16 Sept 7th–Sept 13th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | French onion soup with brandy and aged Swiss cheese, teriyaki salmon with shiitake sticky rice and soy butter sauce and a five- layer carrot cake with pineapple syrup. The three-course menu costs $55 per person. While many of the dishes are on the regular menu, Restaurant Week gives customers the chance to try them with a big discount. “The price point of the restaurant week is phenomenal. It’s basically, you come in here and you’re going to get $2 off of your fillet, and you’re also going to get two addi- tional courses on top of that, so it’s defi- nitely a win,” Griffin says. After years of running Restaurant Week at Ocean Prime, Griffin knows what to expect. During the event, roughly 60% to 75% of guests are there to experience the set menu, he says. And he’s familiar with the flow. “I always enjoy the last weekend. That’s when we are busiest,” he says. “The first Friday, Saturday and Sunday are kind of like an intro to it. The beginning of the week starts to build, and then by that last Friday and Saturday, we really feel the energy in here.” Trying something new Sandra Lockard, owner and executive chef of Taza Bistro in Scottsdale, is looking forward to feeling the energy of Restaurant Week. Her restaurant will celebrate two years in business in October, and this will be her second time participating in the culinary extravaganza. “We had a really big boost in new people who didn’t know about our restaurant,” she says of the spring event. “Getting known by new people is great, and Arizona Restaurant Week has been really helpful in (promoting) our restaurant.” Taza Bistro’s three-course affair for $55 per person represents different countries and regions throughout the Mediterranean. Next to each item on the menu is a descrip- tion of where the dish originated. Customers will find fare from Spain, France, Morocco, Egypt, Greece and more. “My goal is to let our guests experience flavors that they wouldn’t get anywhere else,” Lockard says. “I always put my own twist on the dishes so they have a little bit of my own flavor and creation.” One example is the Duck Breast a L’Orange, a traditional French dish that Lockard spices up with an ouzo sauce and fennel. The za’atar-herbed lamb chop with tzatziki is making a reappearance on the Restaurant Week menu after guests of a recent tasting event loved the dish. While picking dishes from all over the world, it was important for Lockard to make sure the prix fixe menu works together, whichever courses customers select. “It took me several weeks of really working hard to come up with the dishes and the combinations so (customers) can choose any of them, and they really will go well together,” she says. “That way, if two people or four come together, they can each get something different and be able to experience the flavors together.” Taza Bistro is a small restaurant and every dish is cooked to order, so Lockard strongly encourages diners to make reserva- tions. That will also help her, a relative newbie to Restaurant Week, make the event the best for her customers. “We want to grow, and we’re really excited to grow with Restaurant Week. We’re just excited to be part of this. It’s an honor to be among so many great restaurants,” she says. Chef Sandra Lockard is the culinary and creative force behind Taza Bistro. (Photo courtesy of Taza Bistro) Chef Sandra Lockard and her husband Nick run Taza Bistro in Scottsdale. The restaurant will celebrate two years in business this October. (Photos courtesy of Taza Bistro) >> p 19 Fall Foods from p 15
