Dahl Restaurant Group is an advertiser of Sonoran Living.
It has been said by others that Chef Lisa Dahl sees her restaurants as living, breathing, organisms not merely businesses. Guests don't step into a Dahl restaurant they emerge into the space. And what becomes important are the mixture of people, sounds, smells, contours, and significant details.
The significant details happen to be her recipes. She is a prolific foodie and executive chef of her six restaurants in Sedona and the Village of Oakcreek. Many observe the layering of flavors, and remark about dishes being infused with beauty in a way to encompasses all the senses, so that it tastes delicious but also evokes joy.
Dahl creates unsurpassed experiences that nourish the soul. The restaurants deliver those experiences by making beautiful cuisine, with a talented team, in remarkable settings. And it all started over 26 years ago by cooking with love.
Dahl's six restaurants were developed organically. There wasn't a set plan, but it all started with Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano in 1995.
Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano
The landmark restaurant is considered by many to be a hallmark of a fine dining and romance. The building stands in the shadows of tall Italian cypress trees and for first timers is a great initiation to the mystique of the aptly nicked named - D&D.
The many incarnations of the dining room over the years speak to Chef Dahl's other passion - design. When guests ascend the two stairs into the dining room three things become evident - intention, beauty, and comfort. The baby grand piano at the top end of the dining room indicates that "jazz" is spoken here, and steps from the piano is the outdoor terrace draped in wisteria.
Top Chef Arizona / Food Pioneer
It should be said that with all the beauty the restaurants have to offer, it is Dahl's cuisine that takes center stage. As with all of Lisa's restaurants the cuisine is remarkable. The Arizona Restaurant Association awarded Chef Dahl - Top Chef in 2018, and Food Pioneer in 2019.
She's also a grill master whose burgers reigned supreme three years in a row at Scottsdale's Burger Battle, which garnered her the attention of celebrity Chef Bobby Flay who challenged Dahl to go head-to-head on an episode of Food Network's "Beat Bobby Flay".
A love of comfort food, bold flavors and Old-World methodology are the essence of Chef Dahl's cooking, as are her secret "elixirs" used within many of her ethnic dishes. Her signature Latin-inspired chimichurri sauce, made from herbs grown on the property of Mariposa, combine local sourcing and bold flavors. Perfecting the balance of her 'mother sauce' has become the foundation of her unique Italian dishes, as well as the pizzas at her award-winning Pisa Lisa.
Foodie Destinations
Savvy guests set their sights on Chef Lisa Dahl's restaurants. Each with its own personality and joy. Visit Butterfly Burger, Cucina Rustica, Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano, Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill, and two locations of Pisa Lisa Wood Fired Pizza.
To learn more, go to DahlRestaurantGroup.com.
