Dining

DINING FORCE OF NATURE

Cloth & Flame helps diners experience one-of-a-kind meals and spectacular events

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

Consider it a restaurant with the most spectacular view you will ever experience — even though it’s generally a one-and-done dinner.

We recently traveled to the base of the majestic Superstition Mountains, which is just one of the locations Cloth & Flame uses to create temporary venues and culinary experiences wherever they can be imagined. A Cloth & Flame experience allows guests and visitors to leave the hustle and bustle of the city or the stresses of the workplace to enjoy a chef-prepared meal among the saguaro, under the stars, on a rooftop or in the middle of an orange grove.

Imagine enjoying a meal at the rim of the Sonoita vineyards, watching a bunny hop past you as you delight in a delicious meal along Oak Creek or hearing the roar of the crowd coming from Chase Field as you dine in the middle of Central Avenue with 40 of your closest friends. Cloth & Flame makes all those experiences — and more — possible.

“The most logistically challenging event we’ve done was a corporate lunch at the base of the Grand Canyon,” says Matt Cooley, co-founder of Cloth & Flame. “We built a luxury restroom from scratch. We were not allowed to use glass or flames, and it had to be a zero-waste event. We worked with the Hualapai Tribe for seven months to make it happen, but it was unreal. It was a stunning event.”

Cloth & Flame doesn’t rely on simply the sensational settings to create a destination dining experience. The food served at a Cloth & Flame event exceeds anything you thought could emerge from a temporary kitchen. The culinary creations are elegant, elevated, exceptional and executed in a manner that defines fine dining.

But what really separates Cloth & Flame from every other dining experience of your dreams is that you can actually turn those fantasies into reality. From intimate chefdriven brunches, 300-person dinners in the desert, to team-building retreats, Cloth & Flame collaborates with clients to create exactly what they’re want.

If you’re looking for the most imaginative and inventive dining experience of your life, Cloth & Flame will give you exactly what you want.

3 WAYS TO EXPERIENCE IT

Cloth & Flame, which offers private farm-to-table dining experiences in Arizona’s most stunning locations, hosts three main types of events: Community dinners: Immersive and collaborative farm-to-table dinners in unexpected places, designed to foster community and conversations in a new way. Weddings: Cloth & Flame does inclusive full-service outdoor weddings. The beauty of a location-centric wedding is that each space is decided on and designed around the couple’s ideas, rather than the designated areas of an established venue. “Nobody wants a paint-by-number for their wedding day,” says Matt Cooley, co-founder of Cloth & Flame. “People love to create one-of-a-kind weddings and we are able to do that for them.” Corporate and private events: Remarkable and deeply customizable retreats and dining events, tailored to bucket-list wishes that the client might have or playing off a corporate brand. Information: clothandflame.com

MAGICAL MOMENTS: AZ Big Media, which publishes Az Business magazine, hosted a Cloth & Flame dinner at the base of the Superstition Mountains.

3603 East Indian School Road, Suite A, Phoenix

S.E. Corner of 36th St. & Indian School in the Gaslight Square Brunch Sat & Sun 9am - 3pm (Brunch Drink Specials) Dinner Wed - Fri 4pm - 9pm • Closed Mon & Tues

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HITTING NEW CULINARY HEIGHTS

Toca Madera redefines Scottsdale’s dining scene with a one-of-a-kind menu and environment

By MICHAEL GOSSIE

If Cirque Du Soleil was a restaurant, it would be Toca Madera.

When attendees walk out of a Cirque Du Soleil performance, you hear them utter three phrases: “Wow.” “That was amazing.” “I cannot wait to see that again.”

That’s exactly how you will feel when you walk out of Toca Madera after taking in what will undoubtedly be the most incredible meal you will ever experience.

There’s a lot to take in and absorb at Toca Madera.

The creators of Toca Madera have thoughtfully curated all the elements of the restaurant — including its visually stunning design — to elicit an unmatched sensory experience. There’s the bartenders who make Tom Cruise’s character in “Cocktail” look like an amateur. There’s the trumpet player hitting seductive notes as he walks between the tables. There’s the singer with a voice so mesmerizing that you feel like you stepped into a dream instead of a restaurant. And, of course, there are the fire dancers.

But it is a restaurant and when it comes to food, Toca Madera is in a category of its own. Toca Madera re-imagines traditional Mexican cuisine by taking a modern approach by pairing locally-sourced ingredients with bold flavors. But to categorize Toca Madera as a Mexican restaurant would be a disservice the the incredible creativity that makes Toca Madera a groundbreaker in Arizona’s culinary scene. Its menu is designed to offer an array of options for every eater — including the most delicious gluten-free options available in Arizona.

The great thing about Toca Madera is that you could close you eyes and point your finger at the menu and you will be served the most amazing dish of your life. Every dish is exceptional. That said, some cannot-miss dishes include: • The calamari frito ($18), tossed and battered in spicy jalapeño and cilantro and served with citrus avocado sauce, will make you want to order a second round, but save your belly space. • The baja-style poke ($20) will make you forget every poke bowl you have eaten previously. • The chef’s enchiladas ($30) with free-range chicken tinga, chipotle-dusted tofu (vegan), or exotic mushrooms (vegan) give vegans the most delicious vegan option in Arizona. And meatlovers will love the bold flavors packed into the chicken tinga. • The scallops amarillo ($35), pan-seared diver scallops served with ahi amarillo, salsa, chimichurri, and lime-roasted pepitas will make you think you are on the ocean’s edge. They are perfection.

And then there are the cocktails — which are shows unto themselves. Toca Madera;s signature farm-to-glass cocktails use only fresh, seasonal ingredients and its dynamic bar program offers a vast selection of the finest tequilas and mezcals, as well as a rotating selection of wines from across the globe.

Toca Madera is a marvelous mix of traditional dishes served with a modern twist in a one-of-a-kind environment. This is a cannot-miss culinary experience.

Toca Madera Scottsdale

Location: 4736 N. Goldwater Blvd., in Scottsdale Fashion Square Phone: 480-930-4357 Reservations: tocamadera.com, opentable.com