Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows is pleased to introduce a collaborative new culinary team led by Executive Chef Nate Larsen and Sous Chef Chelsea Cummings. Their singular vision for the resort’s evolving culinary program is guided by a commitment to a collaborative, open kitchen where team members are encouraged to share and create dishes and interact with guests every day. The new team under the direction of Chefs Larsen and Cummings will drive the culinary program at Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen, Turquoise Pool Bar and Palo Verde Spa & Apothecary, as well as in-room dining and banquet operations.
“We are thrilled to have a fresh new team leading the culinary charge here at Andaz Scottsdale,” said Mike Waddell, general manager of Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows. “The resort thrives on the creative energy of our team and with Chefs Larsen and Cummings at the helm, I’m excited for all the ways our culinary program will tell delicious new stories that captivate our guests.”
Larsen’s 20-year culinary career spans positions at celebrated resorts and restaurants across the country. After falling in love with the infectious energy of working in the kitchen at a Thai restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah, Larsen moved home to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America. Upon graduation, he returned to Utah to join the culinary team of Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley. Eventually, he traded the mountains for desert and settled in Arizona where he refined his skills at top resorts including Boulders Resort & Spa and Seville Golf & Country Club. Larsen joined the Hyatt family in 2010, accepting executive sous chef positions at Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C, and Hyatt Regency Phoenix before most recently serving as executive chef at Hyatt Centric Park City.
Cummings began her culinary career as a line cook in Kansas City, Mo., while also attending The Art Institute for Culinary Arts. Upon graduating in 2014, she accepted a year-long internship with Hyatt in Saipan, a small island north of Guam. Cummings next served as a kitchen supervisor for two years at The Driskill in Austin, Texas, before most recently moving to Arizona as a corporate management trainee with Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch. Cummings received invaluable cross-training in this role, working in every department of the hotel in addition to her culinary specialization.
Larsen and Cummings’ first priority at Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows is rolling out new seasonal menus at Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen which transitions throughout the day with breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Under Larsen and Cummings, the signature restaurant’s contemporary Sonoran cuisine is rooted in craftsman-style cooking where the entire team partakes in the creative process from start to finish. Full-flavored menus celebrate the rich cultures that have influenced the region for centuries through Sonoran-inspired flavors and ingredients from local artisans and farmers. Ingredients from local purveyors include I’itoi onions from Pinnacle Farms, Crow’s Dairy cheeses, Hayden Flour Mills’ heritage barley, Sphinx Date Farm Medjool Dates and Queen Creek Olive Mills Oil. Also featured on the vibrant menus that recall the surrounding painterly desertscape are staples from local native tribes such as Ramona Farms’ Papery Beans and the “Three Sisters” of Southwest cuisine: squash, beans, and corn.
Signature dishes include:
* Breakfast — Avocado Toast topped with sunny side up cage free eggs, roasted tomatoes and lemon preserves; Classic French Toast with Nutella, bourbon syrup and blueberries; and the new Purple Energy bowl with coconut yogurt, berry puree, kiwi, caramelized bananas, house-made granola and pistachios.
* Brunch/Lunch — Avocado & Quinoa Salad with black beans, roasted sweet corn, cotija cheese, cherry tomatoes and pickled red onions topped with cilantro-chipotle dressing; Grilled New York Steak Sandwich with garlic aioli, arugula, caramelized onions, piquillo peppers and ciabatta.
* Dinner — Chorizo Bone-In Pork Chop with sweet peppers, pork belly lardons and pork jus; Desert Spiced Smoked Brisket with jalapeño corn relish, sweet & smoky adobo sauce and grilled wildflower bread.
Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen is a stylish yet inviting social gathering space with mid-century modern and handcrafted furnishings, local artwork by artists from the nearby Cattle Track Arts Compound, patio seating, sweeping window walls that showcase the sunshine and cotton candy sunsets, and a gorgeous glass-enclosed exhibition kitchen where guests can see each dish become a vibrant canvas at the hands of Chefs Larsen, Cummings and team. A chef’s table in the kitchen beckons guests to further become a part of the interactive and expressive culinary experience. Art Bar is a hub of action serving inventive cocktails inspired by the nature and folklore of the desert — each glass tells a story, from the jalapeño “bite” of the Diamondback Fizz to the smoking Mercury Mirage and the quick cure of the Penicillin. Bar snacks include house-made lavender Almonds, Blistered Shishito Peppers, Wagyu Beef Sliders and Sherry Glaze Baby Back Ribs. For guests who prefer to lounge poolside, Turquoise Pool Bar delights with hand-crafted cocktails, fun pitchers, spiked popsicles including Champagne Delight and Ginger Margarita, and a Pool Bites menu with snacks such as Chilled Fruit Spears, refreshing salads, sandwiches, burgers, and desserts.
To learn more or make a reservation, visit www.andazscottsdale.com/dining. Stay social with Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen on Instagram and with the resort via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Join in on the conversation using #EpicAndaz and #AndazScottsdale.
