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Sound Bites Grill
Pasta Primavera Arrabbiata, $15
Though the menu at Sound Bites Grill focuses on meat and seafood, vegetarians aren’t completely bereft. The restaurant offers two vegetarian pasta dishes, including the Pasta Primavera Arrabbiata, which features zucchini, squash, onions, broccoli, tomatoes and homemade marinara sauce over linguini. A healthy dose of red pepper flakes (arrabbiata is Italian for “angry”) makes this entrée slightly spicy. The dish is topped with fresh Parmesan cheese and colorful, cooked-to-perfection broccoli florets that snap when you bite into them.
During the summer, dine on Sound Bites outdoor terrace, which boasts some of the best views of any restaurant in town. You can also eat in the music room, which hosts live music on the weekends. There’s a main dining room, too, where you can hear the music from the lounge as well as take in classic films (sans sound) on projector screens.
Sound Bites Grill, 101 N. SR 89A at the Shops at Hyatt Pinon Pointe (928-282-2713)
Szechuan Chinese Restaurant
Eight Vegetable Pleasure, $10.95
We love tofu, but we are beyond picky when it comes to how it is prepared, so when our Eight Vegetable Pleasure dish arrived at Szechuan Chinese Restaurant, we were thrilled. The tofu is fried to perfection, giving it a crunchy texture on the outside while retaining its silky interior. But perfectly cooked tofu isn’t the only ingredient in this concoction. You’ll also feast on carrots, peas, broccoli, Chinese peapods, green bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, water chestnuts and peanuts all swimming in a spicy oyster sauce. (You can specify how spicy you prefer your dish. We ordered ours hot, and it was just the right amount of heat for our piquant-loving palates.)
Szechuan is consistently voted Sedona’s best Chinese restaurant, and it also serves up some of the freshest sushi in town. FYI, if your friends insist on sitting at the sushi bar, you can still order off the Chinese menu.
Szechuan Chinese Restaurant, 1350 W. SR 89A in Old Marketplace in West Sedona (928-282-9288)
Schoolhouse Restaurant
Fire Roasted Poblano Chili Relleno, $17.50
Chris Dobrowolski, executive chef and owner of the Schoolhouse Restaurant in the Village of Oak Creek, has been sensitive to the needs of vegetarians and vegans since he opened his first restaurant in Cottonwood. His Fire Roasted Poblano Chili Relleno features a fresh chili stuffed with Mexican cheeses, Verde Valley-grown pecans, avocado salsa and Spanish forbidden black rice. The flavorful dish is topped with a chili-tomato sauce and roasted pumpkin seeds, which add a nice crunch. (The ingredients in this relleno and in all of Chris’ menu items are subject to change depending on the season.) Vegetarians and meat eaters alike love this entrée.
Schoolhouse Restaurant offers several dining options. Sit in the main dining room with its white banquettes and black ceiling, and watch the chefs in action in the open kitchen. Relax at the bar with a handcrafted cocktail, or lounge on the patio in front of the beehive fireplace. Either way, you know your meal is going to be good.
Schoolhouse Restaurant, 7000 SR 179 at Tequa Marketplace in the Village of Oak Creek (928-284-2240)
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