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By Barbara Penny Angelakis & Manos Angelakis
Whether you call it “New American Cuisine” or “Artful Cuisine” or whatever, a great cuisine by any other word is still a delight to the taste buds (to paraphrase Will). Blend together a little bit of this – fresh locally farmed ingredients - and a little bit of that – traditional French techniques - mix with imagination and skill and voilà, you have the culinary alchemy of the southwest in general… and Arizona in particular.
Nowhere did we find a better example of this new/old type of cooking then at Vu Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch . Chef de Cuisine Brian Lewis has taken the concept of pairing locally produced, fresh-from-the-earth staple foods, with traditional luxury items, as in his Chioggia Beets with an Osetra Caviar Cromesquis. Add a dressing of Mandarin Yogurt sauce and Sorrel, a little artistic plate placement, and you have before you a appetizer with extraordinary eye and palate appeal! Chef Lewis shared his enthusiasm for his cooking style “for me, food is constantly evolving and I still get excited by a shipment of carrots or beets fresh from the earth and delivered by the farmer that picked them only hours earlier”.
Chef Lewis’s passion for good food, plus the daunting task of ordering a meal from a menu that is overwhelmingly mouth watering, are probably the origins of the chefs selection seasonal tasting menus complete with wine pairings that truly enhance the dishes du jour and educate the palate. For those with hearty appetites the Grand Vu is a 6-course meal, plus amuse-bouche add-ons, that really gives full rein to Chef Lewis’s creativity, for a moderate $130. For those with a more modest hunger, there is a Chef’s Vu choice of 3 courses for $75 that are selected from the á la carte menu. Also offered is a vegetarian Garden Vu for $110. The menu tastings are available for an appropriately reduced price without wine for those who do not, or cannot, imbibe. However, we found the wine selections to perfectly compliment and enhance the food choices, therefore it is highly recommended that you place yourself in the capable hands of Chef Lewis, sit back, loosen your waistband, and prepare to be indulged for the next three to four hours.
While you are waiting for the banquet to begin, just a word about the décor of Vu. This multi-tiered restaurant truly has a split personality. Entered through the hotel lobby you appear to be in a traditional conservative dining room/bar with low ceiling, dark colors and plush chairs, but descend a few steps and the mood and character transform into trendy southwestern modern. Warm earth tones of russet, gold, brown and burgundy color the banquettes and velvet throw pillows. Brown armless woven leather chairs are placed around the tables, which are decorated with multi-variegated Murano-style glass sculptures in a complementary earth toned palette. The higher honey colored wood ceiling is further accented by sculpting out and tables are softly lit with hanging low voltage quartz lights aimed directly to the tables, not the diners, so you can read the menu and see your food. Dining tables are separated from each other by hanging russet-colored iridescent gauze curtains, gently fluttering in the breeze from the open floor to ceiling sliding glass doors that lead out to the terrace overlooking a lagoon, where during warm Arizona nights, dining is al fresco.
The opening salvo of our culinary extravaganza was a Butternut Squash Soup with Nutmeg and Cream. It looked deceptively simple, but our taste buds jumped to attention! Great opening for the second little gem, a Coddled Egg topped with Crème Chantilly and Black Winter Truffle, Pancetta shavings and Celery Leaf, on a bed of Coarse Sea Salt. The soup was paired with glasses of Veuve Clicquot; this Pinot Noir dominated champagne, was the perfect foil to the earthy taste of the soup.
 The next little dish was a palette of beautiful colors, Salmon four ways, with Southwest spices. The Gravlax was particularly nice and the exquisite Salmon Tartare was spiced in an unusual way. Which led us to the fourth little plate, the Chioggia Beats with Osetra Caviar Cromesquis, Sorrel and Mandarin Yogurt.
 These dishes were paired with an excellent off-dry Riesling. The next dish, Nantucket Bay Scallops with Jerusalem Artichokes, Pancetta, Brussels Sprout leaves and Black Burgundy Truffles was matched with a beautiful Pinot Blanc from Oregon. Followed by a Raviolo with Crab Meat and Foie Gras Butter paired with the Riesling.
 By now we were getting very full, but we made a valiant effort to finish the Kurabuta Pork Belly with Cinnamon Spiced Quince, Pickled Chanterelles and Agave Nectar. The accompanying sauce was exceptional, and Manos loves quince. So, in no time, this little dish disappeared. The paired California Cabernet Sauvignon was silky and smooth on the palate, a bit too fruit forward, but it was a California after all.
The two final plates were the Jamison Farms Lamb with Aromatic Peppers, Merguez, Stone Fruits and Heirloom Bean Purée and the Painted Hills Pasture Fed Beef  Tenderloin, with Wild Mushrooms, La Ratte Potatoes and Bordelais Sauce. While both dishes were artfully prepared and a meat lovers must-have, Chef Lewis’s complex mix of little known or unusual roots and spices really shine when combined with less inherently succulent ingredients such as his Scallops or Salmon plates.
A three part dessert followed with a lovely Crème  Brulee and an Ice Cream to die for. Unfortunately, we were so full by that time that we did not really have the capacity to give it the honor it truly deserved. But we tried to finish the Crystal Pinot Noir sparkler.
The California influences are evident in Chef Lewis’s work. His cooking is rooted in tradition and tempered by innovation. This is a young Chef who’s destined to reach the top rungs of his profession... toques off to Master Chef Brian Lewis and his talented staff.
Follow this link for a Nantucket Bay Scallops with Butternut Squash, Fuji Apple, and Almond Oil recipe.
© January 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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