Lamb Roast at The Willows Kitchen & Wine Bar at Poco Diablo Resort
Christoper Medina, the executive chef at Sedona’s Poco Diablo Resort, selected the Lamb Roast at The Willows Kitchen & Wine as the resort restaurant’s signature dish. The Lamb Roast is organic and farm-raised that’s grilled with rosemary and served with garlic smashed potatoes, spring squash and garlic aioli. His reasoning? Guests love it. “The lamb dish since we opened has quickly become one of the favorite dishes on the menu with our locals as well as our resort guests. The flavors really work well together, and the dish pairs well with a wide variety of our old world, new world or even Arizona red wines on our list,” says Christopher.
Smoked Sedona Trout at The Table at Junipine Resort
Executive Chef Brett Vibber of The Table at Junipine Resort in Sedona’s Oak Creek Canyon seeks to tell the story of Arizona via food. Brett frequently incorporates foraged and wild foods from the Grand Canyon State. One prime example of this is the Smoked Sedona Trout. The rainbow trout is caught fresh every morning. The Table is the only restaurant this purveyor currently sells to. The dish also comes with a Tepary bean cassoulet with Navajo steam corn and local squash, wild onion chimichurri, Oak Creek watercress and garden flowers. The ingredients are all truly local. “The Tepary beans are raised on the Tohono nation. The squash is grown by various Navajo farms. We forage the watercress each afternoon. The chimichurri is made of preserved wild onion, mint and garlic that grows on our property. The flower pots line our patio for beauty and garnish,” says Brett.
Snapper Filet Zarandeado at Mole Comida
Located in Sedona’s South of the “Y” neighborhood, Mole Comida is led by Chef Roberto Madrid and restauranteur Heinrich Stasiuk. Mole serves Mexican fare that is crafted using traditional recipes with modern techniques. One example of that execution is the restaurant’s Snapper Filet Zarandeado. Zarandeado is a grilling method that originated in Mexico’s Nayarit state. After the snapper filet is cooked, it’s basted with a smoky achiote sauce – imparting a smoky and slightly spicy flavor. The snapper is served with a zesty garlic mojo sauce that adds a tangy, garlicky kick to every bite. The sauce adds brightness and acidity that strives to balance out the dish. To top it all off, the snapper comes with a side of pickled onions and chile habanero tatemado, both provide a fiery and slightly sweet note. Although there are many ways to define Sedona cuisine and the area’s signature dishes, here’s how Chef Roberto choose to do so: “While Sedona has a diverse and vibrant culinary scene that offers every type of food, I would consider it to mostly be known for its Southwestern flair – blending Native American, Mexican and cowboy-style cooking,” he says. “The Snapper Filet Zarandeado is a seafood dish that gets the Sedona-Mexican flair added to it with the ingredients I’ve chosen and put together.”
Merkin Mac & Cheese at Merkin Vineyards Tasting Room & Osteria
The pink-hued Merkin Mac & Cheese at Merkin Vineyards & Osteria in downtown Cottonwood is perhaps one of its best known (and certainly most colorful) dishes. The chef and owner wanted to put an Arizona take on this classic all-American dish. They came up with a prickly pear infused pasta tossed with a pancetta-mascarpone cream sauce. The entire dish is finished with a dusting of beet powder. The overall approach to this dish? Keep it simple and local. “MJ Keenan, our owner, and I put our heads together to come up with this twist on mac and cheese,” says Chef Chris Smith. “The very first time we made this, we foraged prickly pear fruit from Jerome. We wanted a dish that brought in the local flavor to a traditional dish. It has a little sweetness to it, due to the fruit of the prickly pear, but the mascarpone, cream and pancetta balance out that sweetness. We keep everything simple.”
Grilled Oysters at Atria
Helmed by Chef Rochelle Daniel (formerly of L’Auberge de Sedona), Flagstaff’s noteworthy Atria shines with its contemporary setting and fresh, American fare that’s heavily influenced by Arizona. Although oysters are obviously not found in Arizona, the ingredients Chef Rochelle uses to flavor them are decidedly Southwestern. Here’s why she choose this as her signature dish: “It’s a modern version of a classic dish, and it’s very much ingredient-driven,” says Rochelle. “Starting with the freshest oysters we can find, we add spice with chorizo and crisp citrus, both of which are classic Arizona ingredients. Plus, this dish is always on our menu, but it changes with the season or even the week depending on what fresh oysters we find and the seasonality of the ingredients we top it with.” She says the dish is representative of Arizona because it’s blend of many different types of cuisines. “Combining multiple food cultures to create a delicious new dish is a timeless Northern Arizona tradition. Starting with the indigenous peoples to the Mexican American influences, to citrus being one of Arizona’s Five Cs, Northern Arizona has always been a melting pot of different food cultures,” she says.
Brie Soup at Creeskside American Bistro
The Brie Soup at Chef Mercer Mohr’s Creekside American Bistro – known for its location that’s right by Oak Creek and American fare – started off as a sauce he whipped up for banquets and catering. He used it in several chicken dishes before deciding to put it permanently on the menu as a soup. The reason why? His staff couldn’t get enough. “Every time I would make the sauce, the kitchen associates would dip French baguettes and eat it all up before I could strain the sauce for the party. The brie sauce became ‘Brie Soup’ in 2008 at Creekside, and it has been on the menu ever since,” Mercer says.
New Zealand Elk Chop at SaltRock Southwest Kitchen
SaltRock Southwest Kitchen’s Executive Chef David Duncan developed a love for wild game growing up hunting in Northern Arizona. His Elk Chop dish at Uptown Sedona’s Amara Resort and Spa’s signature restaurant is very much a reflection of his deep local roots. The grass-fed New Zealand elk rack is crusted in coriander, cumin, achiote and other spices, then grilled to a medium rare. The chops are served with a summer squash hash and haricot verts and topped with a veal demi-glace that’s infused with blackberry puree. “Elk itself is rich, which allows it to take on some really contrasting flavors. The natural vegetation for these animals to graze on is juniper and pine along with wild grass, and you get all of that in their meat naturally,” says David. “When I was growing up, I would find wild blackberries and raspberries by my house, and it brought back a bit of nostalgia to incorporate that into this dish, a beautiful fruit that has an earthy sweetness to it without being too sweet. The butternut squash hash continues the trend of locally grown Arizona ingredients that just pair so well together. I believe that this dish is truly Arizona on a plate with its colors and textures, and we are very proud of it here at SaltRock.”
Handmade Empanadas at Mariposa
Chef Lisa Dahl’s Mariposa in West Sedona is well known for its red rock views, expansive outdoor patio, craft cocktails and cuisine that’s influenced by Latin America. For her restaurant’s signature dish, Lisa selected the handmade empanadas on the tapas section of the menu. Each order comes with three empanadas. They can be filled with choice of portobello mushroom, filet or beef or a wild card option. Like much of Mariposa’s menu, the empanadas are inspired by her travels. “I fell in love with empanadas in Argentina years ago,” says Lisa. “The little crusts are an ideal canvas for just about anything you can imagine to stuff inside. So master the dough and the fold – then let your imagination run wild. I know you will love these mouthwatering pockets of pleasure with chimichurri.”
Smoked Pork Cheeks at Elote Café
Chef Jeff Smedstad’s Elote Café in Uptown Sedona is renowned for for its dynamic Mexican cuisine. Although his fire roasted corn elote appetizer is easily one of the restaurant’s most noteworthy and popular dishes (and not to mention in the name of the restaurant), so are the smoked pork cheeks. These all natural pork cheeks are braised and served with cascabel chile sauce and grandma’s corn cake. The entire dish is finished with a white buttermilk cumin drizzle for an aesthetically appealing finish. Like all of Jeff’s dishes, the smoked pork cheeks are influenced by his extensive travels throughout Mexico. He visits frequently and tries many different dishes. “Jeff continues to travel to Mexico for inspiration and because he loves the culture, and of course, the food,” says Juan Rojas, the general manager of Elote Café. “His dishes are always evolving as he is always here and very hands on in his kitchen,” says Juan. “So as far as him coming up with these dishes and how it was developed? They’re his own ideas/recipes and honestly, just food he loves to eat!”
