An Arizona-based food, beverage and travel writer since 2008, I launched this website in 2015 to document my culinary adventures, beverage escapades, gardening endeavors, and travel in the Phoenix area and beyond. Also find a comprehensive calendar of Phoenix-area food and drink-related events on my Events page.
Some restaurants just feel good the moment you step inside, and Chef John Collura's Cibo e Vino (Italian for "food and wine") is such a spot. Recently we were invited to dine, and as I walked past the roomy patio, outdoor bar (where I could picture myself enjoying an al fresco Negroni), and the cozy wood-lined dining room with glowing lights, it felt warm and welcoming.
Starting with a well-made Negroni, we chose some items from the menu, and Chef Collura surprised us with others.
Negroni
I'm partial to seafood and Chef Collura's menu had an excellent array of options, including sweet steamed clams with toasted bread to dip in the lemony white wine, shallot, and garlic broth, crispy calamari that was tender, well seasoned, and expertly fried, and Black Mountain Shrimp in a pool of buttery Creole sauce with plenty of garlic bread for dunking.
The pepperoni rolls are a guest favorite and it's easy to see why. We couldn't stop eating these addictive pizza dough rosettes stuffed with oozy cheese and spicy pepperoni. This is a serendipitous dish and Chef tells us how he came up with it when he planned to make pizza at a friend's house: "I took the dough, I took the cheese, and I forgot the marinara, and I said what am I going to do? So I roll the dough out, I put the garlic on it, the pepperoni and the cheese, rolled them up and baked them. I grabbed some ranch dressing to dip, and said, there you go, pepperoni rolls. And they were fabulous. " Yes they are. I'm looking forward to exploring the other options - spinach and sausage rolls - on our next visit.
I'm glad that Chef suggested we try one of his favorite dishes and you will be too. If you're a fan of braised short ribs, this is the one for you. The beef ribs are braised for four hours to fall-apart tender perfection, nestled in a bed of creamy four-cheese risotto, and napped with a rich port demi-glace. Homey and satisfying.
We've found since our move from Boston that it isn't as easy to find veal on Italian menus here in Arizona. That's no problem at Cibo e Vino, however. Here you'll find traditional Italian dishes such as veal parmigiana, veal piccata, and veal marsala. Chef kindly agreed to make my husband's request of breaded veal cutlets (instead of sauteed) while I ordered the classic veal francese - scallopine coated in a light egg batter. Both were embellished with a zesty white wine and lemon sauce with capers and prosciutto and served with fresh vegetables and pasta marinara or risotto.
Too full for dessert, but that's no problem. We'll be back soon. In our North Valley neighborhood, there are many chains but a restaurant such as Cibo e Vino, with its friendly, talented chef, comfortable atmosphere, reasonable prices, and a menu including homemade pasta (the duck ravioli will be on my order next time), is a rare find. Bonus? Great service (thank you Susan!) and Happy Hour specials too, including all day Sunday. We're looking forward to becoming regulars.
Any wine dinner held at acclaimed Ruth's Chris Steak House is guaranteed to be a great time, and this event held at the Scottsdale location was no exception. Award-winning Washington winery Chateau Ste. Michelle was the star, and Eric Hatch was on hand to represent Washington's oldest winery, located outside of Seattle. As he described the wines, he also talked about Washington's grape-growing industry. "Washington is one of the fastest growing wine regions, not only in the United States, but in the world. We have about 45,000 acres planted with grapes, and in the next 10 years they are planning on doubling that to 90,000 acres", he told us as MichelleBrut Rosé was poured to pair with the amuse of salmon tartare topped with salmon roe.
"This sparkling rosé is made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grown in the Columbia valley where they have a really cool growing area. It is made through 100% méthode champenoise, which is the traditional champagne method, and this is probably one of the more incredible values we have in our portfolio. It has a nice strawberry pop to it, great acidity, is refreshing and lends itself really well to the salmon."
Our next course paired Horse Heaven Hills Sauvignon Blanc with a fresh apple, haricot verts, and shrimp salad. "When most people think of Sauvignon Blanc, they think of the grapefruity New Zealand style. Personally, I prefer the Washington Sauvignon Blanc. It’s unique because 60% of it is stainless steel fermented, which gives it a nice racy acidity, and 40% of it is barrel aged in neutral oak barrels. It almost drinks like chardonnay but it has a lot more acidity to it, a little bit more Bordeaux-like in style, and incredibly pairable with food."
As our third course - wild mushroom ragout - was set before us, Eric asked if there were any in the room who were not fans of merlot. As a few raised their hands, he promised that Northstar Merlot would convert them. Did it work? The non-merlot drinker at our table was the first to finish his glass. Eric explained why - "I like to call it a Cab-drinker’s Merlot. Merlots tends to be the more predominant grape in Washington whereas Cabernet is the driving force in Napa and Sonoma. Merlot thrives because we have 2 hours more of sunlight in eastern Washington, a longer growing day. It can also get hot in Washington during the summertime and as soon as that sun goes down, it cools off fast. The cool temperatures stop the ripening process and then it starts over the next day. The significance of that is you get these big, jammy, power-packed grapes.”
We had a special treat to pair with Ruth's Chris' signature filet served in sizzling butter and topped with a delicious bacon-shallot-coffee jam - the 2010 Artist Series Meritage. "One of my absolute favorite wines that I rarely get to enjoy is our Artist Series, which is at the top of our tier. It's our first wine we make every year and it gets the utmost personal attention; the crème de la crème of what we make. It's a Bordeaux-style blend, primarily Cabernet. The bottles change every year with a different artist. Tonight is the 2010 vintage, with a label designed by a gentleman named Ben Darby. We only make about 2000 cases of it and the fact that we are getting to drink this tonight is pretty darn cool. Thank you to the folks at Ruth's Chris for thinking this is a great idea, which I highly endorse because this sells out quickly."
Chateau Ste. Michelle is well-known for their Riesling, so their Harvest Select Sweet Rieslingwas the natural partner for a decadent finale of almond cake with strawberries and whipped cream. Eric explains, "This Harvest Select has more residual sugar, which makes it a perfect dessert wine", and we all agree.
To keep up to date with Ruth's Chris Steak House Scottsdale's wine dinners, visit the Event Calendar.
I was hosted by Ruth's Chris Steak House and this dinner was complimentary.
New-Groni (Bulldog Gin, vermouth bianco, infused Aperol, and orange bitters) with a complimentary snack plate.
Taggia's new Aperitivo Hour launched Monday, October 5th. It's a fantastic idea. A longstanding custom in Italy, sipping on an aperitivo accompanied by Italian bites is believed to open your palate and stimulate your appetite for dinner. Taggia brings this European tradition of socializing with friends and family over cocktails and small plates to Phoenix. From 4-6 pm daily, each order off the new Moderno Italiano cocktail list or beer or wine will be accompanied by Chef's complimentary snack plate. Meet your friends, enjoy drinks in the Lobby Bar of the beautiful Kimpton FireSky Resort, share some nibbles, and stay for dinner.
The Godfather (Amaretto and Glenlivet 12-year)
Chef Massimo de Francesca explains:. "Aperitivo is before dinner, before supper, before a meal. In Italy, once people finish work, they have their aperitivos in the hours between lunch and dinner. Because we’re an Italian restaurant, I wanted to stay true to that style, that way of life, that way of eating."
Soppressata, caponata on avocado toast, piave cheese, and Marcona almonds
"Any of the specialty cocktails from the list crafted by Stephanie Teslar will be paired with complimentary Italian bites. One plate per person per drink. I want people to come in with their friends - everybody orders a cocktail, and everybody gets a plate."
Crostini with marinated cherry tomato salad and house-smoked goat cheese, prosciutto flatbread, olives, and pickled lupini beans.
"Although tonight I've given you variations, I plan on doing one plate every week for consistency. Of course, I can work with dietary restrictions. If someone doesn't eat meat, we’ll maybe do extra cheese or something like that. Allergic to nuts, no problem. Most of the bites are gluten-free so we can do that too. If we have advance notice of a big group, we can mix and match and change up the plates."
Pizzetta, salumini, and gorgonzola dolce with honey.
"This isn't common in North America. Most people think of Happy Hour with sliders and fries. The idea is to have something different with quality ingredients. That’s my philosophy - to promote our cocktail program, encourage socializing, and eat the Italian way."
Flatbread with olives, almonds, and Caprese.
Want to learn more about Chef Massimo and his fantastic menu at Taggia? Click this link for my interview.
In August, The Market Restaurant + Bar launched their first Wine Maker's Series, with four dates planned for multi-course wine dinners hosted by a featured wine maker for $85 per person. On September 23rd, I was a guest at the Kivelstadt Cellars wine dinner led by the funny and entertaining Jordan Kivelstadt, founder and winemaker. His goal is to produce approachable, affordable wines, "small lots of unique wines that challenge the conceptions of the 'California Style'. We’re not your typical winery and we certainly don’t want to be. Although we offer classic wines like our Estate Syrah, we also push the envelope with skin fermented whites such as our Orange Wine. We want our family of wines to be as eclectic as the people who make them." The creative menu that Chef Jennifer Russo created displayed this same philosophy and as we were seated, I read it over with anticipation.
Our evening started with Twice Removedrosé, made in the European style from whole cluster pressed Mourvèdre grapes. "This rosé is driven by a savory minerality that is unlike many of its domestic counterparts" read its description and it paired wonderfully with both the amuse and the first course.
Our amuse bouche was a creamy pate of Spanish anchovy with a hint of fresh nutmeg and bright lemon zest with house crackers. Simple but savory, this was one of my favorite pairings of the evening. Quoting my tablemates: "I love these perfect bites, they just make you want more." There were similar praises for our first course. Salade Niçoise is a classic accompaniement for Provencal rosé, and was the inspiration for this delicious melange of ahi tuna, fried quail egg, haricot vert, piquillo pepper, new potatoes, and tomato dressed with a white balsamic vinaigrette and a sprinkle of GoLBSalt Hawaiian Black sea salt.
Introducing the second-course wine, Justin calls The Family Secret an homage to old world-style Sauvignon Blancs. "I pick early, about 2-3 weeks ahead of everyone else to create this Sauvignon Blanc with more minerality as opposed to tropical fruit. To give it some depth and texture, I barrel ferment half of it. So half goes into neutral French oak and half into stainless steel, and then I blend the two back together. " He tells an amusing anecdote about finding a vineyard for his grapes through George MacLeod of Indian Springs Ranch. "When I first met him in the vineyard, he greeted me with 'Jordan, do you want to see your plot?' And then he takes off on his ATV. I literally ran after him for a quarter of a mile. His response when I caught up? 'I get the ATV because I'm 81 and you’re not.'"
This was paired with tender golden-crumbed veal scallopini served with paprika sauce, watercress, grapefruit and capers.
I was looking forward to the third course and the Orange Wine. I've been a fan ever since friends introduced me to this ancient style of wine (it was a Gravner Breg Anfora from their collection). Orange Wine is not made from oranges; it's a white wine whose name comes from the orange hue imparted from prolonged maceration with the skins and seeds. For Wayward Son, Jordan uses co-fermented Viognier, Roussanne, Vermentino and Picpoule Blanc grapes. "I only ferment for about 9 days on the skin and then I press it off and let it go through secondary fermenting in old French oak barrels. It's a white wine with tannins and the aromatics are truly unique." And the name? "Wayward Son is named after me. I was a management consultant in a prior life and my parents told me I was crazy to quit and become a winemaker. When I told them I wanted to make orange wine, they said I was even crazier." Enjoyed with a moist and flavorful salmon burger topped with sauce gribiche and micro arugula, this was another favorite pairing of the night.
As Jordan introduces The Inheritance, a cool-climate 100% organically grown Estate Syrah, he tells us, "I called this one my baby...until I got married and really did have a baby. It spends 18 months in French oak and a year in the bottle. I passionately love this wine, and we make only about 200 cases." We're told every bottle is hand-dipped in wax as he jokingly tries to recruit help for next year (he'll pay volunteers in wine). Our fourth course paired this with a rich duck confit and chanterelle mushroom risotto.
Father's Watch (Syrah, Mourvedre, 140-year-old-vine Carignane, and Grenache) has a touching story behind the label. "My dad gave me a beautiful 1942 Vacheron Constantin watch on my wedding day. He tells me, this is your grandfather’s watch and he would really love you to have it. And then he turns it over. On the back of the watch, it was inscribed Arnold and Claire, their names. My wife's name is also Claire. so this wine is named after my grandfather’s watch and it comes with an amazing story." This Rhone-style blend was a perfect partner for juicy lamb chops embellished with mint pesto and red wine reduction.
Our sweet finale to this feast was a Mexican dessert trio of camote enmielado (candied sweet potato), churros with Oaxacan chocolate sauce, and horchata sorbet. We indulged in this final course as we decided which wines to purchase to take home, offered at a discount as a nice bonus.
Interested in the upcoming Wine Maker's Series? Make a reservation for November 12th's wine dinner with Mas de Daumas Gassac. Visit this link for more details.
I didn't just come home with wine, though. I did some shopping at The Market - fresh chicken and duck eggs, local Go Lb Salt herb bacon and truffle salt, and Arizona dates.
I was hosted by The Market by Jennifer's and our dinner was complimentary.
