The Sedona Chaine des Rotisseur on April 15th in Sedona, AZ at Cucina Rustica was hosted by Maitre Rotisseur Chef Lisa Dahl. The event brought together food lovers in the region who belong to the U.S. chapter, now in its 52nd year.

As the Maitre Rotisseur for the event, Lisa prepared a special menu for the fellow members of the society. April 15th’s menu theme (see below) was from the heart of the Mediterranean and brought together delicious foods from a meritage of Spanish, Italian and Greek cuisine and wine.

The honor received by Lisa read:
The Sedona Bailliage of the Confrerie De La Chaine Des Rotisseurs is proud to present this certificate of recognition to you in appreciation for your creativity and superb execution of our Mediterranean Themed Event.

Barbara R. Breitbart, Chambellan Provincial, Bailli, April 15, 2012

Hors d’Oeuvres Passato
- Organic Medjool Dates stuffed with Chorizo wrapped in Serrano Ham
- Grilled Artichoke Skewers with a Pesto Aioli served with NV Cristalino Brut Cava, Penendes, Spain

Tres Sopas
- Traditional Gazpacho, Avocado Gazpacho & Mango and Jicama Gazpacho served with 2010 Burguns Albarino, Rais Baixas, Spain & 2005 Marqués De Riscal Rioja Reserva, Spain

Insalata
- Greek Salad with a chilled Ceviché of Prawns and Calamari served with 2008 Skouras Moscofilero, Peloponnese, Greece

Entrate
- Costolette di Agnello ~ Colorado Lamb Chops, accompanied by a Ratatouille Terrine served with 2008 Frescobaldi ‘Nipozzano’ Chianti Rufina, Tuscany, Italy

Dolce
- Tarta de Almenderes Served with Ben Rye ‘Donafugata’ Moscato d’Alessandria, Sicily, Italy

All in all, a wonderful event and Cucina Rustica was delighted to host for the society.  

At least that’s the case for Sedona, Arizona restaurateur Lisa Dahl, who is the owner and executive sous chef for award-wining Italian restaurants Dahl & DiLuca and Cucina Rustica. In the last several years, Lisa has managed to own and operate her two restaurants and its catering business; author an award-winning book on the passion of cooking, creatively expand her menu offerings and open an online store under the brand Living Dahl. It’s all about pursuing excellence and finding your calling, she says.

“Many people ask me where I find the time and the energy to do what I do,” says Ms. Dahl. “To me it is just my passion for living and sharing. I love the food lifestyle and it brings me joy to share my experiences. I learn to share and share to learn. By involving my time and energy around a healthy and vibrate lifestyle, I’m able to enjoy life more fully, and that comes through my romance with food.”

Lisa Dahl took her love of cooking and great Italian food into a business step when she opened Dahl & Di Luca in Sedona, AZ in the late 1990s. She followed that by opening a sister Mediterranean Italian restaurant Cucina Rustica in the early 00s. Between the two of them, she’s helped to make Sedona, Arizona a destination stop for serious foodies and luxury tourists.

Her success is borne out on the many complimentary notes left on Sedona restaurant reviews site on Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor and others. Lisa credits it to her customer’s good taste about good food.

“Yes, I’m passionate about Italian food, and it heartens me greatly when others can taste the difference,” says Lisa. “We certainly take the extra time and effort in the kitchen to turn a good meal into a stunning one – so it’s gratifying when that is acknowledged.”

As Executive sous-chef for the restaurants, Lisa makes sure that she creates a clear distinction between her cooking duties and her restaurant operations roles, although sometimes she admits they overlap. “I try to understand when there’s a matter about running the restaurant that needs to be dealt with, and I deal accordingly,” she says. “Other times, there’s a executive chef food decision I have to make, whether it’s an availability issue of a certain vegetable or sauce ingredient. I do my best to handle each the right way, and hopefully my employees and my customers both see the positive result.”

Lisa has toured and studied in Italy to create a solid foundation for her creative approach to modern dining with a distinctly Italian feel. She turned much of her learning into an award-winning fine dining book called “The Elixir of Life” which won the 2011 IPPY Gold Medal award for Cookbook of the Year.

Fans of Lisa Dahl can find her Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Beauty oil, clothing and more at the Living Dahl Elixir Store. It’s a site in which she hopes to continue to expand the offerings and help others become as voracious in life, in food and in love.

Cucina Rustica an excellent Italian restaurant in Sedona has posted its Mother’s Day brunch menu at its website, and it’s full of such scrumptious delights! Lisa Dahl, chef-owner at Cucina Rustica, invites you to join her and her team to celebrate our mothers with an amazing brunch. On the website, Lisa writes:

“Mother’s Day is always a wonderful time to remember the important quality of love. Everyday we are alive is a gift from God to share with our family and friends. Let’s all take one moment to be grateful for everything we have. This brunch menu is dedicated now and forever to the memories of Justin Wesley Jones. Love your neighbor and pray for peace on earth.”

Besides the wonderful array of mouth-watering appetizers and delicious wines, it’s the entrees that are readying our mouths in anticipation of Mother’s Day.

• How about the enticing Hotel California Corn & Egg Strata, with sour cream, salsa fresca, guacomole and L.D.’s sizzling home fries, paired with a glass of Araldica Gavi wine?
• Or perhaps you are more inclined to lean toward the Seafood Crepes, which offers homemade crepes stuffed with crab, prawns and scallops in a roasted tomato bruschetta cream sauce with asparagus, topped with a glass of Garnet Chardonnay?
• For the pasta lover, there is Tortelloni a Limone e Pisselli, which is a cheese-filled Tortelloni with baby peas in a lemon scallion parmesan cream sauce. This comes paired with a refreshing glass of Anne Amie Pinor Gris. Buon appetit!

There’s really no wrong dish to choose on Mother’s Day at Cucina Rustica. With seafood, pasta or meat dishes, everything tastes sensational at the Sedona’s best Italian restaurant. Lisa Dahl says it’s all about the freshness of the ingredients, and the artistry in the kitchen.

Call Cucina Rustica at 928-284-3010 today to reserve your Mother’s Day Brunch table.

Cucina Rustica is located at 7000 Hwy. 179, Village of Oak Creek, in beautiful Sedona AZ.

To continue the passion behind “The Elixir of Life”, Lisa will make a personal appearance and sign copies of “The Elixir of Life” on Tuesday, May 1 at Gus Mayer’s famed department store in Birmingham, Alabama.

Gus Mayer is the leading designer specialty store in Birmingham, Alabama, specializing in luxury clothing and accessories, cosmetics, handbags, and gifts. Gus Mayer was established in New Orleans in 1900, from a single store on Canal Street.

The retail operation eventually grew to more than 20 stores across the nation.  During the 1970′s, the Gus Mayer stores were sold off individually.  In 1975, the Pizitz family purchased the Birmingham, Alabama operation, and later bought the Nashville store. The stores continue to flourish under the Gus Mayer name, and are considered the leading designer specialty stores in Alabama and Tennessee.

“The Elixir of Life: Finding Love and Joy in the Passionate Pursuit of Food” follows Lisa’s passionate journey to celebrate the elixirs of the olive and the vine, and the elixir of inspiration for her Italian- and Mediterranean-influenced cuisine. “The Elixir of Life” won the top Gold Medal in the Cookbook category at the 2011 IPPY (Independent book Publishers) Awards.

It’s an extra special pleasure when customers and professional reviewers take the time to post up nicely-worded reviews of their time with us on a social web site or review blog site. Seeing those posts helps us get the word out to more and more people to try our award-winning Italian food at our two Sedona restaurants Dahl & DilLuca and Cucina Rustica.

A kind reviewer at TripAdvisor wrote:
“simply excellent. Went here with friends who are local and very familiar, and it was a great choice for our last night out in Sedona. The ambience is so elegant, classy and inviting; the wait staff very helpful and friendly, and the food delicious. I had the eggplant parmigiana, as it is not something I typically order, but just knew it would be excellent there I would definitely recommend for a fine dining experience, you won’t be disappointed.”

Another example from restaurant review site Fodors reviewed Dahl & DilLuca with these fine words last fall:
“Andrea DiLuca and Lisa Dahl have created one of the most popular Italian restaurants in town: Andrea runs the kitchen, and Lisa meets and greets diners when she’s not making delicious homemade soups like white bean with ham and hearty minestrone. Specialties here include tortellini with a portobello mushroom sauce and pollo piccata (chicken in a lemon, capers, and chardonnay sauce). Renaissance reproductions and café seating give the impression of a Roman piazza. Make reservations or you may be seated at the bar—good food but far less romantic.”

And more recently, another happy customer wrote on Yelp.com:
“What a beautiful restaurant … its decor reminded me of so many old Italian restaurants back in New York. And upon entering you get the sense that you are going to be treated to classic Italian fare.. AND THEY HAVE RUFFINO!! We enjoyed a very romantic dinner here; there is a touch of Tuscany (WHICH I LOVE) that can be found here. This is a soothing dining experience, where a couple can enjoy a soothing conversation over a bottle of red, hold hands and smile. Soft piano music playing … utterly lovely. After spending a few days in Sedona which is so beyond beautiful, I suggest coming here .Our service was excellent as was our meal .And a beautiful memory was made.”

We are blessed and humbled to read such kind words about our efforts here at our fine restaurants in Sedona. Thank you all for your kind comments and we will continue to do our best to please your palate and tickle your food senses when you dine with us.

Cucina Rustica is located on 7000 State Route 179, in beautiful Sedona, Arizona 86351.
Dahl & DiLuca is located at 2321 W Hwy 89A in Sedona, AZ 8633.