It’s not an understatement to say that more than a few people shed a tear when The Hideaway restaurant, a Sedona institution, shut its doors earlier this year. Lucky for us, the space received a major facelift, and this summer, Hideaway House with its “curious country Italian” menu made its debut (under different ownership). The double-decker restaurant features indoor and outdoor seating on both levels. The space is reminiscent of a European garden; the terraces boast forest-green walls, lush potted plants and iron lanterns. And of course, the restaurant showcases the views that made its predecessor famous: Snoopy Rock, Mitten Ridge, the Mogollon Rim and the banks of Oak Creek.
As for that curious country Italian menu, Hideaway House offers soups, salads, sandwiches, specialty pizzas, pastas and entrées such as Meatloaf Italiano and Brick Chicken. (It also has a killer happy hour from 2 to 6 p.m. daily.) The Bowtie Chicken Formaggio came highly recommended, so we decided to try it. The big bowl of pasta features roasted chicken, tangy sundried tomatoes, tender pancetta and fresh spinach tossed in a pesto cream sauce and served with a warm slice of cheesy garlic bread. This dish absolutely lived up to its reputation, and we appreciated that none of the flavors overpowered each other. Hideaway House also has a reputation for pizza, and we were surprised at how much we loved the Blanco Classico, a white pie topped with seasoned ricotta cheese, garlic, olive oil, fresh spinach and big slices of whole tomatoes. The pie was light and chewy, and one person could have easily devoured the 10-inch version, but we were saving room for dessert.
Hideaway House makes its desserts from scratch, so the selection changes regularly. Just in time for the holidays, try the Spiced Pumpkin Ricotta Pie, which is more like a cheesecake with its crumb crust. The pie wasn’t too sweet, and the pumpkin and ricotta complemented each other nicely. We also tried the mixed-berry cobbler, a definite crowd pleaser served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream. Both desserts arrived in small cast-iron pots – darling and delish. – Erika Ayn Finch. Photograph by Deb Weinkauff.
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