Anhelo served customers on the ground floor of the Orpheum Lofts for three years. There, it drew attention for its luxe dishes crafted from meticulously procured ingredients, painstaking attention to detail with plating, stellar customer service and an award-winning wine list.
Jacobo pledges the new spot will be an even more elegant version of his “dream restaurant,” and he spared no expense in making it a reality, with a new building at the southeast corner of Goldwater Boulevard and First Avenue.
“This will be a very, very magical restaurant,” Jacobo says. “The service at this restaurant is going to redefine fine dining in Arizona.”
The 2,300-square-foot space features an indoor dining room, private dining room, bar, kitchen and wine room. The 1,700-square-foot patio allows seating for an additional 24 customers, when the weather cooperates. Up to 38 diners can be accommodated indoors between the dining rooms and bar.
The restaurant will be open for dinner on Tuesday through Saturday nights and closed on Sunday and Monday.
Sprawling lush foliage creates inviting curb appeal for customers driving up to the valet stand or strolling in after parking nearby. A brick walkway winds through bushes, flowers and a canopy of shade trees. A water fountain and romantic light fixtures set the mood. Hidden speakers that play chirping sounds provide an audible illusion of birds nestled in the trees.
At Anhelo, sprawling lush foliage creates inviting curb appeal and a brick walkway winds through bushes, flowers and a canopy of shade trees.
Anhelo
When it comes to food, there are four culinary options, with three in a tasting menu format.
The 11-course Grand Tasting menu ($350 per person) is the only one that requires booking and payment at the time of reservation. There's a nine-course Chef’s Tasting menu ($250 per person) and a five-course Petit Tasting menu ($100-$160 per person, depending on the main course). Diners who prefer to belly up to the bar may select à la carte items from any of the tasting menus, served in the same tasting portions, making it easy to create their own lineup on the fly.
Expect elegant bites like foie gras pie with pistachio crust, confit cantaloupe meringue crisp and pomegranate caviar, and kombu dry-aged kanpachi adorned with pickled apples,chive-smoked trout roe and hibiscus oil.
Among the heartier options are risotto studded with wild mushrooms from Arizona-based Hypha Foods and black truffles, and lobster agnolotti. A dry-aged duck breast is accompanied by turnips done two ways, confit strawberries, pickled fennel and à l’orange sauce.
After closing in downtown Phoenix last November, fine dining restaurant Anhelo is settling into its new home.
Anhelo
“Growing up, I would never consider going to a tasting menu restaurant,” he says. “I wanted to offer a very approachable price point that allows you to experience what fine dining is.”
Introductory and advanced wine pairing options are available, as is a non-alcoholic one. In addition, 90% of bar director Azalea Barr’s cocktails can be made spirit-free.
The non-alcoholic beverage pairing idea arose when Jacobo took his brother to a fine dining restaurant on his 18th birthday. Everyone at the dinner ordered wine pairings except for his underage brother. Pairings elevate a dining experience, Jacobo says, and everyone should have that opportunity regardless of their age or preferences.
“I think a lot of people don’t like alcohol, and if they don’t, it doesn’t mean their experience should be lower than someone who is drinking,” he says.
Jacobo says the restaurant will rely on subtle touches, such as seamless choreography of serving and clearing plates, to deliver a fine dining experience that he says is uncommon in the state. Less subtle touches will also up the ante.
Those who opt for the Grand Tasting menu are in for a series of surprises, such as a bonus bite served in an unexpected setting, from the moment they approach the entrance to when the valet returns their car.
“We’re really excited, not only to show the residents of Arizona what this restaurant is going to bring, but really excited to make these old-school chefs proud that we’re trying to keep these fine dining experiences alive,” Jacobo says. “These restaurants exist for a reason. It’s okay to sit for two hours and enjoy yourself.”
