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| - I've not stayed at this resort, but have been here twice; once for a wedding and the other for a Lunch & Learn event. Valet service each time was quick and the guys were professional and pleasant. The grounds of the resort are kept meticulously clean and there were clear skies and greenery everywhere I looked; so beautiful.
Lunch & Learn (Aug 18th):
The event started a little past noon and ended a little past 3pm. We reserved for six, but it's based on a first come, first served basis. Two of us arrived a little after 11:30am and after paying our respective $75 fee, went to find a table that would afford us good views of the chef's station. Unfortunately the best tables (with direct views of the chef's station) had "Reserved" placards on them, so we ended up with one off to the right of the chef's station. I would recommend arriving early to grab good seats; tables are set for ten. There are two large TV screens in the room, in case you're not able to see the chef directly.
Our event was hosted by Chef MacMillan (gave the guests a few good laughs), with featured guest chef Kevin Binkley (owner of Binkley's Restaurant in Cave Creek). The servers weren't obtrusive and kept our water and wine glasses full.
We started off with a glass of champagne, which wasn't great, but was appreciated and added to the festive ambiance. For this event, we were served three courses: an appetizer (chilled cucumber soup), entrée (two-wash ranch chicken), and dessert (huckleberry semi-fredo). Each course was paired with a different glass of wine: John Anthony Sauvignon Blanc (white, appetizer), Andre Brunel Cote du Rhone (red, entrée), and Pietro Rinaldi Moscato d'asti (dessert). I'm not usually a fan of Sauvignon Blanc (I favor Riesling), but the John Anthony won me over.
Chef Binkley went over his background and demonstrated the process that goes with making the chilled cucumber soup (which is quite involved). The soup, albeit a bit salty, was SO good. Everyone raved about it, and the best part of the dish for me was the charred red onion. The two-wash ranch chicken entrée was good overall; however, my chicken was a bit dry and tough to cut. This might be a one-off thing since others at the table said their chicken was moist. Loved the sweet potato puree and Chantrell mushrooms. The only real complaint I had was the lack of a demo for the entree and dessert. With that said, I can understand why the chef needed to be in the kitchen...after all, we needed to eat, right? ;P
Other highlights:
* Live band entertained with great hits (a bit loud though for lunchtime)
* Recipes to take home
* Q & A with the chef (and photo ops)
* Raffles for a few prizes, which two of my friends won (a gift box of caramel brownies and one-night stay at the Sanctuary with dinner)
Wedding (Friday, March 23rd):
The ceremony was held at 5pm on the grounds near the ballroom. The weather was a bit warm, but not unbearably so. The bride and groom were beautiful (so was the service), but it was a bit distracting to see people observing us from the windows of the Jade Bar, which overlooked the grounds where the ceremony was held.
After the ceremony, we took a short hike up the stairs for cocktail hour, held just outside the ballroom. It was such a beautiful experience to have a glass of wine, nibble on hors d'oeuvres, chat with friends, and watch the sun go down (with the mountains as a backdrop).
The reception was held in the ballroom and was decorated beautifully. The food was great, the wine and alcohol was flowing, and the live (Latin) band made for a great evening. My friend used Sanctuary's wedding planner (and caterer) and they did a great job.
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