The Downtown dining scene gets a bump with a new upscale contemporary American eatery specializing in seasonal, farm-to-table cuisine: Province, the Phoenix outpost of chef Randy Zweiban's popular Chicago restaurant. It opens today in the spanking-new Westin Phoenix Downtown hotel (333 N. Central).
Zweiban opened the first Province in 2008 in Chicago's West Loop, getting attention for his creative use of Spanish and South American influences, his forte. Ten years prior, he introduced Nuevo Latino cuisine to the area by joining forces with restaurateur Richard Melman to open Nacional 27, and before that, he worked with chef Norman Van Aken in Miami.
Since Province is a hotel restaurant, it will feed guests for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but it's also aiming for locals with an "approachable menu" that "allows the restaurant to be used at the whim of the diner."
At dinnertime, that translates to a variety of Latin-tinged small plates like mini Cuban pork sandwiches and crispy white corn croquetas with ancho aioli, ceviche, salads, and sharable items like flatbread with chorizo, Manchego, Spanish olives, and roasted garlic.
Among the entrees, look for ten-hour barbecued lamb with roasted eggplant, chorizo, and cornbread; skirt steak with chimichurri and sweet potato gratin; and slow-cooked organic salmon with edamame, spinach, onions, and chile-miso glaze.
There's also a tasty-looking bar menu: melted goat cheese fondue, chile-glazed chicken drumettes with Spanish blue cheese dipping sauce, squash taquitos, toast with roasted eggplant and peppers, and a cheese plate.
Call 602-429-3600 for reservations.
