Sexy Roman – Scottsdale, Arizona

The Sexy Roman restaurant inside the W Scottsdale (a vibrant, luxury lifestyle hotel) was christened to reflect its identity as a “mischievous,” sultry, and high-energy take on Roman and Mediterranean dining. Created by the Alliance Hospitality Group, the name signals a playful, glamorous nightlife vibe rather than a traditional, quiet trattoria.  Uh oh, as a culinary historian, those terms conjure images of “dining” taken to extreme.  At its immoderate peak, the Roman dining lifestyle hearkens back to the days of baccanalian excess, wild and rowdy celebrations dedicated to Bacchus, the god of wine. A bacchanalian feast involved  massive wine-drinking, chaotic…

Pa’La – Phoenix, Arizona

Is there anything more relaxing than a wood fire: its mesmerizing orange and blue flames as they lick the air, the warmth and comfort of heat as it overcomes weather’s chilling bite, the meditative timbre of wood crackling  over the flames, the spitting and hissing of red-orange embers and especially aromas which trigger heart-rending reminiscences of childhood days sitting around a fire with family and friends.  Just the thought of a wood fire is therapeutic, imparting benefits that are both salubrious and soothing. My attempts  at transporting you to a time and place in which wood fire helped transcend life’s…