Valley restaurants have long been setting tables next to backdrops of star-dappled dessert skies and rough-edged mountains kissed with the glow of a sunset, but more times than not, the scene's more breathtaking than the cuisine. Talavera, the upscale spot of contemporary American cuisine inside the Four Seasons Resort in Scottsdale, is not that kind of place. Sourcing a host of ingredients from local purveyors, chef Mel Mecinas creates seasonal three-course menus as well as mainstay dishes like chilled cauliflower soup, thick and succulent pork chops, and Mexican jumbo prawns as vibrant in flavor as the dazzling landscape outside — and just as meticulous as your very good server.
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