Kitchen Doors: Restaurant Road Trip

Restaurant Road Trip: Sedona’s Forty1 

Ambiente resort restaurant infuses local ingredients with global influences

Ambiente, a Landscape Hotel, opened in Sedona in early 2023, offering a beautiful and unique setting where guests stay in atriums and have access to amazing views and luxurious amenities. 

When the resort opened, its signature restaurant, Forty1, was accessible only to hotel guests. It has since opened to the public, further expanding the restaurant options offered in Northern Arizona.

Executive chef Dave Duncan brings a local focus and global influences to the menu. A native of Cottonwood, just 20 miles from Sedona, Duncan worked in a local family business for several years before changing careers. He then worked as a chef at some of Sedona’s top resorts before moving to Ambiente, where he showcases a passion for Arizona and local ingredients.

“My roots are in the Southwest, and I love the vegetation, wild game and fishing. My goal is to support local farmers and suppliers as much as I possibly can, using local ingredients in a clean and simple way,” Duncan said. “Since Forty1 opened to the public, it’s been great to provide locals the opportunity to experience the restaurant. The menus we create and the setting we provide have been very well received.”

Creativity is an important element of Forty1’s menu, which changes seasonally and is currently focused on Latin and Asian flavors. “I get a lot of inspiration from Arizona and the places I travel,” said Duncan, who describes the restaurant as romantic and modern, ideal for celebrating special occasions. 

One of the most popular items on the current menu is the surf and turf starter, which has a unique spin, pairing pork belly glazed with hoisin with seared scallops finished with ube gelato. “We try to give diners something they may not have had before,” Duncan said. “This dish gives guests different temperatures, textures and flavors.”

Other favorites include the elk back strap with grilled bok choy and poblano fingerling potatoes and the Copper State ranch filet with ube and nopales salad and red pepitas chimichurri. 

Duncan is proud of what Forty1 has added to Northern Arizona’s culinary scene. “The menu is an homage to things I love and the place where we live,” he said. “My team and I get to play with flavors and have the ability to surprise diners and expand palates.”

To learn more, visit ambientesedona.com/dine.