Set among the all luxe five star Enchantment Resort on 70 acres in Sedona Arizona’s Boynton Canyon, it’s signature restaurant Che Ah Chi extends your five star experience with world class dining in an elegant but extraordinary serene setting. Imagine tasting exquisite dishes amidst a natural arena of vermillion-colored rock formations while sipping on a delicious glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Named for what the Apaches called Boynton Canyon, Che Ah Chi Restaurant brings out dishes that live up to the views. The restaurant serves contemporary American cuisine with a hint of Southwest influence and a focus on Arizona-sourced ingredients. In addition to its oh so natural and sustainable menu, their wine list from The Wine Bar earned Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of Excellence.”
The oh so chic and stylish bar offers a terrace and a twice-weekly Chef’s Table featuring four-courses paired with wine and commentary from the chef and sommelier. Under the glow of amber and earth-colored blown-glass custom light fixtures, guests congregate around a 20’-long communal gathering table of solid iron laid with a thick sandstone top.
The foodie alert doesn’t stop there. It’s top notch menu is what lingered on my mind for days after we left the resort. The chef thought we should start with their combo Chef’s Board platter, and so we did! It includes housemade preserves, pickles, charcuterie and prosciutto. Look at how fresh the ingredients are, from the cured meat to the arugula on the wooden platter.
I was eager for something light given our trend of dining at 4 and 5 star restaurants since we left the East Coast many weeks before. This Hamachi Crudo did the trick – the incredibly fresh combination of charred avocado, grapefruit and white truffle broth had me at hello.
Note while the below Beeler’s Pork Belly dish is not known to be a light dish, executive chef David Schmidt and chef de cuisine Sam Williams seem to take great pride in keeping things healthy and light, even their preparation of some of the heavier meat dishes. The Pork Belly, which is Gluten Free btw, is served with arugula and red pear in a whole grain mustard vinaigrette.
Their baby beets salad with gorgonzola and candied pecans was outa this world, especially with the Charred Lemon Yogurt topping. Other appetizer options include a delicious Buffalo Carpaccio with Balsamic Chia, Confit Shallots and brown butter croutons (so much Buffalo out west) and the Lobster Bisque with beech mushrooms and a cognac whip, which has apparently been on the menu since Day 1. YUM!!
Note that all their mains are gluten free (way to go David and Sam)! Their “skin-on” Jidori Chicken is first pan-seared and then finished in the oven and baked with Prosciutto and sage and served with grilled corn grits and grilled asparagus. To die for!
For fish lovers, they offered a healthy Cobia dish, simply grilled with organic spinch, charred lemon, agave lacquer and a clam emulsion, Scallops with brussels sprouts, parsnip pudding and raisins, a pan-seared Steelhead Salmon with creamed leeks, sunflower sprouts and tempura dipped cauliflower, and a Branzino pan-seared sea bass, served with a warm zucchini salad, radishes, chimichurri, cilantro, parsley and red chili.
Meat lovers, your palates will be in heaven over the Harris Ranch Filet Mignon with foraged mushrooms in a garlic puree, the Wagyu Bavette Flank Steak with a horseradish creme fraiche and the Lamb Sirloin with cucumber, mint, tomatoes, red onions, feta, olives and Greek yogurt. I noticed a bit of Greek influence throughout the menu although their big focus is really on seasonal cuisine and the B.O.W.A. concept. They tend to tap into local organic growers, artisan cheese makers, sustainable fish mongers and ranchers to keep their menu as authentic and close-to-the-earth as possible.
Our host decided we had to try their housemade spaghetti. Who am I to turn down homemade pasta, especially with a bolognese sauce and fresh Pecorino? It was incredibly delicious, especially with its fresh from the garden basil on the top.
We had a few different wine pairings throughout the evening, but my favorite was the Z Wine, which is 80% Zinfandel, 10% Cab and 10% Montepulciano. Wine production is apparently growing in Arizona (we later learned how and where during our follow on visit to Prescott and Jerome), and most of the blends are Rhone blends.
Sides were also all gluten free and ranged from basic seasonal vegetables to mushrooms, Acorn Squash, asparagus and spinach. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Anthony’s favorite part of the evening — desserts. From chocolate bread and butter pudding, sorbets and cheese boards, to Gianduja Creme Brulee with a cherry hazelnut biscotti and their Coconut Rum Tres Leches with fruit salsa, toasted meringue and passion fruit, you won’t leave disappointed.
My top choice was definitely the Lavendar Panna Cotta, served with a strawberry-champagne gelee (OMG!). And, look at their presentation of it!!
Almost as divine and certainly more decadent was this over-the-top exquisite Canyon Crunch Chocolate Torte. This chocolate cake and mike chocolate mousse combo with vanilla gelato is bound to make your future chocolate cake splurges a little inferior.
The restaurant by day; the dining room features a split-level dining layout with expansive windows that showcase scenic views from an elevated setting.
Two thumbs up! We would definitely return to the restaurant and the resort – be sure to check out our review of Enchantment Resort, where we also stayed during our January stay in Sedona. We love love love this heavenly spiritual getaway!
Details:
Che Ah Chi (at the Enchantment Resort)
525 Boynton Canyon Road
Sedona, AZ 86336
(844) 204-6000
Note: I was hosted by the resort, but all opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
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