Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

I apologize for the radio silence lately on the blog. 'Tis the season to be busy! But now with the shopping done, the gifts wrapped, cards ordered (not sent... the blog isn't the only thing I have been neglecting), all I have to do now is prepare for a Christmas Eve with twelve of my favorite people in the world.

Here is a preview...

Picked up a medley of potatoes from the Town & Country market yesterday.

Put a wound up seven-year-old to work in the kitchen.

Peeling carrots is helpful in making a very long day a little more bearable.

And he did a pretty good job of it too. (Not to worry, I did help with the cutting.)

And then my kitchen help decided he had a better way to pass time on Christmas Eve.

Next up, prepping this bad boy for this evening's dinner.

Nope, not intimidated at all.

Okay, a little intimated. I called Marsha in for reinforcements.

Got Christmas crackers from Lisa for the table. Check.

And plenty of wine glasses. Check. Check.

Just need to choose the right cookies for the big guy. Gotta keep Santa fed tonight too!

We will miss you this weekend, as McClendon's Select will not be at the Old Town Scottsdale Market on Saturday, December 26th, but we will return to the market next Wednesday at Town & Country.

From all of the McClendons, we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday!

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Market Schedule...

Just a little heads up on our holiday schedule for the coming week!

McClendon's Select will be at the Old Town Scottsdale Market tomorrow, Saturday, December 19th, and at the Town & Country Farmer's Market on Wednesday, December 23rd, during our normal hours.

However, we will not be at the Old Town Scottsdale Market on Saturday, December 26th, so that our employees can enjoy the holiday weekend with their family and friends.

Our schedule will resume the following week. We will be at Town & Country on Wednesday, December 30th and at the Scottsdale Market on Saturday, January 2nd.

We look forward to seeing everyone over the next week and helping you prepare for your holiday dinners!

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Dining Recommendations...

I love this time of year!

Everything about the holidays is just magic to me. One of my favorite things about the season is just being in the presence of my family and friends. More than the lights and music and gifts, sharing a meal with the ones I love makes this time of year truly special.

So, here are a few thoughts on where to go to celebrate some of these holiday moments...

To catch up with the girls after a marathon day of Christmas shopping... Calistro California Bistro

Calistro Beet Salad

To have a good home cooked meal without messing up your kitchen... Rancho Pinot

To skip the company potluck and have lunch out with your coworkers instead... The Parlor Pizzeria

To impress your boss before the bonus check is written... Noca

To refuel in Flagstaff after driving up to play in the snow... Brix

To give a true foodie a meal to remember... Binkley's

To feel better about food after too many Christmas cookies... True Food Kitchen

To give a hostess gift that will guarantee you an invite next year... Essence Bakery Cafe

Essence Macarons

To surrounding yourself with new friends, even if your dining alone... FnB

To leaving town without braving Sky Harbor or the I-10... Zinc Bistro

To have an excuse to dress up and go out on the town... St. Francis

To grab something warm to drink because it is actually cold outside... Lux

To show your East Coast relatives how pizza is really done... Pizzeria Bianco

Pizzeria Bianco Margherita Pizza

To have a truly romantic New Year's Eve Date... Quiessence at South Mountain

Have a wonderful time working your way through this list.

I know I will!

FnB = LuV

Sean and I got to spend an evening at the newly opened FnB in Old Town Scottsdale. FnB is for Food-and-Beverage, and they definitely deliver on the name. For those of you in mourning over Sea Saw, as I am, you will be happy to know that Charlene Badman and Pavle Milic have recreated that same space with their own version of culinary genius. The menu and atmosphere does not at all resemble its previous life under Nobou Fukuda’s direction, but you will find that you are still dazzled by both a wonderful meal with inventive flavor pairings and the entertainment of a little kitchen theater while you dine.

I love watching a talented chef at work. I have spent years at Marsha’s kitchen counter while she creates her magic, all of it seemingly effortless. The bar at FnB offers this experience. The newly transformed space is very welcoming to pulling up a chair and watching as Charlene graces the kitchen. I found myself simultaneously enjoying what I had ordered and at the same time making mental notes for my next trip while I saw her create one beautiful dish after another.

Charlene Badman offers up a menu that displays the same culinary prowness she demonstrated at Rancho Pinot with selections that include Roast Jidori Chicken, Fried Green Tomatos with Green Goddess dressing (yes, please!) and Boneless Trout with Sunchokes, Caramelized Onions and Dill. All items we tried and enjoyed, along with a Cauliflower Gratin, a previously mentioned favorite of mine on the blog. Our conversation was interrupted throughout the meal with exclamations of “Oh wow! You have to try this!”

The new decor is very inviting, but it is Pavle's attentiveness that makes you feel at home. I felt like I was a regular on my first night. Charlene offered us a taste of a new item of Braised Leeks with a Fried Egg on top that will soon be added to the menu. There was also a side of bread, to make sure we enjoyed every last bite, since the sauces were as much of a star as the dishes they accompanied.

Just when I thought we couldn’t take anymore, we saw her at work on a dessert, and found the strength to continue. Not wanting to chose favorites we ordered both the Crème Brulee with Meyer Lemon and an Apple Crisp with homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. Sean is a Crème Brulee fan (and snob, to be honest) and he declared Charlene’s to be the best he had ever tried. Plus, nothing is cooler than seeing a Crème Brulee caramelized with a branding iron. Told you it was kitchen theater.

My only regret was that we missed the Bread Pudding, made with the Chocolate Cherry Bread sold at the Old Town Scottsdale Farmer’s Market. That bread is my downfall, I have already hoarded some away in my freezer to save for Christmas morning. I can’t imagine what it must be like with Charlene working it into a bread pudding. Guess I will have to go back.

FnB is a such beautiful new addition to Old Town Scottsdale. I wish Charlene and Pavle all the success they so richly deserve. There must be good karma in that kitchen, because I foresee enjoying wonderful evenings there once again.

FnB

7133 East Stetson Drive, #2

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

480-425-9463

(I do not know of a website as of yet, but go find them on Facebook. They have a growing fan base, myself included!)

Dinner Coup...

Celebrating a special occasion? A quiet anniversary? Big milestone? Maybe you just need to celebrate that it's Tuesday with someone special?

Coup des Tartes is such a wonderful place when you have something special to celebrate. Cozy and romantic and with such delicious food, it just feels like an occasion when you walk through the door. Coup des Tartes has the intimate feel of a restored home with little rooms, a courtyard, and tables near the fireplace. Maybe it was the candlelight, but it seem like every table had something to toast.

We had to order a tart. We chose the Three Onion Tart and Rocquefort salad to start. I enjoy dessert tarts, but savory ones are always more interesting and creative to me. They are complex to pull off successfully. Let's just say the the restaurant is aptly named, it was beautifully done.

I also enjoyed the Chicken Coup with an argula cream sauce. I have never had an argula cream sauce, but I know that I will again. Sean had the Pork with a wonderful mustard sauce, which I enjoyed sopping up with their bread. It was a lovely evening and Coup des Tartes did make an ordinary Tuesday evening extraordinary.

If you go, do know that they do not have a wine list. For a small corking fee you can bring your own bottle. So even if you are just needing a night out, pick a favorite vintage and let Coup des Tartes help to make dinner out an event to remember.

Coup des Tartes

4626 N. 16th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85016

602.212.1082

www.nicetartes.com

Houston... I'll have the squash!

One of the things I enjoy ordering when I visit a restaurant that buys from McClendon's Select is the vegetarian plate. I have found that restaurants that care about buying organic usually take great pride in how they prepare vegetable dishes. I love seeing what different chefs do with our produce and the vegetarian plate always offers a beautiful presentation that highlight the flavors of what we grow.

Both Houston's restaurants in the Valley have worked with McClendon's Select for some time. I have ordered the vegetable plates at both and have been always interested to see how they use what is in season. I can tell you that right now Houston's Scottsdale is serving our Spaghetti Squash in a way I have never had before, but one that I hope to replicate at home again and again.

The Spaghetti Squash came sauteed in olive oil with golden raisins, spinach, Chanterelle mushrooms and a little Parmesan-Reggiano. It was delightful! Those flavors all worked so well together. Sean had ordered the snapper and came with a side of it as well, which is a good thing, because I wasn't sharing. We enjoyed it as much as their famed Chicago-Style Spinach Dip, which says a lot.

So, all you carnivores out there, take a walk on the vegetarian side every now and then. You never know what you are going to find!

Houston's Scottsdale

6113 North Scottsdale Road

Scottsdale, AZ 85250

480.922.7775

www.hillstone.com

Good Morning!

What a wonderful way to start a day!

Sean, Aidan and I called my Dad and step-mother Lisa the other day and asked if they wanted to take a trip with us. That it involved a promise of hash browns was met with an enthusiastic response.

The five of us went to downtown Phoenix for Matt's Big Breakfast. We remember Matt and Erenia from their days at Pizzeria Bianco's. I was so happy for them to see the crowd around their front door patiently waiting for a table. (Don't fear... the wait was short and worth it!)

Before I get started on the food, let me just say that the service was impeccable. Our coffee never reached the bottom of the cup, our food arrived in a blink, and any request was answered before asked. And they were nice.

There is a reason it is named Matt's Big Breakfast, because they do treat breakfast like a big deal. Lisa and I decided while we were enjoying the sunshine outside that we were going to order whatever it was that we were smelling. There was the most wonderful rosemary, potato aroma teasing us. Lucky for us that all of their breakfast items come with a side of those home fries or the hash browns. I did go with the fries, but only after I made a deal with Dad that he order the hash browns. I will report that both were as heavenly as they smelled! (Yes, I did steal from my father's plate.)

Aidan had the waffles... which he told me to write that they were wonderful with 1,000 exclamation points. Can't say more than that. Actually we all felt that way about what we chose. Sean and Lisa both had something called "The Hog & Chick", a dish they enjoyed as much as the name.

Just as we were all feeling happily full and fulfilled a plate of pancakes somehow ended up on our table and we rallied. Now, to clarify, I like pancakes, but truthfully a pancake is a pancake. They all taste more or less the same to me. That is until I had Matt's pancakes. The five of us dug in greedily, all of the same opinion. I don't know how they make them - but those pancakes were like nothing I have had before.

We drove home happy and all in need of a nap. I am pretty sure that Dad and Lisa will take this trip with us again. Only next time it will be on the promise of pancakes too!

Matt's Big Breakfast

801 North 1st Street

Phoenix, AZ

602.254.1074

www.mattsbigbreakfast.com