Dahl & DiLuca
www.dahlanddiluca.com
Engaged chef owner Lisal Dahl serves very flavorful Italian dishes with a "southwest" flair that makes this a must for Sedona residents and guests alike.
November 14, 2017
www.dahlanddiluca.com
Engaged chef owner Lisal Dahl serves very flavorful Italian dishes with a "southwest" flair that makes this a must for Sedona residents and guests alike.
November 14, 2017
Located off the main highway in Western Sedona, Dahl & DiLuca adds rustic southwest elements to an Italian bistro that reminds me of Puglia. This particular restaurant is Lisa Dahl's first restaurant in what has become a string of successful restaurants in the area. Ms. Dahl remains highly involved in all elements of her restaurants, which is a big plus for those seeking high quality food and service. The bar area is comfortable, and well separated from the main dinning room. The nicely sized main dinning room was rectangular in shape, with well spaced tables that were also generously sized. The noise level was moderate and it was easy to have a conversation despite a 7' to 8' ceiling.
The service was attentive, with our server well versed on the menu items and had some very good opinions about the food. The service was excellent, both on the delivery and clearing side. After observing the wait and bus staff it became clear that this was also a very well run operation. This is likely no small feat in any location.
We started with meatballs and burrata. The meatballs were well prepared, with a tomato sauce that had its own "southwest" spice to it. The burrata had grilled tomatoes and marinated mushrooms, which were a nice touch. For the main course, I had the garganelli fra diavolo, which was served with a spicy Italian sausage, red bell peppers and onions in a marinara sauce. The dish was very flavorful and had a good "southwest" bite to it. My wife had the gnocchi alla vodka, a potato gnocchi finished with a well done vodka sauce. The gnocchi were soft and perfectly cooked and with the vodka sauce also having the "southwest" kick. The "southwest" kick made these dishes unique from the standard Italian fare we so often have on the East Coast. We also tried the linguine bolognese, which was one of the specials. Although the linguine dish was not a complex dish the combination of the fresh pasta and a spicy bolognese sauce was perfectly prepared and we thoroughly enjoyed it!
Rating: 5 "Excellent"
While Arizona does not allow outside wine in restaurants, we found the wine list to be very complete and reasonably priced.
The service was attentive, with our server well versed on the menu items and had some very good opinions about the food. The service was excellent, both on the delivery and clearing side. After observing the wait and bus staff it became clear that this was also a very well run operation. This is likely no small feat in any location.
We started with meatballs and burrata. The meatballs were well prepared, with a tomato sauce that had its own "southwest" spice to it. The burrata had grilled tomatoes and marinated mushrooms, which were a nice touch. For the main course, I had the garganelli fra diavolo, which was served with a spicy Italian sausage, red bell peppers and onions in a marinara sauce. The dish was very flavorful and had a good "southwest" bite to it. My wife had the gnocchi alla vodka, a potato gnocchi finished with a well done vodka sauce. The gnocchi were soft and perfectly cooked and with the vodka sauce also having the "southwest" kick. The "southwest" kick made these dishes unique from the standard Italian fare we so often have on the East Coast. We also tried the linguine bolognese, which was one of the specials. Although the linguine dish was not a complex dish the combination of the fresh pasta and a spicy bolognese sauce was perfectly prepared and we thoroughly enjoyed it!
Rating: 5 "Excellent"
While Arizona does not allow outside wine in restaurants, we found the wine list to be very complete and reasonably priced.