Food Lovers' Guide to® Phoenix & Scottsdale by Katarina Kovacevic

Author:Katarina Kovacevic
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780762776023
Publisher: Globe Pequot

Talavera, 10600 E. Crescent Moon Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85262; (480) 513-5085; www.fourseasons.com/scottsdale; Steakhouse; $$$. Set high in the foothills of Pinnacle Peak in north Scottsdale, Talavera is a AAA Four-Diamond restaurant in the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North. Its steakhouse menu focuses on locally and regionally sourced ingredients, emphasizing prime cuts of meat, poultry, and game from boutique purveyors as well as a wide variety of seafood. Executive Chef Mel Mecinas—whom you’re likely to see around the restaurant, greeting guests by name—is a 13-year veteran of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and was one of seven chefs to create a course for the 90th birthday celebration of renowned culinary personality Julia Child. The best time to visit Talavera is for dinner, arriving a few minutes before sunset so you can catch the shades of purple, orange, and yellow as they melt over the Sonoran Desert landscape. It’s like a watercolor painting brought to life, a scheme that translates into the restaurant’s dining room decor where the focal point is a glass-framed fire element that melds indoor and outdoor dining areas into one cohesive space. Appetizers at Talavera are broken into “warm” and “chilled” categories with items like foie gras (in a cupcake form with a foie gras buttercream and kumquat chutney!) and crab and ahi tuna ceviche. For the main course, choose from Maine lobster, prime steaks, seafood like swordfish and sustainable prawns, and more. Side dishes are ordered a la carte for the table. I’ve never had a bad one but some favorites include the mixed mushrooms, cheesy gruyère mashed potatoes, and brussels sprouts with fresh beets. Stick around after dinner for complimentary stargazing sessions on Talavera’s outdoor patio.

Tapas Papa Frita, 7114 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85251; (480) 699-5004; www.tapaspapafrita.com; Spanish Tapas; $$$. Tapas Papa Frita in downtown Scottsdale is a concept revived by owner Joseph Gutierrez after two cycles in the 1990s. Local dining critic Howard Seftel has called its food the “most ambitiously Spanish” of the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale collection because of its authentic plates like braised oxtail in wine-paprika sauce and snails glazed with sherry vinegar. The list of 50 or so menu items has a series of more accessible options, too, so Tapas Papa Frita is the type of place that will satisfy a wide spectrum of palates with plates like the crab-stuffed piquillo peppers and crispy artichoke hearts. Obviously, tapas are the main draw here but entree-sized portions of paella are worth exploring, particularly the Catalan specialty arros negre, with squid, shrimp, and crab over rice. There’s also a selection of seafood stews, fish, and steak. Tapas Papa Frita’s red and white archways, Joan Miró–inspired art, and live flamenco entertainment will make you feel like you’re smack in the middle of Andalusian Spain. The wide selection of Spanish wines (from Tempranillo to Airén and everything in between) doesn’t hurt, either.

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