By J.E. Pizarro, Chief Executive Foodie

One of my favorite spots in Scottsdale is definitely the North East Valley/Troon development.

The views alone tempt a call to my realtor to see how much I could purchase a house for!  One of the ways that I get my fill of the views is visiting the Four Seasons Scottsdale.

If you haven’t taken a trip up there, I suggest you grab your significant other, your keys and an empty stomach.

The resort has picture perfect views and most importantly a wealth of culinary talent.

Up to the mountains we will go!

Talavera, the signature restaurant of the property recently invited me to be part of their Wine Dinner series.

It had been quite a while since I had actually sat down and ate at the Four Seasons, however this restaurant (which replaced the Acacia restaurant) is reason enough for me to return and very soon.

Chef Mel Mecinas and his Chef de Cuisine Evan Goldstein have put the Four Seasons on the map as a culinary destination in North Scottsdale.

During my visit I had an opportunity to chat with both of them for a few moments (I didn’t want to disrupt or delay anyone’s meal).  Both chefs are extremely dedicated to their craft and meticulously created a menu that out shines most restaurants of their caliber.

I arrived shortly before 6pm and since I have a compulsive need (I picked this habit up from my business partner) to check my email on my iPhone or laptop every 5 minutes, I decided to have a relaxing glass of wine at the Onyx Bar right at the entrance of the Talavera restaurant.

Very FLW esque

The bar gets its name from the large backlit and translucent slabs of onyx that cast a warm and sophisticated glow on the patrons.  You can be sure that I will make the Onyx Bar the next place to have drinks with friends.

The restaurant itself is warmly lit with gorgeous wood floors that compliment the vaulted ceilings, wrought ironwork and arched doorways.

Beautiful wood floors

The best part of the ambiance is that you don’t have to be outside to enjoy the beautiful views.  A HUGE and I mean HUGE glass wall allows you to take in the views while remaining warm and cozy inside.  There is an elegant fire pit surrounded by water just on the other side to enjoy as well.

One of the reasons that I was looking forward to this particular wine dinner is aside from the fact that the executive chef is extremely talented, is that you can enjoy it at your own pace and at your own table.

Though sometimes I like to sit at a large community table and meet new people, my favorite setting is able to enjoy by dinner companion’s company in an intimate setting where I’m not pressured to eat or drink at any certain pace.

Outside Fire Wall

This 4-course dinner showcased more of exotic meat dishes than other wine dinners I’ve been to.  They were beautifully presented and well proportioned.

The first course, veal stuffed ravioli with fennel sausage and crispy kale on top of a delicate tomato sauce.  The stand out part of this course was that I tasted the flavors in that particular order.  Tasting by level rather that combined is an experience I highly recommend.

Veal Stuffed Ravioli

The second course was one of my favorite birds: quail.  Served with a mini mix green salad, cherry vinaigrette with sprinkled Gorgonzola and walnuts.  Traditionally I enjoy my quail when I get to cut it away from the bone and sans mixed greens.  For first time quail tasters I recommend the way Talavera prepared it.

Tempting Quail

The entrée was a Venison chop served with a cassiolet of butter beans, tinkerbell peppers and watercress.  To me, venison has a “brighter” taste than beef.

I found it very flavorful, lean and not gamey as I would have expected.  It was served medium/medium rare with a nice peppery aftertaste.  I can see why this was chosen as the entrée as the Opus Wine 2004 blended perfectly with this course.

Victorious Venison

And finally the dessert.  A merlot velvet torte with port pears and an apple merlot seltzer.  The name described it perfectly; it really did have velvet like texture but rich and smooth on the inside.  The pears were an added layer of  flavor and the apple merlot seltzer was a nice finish to an amazing dinner.

Merlot Velvety Goodness

With so many options to choose from these days, service is the key piece in keeping diners coming back.  The Four Seasons is known for extraordinary service and Talavera executes this without skipping a beat.  The servers are very friendly and most important will give you sincere opinion and recommendations.

Talavera has a program called “Chef de Jour” in which for a fee, they will arrange a unique culinary adventure in which you are able to not only tour the kitchens and see the back of the house operations but create a menu from start to finish, cook it and if so desired you can join your invited guests for a celebration of your culinary talents.

My belief is that my business partner Susie needs to pony up for a birthday gift for me, this would be perfect.

Next time that you want to visit a different restaurant outside of the direct metro area of Scottsdale/Phoenix, drive up to the Four Seasons.  They have two more wine dinners on the schedule, Thursday, March 25th (Jordan Winery) and Thursday, April 22^nd (Caymus Winery).