EATING AND DINING IN SEDONA

There’s something about Sedona that draws couples who want to come and make their culinary dreams come true. Great restaurants have been opened by a pair from San Francisco and two more from L.A., a couple from New Jersey and another from Chicago, two women from the Pacific Northwest, and a chef from the west side of town have all turned their aspirations into fine restaurants.
The result is a nice number of dining choices for a town of this size. Besides my specific recommendations below, the key advice I would add is to call ahead. Throughout the spring and autumn, and on weekend nights the rest of the year, the influx of visitors makes it tough to get a table at Sedona’s best spots. Expected attire in Sedona covers the wide range from casual to… “resort” casual (with one exception noted below). So wear shoes and look clean if you can; but they won’t boot you out if you’ve just come in off a trail.

Exceptional Fine Dining
I’d put each of these in my highest category, for consistently good food and service. All would be considered “fine dining” in terms of price. Reservations are essential.

Rene of Tlaquepaque
On those rare occasions when I have a date, I’ll take a woman to Rene of Tlaquepaque, the choice for a leisurely, romantic dinner in Sedona. The dining room re-decoration in 2002 didn’t hurt the nice atmosphere, which features landscape paintings of Sedona and the West. There’s a nice sense of space between the tables, and within the booths.
The cuisine is called Continental, but more specifically I would call it “France comes to the Southwest and settles in at Sedona.” Consider that along with rack of lamb (house specialty) or venison in a whisky juniper berry sauce you can have a Seitan Tofu Wellington. Other choices include grilled ahi tuna, cedar plank salmon, Dover sole and Idaho trout in seafood; filet mignon, as well as beef, venison, veal and pork tenderloins; a free-range chicken picatta and roast duck; and a delicious sweet potato ravioli. If you think I’m giving the menu away before you get there, don’t worry: how each is prepared and with what it is served is a story you’ll want to read. Entrée prices are $19-26, except for the rack of lamb for two, which is carved tableside and costs $65.
Owner Deborah Leatherwood is the kind hostess and partner Chef Walter Paulson handles the cooking. You won’t be rushed here: even if you aren’t dressed formally, they’ll serve you as if this meal were really important. The wine list is extensive but also expensive: they are perhaps taking advantange of the popularity of some distinct varieties which, although special, need not be priced so high. The outdoor seating in the courtyard is nice, especially for lunch. Afterwards, take a stroll though Tlaquepaque and its fountains. Accepts V, MC. Tlaquepaque Village, 336 Hwy I-79, 928-282-9225. www.rene-sedona.com

Dahl & DiLuca Ristorante Italiano
Now let’s say my date is bringing her visiting parents, and I want to show all of them a good time and demonstrate my exceptional good taste. I take them to Dahl & DiLuca, which provides a tremendous atmosphere in which to have a fantastic Tuscan meal. After all, I’ve got another date, and that’s worth celebrating!
The D&D formula is “not to overcomplicate the dish.” It works. The pasta is made fresh daily and tastes it. Veal (vitello) is a house specialty, prepared piccata, parmigiana, marsala and Botticelli and ranges in price from $22-$26. Try the prawns spiedini if you object to veal.
Note that hard floors make the restaurant slightly livelier and louder than others. On a singular occasion I know a couple who thought it too loud. In every other case people find it lively and entertaining, and recognize that a full restaurant means good food is being served. Open 5pm daily. Accepts AE, D, MC, V. 2321 W Hwy 89A, 928-282-5219. www.dahl-diluca.com

Shugrue’s Hillside Grill
When I just don’t know what people want, Shugrue’s Hillside Grill is a never-miss choice. You simply can’t go wrong here, except not to go. I like Shugrue’s incredible consistency, found in both the menu items and the professional servers. Consistently voted Sedona’s best seafood, although other offerings are also excellent, such as the steaks and rack of lamb.
The seafood selection is prodigious. Soft Shell Crabs, Salmon, Pacific Mahi Mahi, “Colossal” Scallops, Halibut and Ahi can be grilled, sautéed or blackened and are accompanied by soup, salad or chowder, among other items. 9-ounce Australian Cold Water Lobster Tails Order one tail or two. Lobster or shrimp scampi (flame-broiled, a signature dish) can be had with a petite fillet. Kiwi shrimp is a twist, and risotto del mar rounds out the offerings. My only disappointment is the paella, but then again, I can’t find anyone else in America who makes it as well as the nice Spanish lady I know. She spent a weekend preparing what I ate in moments.
Pepper steaks and filets, rack of lamb, chicken, portabello mushrooms, vegetables (mesquite grilled) and ravioli complete a weighty menu. Entrees $20-30.
I recommend the panoramic views from their deck if the weather is right. If it’s too chilly, then sit inside by the glass wall. Usually, there’s some entertainment on weekends. My mother, who can’t cook well but sure knows how to order, loves the salads and the Turkey Reuben for lunch. Reservations essential, especially for those views. Accepts V, MC, AE, D. Hillside Plaza, 671 Hwy 179, 928-282-5300. Go to the Hillside Sedona website and click on Shugrue’s. www.hillsidesedona.com

Pinon Bistro
There’s very little I’ve recommended outside of Sedona, in this chapter or in any other. Pinon Bistro is the exception that’s worth the drive. Excellent, fresh, reliable. While they only offer 4-5 entrees per night, they are sufficiently varied to serve any taste, and they are prepared to perfection. Menu changes weekly.
Drive west on Hwy 89A to Cottonwood and turn left at the intersection of Hwy 260, then drive a half-block up and look for it on the left-hand side of the street. Serves dinner only, and there’s no entertainment. If it looks different than the last time you were here, that’s because they’re hanging someone else’s paintings now. Th-Sun; cash/checks only; closed for much of the summer. 1075 Hwy 260, Cottonwood, 928-649-0234.

Garland’s Oak Creek Lodge
You’ll be an insider yourself if you can get into Garland’s, deep in the Oak Creek Canyon. The lodge is usually full, with guests returning year after year for the pleasant surroundings and exquisite meals prepared by Amanda Stine, self-taught chef for two decades at Garland’s.
Featuring up to 6 courses, dinner is a set menu in an atmosphere that is “relaxed and elegant.” The menu is set, but they’ll probably let you know what it will be when you call. Courses include a unique home-made bread and rich soup and delicate salad to begin. Among the ingredients are vegetables from their own gardens: they made a string bean lover out of me, and used their own peaches in the daiquiris. (Visit their garden and greenhouse to see for yourself). Entrees have included rack of lamb, grilled fillet of beef (with a gorgonzola butter that is incredible), baby back ribs, grilled salmon, grilled halibut, and chicken scallopini. Desert always changes, but the taste is always delicious. The price range for the meal is $29-35, not including drinks.
It’s important point to note is that if you do get into Garland’s you probably won’t have the table to yourself. Cocktails begin at 6pm, and at 7pm you’ll find your way to your assigned table, with two other people, most likely guests staying at the lodge. Most people like it that way, but Garland’s will try to seat you alone if you request it. Call ahead. Better yet, call far ahead. Open April through mid-November. Accepts MC & V. Look for the sign on the left as you drive north 8 miles from Uptown, 8067 N Hwy 89A, 928-282-0785. www.garlandslodge.com

More Fine Dining: Great Food & Atmosphere
Heartline Café is the place I like to take visiting friends who come to Sedona to re-fresh body and soul. The Heartline Café perfectly balances the relaxation you want to feel on a vacation with the high standards with which you hope to be fed. The almond-crusted trout is the delicious specialty of the house: I absolutely ate the whole thing. Meanwhile, the salads are a delicious value, including the watercress with grapes and pistachios in a sherry vinaigrette; the spinach with gorgonzola, pecans and sundried tomato vinaigrette; and even the horrible-sounding-but-delicious-eatin’ warm cabbage. Some come thinking this place specializes in health food—perhaps an inference from the restaurants name—but this is an illusion that can only be maintain until the fabulous deserts arrive. Entrees $14-28.
The chief gripe here is the small parking lot. If it’s full at dinner time, I say don’t even bother pulling in: park next door at the Ace hardware. Like the food? Buy the cookbook, sold at the bar. Open daily for dinner at 5pm. Lunch served 11am-3pm, but not served on Tuesday and Wednesday. Accepts AE, D, MC, V. 1610 W. Hwy 89A, 928-282-0785. www.heartlinecafe.com

Savannah is named for the owners’ young daughter. This establishment opened in 2002 and wasted no time: it immediately became Sedona’s best steak house. The prices aren’t cheap, but the meats are mouth-watering. Plenty of options, including more reasonably priced choices which are now offered. Your best choice in Uptown. 350 Jordan Road, 928-282-7959.