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VIDEO: Casino Del Sol’s commitment to local is easier thanks to Pivot Produce

VIDEO: Casino Del Sol’s commitment to local is easier thanks to Pivot Produce

Oct 3, 20182 min read

It’s not a gamble when deciding to dine at any of the restaurants inside Casino Del Sol, and there’s a couple reasons for this.

For one, the menus are constantly evolving, giving you something new to look forward to. Secondly, the evolution is happening because executive chef of PY Steakhouse, Ryan Clark, has taken the menus into his own hands.

Since 2017, chef Clark has been crafting dishes with local ingredients from more than 30 farmers and purveyors, and now that culinary influence can be seen and tasted at more than one of the resort’s restaurants.

In partnership with owner Erik Stanford of Pivot Produce, chef Clark is creating seasonally driven dishes every month during the new “Chefs Seasonal Menus” program. Pivot Produce sources and distributes local produce from several farms in the Tucson area and then delivers the goods directly to local chefs.

It’s all about selection, too. The two are working together to hand-pick ingredients of the highest quality to feature them in specific dishes.

In other words, frequent visits to the casino may be in store. For the month of October, Pivot Produce is bringing the heat from the following local and regional farms in Arizona:

  • Avalon Gardens (Tumacacori) – Poblano, Serrano, Jalapeño, Chile Colorado (Red Chile), and Anaheim peppers
  • Southwinds Farm (Benson) – Corno Di Torro
  • Rattlebox Farm (Tucson) – Sanfe Fe, Fresno, Padron, and Cubanelle
  • San Xavier Coop Farm (Tucson) – Green Chile
  • Crooked Sky Farm (Phoenix) – Mild, Medium, and Hot Green Chile

Seasonal Menus in October

  • PY Steakhouse – Three-course menu featuring chile for $55 per person
  • Festa Buffet (4 – 10 p.m. on Saturdays only) – Luau celebration featuring Roasted Suckling Pig and Coconut Fried Shrimp for $25
  • Streetscape Pizza & Deli – Seasonal pizza with roasted green chile, bacon, chorizo, pepper jack and mozzarella cheese, and roasted tomato sauce for $25 or $5.25 a slice
  • Ume – Albacore sashimi, chile, daikon, and ponzu for $12
  • Tequila Factory – Red chili beef, shredded cheese blend, and chile for $3 each
  • Mobys – Stuffed chile rellenos with cilantro-lime crema for $12

If you can’t make it out to any of these restaurants during the month of October there is going to be plenty of other opportunities this year and deep into 2019.

2018-2019 Seasonal Ingredient Selections

  • November 2018 – Fall Squash
  • December 2018 – Pumpkin
  • January 2019 – Winter Greens
  • February 2019 – Kumquat
  • March 2019 – Arizona Citrus
  • April 2019 – Spring Herbs
  • May 2019 – Peaches
  • June 2019 – Tomatoes

Casino Del Sol and all of the featured restaurants are located at 5655 W. Valencia Rd. For more information on the hours, each of the restaurant’s individual menus, and more, visit casinodelsol.com.

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Article written by:

Matt Sterner

Matt Sterner

More about Matt

At a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.

He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.

If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.

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