Jennifer McClellan and Karen Fernau
SaltRock, a new restaurant at the renovated Amara Resort and Spa in Sedona, is scheduled to open in the first week of September.
Massimo De Francesca, the executive chef at Taggia at Firesky Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, will be the chef over both resort kitchens. The Toronto native joined Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, which owns both resorts, in 2008. He joined Taggia in 2012.
At SaltRock, breakfast, lunch and dinner meals will feature a combination of Southwestern and California cuisine, combining local ingredients in a fresh, clean style of cooking. The restaurant will cook with as many ingredients from the Verde Valley as possible.
De Francesca’s creations will include:
» Deviled eggs, chipotleegg yolk mousse with pasilla maple syrup.
» King oyster mushrooms, confit, charred and marinated in local pine needles and served with warm Mexican chocolate and pine nut gremolata.
» Trout pate, Sedona trout slow-roasted over applewood, made into a paté and layered in a smoking jar served with toasted baguette.
Other dishes include lamb tostadas, wild So-Cal swordfish and Achiote Chicken.
At the bar, SaltRock will pour craft margaritas created by Jacques Bezuidenhout, lead bartender for San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels.
The bar also will offer a selection of tequila and mezcal, along with a curated selection of other spirits, local wines and craft, domestic and international beer favorites.
Amara Resort is preparing to unveil a $1 million redesign in August.
Details: SaltRock, at Amara Resort and Spa,100 Amara Lane, Sedona. 928-282-4828, amararesort.com.