Best of Flagstaff 2022
Story and Photos by Gail G. Collins
Our generation was raised on the interplay between TV celebrity chefs and the home-cooking experience. These chefs would enter our homes and, each night, demonstrate their culinary skills to us and millions of other viewers around the nation, and as a result, our kitchens occupy an important space in our homes. It’s no wonder that open restaurant kitchens would magnify this appeal. The chance to sit next to a kitchen of busy cooks, to see a meal flambé, to hear the sizzle of a hot pan and feel the dynamism of a team in action. We lean in. It lures us. They are on stage, and we are the engaged audience.
It was actually this camaraderie and energy that first attracted Rochelle Daniel to cooking at age 15. The Phoenix native made her mark at Scottsdale’s Fat Ox. She was a finalist on Food Network’s Chopped Grill Masters; touted as one of the Valley’s “Top 5 Sous Chefs” by the Arizona Republic and “Best Sous Chef” by AZCentral before her induction into the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame in 2017.
Daniel took her cred to L’Auberge de Sedona to revamp and rebrand the property’s restaurants. There, she fell for Northern Arizona, and a partnership with Karan and Kunal Patel plus Barry Levitan created Atria. The hyper-seasonal spot opened last December.
“I swore I would never do an open kitchen,” says Chef Daniel. “The loud intensity of the kitchen should be hidden.” And of course, Atria hosts a grand bar, Chef’s Counter, which corners its open kitchen. With a laugh, she adds, “This kitchen can give guests a show without disturbing them—our staff is on stage.”
The vicarious chef reminds staff not to hustle too much—even as they keep preparation on track—because guests pick up on the anxiety and will feel the need to move on. Her focus for them is to “embrace and enjoy the moment.”
Daniel reflects, “We offer guests a little bit of grace and inspire them with attention to detail as they celebrate important moments in their lives.”
General manager Darva Fields, with a similar resume as Daniel, aims to elevate the service at Atria. Chef Maribel Silva, who attended school with Daniel and a team player since, and Chef Anthony Suazo comprise core staff and know how Daniel needs things done.
It’s all paid off with Best of Flagstaff wins for Best Fine Dining and Best New Restaurant for Atria.
The menu is French bistro. The understated Linz beef tartare tempts with a reduction of sake mirin plus maple and mushroom bottarga with a truffle cloud. Kennebec potatoes, prepped frites street style, gain flavor from tallow. The nuanced production evokes steak and frites.
The popular confit Sonoma duck leg and house-cured breast slices encircle barley risotto with XO sauce—a flavor-bomb, rich with dried seafood and umami delight—in a decadent platter.
The pasta is handmade by Chops Smith. “There is a science behind it—equations to get it perfect,” Daniel says. The dish changes seasonally to envelope a niche ragout.
The bone marrow arrives, smoking on a grill. “People are afraid of it, but it’s a chef favorite,” hints Daniel. Split bones over hot coals are roasted with garlic, sea salt, plus brandy shallot butter and meaty trumpet mushrooms. It is best accompanied by house bread, a combination of sourdough and ciabatta.
This winter, the Chef’s Counter will focus on a full tasting menu, featuring eight courses with wine and cocktail pairing available at additional cost. The idea is to interact and cater to guest likes and dislikes with mostly off-menu items for a personalized encounter.
New winter dishes include rabbit cote de vino—orecchiette with butternut squash, golden raisins, olives, almonds and capers topped by mustard bread crumb; charcoal-roasted whole fish with grape, almond, caper and pancetta-braised kale; and slow-smoked organic chicken—a buttermilk fried thigh, pillow-like chamomile-ricotta gnudi and carrot butter.
Accompany this with a portfolio of updated cocktails and wine courtesy of Michael Hopper’s practiced background. Fruto de la vida takes peach tea-infused mezcal and livens it with pineapple and lime for a smoky, tropical sipper. Northern Arizona’s beyond the pines blends infused tequila, representing rain with refreshing grapefruit, and tableside, creosote essence is sprayed –mountain magic in a glass.
Atria, the newest gastronomy venture in downtown Flagstaff, transcends the garden party. Subtle shades of blossom and sage reflect the expectancy of spring in pale wood, snowy stone and cream leather. It’s a pastel, playful, yet elegant, jardin serving farm-fresh, modern fare.
Still, no success sits on its laurels, no matter how floral and fragrant. The good news goes beyond Atria with a pub and steakhouse, plus a speakeasy to join the fun on Leroux in succession throughout 2023.
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