I almost married the mayor of Lisbon, Portugal‘s son. Before you come at me, yes I am aware they don’t have “mayors” per say like in the USA but close enough translation without going into a Portuguese political rant. Anyway, I met this gentleman fresh after a breakup and visit to New York City to hang with my fashion designer friend. He had an accent – and abs of steel and came to the Big Apple to chase his dream of becoming a model and actor, leaving an almost finished law degree and his pissed off family behind him. He chased me for almost a year talking of marriage and saying I was “beautiful on the inside and outside” and at that time, I was certainly not ready to settle down. I think he went back and became a judge… and then left for NYC again and is married these days! Anyway, he was one of the good ones and any time someone mentions Portugal, those subway riding crazy city memories come right back.
So when Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen reached out to host me for this Passport Wine Series at Andaz Scottsdale Resort, I was down to taste the flavors of Portugal. As locals call it, Weft & Warp, is a Mediterranean restaurant “that serves chef-curated plates with international and desert influence”. Since Andaz is all over the world, it tracks and I met Chef Sammy D at another event and we’ve been friends since, watching each other’s life journey and supporting one another. He’s also one of the good ones!
Surrounded by glass walls, you can enjoy the views and sunsets of the desert without the uncomfortable heat outside in summer. Walking into the restaurant, you will see a plancha-style kitchen, which is just fancy for see through theater-style kitchen to watch chefs cook, and they also offer intimate meals at the chef’s table inside. I have also enjoyed family style meals there however do remember those seats being like sitting on a NYC pole. The menu normally features Sonoran cuisine using fresh, locally sourced food on dishes in a small plate format – emphasis on the small. Cocktails are inspired by local produce however we were on a Portuguese wine tasting journey right after stepping inside!
Every month guests can indulge in exceptional wines sourced from different counties and regions around the world, expertly paired with dishes of unique flavors with limited seating. For those who like to be early (like me), the reception starts at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. so aim for a 5 p.m. arrival if you want to grab some vibey pics or video to document your tastebud passport experience. If you like to indulge, take an Uber or Lyft and they will refill your glass as much as you like! And for future reference, whenever you are being hosted for an alcohol pairing dinner, it is always classy to offer credits. Let’s keep it classy, shall we?
I like to self park and take a walk to the back side of Weft & Warp at Andaz Scottsdale.The pool on a Wednesday night was slightly lively at Andaz Scottsdale.Walking in towards the restaurant at Andaz Scottsdale.You can’t miss the entrance at Andaz Scottsdale.The telltale Weft & Warp sign at Andaz Scottsdale. Enter here!You’ll notice outdoor seating and setups here at Andaz Scottsdale.I enhanced the exposure of the cactus so you can see the many shades of green at Andaz Scottsdale.Walking inside Weft & Warp, I was giggling at Goofy and honestly tempted to color at Andaz Scottsdale.So you know what you are getting into, a helpful sign at Andaz Scottsdale. Lisbon is the two poking out pieces on the left so we were much more north.Our dining room where the Passport dinner was held at Andaz Scottsdale. We were on the round table to the right.The whimsical table next to the colorful balls at Weft and Warp at Andaz Scottsdale.Looking down the hallway from the hostess stand at Weft and Warp at Andaz Scottsdale.This might be weird but honestly the bathrooms are a trip at Andaz Scottsdale. They are for everyone and the mirrors are trippy af!A wall of wine is goals someday at Andaz Scottsdale.Nice to know they have cigars available at Weft and Warp under lockdown at Andaz Scottsdale.Some champagne to start is always the right thing to do at Andaz Scottsdale.Some of the lineup at Andaz Scottsdale.The bubbles in question at Andaz Scottsdale.Soon we were seated and looking over the menu at Andaz Scottsdale.My plus one for this dinner was Kayla Wagner from Stroll Magazine at Andaz Scottsdale. We have a lot in common!We were soon handed a mini passport at Weft and Warp.If you fill it up, your’e entered in an overnight drawing and if four, a bottle of wine at Weft and Warp.To begin, a very refreshing white wine at Weft and Warp.The tuna salad was light, fluffy and we added some salt probably from dehydration in the desert at Weft and Warp.Next up, more tasty white wine at Weft and Warp.Not me chasing this gentleman around the table for a photo and him trying to run away at Weft and Warp! Sommelier Achraf Iraqui is a great human being and was my saving grace for the pool party date mixup in the video above. We appreciate you and your wine tasting expertise friend!One of my favorite dishes, the octopus at Weft and Warp. Our friend to the left somehow got many more tentacles so he graciously offered… it so good and charred just right! The plate also matched my dress.Moving on to the reds now at Weft and Warp.If you ever delve into unknown red wine territory, Portugal has you covered at Weft and Warp.This tiny bowl of ocean flavors was also a clear winner so much so we asked for bread to sop up the soup at Weft and Warp.The wine friends at our table then did a wine bottle giving raffle, sadly we did not win but probably because I asked for the sunlight window spot at Weft and Warp.On to the famous Portugal porto with a very generous pour at Weft and Warp. If you like it sweet and strong, this is your jam!Very salt pork but cooked and grilled perfectly at Weft and Warp, we love a good skewer. It was at this moment I almost forgot my manners and went primal!A caramel cream with almond desert with the texture of not cold ice cream almost for desert at Weft and Warp.Maybe it’s me or I need some more Ozempic, but I was still hungry at the end so we asked for some bubbles and fries and Weft and Warp delivered.And let me tell you, I should do a blog post simply on my favorite french fries – Weft and Warp would be on the list!
For $125 per person in almost Old Town Scottsdale, it’s a great deal for a date night. After your done, you can go sit outside and enjoy the views of Camelback Mountain. Valet parking is available as well as self park and everyone here is pretty chill so no one is going to chase you out. I look forward to working with Andaz some more, hopefully next time a staycation story and the spa. In retrospect, I’m glad I didn’t marry that Portuguese model, however that passport is looking real good right about now. Ha!
