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| - The Elements restaurant at Sanctuary is truly a sanctuary place to be in, tucked away in a quiet resort with a great view of Camelback mountain. Classy, elegant, and modern, it's has a romantic atmosphere and great for a date. They even had a live band the night we were there creating a cozy atmosphere.
The appetizer course that we shared was a duck and foie gras shumai. Talk about fusion food: Chinese and French blend. An odd combination, but surprisingly palatable. The grilled foie gras on top tasted like a moist steak. The duck confetti filling paired well with the strong flavor of the foie gras. The teriyaki sauce added another Asian touch. On to the main course: plancha grilled halibut and a mustard crusted Colorado rack of lamb. The halibut was simply just ok, nothing too special. The skin was crispy, but the fish was a bit dry. I was wanting a citric taste from the lemon shellfish broth, but it didn't add too much flavor to the dish. The medium rare rack of lamb store the show that night. Tender and juicy at the same time, I found my euphoria. The taste was strong, but not overpowering that I can still taste the tender texture of the lamb. Definitely order medium rare to achieve this masterpiece in your mouth. You won't regret it! As always, another chocolate dessert for this chocoholic. The PB bomb: I just had to order because of the creative name. Wonderfully present, this dessert was basically a very rich and fancy Reese's peanut butter cup. Heaven in my mouth for sure.
Another thing to look for at Elements is the bar at happy hour. It had a relaxing atmosphere, something you wouldn't see in the trendy Scottsdale location. The food selection isn't that wide or even that great, however the alcohol is high quality at a low price. They had fresh ingredients and high-end liquor. It was also fun sitting at the bar watching the bartender make my drink.
I still gave it a 5 stars even with the so-so fish, but everything else that I experienced made it wonderful in my book. But I gotta hand it to Elements for making the place so irresistible. This is a place for foodies to come and retreat for a relaxing evening of good food and good music.
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