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by Manos & Barbara Penny Angelakis
Ventana Room
Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
7000 North Resort Drive
Tucson, Arizono 85750
520-615-5494
http://www.ventanaroom.com/home.html
We approached the Ventana Room, located on the top floor of Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, with great expectation. The recipient of the only AAA 5-Diamond rating in Tucson, and with awards and kudos from some of the top restaurant guides and food magazines in the country, the room’s reputation had whetted our appetite for an extraordinary meal… and we were not disappointed, not in the least.
The Ventana Room is truly one of Tucson's jewels; a formal restaurant that is a  triumph of culinary excellence. The spacious room, elegant but not pretentious, had recently undergone a complete renovation and refurbishing. One of the prime motivations for redesigning the restaurant was being able to showcase their outstanding wine cellar in a more prominent fashion. Upon entering your eye is immediately drawn to the wine cellar, which has been built into the left side. This climate-controlled glass-enclosed room was designed to protect the restaurant’s precious and comprehensive wine collection that includes, amongst others, verticals of La Tâche, Château Margaux, Château Lafite, Cos d’Estournel, and other grand cru wines, and at the same time make it accessible to the restaurant’s patrons. Gordon Gilbert, the enthusiastic Assistant Maître d’ and sommelier, explained that the room was designed to accommodate wine tastings for small groups without compromising the valuable collection. This is accomplished by having airflow and humidity filtered into the back of the shelves holding the bottles, so that the wines remain in a constantly controlled environment; separate from that of the room’s.
 Gordon also invited us into the newly redesigned kitchen to see the hugely popular Chef’s table set-up in anticipation of a dinner party. A special area that can accommodate up to six persons was carved out of the kitchen away from the traffic flow, so diners can see and smell the action but not interfere with the activity.
The dining room is set-up to maximize the outstanding city view in the valley below through the wall of glass that is the focal point of the entire length of the restaurant. The tables were placed at a discreet distance from each other and were more than sufficient to accommodate the oversized serving plates that are de rigueur for the new gastronomy. We selected Chef Gina Rodriguez’s five-course dégustation with wines, loosened our belts, and placed ourselves into Gordon’s capable hands.
The dinner began with glasses of Perrier Jouët’s Belle Époque Rosé, a lovely blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier; soft yet complex, rich and  refreshing, with the tiniest bead.
The amuse bouche was a chilled Vichyssoise with a lobster claw.
While we were waiting for our first appetizer - Egg Brouillade and Brioche Toast with Petrossian Oscetra - a tray with five little pewter saltcellars with different spiced salts was brought to the table. This  would have really impressed my great-grandfather, who thought that serving three kinds of olives-or three kinds of the same anything-on one’s table was the utmost in luxury (of course that was the 19th century, and in Crete). But, I digress… The egg came and it was indeed a spectacular little dish to the eye as well as the palate, with the briny Oscetra roe contrasting visually and in taste to the white of the Brouillade.
The second appetizer was a divine Foie Gras with a port wine reduction, a firm  cylinder of coarse Mallard Duck liver plus a creamy spoonful of liver mousse. Paired with it was a 2001 Höfler Noble Reserve Trockenbeerenauslese, a highly aromatic and sweet wine with enough acidity to complement the richness of the foie gras. This was one of the most successful food and wine pairings we had during the entire trip and again proves how much food and wine compliment each other and make the whole greater then the sum of its parts.
Following was a dish that married grilled Belgian Endive with Caramelized Pecan Dressing, Aged Roquefort and Fresh Herbs. The slightly bitter endive and strong Roquefort cleansed the palate from the rich foie gras and the sweet Riesling.
 Next, a dish we really enjoyed for the interplay of spices and textures. Niman Ranch Filet Tempura with Caramelized Thumbelina Carrot and Red Curry Infusion paired with glasses of Cos d’Estournel. I did not note down the vintage, but it was one of the better ’90s – again a highly successful pairing.
Finally, a small slice of Normandy cheese with raspberries and a hazelnut and dessert. And we went back to the Höfler, because that wine epitomized the quality and elegance of the meal we had just finished.
We were rather disappointed not to have personally met Chef Rodriguez; her work is outstanding for both ingredient quality and execution and we wished to personally congratulate her. Gordon Gilbert is a very knowledgeable sommelier and his pairings were impeccable; he made a sumptuous dinner all the more special. In general, we thought that the entire dinning room crew was very attentive and knowledgeable without being overbearing and we appreciated their meticulousness.
To your health!
© February 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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