PHOENIX/MESA DINING 66

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AL FRESCO FANTASTIC
FORMER RESIDENCES TRANSFORM TO PATIO-PERFECT PLACES TO
DINE UNDER THE ARIZONA SKY IN PHOENIX
By Laura Hahnefeld
Springtime in Phoenix means the weather is gorgeous. And when it comes to
dining al fresco, three homes turned into restaurants in Tempe, Scottsdale and
Phoenix make this time of year even more glorious with incredible dishes and
drinks served up in outdoor settings as relaxing as your own backyard.
HOUSE OF TRICKS
Given its thick canopy of trees, pots
overf lowing with f lowers and vintage stone
fireplace; its hard to imagine sitting on the
patio of Robert and Robin Trick's 25-year-old
restored cottage that the hustle and bustle of
Tempes Mill Avenue and the Arizona State
University campus are just blocks away but
they are. A dining oasis with a decidedly
romantic side, its easy to fall in love here, most
likely with elegant plates of inventive, seasonal
dishes put together with market-fresh produce
and pristine meats. Throw in a candlelit table, a
roofed outdoor bar built between two towering
shade trees and clinking glasses of wine and
youre well on your way to al fresco amour.
THE HOUSE BRASSERIE
At chef and restaurateur Matt Carters newest
spot in Old Town Scottsdale, globally inspired
21st-century cuisine meets homespun charm
with an outdoor dining scene that blends
perfectly. Sprawling from the restaurants 1920s
bungalow home, a brick patio surrounded by a
white picket fence includes a massive fireplace
shaded by a stately 70-year-old tree. In the
evenings, when the patio is lit with candles,
you get the sense youre at a neighborhood
dinner party where hand-pressed cocktails and
tempting plates of braised lamb ragout, smoked
clam and corn chowder and Berkshire pork
country ribs meet with the kind of familiar ease
that invites you to stay as long as youd like.
THE HOUSE AT SECRET GARDEN
Whats in a name? In the case of this historic
Spanish-style mansion in South Phoenix built
in 1929, everything. Hidden in plain view off a
busy road and nestled against Phoenixs South
Mountain, the charms of its peaceful f lagstone
patio bordered by orchid trees and blooming
f lowers include an outdoor fireplace and a
fishpond. All the better to enjoy chef Dustin
Christodoulous Italian-inf luenced, modern
American dishes like handmade pappardelle,
caulif lower soup and lemon chicken with
smashed potatoes and fried rosemary with a glass
of wine especially under a star-studded sky.
Squonk Opera performs
A candlelit evening
outdoors at The House Brasserie
The House at Secret Gardens peaceful patio
Cottage charm at House of Tricks