A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to experience Talavera at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale for the second time since I have been writing about food.
The first time I visited Talavera, I was a guest of my dear friend Brian Garrido of I8Tonite. Back then, Talavera was known for their Mexican food offering under the direction of Mel Mecinas, the former executive chef.
Talavera, which is the name of a pottery style native to Tlaxcala, Mexico, underwent a full renovation in 2018 as part of the overall Four Seasons $13M renovations.
The Space at Talavera Talavera at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale
The entrance to Talavera is adorned by a Frida Kahlo mural by local artist Gennaro Garcia. A modern take on the classic self-portrait of Kahlo adorned with a flower crown, this Talavera tile mural greets guest to a culinary experience they won’t forget.
As soon as you walk in, a cozy library starts your itinerary down the road of this Spanish and Latin food affair. This very Instagram-worthy space will make you want to redecorate your home and bring every piece of furniture at Talavera, back home with you.
The renewed space offers a Gin & Tonic bar, which is wildly popular in Spain. You can build your own and choose from a variety of gins and homemade syrups, herbs, and garnishes.
The inside is just as sleek and beautiful as the outside. The patio views from Talavera are breathtaking and you should include it in your fall al fresco dinner plans.
The Food Offering
Today, Talavera is a Spanish Steakhouse and I couldn’t be happier about the new space and menu offerings.
The Latin-inspired Spanish food offering is like taking a tour around Latin America guided by Samantha Sanz, the Chef de Cuisine at Talavera at the Four Season Resort Scottsdale at Troon North.
On their regular menu, you can enjoy popular Spanish dishes like Paella, tapas with a Latin twist (hello Colombian pan de queso) and classic dishes like a Ribeye Steak with chimichurri sauce.
Latin Heat Summer Series
In this special summer series, chef Samantha Sanz crafts a special menu to bring the flavors of Latin Cuisine to intermingle with Spanish dishes. In August the turn was for Peru, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Colombia and here are some of the highlights of that dinner.
Every single dish was perfectly balanced. A bit of citrus (mojo), a bit of heat of course (Aji Amarillo Peruano), the right amount of fat, salt and texture to every bite.
My very favorite bite was the Causa, a Peruvian dish consisting of crab, yellow potato and avocado salad. It was perfect in every single way, especially the hint of Aji Amarillo which gave it a nice subtle kick.
For dessert, they spoiled us with a Liquid Nitrogen Dessert Display. It’s something like a chemistry class but way more fun.
Liquid Nitrogen is added as a freezing agent and allows to create dishes like ice cream.
The First bite we had was called LN2, a Lime Curd atop meringue and garnished with Jalapeno and mint.
The next dessert was an Ancho Semifreddo with Banana Jam. This was a lightly spicy (Ancho Chile) soft ice cream (Semifreddo) with a delightful banana jam to balance the chile spice, it was not only fun to watch but absolutely delicious.
Are you to experience Talavera? Well, lucky you because they are participating in the upcoming Arizona Restaurant Week from September 20-29, 2019 and you can try their three-course prix-fixe menu for only $44 per person.
Thank you to the team at Fours Seasons Resort Scottsdale for allowing me to experience this delightful night. I can’t wait to go back and try the traditional Spanish dishes on your menu.
Upcoming Events
- Arizona Restaurant Week: September 20-19, 2019
- Live Flamenco Music on Thursdays from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
- Talavera Tasting Series: Flavors of San Sebastian. October 17, 2019, from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
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