Telluride: 5 reasons to Bi-Pass Snowbowl and Sunrise

The Town of Telluride

It's 100 degrees at noon in Scottsdale...and rising to 109 by 6pm.  I'm choosing to think more pleasant (and cooler thoughts) today.  Telluride!!!  Door to Door Snowbowl is 165 Miles away(never been),  Sunrise is 213 miles away (been once...never again), Telluride is 478 miles away(winning).  Why, you may ask, would I be suggesting you drive 7 hours instead of 2 or 4?? Because, "when you have had a taste of excellence, you cannot go back to mediocrity." -Maximillian Degenerez. Telluride = Excellence.  Here are 5 reasons why the drive is worth it:


Bon Vivant:

Bon Vivant at Telluride

Open Air dining mid mountain.  Open only on "bluebird" days this (accessible only by ski or board) is THE namesake and inspiration for THIS blog.  Epic views, solid wine list and fantastic food.  Boar Sausage Cassoulete , Short Rib Mac and Cheese...I mean DAMN!!  When it is open, THIS is where we eat mid day PERIOD.


Alpino Vino:

Alpino Vino

Where else can you have a Four Cheese Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, at 12,000 feet, for the low low price of $27!?  Yup..worth every penny!  They do a killer tasting menu dinner here on the weekends where they bring you up on a snow coach! 

Snow Cat Dinner at Alpino Vino

Gorono's Ranch:

Gorron's Ranch

Here's the play: hit the mountain at 10, lunch at 1, Gorrono's at 3...until they throw you the hell out!  This mid mountain hot spot (literally) enjoys late afternoon sun like no other place on earth.  Grab a Ranger IPA and a chili dog and Apreś Ski in the sun.  If I  had to pick one place to flex, post gnar shredding, for the rest of my life it would be HERE!  NO QUESTION!

There Bar:

There Bar

Where? THERE!  Ramen Bowl's, Steamed Pork Buns, Crispy Bussel Sprouts??  Yup! It's-About-to-Go-Down!. Run by a bunch of Ex-NYC food snobs this place is fantastic!  

The Mountain:

G Hiking into Black Iron Bowl

My wife has been skiing 4 years.  No ski area, anywhere has provided her opportunity to grow the way Telluride has.  The range, pitch and variety of terrain will challenge the best skier and mold the beginner like none other.  If you want long cruisers  telluride has it. If you want steeps and trees telluride has it.  It will entrain you.  It will teach you.  I defy you not to love it.

Sun Breaking thorough the Clouds on Chair 9

The food, apreś ski options and the skiing make the drive to Telluride well worth it.  We love Vail, Aspen and Park City but Telluride has our hearts.  I have a TON more to write about Telluride as we visit a lot.  If you haven't been, make it happen this winter!  Hell, summers there are nothing to sneeze at either.

Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay

About Last Night...Virtu - Honest Craft

We'd planned to have a "chill night" at home but a work friend suggested, "Hey, I've never been to that Virtu place.  Wanna go!?"  Twist my arm, why don't yuh!?  We've visited Virtu on multiple occasions since it opened about a year ago.  We are fans. No arm twisting needed. Written up locally and nationally, Virtu has been a welcome addition to the Phoenix food scene.

from Esquire Magazine 

If you are NOT STARVING, I am NOT the guy you want to eat with because I pretty much want (and order) one of everything.   Tonight though, I relinquished control entirely (except for the wine...let's not get nuts!) and let the other three in our foursome order.  No one ordered my fave..the octopus.  Almost sat at another table by my damn self!  

Grilled Octopus

Meal was solid, as per usual.  Actually kind of fun to let other people make all the (non wine) decisions.  Here are some highlights:

Monkey Shoulder Scotch Blend

Fun blended Scotch (enjoyed neat...always) suggested by server.  New to me and excellent.  Started kind of like Johnnie Gold but fished with more honey notes.  I will be adding this to my collection.  

pork rillette, things pickled,  ate de membrillo, caper berries,  toast 

This was essentially a pork patte and a bunch of things pickled, most important of which were cherries.   Excellent!  We re-uped on toast multiple times to make sure all of the pork rillette got GOT!  

Duck Spagatini

Buttery, crispy duck bits, pasta goodness. The perfect amount.  Anymore and they would need to throw in a free cardiac cath.  

2010 Ladera Reserve Cab 

2009 was Ridicu-Good. 2010 was still super solid. Howell Mountain Cabs are among my favorite reds on the planet.

Zeppole with Strawberry Cognac and Nutella 

If you don't like donuts we cannot be friends...CAN-NOT. Italian for donuts, these zeppole were light, airy, confections which were just sweet enough. Add in a little strawberry cognac and 'ish-just-got-real!

Chocolate Sticky Toffe Pudding and Marscapone Gelato

Possibly the best thing on the table last night.  Every bite was moist and bursting with flavor.  Paired flawlessly with the marscapone gelato. Big big hit!

Virtu, thanks for reppin' phoenix CORRECT!  We will see you again soon!

Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay

The Tasting Menu: Food Elevated to Art

Sweet-Butter-Poached Maine Lobster at The French Laundry

The French call it Degustation.  The Japanese call it Omakase.  In 'merica we call it The Tasting Menu. If ala carte dining (order what YOU want) is a $10 caricature artist in Old Town Scottsdale The Tasting Menu is Chef's Piccaso.  In the same way as when you go to a museum or a concert you DO NOT dictate what the artist does, when you chose a Tasting Menu you DO NOT chose what chef puts in front of you...in some cases you won't know until it is actually in front of you...no menu...no problem.

Here are some FAQs on The Tasting Menu: 



Why would anyone want to cede control of a meal in this way?:

Croque Madame at Hafield's

I get it, sometimes you just want a burger and fries...me too...often. But sometimes you want something more.  Don't get me wrong, if you have a particular allergy LET CHEF KNOW...they are happy to work around it. But, if you want your palette challenged you'll want what chef believes to be HIS/HER best shot.  If you want something beautiful from first sight to last taste the best way to assure this is the tasting menu.


Are you friggin' kidding me!!??  All I get is a bite of this and a dash of that!?  What am I a 
rabbit!?:

Pastrami on Rye and Strawberry Pop at Eleven Madison Park

This is a common misconception.  Uraswa (sushi Mecca in LA I mentioned here) served us TWENTY-FIVE separate courses including 14 pieces Nigri (sashimi with rice).  Joel Robuchon served 14 courses and 3 Amuse Bouche (bite size appetizer which is meant to amuse the pallet...the warm up!). This is typically enough food to feed a family of four.  A marathon meal, often taking 3-4 hours from start to finish...buckle up!! With rare exception, you have to prepare yourself by dining very, VERY lightly earlier that day.  (my brother and I chose a cognac lunch before Elven Madison Park).

Tesseron 29 at Brasserie Cognac

But the only way to have the tasting menu is to pay a small fortune!!:

Sashimi at Urasawa

This CAN be true but is not ALWAYS the case.  Joel Robuchon and Urasawa are hundreds of dollars for the tasting menu.  But Sage, in Vegas, has a killer tasting menu for $89.  POSH, in Scottsdale does a 5 course menu starting at $65.  In addition, in some restaurants, if you give chef notice, they can put a menu together with your budget in mind.  We have done this many times with one of our favorite local chefs, James Porter at Petite Maison in Scottsdale.

Bone Marrow at Petite Maison

***pro tip. wine pairings are often offered at an additional cost.  the idea being the wine director picks wines that enhance the flavor of the food.  to save money (and/or your liver) you can order a crisp glass of white (chablis or sauvignon blanc) and a medium to full bodied red (bordeaux or a cab blend). 



The Tasting Menu format is not for everyone and certainly not for every meal.  But if you want to kick up your "food game" to the next level it is an absolute must!

Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay!!

Pizzeria Bianco at Town and Country : The wait is OVER...literally.

Bianco at Town and Country

I remember a cool fall day back in 2002 when a friend casually suggested, "Hey, let's grab a pizza at that Bianco place."  We walked over to the 1/3 full Pizzeria Bianco and opted, for pure novelty, to check out bar Bianco first.  We had a couple of drinks and then, at 830pm on a Friday night, walked, unhindered, right into Bianco and were sat...wait for it...wait for it...IMMEDIATELY.  This, kids, is the stuff of unicorn legend.   Alas, this was the way it was back in the day.  Then THIS happened ... and THIS. Now if your wait is less than 2 hours you brag to your friends about it the next day!  "Went to Bianco last night and I ONLY waited an hour and a half...I'm a big deal...people KNOW me..."  Well people, your wait for THE best pizza in the country is OVER! Before I tell you how let's examine this whole "best" idea. 

A16

A16 and Flour and Water in San Fran are two of my favorite restaurants anywhere and their pizzas and pastas are destination worthy.  

flower+water

Mozza in LA is also high on my list of goto pizza spots. 

Pizzeria Mozza

Similar to Bianco, they are all thin in the middle with a chewy crust.  The cheese and other ingredients are of the highest quality but Chris Bianco just pulls it together in a way that can not be rivaled. The Sonny Boy and Wise Guy alone are life changing. THE BEST.

The Wise Guy at Bianco

Enter Bianco at Town and Country (20th and Camelback).  When Chris Bianco first opened it, it was called Italian Restaurant.  They served pizza's but not The Sonny Boy or The Wise Guy and no Spendini (prosciutto wrapped around fontana cheese then fired crispy in the oven...help me Jesus!!).  They were more focused on pastas.  NOW, it's Bianco at Town and Country, with all the pizza's from the downtown location PLUS killer pasta offerings AND they even do the Spendini!  

Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé and Robert Sinskey POV

On top of that, they upgraded their wine list and stemware (it is not cute to drink good wine from water glasses...half the enjoyment of wine is what your nose is telling you...proper glassware is ESSENTIAL).  But here is the kicker....almost NEVER ANY WAIT!!!  Kicker number 2....James Beard Award Winning Chef Chris Bianco is often in the hezzy (fo sheezy)...might even make you a pie.  Win-Win-Win-Winning!! Bianco at Town and Country is, essentially, the only one we go to now.  The pastas alone are destination worthy.  San Fran has it's A16 and Flour+Water and LA has it's Mozza but WE have our Bianco and I'd put it up against any pizza/pasta joint ANYWHERE!


Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay

Ladies Lunch?: Why Arcadia Farms is a Solid Choice for Men too

Arcadia Farms is a misnomer since it's technically in Scottsdale, not Arcadia but let's not split "tea sandwiches" over location.  Look, I want a burger or some tacos most everyday, most every meal but sometimes I gotta pull it back or I'd be 600 pounds!  This said, AF is a great mid day choice year round.  It's a little less "ladies" lunch since they removed the gingham couches (I miss them so...sigh). There was one other "man" party of two there today other than Steve and I but, anytime two men...of a certain age...drive up to an ultra feminine lunch spot...in their fancy red sports cars aspersions WILL be cast...se la vie.

***pro tip. Guys, if you're in a place where everyone is eating salads, YOU will likely crave salad too!  Also, I love a good IPA but a crisp glass of Chardonay has about HALF the calories (so you can drink twice as much...you're welcome)! 

Lunch today was a shared Crab & Avocado Tower to start (two forks...don't be creepy). Steve went with Salmon Salad and I went with a Strawberry Chicken Salad (I can hear you snickering).  We washed it all down with an elegant White Burg. Sandwiches here are pretty good too.

The food is not earth shatteringly good but it's good and the setting is truly unique for the valley. Definitely worth a visit if you have not been.

***pro tip: make a reservation!  this place can be PACKED at lunch mid week. if you don't mind heat you can almost always get a table on the back patio (covered entirely with umbrellas).  

***pro tip 2: great for bridal showers,  and birthday lunches and name days (pictured below from last year...it's a Bulgarian thang...you wouldn't understand!!)

Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay

Comfort Much? : Five Valley Places that do Comfort Food Right!

Scottsdale is obviously a culinary oasis (recently voted #2 foodie city in america)...ehem...(insert face palm)...Back to reality...look, we are limited culinarily here but that doesn't mean it's ALL shite (Khoa and Steve).  When Phoenix "stays in it's lane" the results can be pretty satisfying.  Here are a few Comfort Food places that take "Keep It Simple, Stupid" seriously!

Beckett's Table:

Arcadia has a thriving food scene and Beckett's is a corner stone of the scene.  I could make a meal at BT out of the warm bacon cheddar biscuits  and the super creamy grits and schreiners sausage alone.  But wait there's more!:  Pork Osso Bucco Confit and Saint Louis BBQ Ribs?? Child Please!  Lot's of fish and lighter offering too.  Bottom Line: Something for everyone.  Add in a solid wine list and the fact that almost every main is $20 or less you cannot go wrong...CANNOT!

Chelsea's Kitchen:

CK has been a favorite for a long time.  I used to drive here three times a week when I lived 25 miles away because it was just THAT good...plus the servers wear vests...how can you go wrong!?  The anchor point on the menu is a series of build your own tacos.  Pork, beer, fish, etc, any of these is worth while. I am still pissed they took the side of spetzle off the menu but, the place has more that made up for it with other tasty offerings.  They always have a great IPA on tap and drinkable wines by the glass. Plus, that PATIO!!!!

***pro tip. brunch at CK is destination worthy. chilaquiles and lemon ricotta pancakes!? you know how we do!?

Tuck Shop:

Slightly odd location (12th and Oak!?) Tuck pulls in a crowd because it is good enough to stand alone.  Chicken and Waffles and Duck are solid choices.  Seasonal vegetable are usually a big hit.  Best brussel sprouts I've ever had anywhere...when they have them.  Good beer and drinkable wine offerings too.

***pro tip it is a lot easier to guarantee a good beer than a good bottle of wine. plus, you are making a much smaller monetary investment in a beer.  if you are a wine snob (me) and you don't wish to take a chance with a mediocre wine list...get a beer and live to wine another day. If you don't like beer we cannot be friends...it's not me...it's YOU!

Saint Francis:

People GO for the Burger and STAY for the Pot Roast.  Typically, the simpler it sounds the better it is.  Saint Francis is a cool space on the edge of CenPho which pretty much everyone I know loves.  No pretense no pomp...bench seating and solid food and drink.  How can you go wrong with that formula?  You can't!

Dick's Hideaway:

"Unattended children will be given an espresso and a free kitten". No more welcoming door phrase exists anywhere.  I crave the entire Happy Hour Menu and the breakfast Green Chili Meatloaf and Eggs like few things on earth.  I can't lie, I have washed down said meatloaf with a perfectly poured Lagunitas IPA...at 930am...on more than one occasion (I will not be shamed).

Thanks for Reading!

Doc Jay

#lategram: 5 Places in the Valley with that Late Night Flow.

News Flash:  Phoenix IS NOT New York!  Shocker!!  Having said this, there are definitely some places  with "that" vibe.  Places that are good, in some cases, good ANYwhere.  Scottsdale has it's place (in the pantheon of douche-bagery). You can definitely get your "boots and pants" on at that one place: MintCakeInternationalMayaThePoolDeckattheWBlahBlahBlah. But sometimes dude/bro is NOT the call.


Merc Bar:

Merc has been keepin' it 100 for YEARS.  This was one of the first places I went to and thought "maybe this town doesn't suck so bad after all."  Great drinks in a dimly lit setting in the Camelback Corridor. Merc is a hit and has been for years!
**pro tip:  check out Merc in NYC...downtown dirty!!


Crescent Ball Room:

Concert Venue? Restaurant? Yes and Yes.  Crescent defies definition and is ever changing.  I've seen Gomez and Bombay Bicycle Club on Tuesday and Thursday and sweated it out to Biggie, Guru and EPMD on a Saturday.  Two different rooms, two different themes, food (read as epic good taco's and burritos) from the people who brought you Gallo Blanco.  Crescent is LUH-JIT!

Side Bar

House Music All Night Long!  Something different happening here nightly  but Sunday Night is about House Music and this old House-Head loves it!  Great Beer selection and cool mixed drinks plus solid late night snacks.  Side Bar is super tiny but that just makes the vibe that much better.

Hanny's

The best overall vibe of any place in the valley.  This place on Friday and Saturday night is the truth! The music, the mix of the crowd, the side of aged prosciutto ever present in the slicer...TRUTH.  Joshua spins Hip Hop, Soul, House...I dare you not to dance...even if no one else is!

AZ 88

Probably my favorite bar anywhere...yup ANYWHERE.  I am not able to be entirely rational about how much I love this place.  I don't think there has been a 3 month period in the last 12 year when I've gone without being perched on a bar stool at this Valley Institution...at least once.  Best Dirty Martini's on the planet (Tito's or Ultimate with Blue Cheese Olives) helps solidify my love for AZ.  But it's more than that.  AZ transcends race, class, and sexual orientation in a way more typical of New York, Paris, Madrid, Rome.  LOVE. THIS. PLACE.

Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay

Trip Report: LA Live!! June 2014

The City of Angels is a welcome respite from the desert heat...it's 109 in Phoenix and 78 in LA....that is ridiculous...why did we come back again?   I'm trying to convince myself that LA is as fun as it is because we don't live there full time...this is a lie...LA is fun ALL THE TIME. Here are some hits from the weekend.  WARNING!!  We ate...ALOT!!

The London West Hollywood:

We have almost always stayed at The Mondrian but you gotta switch it up from time to time or you'll miss something.  The London was much, MUCH quieter than The Mondrian..not in a bad way though.  Mondrian is a revolving door of activity, you are in the middle of a non stop party day and night.  London was more elegant, more Bel Air than WeHo.  Slightly nicer than the Mondrian with a solid restaurant and pool.  Breakfast was included...nice touch and a good solid european style continental breakfast.   We would stay there again but probably slightly prefer The Mondrian...the people watching there can't be beat. 8/10 Stars

The Ivy:

Is the food just ok? Yes.  Is the food ridiculously over priced? Yes again.  Is there a better patio on the planet to watch "the show" that is Los Angeles?  Abso-friggin-loutley NOT!!!  This place is in regular rotation for us. The patio at the ivy is epic good and the food is not as bad as some would have you believe.  Did we feel slightly assaulted but the $175 charge for the seafood platter?  Uh...HELL YES...but when in Rome... Met up with a few friends while there and a good time (and a small fortune) was had (and lost) by all. 8/10 Stars

***pro tip. go just after lunch for an easier time to get a coveted patio seat...also make a res at least a couple days out and WAIT no matter how long for a patio seat...it's always quicker than they say.

The Roof Garden at The Peninsula:

Beautiful, elegant space in a beautiful and elegant hotel in Beverly Hills.  It was a warm day so time for Rosé!  Excellent Ahi and Crab Salad.  8/10 Stars

The Getty Center:

Enormous hillside museum and event space high above the 405.  Views alone were worth the trip.  Museum is separated into bite sized spaces organized largely by period.  

In addition there are gardens and vista's and fountains everywhere.  Worth a visit and at least a few more revisits. Aside from a parking fee it is FREE!!  9/10 Stars

Urasawa:

No Website. No Menu. No Problem.  Tucked in a tiny space on the second floor of a building on Via Rodeo, Urasawa is THE sushi Mecca.  This was my second visit.  G didn't go the first time so this was the only restaurant on her hit list.  Dinned with people we'd met via Instagram (not kidding) who go there monthly (spoiled much!?).  Hiro-San gave us the full blown show and then some.  Everything we ate was somewhere between excellent and transcendent.  This has become the standard for Sushi for me 10/10 Stars

Spago:

Recently under went a face lift (and a menu lift).  Still a solid option in BH with excellent people watching.  Only been twice and each time Wolfgang Puck was in The Hizzy for Shizzy.  Gracious and warm for a food mogul...for anyone really.  7/10 Stars

No Vacancy:

Speakeasy's are growing in number in LA. No Vacancy is in a seedy side alley off Hollywood Blvd complete with a dismissive guy on the door who decides if you are cool enough to enter.  Once inside you need to figure out how to get to and through the secret entrance...no spoilers...great place...great drinks and a show or two or three.  9/10 Stars



Afternoon Tea at the Montage:

Well executed tea service with a "Gentlemen's" Option:  Sliders, Pie and Scotch (or Cognac)  instead of champagne.  Had to do it and glad I did.  G had more traditional offerings.  We pretty much split it all up and had a minnie feast.  9/10 Stars



Animal:

Meat...It's what's for dinner.  No tweezers. No squeeze bottles.  Aside from  a few flawlessly prepared veggie items this was all about Turkey Legs and Pig Ears and Brisket and a side of Lipitor!  One of the most satisfying (and crazy good) meals I've ever had! 9/10 Stars

Hatfield's:

This has been on the list for a while and it did not disappoint.  Beautiful space with the kitchen perfectly framed at the rear.  Food was taught and effortless.  Perfectly prepared, timed and executed 8 course tasting menu. 9/10 Stars

Roof Top Bar at The Ace Hotel:

Downtown LA is thriving and I know almost nothing about it besides the Ritz Carlton and The Staple Center.  The Ace has a great vibe and has the feel of a place where everyone worked really hard to look like they didn't work really hard to look so good.  Loved it!! 8/10 Stars



This was probably our best trip to LA , food wise, ever.  We pretty much destroyed it!!  One of these times we need to FOCUS on downtown LA.  Tons of quality stuff popping up there all the time!

Thanks for reading!

Doc Jay