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WELCOME BACK Arizona Restaurant Week highlights a suffering industry

Annika Tomlin >> The Entertainer! T he COVID-19 pandemic nearly decimated the food and beverage industry. The biannual event held to celebrate local eateries, Arizona Restaurant Week, was replaced in the spring by Arizona Take Out Week.

Following CDC guidelines, Arizona Restaurant Week has been rescheduled for Friday, June 19, to Sunday, June 28, and officials are hoping it’ll bolster the suffering industry.

“We are so grateful for the support of our local dining community in the weeks that followed restaurant closures in March,” says Arizona Restaurant Association president and CEO Steve Chucri. “As Arizona Restaurant Week returns in a modified format to include dine-in, takeout and liquor-to-go options, we are hopeful that our wonderful community of food enthusiasts will continue to show their support in any way they feel comfortable.”

The Arizona Restaurant Association is anticipating more than 200 of the Valley’s most beloved restaurants—from five-star dining establishments to locally owned and operated “mom-and-pop” hidden gems—to get involved.

Restaurants will offer innovative and adventurous three-course, prix-fixe menus for $33 or $44 per person or per couple. Wine pairings will be offered at an additional cost.

Some of the new restaurants joining this June include The Dressing Room, The House Brasserie, Josephine, Meritage Urban Tavern, Sel, Stonegrill, and Tuck Shop Kitchen and Bar.

One of the returning restaurants is The Market by Jennifer’s Restaurant and Bar helmed by owner and chef Jennifer Russo. Her restaurant takes a “very fun, upbeat” approach on classic meals that gives them a modernized twist.

“We have been a part of the Arizona Restaurant Week since we started, so for six years,” Russo says.

Russo founded her catering business decades before she finally “broke down a little bit” and opened up a fully operational restaurant as well.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” Russo says. “Now it’s done really well.”

In 2018 the ARA gave Russo the best catering in Arizona award.

Russo is excited to once again be a part of the event that shows off restaurants going into the new season and gives the public an opportunity to try out new menu items.

“Because we switch our menus twice a year, it really gives us that fun ability to test things out for some people and then we’re excited about their feedback,” Russo says. “Then we tweak it in the way that is needed; that’s my favorite part about the restaurant week.”

Russo will feature menu items like corn purée soup, house-smoked salmon, beef tenderloin and a vegetarian dish.

“I always like to do something a little bit different with a protein—we always have filet,” Russo says. “I’ll do a different type of beef, not just because of the price point but because it opens people’s eyes up to be a little bit more adventurous.”

Additional returning restaurants include Buck & Rider, El Chorro, Pasta Brioni, Arrowhead Grill and Urban Margarita.

Diners can see a complete list of the participating restaurants and the menus at arizonarestaurantweek.com.

Fall Arizona Restaurant Week is set for Friday, September 18, to Sunday, September 27.

Arizona Restaurant Week

Various locations, Friday, June 19, to Sunday, June 28, arizonarestaurantweek.com

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 27

FOOD AS THERAPY

Glendale merchants ask, ‘What’s Cookin’?’

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski >> The Entertainer! L orraine Zomok sees baking and cooking as therapy. When she was being treated for head and neck cancer, she wrapped herself in the warmth of cooking shows. Th roughout the pandemic, meticulously making meals got her through the day.

“Because of my particular cancer, I lost my ability to taste and my ability to swallow,” says Zomok, who is now cancer free after chemotherapy and radiation. “I’m still struggling, but I will prevail. Although I am unable to taste and enjoy food, I can absolutely enjoy the process of baking and cooking and seeing those who enjoy the food around me warms my heart.”

Th e pandemic also inspired Zomok and the Historic Downtown Glendale Merchants Association to collect recipes for its “What’s Cookin’?” series. Th ey’re looking for recipes from Downtown Glendale business owners, “treasured” customers and fans of the city to submit for its website and social media platforms.

“During these unique times, we are all reconnecting with our kitchens and rediscovering our family’s favorite recipes. We are excited to share our recipes with the community,” says Zomok, who is the association president and the owner of Memory Lane Trinkets and Treasures.

Recipes will be featured on the Historic Downtown Glendale Merchants Association Facebook, facebook.com/historicglendale, and Instagram, @historicdowntownglendale. Recipes can also be viewed and downloaded on Downtown’s website at visitdowntownglendale.com.

New recipes are being added regularly. To participate, email info@ visitdowntownglendale.com. Some of the featured recipes include chicken taquitos from Pastor Kim Gladding at the First United Methodist Church of Glendale; the Spicery rolls from the Spicery in Our 1895 Home; and easy summer pie from Nancy Houck, Historic Glendale Downtown docents.

“When our Historic Downtown Glendale Merchants Association cooked up this idea, we realized it was not only going to be a fun activity but one that was social.

“It’s an opportunity to share recipes to a large audience on social media and the website. It’s really soothing and comforting and a way for us to really be connected through food. Even though we don’t have the opportunity to sit across tables at our favorite restaurants, we can still through social media.”

Zomok’s recipe is the easy taco salad, one of her family’s favorite dishes,

“It’s something I’ve been making for nearly 40 years,” she says. “My children ate it once a week when they were little. It’s inexpensive to make and customizable. Th e kids could add as many ingredients as they liked. Th ey could spice it up and I could involve the family in the assembly process. Th at’s what I remember most about when the kids were little.

“If they wanted cheese, OK. No olives? Th at’s OK, too. We had a lot of laughs when they’d say, ‘Taco salad again?’ Th ey’d say that with a twinkle in their eye. My precious daughter-in-law is making it for my grandchildren. It’s standing the test of time.”

Easy Taco Salad

SAMPLE RECIPES

Th e Historic Downtown Glendale Merchants Association is collecting recipes for its “What’s Cookin’?” series. Here are a few highlights from the series.

No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread (makes 1 loaf) Ingredients:

- 3 cups all-purpose fl our - 2 teaspoons kosher salt (not table salt) - 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast (active dry or highly active dry work best) - 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water - Special cookware needed: Dutch oven or any large oven-safe dish/bowl and lid. Or deep dish covered with tin foil. * Dough will bubble up and rise.

After dough is ready, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place your Dutch oven, uncovered, into the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

While your Dutch oven preheats, turn dough onto a well-fl oured surface. With fl oured hands, form the dough into a ball. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap and let rest.

After the 30 minutes are up, carefully remove Dutch oven. With fl oured hands, place the bread Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together the fl our, salt and yeast. Stir in water using a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a shaggy but cohesive dough. Do not overwork the dough. The less you “work” it, the more soft, fl uffy air pockets will form.

Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough sit at room temperature for eight to 24 hours*. dough into it. (You can put a piece of parchment under the dough if your Dutch oven isn’t enamel coated.)

Replace cover and bake for 30 minutes covered. Carefully remove cover and bake for 7 to 15 minutes* more, uncovered.

Carefully remove bread to a cutting board and slice with a bread knife. The No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread recipe is from Danica Coral at Pink House Boutique, 7009 N. 58th Avenue, Glendale, pinkhouseboutique.com.

Easy Taco Salad

Ingredients: - Salt and pepper to taste - 1 bag tortilla chips - 1 pound ground beef - 1 can whole kernel corn - 1 can refried beans - 1 tomato (diced) - 1 bag of salad lettuce, or 1/2 head of lettuce (shredded) - Shredded cheese - Black olives (1/2 can) - Sour cream - Salsa Directions:

Brown ground beef and drain off any excess fat. Add in corn to heat through. Heat refried beans in a separate pan.

In a large bowl, toss shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, diced tomato, tortilla chips (trying not to break too many) and black olives. Add in the ground beef/corn mixture. Garnish with sour cream and salsa to the side. Serves 4. Serve refried beans on the side. Easy Taco Salad recipe is from Lorraine Zomok, Memory Lane Trinkets and Treasures, 5836 W. Palmaire Avenue, Glendale, memorylanetrinketsandtreasures.com.

28 UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC

A TRUE VISIONARY

Chef Marcellino Verzino brings the flavor to Old Town

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski >> The Entertainer! S ima Verzino calls her husband, Chef Marcellino Verzino, a “visionary.”

That relates to the creative dishes at Marcellino Ristorante in Old Town Scottsdale and his thoughts for the restaurant, which was temporarily closed for a month due to the pandemic.

“We were so blessed to have celebrated our 16th year in Arizona in the fall, and we had been thinking about remodeling even before the pandemic started,” Sima says.

“When we closed the restaurant temporarily, Chef pushed the project up and began working around the clock. While most people know him as an award-winning chef, he is also a skilled craftsman and quite the visionary. He’s doing much of the work himself together with his dear friend Rafi, owner of HRH Contracting. The dining room has been expanded to include a brand-new look to Chef’s Private Dining Room and, consequently, now allows for better social distancing measures. New décor will include a 6-foot waterfall window and new glass front door. In addition, for those who wish to dine outside, we’ll have tables set up on both patios.”

The televisions in the private dining room, Sima says, are perfect for presentations. The sliding glass doors that separate the private dining room from the rest of the building are “gorgeous,” she adds, and framed in wood.

The Verzinos have been impressed with the guests who have returned to Marcellino. The couple didn’t space tables apart. Instead, tables with gold tablecloths are for guests. Those covered with burgundy cloths are off limits. They trained their staff to do what they need to do to keep people safe.

“We had a slew of guests,” she says. “They’ve been so supportive and so loving. It’s the most incredible feeling to see people so happy. We’re blown away by it. We were filled to capacity, considering the table distances. Every table we had available was filled on the dining room, the private room and patio.

“In the private room, what Chef did with that super large table was he created six two tops. You can dine any night you want in the private room.”

During the pandemic, the Verzinos didn’t have to limit their menu, as their items were available.

“There was no problem with him getting all the fresh food he needed,” she says. “Chef ordered a lot of fresh seafood, which is flown in overnight.”

The diners who have visited the restaurant trust the Verzinos to keep them safe, Sima adds.

“The fact that we’re independent and chef-owned, people have a lot of faith in Chef and me,” she says. “They already know how clean our restaurant was from the getgo. We’re always disinfecting and cleaning. We created the solution that we spray down

the chairs with. That’s the only extra thing we had to do. Guests are not worried one bit about coming to the restaurant.”

The couple will celebrate Father’s Day this year with specials from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, June 21. Takeout is available as well.

Patrons can arrange for dad to receive a special Topgolf gift card presented to him during dessert. Marcellino Ristorante will do the shopping for the gift card, which provides one hour at the driving range. The cost for the gift card is $30, and reservations must be made by Friday, June 19.

Traditional offerings include Chef’s daily, hand-crafted pastas such as his well-loved tortelloni (large pasta pockets filled with a puree of filet mignon and sautéed vegetables with a hearty tomato sauce); Mediterranean seafood that include dishes of scallops, shrimp, mussels and fresh fish of the day; as well as grilled lamb chops, filet mignon, pork tenderloin, veal and chicken.

Chef’s many daily specials are orated table-side, and their elite team of professional European-style service team guides all through the “Marcellino Experience,” which includes suggestions on the perfect wine pairings.

Desserts include chocolate mousse, panna cotta, apple galleta, tiramisu, ricotta cheesecake and gelato. Fathers can also enjoy a complimentary dessert of creamy tiramisu, which features espresso drenched savoiardi, layered with mascarpone cream and dusted with unsweetened cocoa.

Like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day at Marcellino Ristorante provides a special children’s menu. The specially priced dishes for children include gnocchi sorrentina, light potato/pasta orbs in tomato sauce with melted mozzarella bits for $14; paccatelli, short, toothsome pasta in a hearty tomato and sausage ragu or with butter and parmigiano for $13; and grilled chicken breast with his creamy mashed potatoes for $13.

Marcellino Ristorante

7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, 480.990.9500, marcellinoristorante.com