fast-food-style burger. The beef is ground fresh daily and formed into double patties which get seared and stacked with American cheese, leaf lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickles, and homemade Stand Sauce. You’ll also find hand-cut fries, freshly-squeezed lemonade, and hand-spun milkshakes (try the popular Banana Stand or salted dulce de leche).

The Market Restaurant + Bar by Jennifer’s Choose chef-owner Jennifer Russo’s Market Burger at this beloved neighborhood favorite and you’ll feast on a thick and juicy half-pound burger. Russo generously adorns the beef with white cheddar cheese, charred onions, Arizona heirloom tomatoes, house pickles, and her tangy house steak sauce. She sandwiches the stack between a Noble Bread brioche bun and serves it with Frites Street fries or addictive homemade potato chips. To entice you further, swing by on Wednesdays when burgers are half off with $3 beers.

Aftermath (Pictured Below) Order chef-owner David Bowman’s Aftermath Burger and you’ll savor double smashed patties (a blend of Arizona grass-fed and aged Black Angus beef) blanketed in a creamy combo of Velveeta cheese and Aftermath sauce. The delicious beef and cheese stack is then topped with onion, house pickles, and a Noble Bread toasted onion Kona bun. “The Velveeta reminds me of weekends with family and friends after baseball games and mom and dad grilling,“ Bowman shares. “I always promised that when I opened a restaurant, Velveeta would be on the menu.” Alongside are Frites Street crinkle-cut fries tossed with Snake River Farms beef tallow “to double up on the beefy flavors.”

Valentine (Pictured Above) Chef Donnie Hawk’s lauded talent is captured in the Valentine Burger available on the daily brunch menu till 3:30 pm. Picture double patties formed from local Rovey Farms beef ground in-house, cheddar, house dill pickles, lettuce, and Valentine sauce spiked with charred Fresno chiles and their pickling liquid. For a Southwestern take on the potato bun, pureed butternut squash is added to the dough to add a mellow sweetness and golden hue. “I’ve thought about the ideal burger for a good four or five years,” says Hawk, “and it came out even better than I imagined.”

Paradise Valley Burger Company Bret Shapiro is recognized for his many inventive burger combinations, but his most famous is the Brûlée Burger (recent winner of PHOENIX magazine’s 101 Best Dishes in the Valley). He starts by coating the cut side of the bun with raw sugar and torching it into a crackly, crispy shell. Shapiro then layers his burger with Thousand Island dressing, lettuce, two patties draped in Havarti cheese, bacon, a fried egg, and a thatch of pickled onion. One bite and you’re in burger heaven. Tip: If you spy jalapeño fries on the chalkboard specials, they’re a must-order.

Smoke Slab BBQ (Pop-up) Sean Milan (formerly of Little Miss BBQ and Pink Pony) may be best known for his BBQ, but he’s proved he has a way with burgers too. At his weekly pop-up at Goldwater Brewing in Old Town, go for the Chef’s Way burger. Featuring a 1/3 pound patty seared on a flat top, the burger is gilded with roasted green chiles, caramelized onions, cheddar, and jalapeno bacon (which Milan cures and smokes himself in a seven-day process). Sides are also homemade, including mac ‘n cheese, homemade dill pickles, and jalapenos inspired by a visit to Austin’s Franklin BBQ.

Weft and Warp (Pictured Below) You’ll be spoiled with Chef Dushyant Singh’s luxurious W&W Burger. He begins with 8 ounces of a chuck and brisket blend seared and basted with rendered foie gras fat, before being topping with a slab of seared foie gras, melted Gruyere cheese, Bibb lettuce, and tomatobacon jam made with organic Bianco tomatoes and the sweet tang of brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. The accompanying fries tossed are with truffle salt, grated Grana Padano cheese, and minced parsley, and are just as delicious as the burger.

Locals Giving Back Written by Marci Symington

Photographed by Luke Irvin

Giving back to the community is a priority for many businesses, with benefits that go beyond the aim of serving the needs of others. Charitable work helps businesses strengthen their brand and visibility, and to recruit and retain employees aligned with company values. From direct fundraising through the sale of products, to fulfilling a need to an underserved population, to education and outreach, here are just a few companies in our great state accomplishing great acts of service.

Joy Bus Founded in 2011 by award-winning chef, Jennifer Caraway, The Joy Bus delivers healthy meals to homebound cancer patients, along with nutritional education and social support, all at no cost to the consumer. While Jennifer has been in the restaurant industry most of her life, she found her true passion when her close friend, Joy, fought a brave battle against ovarian cancer, ultimately succumbing to the disease. The mission of The Joy Bus is to improve the lives of cancer patients through good food and company, says Caraway, “by preparing meals for cancer patients who may not know how to feed themselves, or what kind of food to feed themselves.” Joy Bus cooperates with local hospitals and case managers to identify those in need. “When they have a patient that needs food, a visit, flowers, or pastries, they fill out the client intake form, and we start delivering.” Caraway relies on contributions from local businesses and entrepreneurs, such as Wild Thing Botanicals, who donates bouquets of flowers every week, as well as the mother and daughter team Periodic Baker, who bakes pastries, Happy Eggs who donates eggs, and Crooked Sky Farms who donates much of the produce. “What we do is needed. If you go on a delivery, you see the need there is in the community for this service we are providing. The fact that a little bit of hot food and some flowers can stoke them [patients] out… why wouldn’t you work towards that?” Not only does Joy Bus serve such an honorable cause, they also have unique and easy ways to support their efforts. Off of Shea and the 51 is Joy Bus Diner, the organization's non-profit restaurant, which raises money for the operations. Joy Bus even has a beer made in collaboration with local powerhouse Four Peaks, which both donates proceeds and raises awareness for the cause.

Blue Watermelon Project Under the umbrella of Slow Food Phoenix, the Blue Watermelon Project is a grassroots group of chefs, farmers, and educators spearheaded by FnB’s Executive Chef Charlene Badman, who advocates for better food in schools. The project started small, with Badman being invited to a Chef-in-the-Garden Program at the Arcadia Neighborhood Learning Center (now Echo Canyon) to teach students about healthy eating. Now the Blue Watermelon Project is in 25 schools across the Valley, with 20 active chefs, and encompasses many facets of culinary education, from teaching students how to plant a garden, to prepping, cooking, and organizing a kitchen, to learning the importance of sustainability in the restaurant industry. In addition, Badman says of the program, “the intent is to be mindful of the person who is feeding you,” whether a parent or someone in the food industry. There is also a push to improve school lunches, adding, “We all think it is easy to make this change, and for a young mind to see that it is not that easy, is where the change will happen. It opens your eyes and makes you appreciate how difficult it really is.” 42

Mother Road & Arizona Game and Fish As part of a broader statewide initiative to promote public-private partnerships, Flagstaff-based Mother Road Brewing Co. raises funds to support wildlife conservation with Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) through the sale of their Conserve and Protect Golden Ale. One dollar per case sold of Conserve and Protect Golden Ale raises money for AZGFD’s on-the-ground conservation projects, which have included the surveying of Sonoran Desert tortoises and endangered Mount Graham red squirrels. In addition to having raised over $40,000 since the start of the AZGFD partnership in 2019, Mother Road supports the conservation and protection of the state’s 800-plus species of wildlife by encouraging direct donations to AZGFD with Conservation Membership packages, as well as wildlife watching as a way of connecting with our state. According to Oliver Adams, VP of Operations and Culture at Mother Road, a large part of the mission of the partnership is to “spread awareness (of AZGFD) in general and to highlight the fact that they do all their conservation work without any general tax funds, so they have to literally raise their own funds for conservation. It is a pretty phenomenal organization.”

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A Changing Persepshen Written by Marci Symington

Photographed by Luke Irvin

“If we don’t make it, we don’t serve it—all the way to the ketchup and mustard,” Those are the words of Jason Dwight, of Persepshen at 4700 N. Central Avenue, a restaurant serving the best of what our great state of Arizona has to offer. Consider their creations real food, with a focus on local, organic, and sustainable. Jason and Katherine Dwight, who met at culinary school, realized a dream in opening a restaurant in the fall of 2019. Accolades came quickly, with Persepshen landing 3rd out of 100 top spots for Phoenix Magazine’s 2019 Restaurant of the Year. They had worked hard to open a brick and mortar after several years of building collateral, catering private events, pop-ups, and building a fiercely loyal following at the Uptown Farmer’s Market (yours truly included). Then we all know what happened in March of 2020—the near total economic shutdown. Jason and Katherine had to completely overhaul their business model. “Prior to COVID, we were open from 5-11, no reservations, no takeout. We had a 2-hour wait every night…you couldn’t even walk to the bar, and we hadn’t even hit the busy season.”

They downsized from a staff of 20 to 3. When they reopened, they set up on the patio, and just like their days at the farmers market, featured the “farmer’s market flashback.” The WW2 military trailer that they had used all those years was put to use again. They fired up the oven on the back of the trailer and set up the glass display case. “We weren’t sure if people were even going to show up, but we had a line around the building,” says Jason. “Granted they were lined up 6 feet apart, but it helped sustain us through the pandemic.” The transition back to pre-COVID days has been gradual. On a recent sunny February afternoon, Persepshen held their last Sunday “farmer’s market flashback.” They are hiring more staff, requesting reservations, and continuing with take-out which they started, like many, during the shutdown. Through all the transitions, they are grateful for the lessons learned. “It allowed us to see how much we can do with how little. We have been lean for so long, and [COVID] helped us realize how many extra people we were relying on, and how inefficient it was.” One thing that has not changed is their intense focus on buying local and processing as much as they can themselves. “We get whole animals from local organic pastures, we use only local organic produce for everything on the menu, so we change our menu every week based on the cuts of the animals we are progressing through, with what the farms have available, or whatever we feel like eating.” Persepshen sources their chickens from Two Wash Ranch, ducks from Top Knot Farms (Benson, AZ-organic pasture raised birds), and organic pasture-raised grass-fed beef from Moon River Beef (Perkinsville, AZ). “[The cattle] live on a beautiful piece of property. When visited, I was envious of the steers…I wanted to live there, it is just gorgeous.” The produce comes from several local farms such as Blue Sky, McClendon, Crooked Sky, Aguiar Farms, Whipstone Farm, and Pinnacle, to name a few. In sourcing seafood for the menu, their focus is on sustainability, often consulting the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, an app that rates seafood based on scientific criteria of environmental sustainability. In addition to sourcing from locally-owned Chula Seafood, Jason buys wild shrimp from family-owned Wild Shrimp Company out of Rocky Point, and Chef Suny Santana (of Taco Chelo) has fishermen friends out of Ensenada that provide wild line caught fish. Since the menu changes weekly, dishes are rotated often, but you are sure to find some of the popular dishes yearround, like the charcuterie board, featuring five of Jason’s house-cured salumis, pickled vegetables, and lavosh. Other favorites include the Cioppino, Duck à L’orange, Beef Schawarma, and the Korean Fried Chicken (picutred top left), featuring the necks and backs of the birds with grilled cabbage, pickled watermelon radish, and i’itoi onions covered in a sweet chili glaze. Craft cocktails, cider, sake, beer, and wine—much of it sourced locally—round out the beverage menu. Katherine, as the pastry chef, when reflecting on some of her favorite desserts, likes to keep it simple and honest. “I really like our chocolate chip cookie that we have on the menu. I use fair trade organic dark chocolate, then put a ton of chocolate chips in them, and bake them so they are nice and soft.” She also bakes her own bread, ciabatta, and pies. Thanksgiving and Christmas are a favorite time of year, when she comes out with seasonal pies and a Christmas Cookie Box for order that sold out in just a few days. Have I mentioned that they also have three children at home under the age of five? Katherine emphasizes, “Something I think that really gets lost is there is no other restaurant that uses completely local produce, proteins, that makes everything from scratch.” Adds Jason, “For us it is about food, about our passion, our love for the best quality from our backyard. We want to help change the public’s perception of eating local, and organic. We want to show people you can do it, that it is not a far-fetched ideal.” 51

Front Pourch Brewing 1611 W Whispering Wind Dr. Suite 7 Phoenix, Arizona 85085

LOCAL BEER SPOTLIGHT WRITTEN BY ERIC WALTERS PHOTOGRAPHED BY LUKE IRVIN

Wren House: Arizona Star Pale Ale B ased in:

ABV:

Phoenix, AZ

5.6%

Wren House Brewing Co. brewer Luke Wortendyke explains that their 5.6% ABV take on the classic pale ale is gentle on the yeast due to its lower alcohol content, in comparison to its big brother, the IPA. Yeast is a key yet under-highlighted aspect of a GREAT beer. Yeast is often responsible for the indescribable flavor you get from a specific brewery's beer that is nearly impossible to replicate. Arizona Stars' gentle fermentation process allows the brew team to reuse the yeast for some of their popular IPA’s including the 2021 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal Winner, Spellbinder. Citra hops, a fan favorite, are used in a dry-hop phase to give this brew an incredible hoppy yet tropical aroma. To add more depth to the “Arizona” moniker on the can, Wren House adds Arizona grown raw White Sonora Wheat to the recipe. The local tie adds dimension to the story and a Southwest flair to the beer. In a world where clear beer ruled the land for centuries, Arizona Star embodies the perfect amount of haze to connect the classics with the modern. With its subtleness and balance, this is the craft beer to show your friends some real Arizona flavor.

“We wanted it to be…a workhorse of the brewery: an easy to brew, simple, hop-forward pale ale.” For more stories about Arizona beer, check out Eric Walters as host of the award winning podcast Tap That AZ. At www.tapthataz.com you'll find hundreds of interviews with business owners, brewers, and even reviews with local homebrewer Marcus Piña. Available on the Tap That AZ website, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 55

LOCAL WINE SPOTLIGHT W R I T T E N & PH OTO G R A PH E D BY LU K E I RV I N

Carlson Creek 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate:

ABV:

Wilcox, AZ

13.9%

Tasting Notes

Recommend Pairing

The 2019 cabernet from Carlson Creek is as punchy in flavor as any of it's highquality peers. With that said, this is one of the least fruity expressions of a cabernet we've tried recently. The wine opens up with a typical dryness and fades into a wood forward afternote. We recommend a thorough decanting of this wine to get it's full flavor expression. If preparing with a meal, remember to pour the wine into the decanter 30 minutes before you plan to enjoy.

We advise that you pair this local cabernet with a diverse cheese board. Slice chunks of Irish cheddar, Port Salute, Genoa Salami, and plate some Queen Creek Olive Mill olives alongside dried fruit and nuts. The less fruity, slightly tannic flavor profile of this wine cuts through the richness of cheeses like Port Salute and plays nice with other sweeter ingredients. Top a cracker with some creamy cheese, spicy fig jam, and a Marcona almond for the perfect post-sip bite.

This Cabernet is a blend of our new and old blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon vines that features both American and French oak. I think that combination has made it one of the more complex Cabernets we have ever made and shows a unique expression of our Arizona terroir. - Robert Carlson 59

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Marvel at The Mick Written By: Christina Barrueta Photographed by Luke Irvin In the summer of 2020, The Mick Brasserie quietly opened its doors and quickly became a neighborhood favorite. “I joke with the ownership that, as difficult as COVID was, they had the best soft opening,” says wine director Jeff Menzer. “It’s incredible the momentum we’ve seen in two years.” The restaurant was founded by friends John Krause and executive chef Brent Menke to introduce their vision of a modern French brasserie. Menke draws inspiration from his unique culinary perspective as an Arizona native who traded in the desert for the sea as a chef on the luxury charter yacht circuit. “I spent about 15 years working on different motor yachts, cooking for oligarchs, billionaires and dictators,” he shares. Though he can’t divulge many names due to nondisclosure agreements, he can share those who are public figures, “like Kennedy, Kerry, Biden, Harris, and members of the British Royal family.” He also spent time as chef on the yacht of Michael Kittredge II, the founder of Yankee Candle, and later went into business with him and his son, Michael ”Mick” Kittredge III, to open a restaurant in Massachusetts. In fact, naming his Scottsdale restaurant The Mick is a nod to those friends, along with other word plays “for good luck,” says Menke. “There’s Mick’s nickname, M and K are their initials and mine and John’s too, and we’re in McCormick Ranch.” Inspired by his years of travel, Menke touts a French-rooted menu that celebrates his global experiences (Menke shares stories of harvesting sea urchins off Hydra in Greece, sea planes delivering black cod and king crab while moored in Tracy Arm Fjord in Alaska, and falling in love with the food of Vietnam). Thus, you’ll find a list where classics like escargot and pâté de campagne sit comfortably alongside Vietnamese glazed pork belly or lamb chops with Bordelaise sauce and spiced yogurt. Best-selling dishes include steak tartare (“people drive here just for that”) and a buttery sous-vide filet mignon using local Rovey Farm’s Arizonaraised Wagyu beef (seen on the right). Naturally, Menke has an affinity for seafood and his Alaskan black cod (seen on page 62) is another stand-out, accompanied by Arizona sweet corn succotash and an airy saffron butter emulsion. Menke and sommelier Menzer also emphasize the restaurant’s beverage program with educational wine tastings, weekly wine dinners, and special events. “My wife calls me the resident cork dork,” laughs Menzer, “and I like that title. It breaks the ice, makes the wine list more approachable, and helps me explain that I’m here to enhance the experience.” When Menzer pitched the idea of a Somm Brawl with local sommeliers going head-to-head in a bracket-style competition, it was quickly embraced by the rest of the team. These lively dinners, where diners choose their favorite blind pairing for each course, have become so popular that they are now a recurring event and have spawned a future series pitting cicerones (certified beer experts) against sommeliers. 62

Menke especially relishes the opportunity to craft unique pairing dishes for these fun, interactive experiences. “I remember a yacht guest saying, ‘I’ve been on board for four months and the only time you repeated a dish was when we asked you to.’ I enjoyed that challenge, and I like to do that at the restaurant as well,” he says. “With Somm Brawl and our wine dinners, it's a chance for me to be able to create new dishes all the time.” He recalls one such dinner where a veal sweetbread schnitzel wowed the room. “I served it over a cider-braised sauerkraut with mustard sauce and everybody universally loved it but said, ‘I would never order this off a menu,’ so I enjoy having a captive audience and presenting dishes that people wouldn't normally order or make for themselves at home. It harkens back to what I was doing on the yachts. When you have a guest paying $600,000 a week for a charter, the expectations are high and you have to deliver. And that’s what we do here. I want every bite to be exciting and to deliver on our guests’ expectations. It’s something I really enjoy.”

On The House

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