Kitchen Doors: Where We Ate This Month, July 2017
Blaze
Phoenix
The most interesting fact (not in his official bio) about Blaze’s L.A.-based executive chef, Bradford Kent, is that he once worked for the Department of Defense as a food scientist specializing in natural preservations of foods and food technologies for military rations. While at the DoD in the 1990s he was working on technology for 2020. These days, he hopscotches from country to country in search of the best ingredients. Kent’s diligence pays off in the pies served up by Blaze. He IS the pizza whisperer – emphasizing the importance of not rushing the fermentation process, which makes food more digestible, or, as he says, satiety, not sickness. Blaze’s interactive kitchen format lets guests create their own pie. The fresh (never frozen) dough is made from scratch. The fire deck ovens cook pies in 180 seconds. In the assembly line, I went with the “Link In” pie, with sausage, red peppers, sautéed onions, mozzarella and red sauce (and added jalapenos). It was as light and fresh and tasty as could be. I’ll be back, if not to the Central Ave. location but to any of its five Arizona locations as of today (with more in Glendale, Scottsdale and Tucson on the way).
— Mike Saucier
Sonata’s Restaurant
North Scottsdale
Eastern European cuisine is not something I have much experience with — but after my experience with Sonata’s in North Scottsdale it is firmly on my radar. I started with the Kepta Duona, which I was told is a specialty in Eastern Europe. The appetizer consists of crisped rye bread, tossed in duck fat aioli and completely covered in Havarti cheese — it’s good, but a bit of a heavy dish. I moved on to the chicken shashlik, consisting of a skewer of chicken and vegetables nearly as long of my small table and sauces like tabbouleh, hummus, tomato and cucumber tapenade and their house fancy sauce. The chicken was amazing, and I could eat it every day with the hummus and tabbouleh. At the insistence of the incredible staff, I conceded to finishing my meal with Spurgos “Varškes” – a Lithuanian curd cheese donut that’s a lot better than the name suggests. Despite reservations about ordering a dessert, I ended up finishing the entire thing. I was also pleasantly surprised by Sonata’s terrific atmosphere — an expansive patio and an enormous main dining room ornately decorated with chandeliers, plush couches and leather chairs and entire wall consisting of the ends of wooden stumps.
— Jamie Killin
Coronado Brewing Company
San Diego
Whether you hop over to the San Diego area for a weekend, week or month, one of our favorite post-beach chill spots is Coronado Brewing Company. The Coronado Island and Imperial Beach locations have a full menu and the Mission Bay location offers brews. Some favorite apps: the calamari strips and the three-piece buffalo tenders with heat choices. Brews on tap range from Seacoast Pilsner (pairs well with ahi tuna dishes) to Belgium-style Orange Ave. Wit (my favorite) to a deeper flavored Mermaid’s Red. Lots of options abound: tacos, salads, burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads and pastas. All made fresh to order. A kids menu and breakfast menu make it easy to drop by on the weekends. Coronado Brewing also gives back to its community, so, they’re Frontdoors approved!
— Andrea Evans
