Cottonwood Arizona

Cottonwood is located in the Verde Valley one hour north of the Phoenix metro area, just off I-17. At an elevation of 3,000 feet,this location puts it above the extreme heat of the desert and below the snow and cold of Arizona’s rim country. This location affords a moderate climate year-round. There are a number of hotels, RV parks and campgrounds in the area along with parks and wineries. Explore ancient civilizations at the Tuzigoot National Monument. Over the last decade, Cottonwood, Arizona  has become renowned for the wines available in this town of just over 10,000 residents. Along the way, the city has also developed quite an intriguing variety of fine dining establishments. Here are just four of our favorite restaurants and their chefs de cuisine:

Quince Grill Cantina

An old favorite of locals in the area, this restaurant was once a mainstay in the nearby city of Jerome. Due to high-demand, the owner and chef, Vladimir Costa, expanded his restaurant into the Old Town part of Cottonwood and now serves finely nuanced New Mexican cuisine to twice as many diners as in the past. In addition, the menu includes many local game dishes (elk!) that cannot be found anywhere else in town.

Abbie’s Kitchen

Born of chef Abbie Ashford’s experience serving the extremely wealthy in Palm Beach, Florida, this restaurant is keenly aware that the freshest ingredients make the finest fare. The dishes are elegant in their simplicity and cross multiple cuisines. Try the three mushroom crepe as an appetizer and the Asian-glazed salmon as entree for a real feel of how this chef can work magic in the kitchen.

Schoolhouse Restaurant

A little bit of theatrics can go a long way in education the unrefined palate and chef Chris Dobrowolski does not shy away from this effect. His four course-tasting menu is a treat for regulars with their eyes open but newcomers are blindfolded to enhance the flavors on their first visit. While, the main focus of the menu is meat dishes such as Braised Short Ribs or the Glazed Pork Osso Bucco, the sides of Mac Cheese and the desserts as also quite satisfying.

Old Town Red Rooster Cafe / Seed

Not a mish-mash at all but definitely two restaurants in one – the Rooster Cafe serves breakfast and lunch while dinner is served at Seed. Chef Christopher Smith will delight foodies the most, however, with his innovative dinners made only from the most local of ingredients. A particular favorite is the Crusted Rainbow Trout with an orange-ginger glaze. Vegans will also like the place as it provides some very interesting salads featuring everything from field greens and candied pecans to blue cheese and bee pollen.