NOW // DINING

If You Go:
Orange Sky

9800 E. Indian Bend Road,

Scottsdale
480-850-7777
www.talkingstickresort.com

Fo o d with a view

The shrimp and scallop steaks are wrapped in jalapeno bacon. roasted beet salad with goat cheese, truffle oil, white bal-
samic and local greens.

The cuisine and atmosphere at Orange Sky at

Talking Stick Resort make for a perfect pairing

By Shelby Hill
Orange Sky at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale serves up class
from the time you enter the restaurant, all the way to the dessert
course. Guests board an elevator and are whisked to the 15th floor,
where city and mountain views greet diners. The hostess escorted
us down a long corridor, past private rooms that looked ready to
host lively dinner parties, to our table, which was the definition of
elegance. A high-backed couch separated us from the hallway, add-
ing a feeling of privacy.

Our, not one, but two servers made us feel as if we were the only four people in
the restaurant. For appetizers, we feasted on the roasted local beet salad and the
overflowing antipasti plate. The rich color of the roasted beet salad, complete with
black mesa ranch goat cheese, truffle oil, white balsamic and local greens, mirrored

42 AB | September-October 2010
the rich flavor of the beets, but it was
still sweet and light enough to be a
perfect summer treat. The antipasti
plate was as packed as possible with
duck confit, prosciutto, eggplant ca-
ponata and grilled ciabata bread. It
could have fed an entire table of hun-
gry diners.
As soon as dinner was served,
we could not wait to indulge in the
rich spread. The shrimp and scallop
steaks, wrapped in jalapeno bacon,
lived up to their names. There was
nothing small about either. The twin
tournedos of char-grilled filet of beef
were as appetizing as they looked.
The walnut-shallot crusted, roasted
half rack of lamb was the favorite.
The juiciness of the lamb next to the
sweetness of the crust made me, pre-
viously a lamb neophyte, a convert.
If the lamb was the star of the eve-
ning, the sides comprised a formi-
dable supporting cast. The bowl of
smoked, cheddar-whipped Yukon
potatoes was an airy, golden master-
piece. The roasted sweet carrots tast-
ed as amazing as their deep orange
color looked on the plate. As we con-
tinued our trip around the culinary
color wheel, we sampled the steamed
asparagus. Its crunch made a won-
derful contrast to the softer textures
of the potatoes and the carrots.
As dessert approached I didn’t
know if I could go the distance. But
then our server showed us the selec-
tion and we ordered three. After a
rich meal of lamb, beef, carrots and
whipped potatoes, nothing tastes as
refreshing as the warm, lemon semo-
lina cake with raspberries and blue-
berries. If you’re a chocolate lover,
you will find nirvana in the choco-
late mousse, layered with an orange
liqueur-soaked cake and ganache on
a thin chocolate cookie.
As we finished our desserts, we
watched the sun set over the Camel-
back Mountains and cast an orangey-
red glow over the Valley. We made our
way onto the patio just as the orange
sky gave way to city lights. Like our
secluded table, the patio and the
large dining room also offer pan-
oramic views, but with a more vi-
brant, animated atmosphere. The
fantastic views, the cuisine and the
elegant ambience will keep you com-
ing back to Orange Sky.
AB | September-October 2010 43