From brewers to winemakers, from chefs to bakers, Arizona's culinary tastemakers harness the unique flavors of locally grown ingredients, seasonal produce and Southwestern cultures to create truly inspired dishes that can be experienced here.
Harvest Restaurant
"At Castle Hot Springs, just north of the Phoenix Metro area, we are fortunate to have our own onsite farm yielding custom produce specifically grown for our restaurant. Our approach is to use modern and innovative techniques to create original, deeply layered flavor profiles. Our guests enjoy a culinary experience unique to our location, as we use the hot springs water for the farm as well. I am fortunate to be able to pick some purple opal basil for a dish or select from an ever-changing array of greens and herbs."
Christopher Brugman, Executive Chef
Harvest Restuarant, Castle Hot Springs (pictured above)
Shift Kitchen & Bar
"Shift strives to source locally so that we can contribute to our Flagstaff economy. In return, that same community can support us. Our mission is to 'shift' the mentality of the Flagstaff dining scene. We want to educate our diners, as much as ourselves, about our local cuisine and what hospitality is about."
"My sense of place is at TERRA Farm + Manor, working directly with the passionate people behind their craft and producing amazing seasonal produce and livestock. It allows me to create what truly is the essence of the Arizona bounty and incorporate my passion and own twist. Seasonal and weekly differences in our offerings always keeps my mind moving while exploring the changes Arizona offers."
"Foraging is something I have been doing since I was a kid - it's just this natural sense of place, knowing what's around you and understanding the seasons. Cactus should be the state food; it's everywhere and we have so many different varieties, from prickly pear to barrel cactus to cholla."
"Pine, Arizona has always been a special place for me. With less than a two-hour drive from central Phoenix it was always my personal hidden gem. So about five years ago, I decided to drop the corporate chef gig and take a leap of faith to open shop here with Old County Inn. We really take pride in local ingredients, and working in such a small space forced us to keep things simple and fresh. Our only freezer on-premises is for the local artisan ice cream we use. We love local, fresh herbs, honey and lavender from Pine Creek Canyon Lavender Farm just down the street. One of our signature cocktails is the Lavender Drop made with Pine lavender, local honey simple syrup and house-made lavender sugar rim. You can't go wrong with the Lavender Drop or our Rim County Bloody Mary, garnished with a slab of our house bacon and freshly made pickles."
"At Sweet Republic, Jan and I love to highlight locally grown ingredients like citrus, honey, dates, pecans and pistachios in our ice cream and sorbet, while weaving in flavor memories from our travels to create flavors like Kulfi (cardamom and pistachios), Honey Blue Cheese and Basil Lime. We delight in expanding palate boundaries by sharing unique flavors from our families' backgrounds such as Black Seasame, Matcha and Thai-style Coconut Sorbet. Our customers can keep abreast of new flavor inspiration and developments via @SweetRepublic."
Stephen Paul and daughter Amanda Paul, Whiskey del Bac
Hamilton Distillers
"I'm a desert boy. Growing up in Baja, Arizona, I've always been intimate with mesquite trees. In the 80s I started employing the spectacular grain of mesquite into custom furniture at our long-time custom furniture company, Arroyo Design. That was out of pure love of this place. In the mid-2000's, while barbecuing mesquite scraps from Arroyo Design, my wife had the idea to malt barley over a mesquite fire for a true Sonoran Desert single-malt whiskey. That became Whiskey Del Bac. I'm blessed to know this desert. It gives me spiritual sustenance."
