A renowned, James Beard Award-recognized chef will debut a new Valley restaurant later this spring. Samantha Sanz has partnered with Grass Clippings Rolling Hills Golf Course on a Sonoran restaurant named Glenrosa.
Born in Nogales, Mexico, the chef wants to highlight her hometown's cuisine, specifically drawing from memories at her grandmother’s restaurant.
“I grew up literally in the kitchen and seeing the wood fire in her restaurant. That’s what I grew up eating, so it just hits home,” Sanz says. “I really want to showcase that and show people what Sonoran cuisine is like across the border from Arizona.”
Glenrosa will be “very focused on Sonoran live-fire” cooking, Sanz says. She’s had a wood and charcoal grill custom-made for the restaurant.
Customers will choose from shareable wood-fired quesadillas and entrees including a whole grilled snapper. Other options range from tacos, burgers and Sonoran hot dogs to tomahawk steaks and family-style platters with combinations of grilled meats, salsas and tortillas.
The restaurant is part of the Tempe course that reopened in 2023 following a $15 million renovation. Grass Clippings features an 18-hole par-3 course, along with a 15,000-square-foot putting green and a 25-bay driving range. The public course is also the only spot in the state to golf at night, according to the news release.
Sanz says she was interested in partnering with the course owners on a restaurant because it’s “different than your typical golf course,” which can sometimes mean stuffy dress codes and blase fare at the clubhouse.
“I like that it didn’t feel like a country club,” she says. “It felt like the right fit.”
It's the next spot on a long list of Valley kitchens Sanz has called home. The chef has showcased her skills at restaurants around the Valley, including Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, Virtú Honest Craft and Talavera at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale.
Chef Samantha Sanz has worked in notable kitchens around the Valley, including Talavera at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale. Now, she's opening a restaurant at a Tempe golf course.
Talavera Restaurant/Facebook
Glenrosa gets its name from the street the owners grew up on in Arcadia. With that nod to the past, the team hopes to bring a new community experience to the course.
“This area has always been a gathering point, dating back to the ancient Hohokam people, and famously with Hayden’s Crossing in Tempe, because it was one of the few places where you could cross the Salt River,” Grass Clippings co-founder Jake Hoselton said in the release. “Today, we’re proud to honor this history, both with authentic Sonoran Desert cuisine, but also by welcoming people from across the Valley to this scenic setting.”
The 5,800-square-foot restaurant will feature panoramic views of the illuminated par-3 and the Papago Buttes. Glenrosa’s outdoor bar and lawn area have already opened. Located next to the putting green, the bar’s offerings include fresh juice cocktails “that you think are dangerous because they’re so good,” Sanz says. The drinks menu will grow once the restaurant opens.
An official opening date for Glenrosa has not yet been set, but the team is aiming for the spring. Sanz says, right now, she’s testing dessert ideas.
“It’s a lot of work but it’s very gratifying,” she says. “It’s very exciting to see the progress day by day.”
Glenrosa
Opens this spring1415 N. Mill Ave., Tempe
