Casa Sedona

Casa Sedona is a boutique hotel tucked away from the bustle of town, offering beautiful views of the surrounding red rocks and out-of-this world breakfast. It is more upmarket than most Roadfood (linen napkins, serious silverware, obsequious service, double-digit prices), but if you are looking for an elegant way to start the eating day in Sedona, it’s a gem. Breakfast is available every day; for dinner, call ahead. When it’s served, you need reservations.

What to eat at Casa Sedona

Pancakes aren’t ordinary pancakes. They are ricotta hotcakes, light and fluffy with a captivating sweet-sour tang and topped with fruit compote – blueberry the day I enjoyed them. On the side come eggs and a mélange of multi-colored home fries. Potatoes would be a redundant starch on the side of most pancakes, but these are as much about cheese as flour, so spuds are welcome.

Do you like bagels and lox? How about sopaipillas and lox? Casa Sedona offers a handsome plate with coils of velvet-soft smoked salmon surrounded by all possible trappings, including red onion slices, capers, cream cheese, and salsa fresca. Instead of bagels, you get a basket of southwestern fry bread. Tear a pillow of it in half and pile its soft insides with all the fixin’s and you have a southwestern variant of the deli classic. Lacking the vigorous chew of a good bagel, it’s a lighter package. Interesting harmony.

A happy coffee alternative is Mexican hot chocolate. It’s as creamy as can be, lightly spiced and slightly chocolaty.