I had a wonderful steak dinner at the Fairmont Princess Bourbon Steak - really superb service and particularly enjoyable wine suggestions. I was less o a fan of Hacienda but I think that’s because Chicago has some superb high level Mexican food.
All good suggestions, a lot to go through but here are simple suggestions that you should entertain:
There are almost no BYOB options in AZ. Real shame.
I would go to Sedona for a day trip if you can swing it- worth the trip. Go to Enchantment for drinks on the patio and dinner at Elote
Phoenix Area
Kia Restaurant- excellent, highly recommended
Cafe Monarch- excellent, highly recommended
Fat Ox- very very good Italian
Atlas Bistro is good not great but not much else
Oceans 44 (steak and seafood previous owners of Mastros I believe)- very very good and near old town and fashion square- lots to do in the area
Recent edit: New favorite restaurant Anhelo. One of the best wine and food programs in the country. I help with the wine program (do not get paid) as a collector building a NYC/SF feel for me and my friends to enjoy.
Please let us know if we can help with anything else. Wine shops here are average at best.
Any recommendations for wine by the glass, besides Tarbell’s and Monarch?
Looking to try some fancy stuff I either can’t afford a bottle of, or can’t find easily.
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Thanks to this thread, we tried Fat Ox last night and it was so wonderful. The food (caesar salad, pastas and proteins all top notch), wine (nice btg selection and ordered 2016 Amarone but standout was 2014 Gallica Syrah) and service was excellent. Ask for a seat in Krissi’s section! Very impressed all around.
Glad you enjoyed it.
We just added another to our list, Anhelo. They don’t officially open until this weekend but we were invited to the soft launch and the food was excellent. He is focused on wine drinkers to the point of changing over his cellar and reinvesting all proceeds to this new endeavor. He is so focused on this, ‘I joked you should pop incredible wines like first growths each night and offer them by the glass that alone would keep me coming back…’ his response, why wouldn’t I? He had me at why wouldn’t I (hello) but he went further to say he has no intention on 400% markups rather reasonable so the prices will invite wine drinkers to order bottles they love not downgrade due to price. Fresh perspective.
The wine cellar is not ready for this new focus as he has previous inventory (and menu) catered to a different atmosphere. It’s a work in progress coming off massive impact from COVID but as it comes to fruition this will be a highlight of our dining. I will report back as I learn more.
I live in CT but work for a company based on Phoenix so will be travelling there quite a bit. These recommendations are great and look forward to trying a few.
Quick update on Anhelo. Owner/chef reached out asking if I wouldn’t mind helping with the wine list and strategy… umm dreams do apparently come true! What an honor and responsibility but one I have now been working tirelessly on (not easy in AZ as the market here, retail or otherwise, is rather bleak, selection and pricing but using my contacts to help where I can.
Anyway first orders have been arriving with phase one of the menu getting an update this weekend. For those of you that plan on visiting, shoot me a note and I will see if I can help with anything or at the very least let the chef know. I am planning a number of pretty cool events (Krug tasting, Billecart, Dana Estates, Bordeaux, Napa, etc) to add to the experience- hey why not plan cool things I would be interested in?
Callout- I do not currently have any ownership or rights or will profit of any kind (I enjoy setting up tastings for friends so why not help an amazing restaurant and young talent) but based on how amazing the food/his talent and his desire to make a world class wine/dining experience is, I have offered to help as much as he would have me.
In for the Krug tasting; I’ll be on the lookout for my invite 
David you and me both. I think Dana Estates horizontal would also be pretty BA- neither will be cheap, that’s for sure but pretty Epic.
Curious if anyone has been to Terra Farm + Manor, James Porter place outside of Prescott? He will be cooking for a annual wine dinner in Scottsdale at a friends home.
Got a kick out of seeing this thread pop back up today. Elote accepts orders for take out, starting at 3 pm, for pickup in the evening. Did that today. Just finished dinner at home on patio, enjoying a nice Sedona evening. Love the Buffalo Mole Poblano. Sipping on a nice Tempranillo from the cellar. All is good…
Michael
I’m so happy to have stumbled across this thread as I am heading to this area in February! Ryan, is there a wine list available online? And any events lined up for February?
I haven’t been there, but there’s a new place in Phoenix owned by two wine industry vets that I know from the Kermit Lynch trips. I’d check it out if I were in Phoenix and wanted some cool wines and tunes:
Hi Cindy. Still building the list, it’s now pretty extensive but still waiting on cargo ships from overseas so it’s not online yet. Happy to share in its current state offline (please shoot me an email). Also since you will be coming to AZ, please let me know your preferences and we will bring in or hold some special wines for you (menu changes frequently but happy to share this week’s if that is of interest) as we are always excited to take care of WB friends. We may actually have a couple to really cool events in February you might be interested in- we can discuss off line as well.
*quick general update: I refused to take no for an answer and recently ended up getting financially involved to help grow, enhance and refine the wine list as well as curate killer events at all price points (a few examples spanning the cost spectrum: vertical of Cos d’Estrounal’s 2nd wine Pagodes de Cos (starting with 2010), Dana Estates portfolio and a Vieux Chateau Certan/Gravette de Certan. Coming up is a Petrus tasting, Billecart Champagne and hopefully early next year we will have a Masterclass or wine dinner with Malescot St Exupery just to name a few.
Michael- very jealous. Sedona has our heart as the minute we see the red rocks everything seems to just melt away. Also love Pisa Lisa too 
Yes, we are fortunate. Post retirement, splitting our time between Seattle and Sedona. Fall, winter, and early spring are fabulous here in Sedona. Mid summer, not so much (not sure how you Valley folks endure that).
Wish our experience at Pisa Lisa had been as positive as yours. Really bad both times. Surprising, as we’ve enjoyed her other spots in the Village at Cucina Rustica and Butterfly Burger. Had a nice birthday dinner for my wife at Rene in Tlaquepaque earlier this week. Lots of good options here. Even in Cornville, of all places. Manzanita - odd combo of German food and game dishes. Somehow, it works. Must be the vortexes… 
We haven’t been back to Pisa Lisa in a few years so take the comments back to pre pandemic as not sure if that changed anything. Sorry to hear about the bad experiences, will have to remove that from my list when I head back up there.
Yep summer is the reason we sold and bought in Flagstaff. Some really great spots up there and much better pizza
I am looking for Scottsdale or nearby recommendations for brunch on Christmas Eve/Day.
My friend and I like to hike for a few hours in the morning/late morning, and then get brunch at 1ish.
Our standby, Snooze, is closed both Christmas Eve and Day.
We are most likely just looking for a great omelet/bacon/etc. Not necessarily cocktails, as we will likely head out for another hike in the afternoon. But cocktails could be in order one of those days.
Mark,
Your best bet is going to be the resorts nearby (Phoenician, Camelback Inn, Sanctuary, etc)
Another option, although it’s been a few years since I ate there on Xmas, is Chompies deli
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Mark- (what David said) are you staying/Hiking in North Scottsdale (Toms Thumb, etc)? There is a good BBQ place in a gas station (on DDD) that has amazing hash/eggs/bit of spice/etc. it’s not a fancy place like The Henry or other but very good food.
If I come across good options that are open I will shoot them over.