Toro Latin Restaurant and Rum Bar, Scottsdale

Rum powered the sailing ships of old, giving crews a way to pass the time as they spread trade and cultural exchange from port to port. It's little surprise, then, that the twin trends of rum and fusion cuisine should meet in the form of Toro Latin Restaurant and Rum Bar, located at the TPC Scottsdale.

The restaurant, the brainchild of chef Richard Sandoval, has one of the area's largest rum selections—151 varieties available for tastings, plus creative rum cocktails. Guests can enjoy these out on a spacious patio overlooking the TPC Scottsdale Stadium golf course’s 18th hole and a picturesque mountain range.

The drinks complement the fusion food, which combines preparations and recipes from Latin America with ingredients and inspirations from China and Japan. Nowhere is this more evident than the restaurant's "suviche" bar, where chefs turn fresh fish into delicate sushi rolls and piles of tangy ceviche. Elsewhere on the menu, shareable small plates of tapas-style empanadas, croquettes, and meat skewers meet full-scale dishes such as scallops cooked with pork belly and lomo saltado, a Peruvian-style stir fry.