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| - QUESTION: If you're in Arizona and can only do one thing, which do you choose:
(a) Gaze upon the Grand Canyon.
(b) Hike the trails of Sedona.
(c) Tour Kartchner Caverns
(d) Dine at Café Monarch
Believe it or not, the answer is (d) and here's why. The hole in the ground, the red rocks and the bat-cave have all been around for thousands of years, and will continue to be around for many lifetimes. You can see them anytime and they're not going anywhere.
Now we are all traveling mortals, placed on this earth for a finite time. You, me, and Chris (the chef at Café Monarch) are no exception. Now I wish all of us, including Chris (the waiter at Café Monarch) a long and prosperous life. But lets face it; none of us know what our Creator has in store for us, and that includes Chris (the host at Café Monarch). Also, we never know when the landlord is going to sell our shop's location to turn it into a Wal-Mart, and this goes for the place leased by Chris (the busboy at Café Monarch). Finally, we never know where we're going to be in a few years. For example, we could fall in love with someone special and move back to New York City and this includes Chris (the dishwasher at Café Monarch).
Let me put it to you another way... If Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel in disappearing ink, wouldn't you rush off to see it?
Some works of art or natural beauty will last forever. But when food is art it must be experienced (i.e. eaten) hot off the grill and whenever you can get it. So when the medium of the 'genius-artist' is food, you have to grab every opportunity to experience the masterpiece. Chris brings a passion to his cooking. He tells us that cooking became a necessity as a child, but it was also his chosen form of creative outlet. He has developed an intuitive ability to combine flavors, spices and textures. He provides beautiful presentations that are layered with tastes... you and your pals will be guessing at the ingredients. This "artwork" is tasty, healthy and generously portioned. All for about 40 bucks plus a $10 corking fee. Arizona is lucky to have Chris feeding a few selected diners who are smart enough to make reservations. Go see (and eat) this man's art.
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