Sanctuary Scoop

With 100+ degree temps ready to subside, our Desert Botanical Gardens become a great place to visit once again. Acres of our local flora and fauna, a cactus garden, and a full plant shop are all within the confines of one of the country’s top Botanical Gardens.

Adjacent to DBG is the Phoenix Zoo and Papago Park, a great place for mild or family hikes. All this is just about 15 minutes from Sanctuary, and close enough to the shops and restaurants in Old Town Scottsdale to plan an entire day around it!

A perfect summertime, or “all day” cocktail, Jade Bar’s Watermelon Yuzu Gimlet is a refreshing and complex mix of sweet and tart. If you can’t make it into Jade Bar, here is a recipe to make your own at home:

2oz. Fresh watermelon juice

2oz. Bombay Sapphire Gin

1/2oz. Yuzu (Yuzu is an Asian citrus) or Lemon juice as a back up if necessary.

1/2oz. Simple syrup

Pour everything into shaker with ice, shake well, and pour into martini glass. Garnish with fresh Watermelon cubes.

Yum.

Sunday through Thursday, elements is offering a prix fixe menu through September 2nd. This menu is offered at just $36 per person plus tax and gratuity. Additionally, after 8PM Sunday – Thursdays, you can enjoy 50% off bottles of wine.

PRIX FIXE TASTING MENU

 BEGINNINGS

roasted corn soup

maine lobster, black truffle

 farmers market salad

cucumber, carrots, daikon radish, soy sesame vinaigrette

ENTREES

short rib ravioli

braised spinach, parmesan cream, tomato jam 

 free-range chicken

artichoke, mushrooms, natural pan jus

 miso-glazed salmon

forbidden rice, summer vegetables, chive butter

DESSERT

 chocolate peanut butter decadence

 elements brownie

strawberry brownie, yogurt icing, praline ganache

$36 per person

plus tax, gratuity & beverage

available sunday-thursday

no substitutions or split plates

Arizona is home to many unique features. While you’re here at Sanctuary, you’ll have a great opportunity to see many of them.

1. The Saguaro Cactus. The Saguaro is synonymous with Arizona, so much that it’s even featured on our license plate, and Arizona is home to the Saguaro National Park.

2. Grand Canyon. One of the wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon is just a half-day drive from Sanctuary.

3. South Mountain Municipal Park, in south Phoenix, is the largest city-owned park in the world. A 45 minute drive from Sanctuary will take you to an elevation of 2700 feet with a scenic lookout at the top of the mountain.

4. Arizona is the birthplace of the Chimichanga. Invented in Tucson at El Charro Restaurant, it was a complete mistake, as the owner of the restaurant dropped a burrito in the deep fryer. She called it a Chimichanga.

5. When visiting Arizona, remember that we are the only state which does not use daylight savings time.

One of our favorite activities, especially during the summer, is to visit the Grand Canyon. Being a four hour drive from Phoenix, the Canyon visit can be taxing if you drive there and back in one day. Our friends over at Westwind Aviation have a great way around this and can take you to the canyon and back in just 3 hours in one of their 10 passenger Cessna Grand Caravan airplanes. The three hour tour is strictly a flyover of the canyon, and does not land until returning back to Phoenix. There are longer tour options which will land at the canyon and include various activites while there. Remember, Grand Canyon is about 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix!

Call us at Concierge for more information or to book 480.607.2323

Lunch and Learn, a series of interactive lunches with top chefs, will begin this month. The increasingly popular event features a three-course lunch (or dinner) paired with wine or cocktails, plus recipes to take home.

Saturdays, July 10 & 17 and August 7, 14, 21 and 28.

Noon – 2:30pm (or 6-10)

$65 lunch ($95 dinner) includes tax & gratuity.

New this year, you’ll have a chance to experience XII. Join Chef Beau and his celebrity guest chef for an intimate Friday night dinner at XII. Mix and mingle wich the chefs and enjoy a twelve-course meal paired with wine or cocktails.

Fridays, July 16 and August 6, 13, 20, and 27

$195++ per person

Limited to twelve guests

You may also add a stay here at Sanctuary. Participate in the Lunch and Learn, and you can book a luxurious Mountain Casita from just $169 plus a complimentary upgrade to a Mountain Suite based on availability.

Call elements today for more information at 480.607.2300

The Phoenix area has many great museums, but none as unique as our newest, the Musical Instrument Museum. Already being called the finest of it’s type in the world, the MIM is located just 15 minutes from Sanctuary and features art, insruments, and music memorabilia from throughout the years of music.

The MIM is open seven days a week, and hours vary. Please call us at 480.607.2323 if you’re interested in visiting the MIM during your stay!

The kids are out of school, it’s hot outside, and you need to relax. Sanctuary is offering some terrific spa specials to help your summer go by faster.

All summer long, when you purchase any 60 minute spa treatment, you’ll receive 10% off your full retail purchase in the Spa Boutique and 10% off all theraputic, swedish, emperor, and jewel treatments during the weekends and 15% off on weekdays. Last but not least, all nail treatments are buy one get one half off!

So go ahead and indulge yourself.

Wednesday “Wine 101” Dinners
       Wednesdays, June 9-16-23-30, 6-8pm
       XII
       $75 includes dinner, wine, tax & gratuity

Just eleven guests will gather for an intimate evening of great wine, food and conversation at elements’ new private chef’s table, XII, as a local wine expert presents a variety of accessible wines paired with a four-course tasting dinner.

 Lunch & Learn
       Saturdays, July 17-August 28, 12pm
       (or dinner Saturday, August 21, 6-8pm)
       The Views
       $65 (or $95) includes meal, wine, recipes, tax & gratuity

Chef Beau MacMillan welcomes celebrity chefs for the ninth annual summer series of events featuring the opportunity to learn from culinary masters. Enjoy preparing and savoring three courses paired with wines, and take the recipes home.

One thing most people don’t think of when planning a trip to Arizona is water, but in the spirit of keeping cool, this is a great time of year to do some of the great water activities we have to offer.

Spend a day on the water on a Kayaking tour, Fishing excursion, or a dinner cruise on a steamboat. For the more adventurous, rent a motorboat at Bartlett or Lake Pleasant. Tube the Salt River or rent a canoe or paddlebaot at Tempe Town Lake.

No matter how much desert you may be surrounded by, there are always enough ways to get wet and cool down. Call Concierge at 480.607.2323 for more information or help arranging an activity.