Sedona has over 70 restaurants,
many offer world-class gourmet cuisine, others provide
good home-cooked quality, and then of course there are
the usual assortment of fast-food joints. My
tour passengers frequently asked questions like, “What’s
the best restaurant in Sedona?” or “We want
a nice place for dinner, where should we go?”
My first response was, “What kind of food do you
want. Narrow it down to American, Continental, Mexican,
Italian, Thai, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, French, Greek,
or Southwestern and then I can give you a few recommendations.”
After a quick laugh, they choose their style of cuisine
and I gave them my two cents worth.
Here’s another tip for improving your
Sedona feasts: The spectacular beauty of Sedona’s
natural surroundings makes it possible to enjoy the
red rock cliffs and stunning views while you dine. Only
a few restaurants have excellent landscape views from
their windows, fewer still offer outside dining (weather
permitting), and only two or three venues safely permit
you to dine outside during the summer thunderstorm season
(the Monsoon - July/August) in an all-out pounding thunderstorm
and stay dry and refreshed by the moist, cool air. Outdoor
tables with umbrellas just don’t do it. You need
decks with plenty of coverage. Imagine this sunset experience:
sipping a glass of your favorite wine, eating a fine
meal, watching bright flashes as lightning outlines
rugged red peaks, and the sensory joy of fresh mountain
air, cooled by the pouring rain. Sure you can sit inside
and enjoy dining in Sedona; why not amplify your experience
when you have the choice? Bon appetit!
