Like a tongue on a flagpole in February, fusion cuisine results from curiosity and a shortage of popsicles. Rein in restless taste buds with today's Groupon: for $35, you get $70 worth of fusion cuisine at Razz’s Restaurant and Bar, located in Scottsdale.
Razz’s menu draws inspiration from European cuisine and chef Razz Kamnitzer’s Venezuelan origins. Begin with an appetizer such as duck cakes ($10.95) or the fowl-sparing bah mie goring ($10.95), featuring spicy buckwheat noodles with the carnivore-quelling trifecta of shrimp, pork, and chicken. Entrees include the pork tenderloin schnitzel, flourished with caddied red cabbage ($21.95), or the bouillabaisse ($25.95) with a medley of shrimp, clams, mussels, fish, and vegetables playing around in a spicy tomato broth ball pit. Accompany eats with nectar from the extensive wine list, such as Fantelli Argentinean malbec ’08 ($10 per glass) or Gundlach Bundschu pinot noir ‘07 ($16 per glass), a refreshing reminder of 2007's existence.
Diners can get a front-row seat at Razz's open kitchen island, cheering on the chefs as they sauté, slice, and dice food like gladiators facing down giant vegetables.
Reviews
The Phoenix New Times named Razz's Restaurant and Bar Best Place to Eat at the Bar in 2008, the Arizona Republic gave it four stars out of five, and more than 25 Yelpers give it a 4.5-star average:
- It's not only the food that makes Razz's so appealing. It's the whole scene, which is both relaxed and sophisticated. ¬– Howard Seftel, Arizona Republic
- OMG, these short ribs were to die for! Melt in your mouth, the meat literally fell apart on the fork indicating it had been slow cooking for many hours. – Wendy K., Yelp, 12/19/10
Razz's Restaurant and Bar
Chef Erasmo "Razz" Kamnitzer, namesake of Razz's Restaurant and Bar and seventh-generation chef, infuses flavors from his native Venezuela to his eatery's upscale fusion menu. Like all dinner-theater performers, Razz dazzles diners with stovetop pyrotechnics in his open show kitchen, simmering up spicy bouillabaisse full of shellfish and finfish, or ladling chops and fillets with lime sauce, tropical-fruit relish, lingonberry sauce, and other zesty flavors. Guests can pair savory bites with sips from the wine list, with selections available by the glass, bottle, or fluted barrel. Razz's also caters special events such as weddings and holiday parties.