A trip to the Grand Canyon South Rim is not complete without going to El Tovar Hotel. Not only does it offer the most sought after accommodations, but its also home to the fanciest restaurant inside the park. The dimly lit dining room and cozy fireplace offers a wonderful escape from the outside elements. El Tovar restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner almost everyday with the exception of four days. It it best to make a reservation ahead of time, but we were lucky to snag a late dinner reservation the day of our arrival. The dinner menu offered a wide range of options from gluten free to vegetarian to organic and locally sourced ingredients.
Complimentary bread and butter
Mediterranean salad
12.75 entree size
The mediterranean salad was certainly large enough to be an entree or to be split as a starter. It came with a choice of grilled chicken, smoked salmon or tofu. We opted for honey smoke salmon, which was tender, moist, smokey with a subtle touch of honey flavor. There was a nice balance of crisp greens and hearty vegetables tossed in a light balsamic vinaigrette.
Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushroom
19.95
The large portobello mushroom was stuffed with spinach, onion, artichoke hearts and bell peppers then topped with a tangy red pepper sauce served over wild rice wheat berry pilaf. The meaty mushroom and rice pilaf worked really well with the pepper sauce. A good vegan dish that's tasty and filling.
Hand-Cut, Grilled Natural Black Angus New York Strip
33
The New York strip had to be re-fired because the first time it came out, it was way under cooked. When it reappeared, it was exactly how we ordered it: rare. The tender and flavorful beef was accompanied by a mix of seasonable vegetables and fingerling potatoes. Not a bad steak for being in the middle of Grand Canyon National Park.
It was an enjoyable meal and one we would have again on our next visit to the Grand Canyon. We also dined at several other restaurants in the park, but for dinner, El Tovar Restaurant was definitely our favorite for taste, ambiance, quality and service.
It is worth mentioning that due to the remote location, restaurants in the park add a nominal fee to each check to offset the cost of pumping water up from below.
El Tovar Restaurant
1 El Tovar Road
Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023
Dahl and Di Luca is located in West Sedona, right off highway 89A in a quieter part of town compared to the more touristy and crowded Uptown Sedona. We happened upon this place after passing by it several times while driving around town. The restaurant was also highly recommended by the concierge at our hotel. The front of the restaurant was a beautiful garden with vibrant flowers that evoke a relaxing and welcoming feel.
The dining room had an open layout and the decor gave off a warm yet classy feeling. A great place to go for a celebration or a casual date night. The menu had a good selection of items including gluten free pasta. Everything on the menu sounded great, so we decided to let our waitress guide us. Every item she recommended was delicious and we wished we had discovered the restaurant our first night so we could come back again to try more. A good reason to plan another trip to Sedona.
Warm Seafood Bruschetta
15
We started our meal with the warm seafood medley, which included chopped prawns and scallops cooked in a white wine sauce made with lemon and garlic. The sauce really brought out the sweetness of the seafood and the grilled ciabatta was the perfect vessel to soak up the sauce. A great start to our meal.
Pollo al Rosmarino
22.00
This dish is the restaurant's twist on the classic chicken marsala. The sauce is seasoned with rosemary, adding an aromatic flavor to the classic dish. The sauce was well balanced with just the right amount of acidity, light, but not watery with layers of flavors from the pancetta, mushroom, rosemary and white wine. The boneless chicken breast was tender and thin allowing the flavors of the sauce to penetrate the meat.
Maiale ai Ferri
29.00
This dish was highly recommended by our waitress and we could tell why after the first bite. The pork chops were grilled to perfection, slightly pink on the inside, and seasoned beautifully. It was tender, juicy and the charred flavor added a touch of smokiness to each bite.
Affogato
6
Affogato translates to "drowned" in Italian and that's exactly what happened to the hazelnut gelato. The espresso was poured over the two scoops of hazelnut gelato and created a creamy coffee beverage/float. The hazelnut added a nutty flavor to each sip and the bitterness from the espresso toned down the sweetness of the gelato making it the perfectly balance after dinner dessert.
Great service, wonderful atmosphere and delicious food, it's no wonder Dahl and De Luca is a favorite among locals and tourists.
Headed to Sedona? Check out things to do in Sedona.
Dahl and Di Luca
2321 Arizona 89A
Sedona, AZ 86336
