Friday, December 6, 2013

A Night of Good Food & Good Times at The Sanctuary in Scottsdale

Heading into it's 13th season the Sanctuary's "Lunch and Learn" series brings together an all-star line-up of both locally and nationally known chefs with Sanctuary's very own Beau MacMillan; to present guests with an evening of culinary enchantment.

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a "Lunch & Learn".  Along with Beau MacMillan the guest Chef was Chef Paul Boehmer of Boehmer Restaurant in Toronto. Two extremely talented chefs in one room, cooking 4 amazing courses; it's definitely a night I will be talking about for a long time. 


We were greeted with flutes of champagne and flavored popcorn as we were led into the striking Views ballroom. Prepare to be dazzled because with floor to ceiling windows, an indoor/outdoor fireplace and a spacious terrace, the Views is much more than just a ballroom.


Following a brief cooking demonstration from Chef Boehmer; where he described the arctic char (our first course) and how to sear it properly, we were served a four-course meal expertly paired with wines courtesy of Southern Wine and Spirits.


The vibe in the room was lively as each course was brought to the table and described in detail by Chefs Boehmer and MacMillan.  Guests were given ample opportunity to pose questions to both the Chefs and the sommelier and to inject their thoughts and feelings on each dish. (all positive of which were positive)

Everything was delicious; from the veal osso bucco with spinach, to the lamp chop with a root vegetable cake. There was even a warm apple gingerbread dessert topped with vanilla ice cream.

For me it was the BBQ quail served atop some chanterelle mushroom barely risotto that knocked my socks off.


Not on the menu, but oh so delicious were the caramel addiction brownie bites from Sherrye's Kitchen...the name says it all.


The evening ended on a silly note with some risque jokes, crazy photos and drinks at the Sanctuary's Jade Bar. A great time had by all and some truly amazing food.


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