Picture the most romantic dining experience imaginable and you may conjure something like Cress on Oak Creek at L’Auberge de Sedona. Linen-draped tables are set on the banks of a serene, herbal-scented stream. Candles and lanterns set the sycamores aglow. Executive Chef Franck Desplechin invokes intoxicating flavors like lobster with chorizo oil or smoked chocolate soufflé. The setting is so sublime you may be inspired to start the next morning on the sun-dappled patio with a breakfast banana split. Few restaurants boast walls that are 345 million years old. Then again, few eateries are tucked away in a network of caves 210 feet underground. That’s what makes The Grotto at Grand Canyon Caverns near Peach Springs one of the most remarkable culinary experiences on the planet. Diners descend 21 stories in an elevator, tour the caverns, then sit at one of four tables to enjoy comfort food surrounded by craggy, otherworldly geology. Cress on Oak Creek, Sedona Different Pointe of View, Phoenix Perched atop North Mountain in Phoenix, Different Pointe of View commands jaw-dropping views of the surrounding peaks and sunsets that give way to glowing city lights. But this beloved gem isn’t just about patio panoramas and floor-to-ceiling windows. Thanks to exceptional service and Mediterranean-meets-Southwestern fare (think: guajillo-seared pork with roasted green chile-cilantro hummus), it’s the Valley’s longest consecutively awarded AAA Four-Diamond restaurant. TOP TO BOTTOM: POINTE HILTON TAPATIO CLIFFS RESORT; L’AUBERGE DE SEDONA; TORTILLA FLAT; GCR Drive the scenic Apache Trail east of Phoenix, past the cerulean waters and golden cliffs of Canyon Lake, and you’ll find yourself in Tortilla Flat, a tiny Old West town with a population of six. Road trippers and bikers beeline here for burgers, spicy chili and prickly pear gelato at the Superstition Restaurant & Saloon , famous for its saddle barstools and 350,000 signed dollar bills papering the walls. Grand Canyon Lodge Dining Room, Grand Canyon Superstition Restaurant & Saloon, Tortilla Flat The Grand Canyon’s North Rim is the more serene and sylvan sister of the popular South Rim, and its 1928 lodge melds seamlessly with the setting, thanks to native wood beams and Kaibab limestone walls. In the Grand Canyon Lodge Dining Room , it’s worth the wait for a window seat, where you can drink in forest-fringed canyon views while digging into trout or buffalo tenderloin. When you’re in Sedona, it’s im-possible to take your eyes off the paprika-and-chile-colored rocks. Fortunately, at Mariposa , you don’t have to. The expansive patio sits atop a bluff overlook-ing miles of majestic mountains against an ever-changing sky. The scenery is as sensuous as beloved Chef Lisa Dahl’s South American-inspired dishes, like wood-fired chorizo or beef empanadas with chimichurri. Architect Mary Colter designed the Grand Canyon’s Desert View Watchtower, a monument inspired by the Ancestral Puebloan people who lived on the Colorado Plateau around 800 years ago. After explor-ing the tower, pop into Desert View Trading Post & Ice Cream to peruse handmade American Indian jewelry, baskets, wood carvings and rugs. Then grab an ice cream cone or homemade fudge and stroll along the South Rim, savoring sweet views of the canyon. 35
Arizona Official State Travel Guide Arizona 2021-22: Page 35
