Trendy Cal-Ital cuisine has hit Sedona at the mod
Hundred Rox (100 Amara Ln., 928/340-8820, 5–9 p.m. daily, $23–34), Amara Resort’s AAA Four Diamond restaurant. Chef David Schmidt uses fresh organic produce to create an innovative and delicious menu. Start with the toasted bruschetta or the fritto misto, a medley of fried artichokes, broccoli, squash, and mozzarella, served with a lemon-caper aioli. Then, move on to the brown-butter-braised yellow fin hamachi with a citrus-herb salad or the caramelized potato gnocchi with crispy pork and brussels sprouts. For dessert, forgo the classic tiramisu and try the black raspberry panna cotta, popped with a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar.

Saturday evenings, the luxury inn El Portal Sedona (95 Portal Ln., 928/203-4942, 5:30–8 p.m. Sat., $25–45) opens its doors to the public for a culinary tour de force. Rich cheeses, fresh fish, roasted meats, and local organic vegetables and spices highlight an ever-changing menu. When the weather cooperates—and it frequently does in Sedona—meals are served in the hotel’s grass-and-stone courtyard. Diehard foodies will want to book one of the limited reservations.

Enjoy Sedona’s very own award-winning microbrew at Oak Creek Brewery & Grill (336 Hwy. 179, 928/282-3300, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. daily, $11–26). The casual second-floor pub at Tlaquepaque has a darn good menu of sandwiches, salads, pastas, burgers, and “fire-kissed” pizzas, like the feta-and-artichoke Oak Creek Greek Pizza. The smoked pork tenderloin with prickly pear-chipotle glaze and rotisserie chicken are always good choices. Check out the delicious ales and pilsners brewing in copper tanks behind the bar before heading out to the large patio, which has a nice view of Snoopy Rock.

You’ll find plenty of great dishes at the popular Shugrue’s Hillside Grill (671 Hwy. 179, 928/282-5300, 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5 p.m.–8:30 daily, $21–32), but it’s the sunset views from the deck that pack the place. Order a glass of wine and enjoy the sight before you dig into the whiskey-barbecued duck, lemon-seared scallops, or the signature flame-broiled shrimp scampi. The menu includes a wide selection of pastas, salads, fish, and steaks.