Upon entering the restaurant, the floor-toceiling windows lining the perimeter reveal the magnificent vista, setting the tone for the entire dining experience. Matching a menu to such an incredible view is no minor feat, but Executive Chef Ivan Flowers does so with effortless flair and a glowing passion for dishes that excite even the most jaded of palates. He has led the culinary team at Different Pointe of View since December of 2001 and leads them in a mantra learned at his father’s restaurant back in New York: let the food do the work! The menu is a veritable tour of the world, with dishes like the pan-seared Australian barramundi, or the succulent milk-fed lamb chops served with Belgian salsify, a unique root whose taste resembles that of an oyster and is only found fresh during the winter. The cuisine then comes all the way back home to Arizona, with the extraordinary 10,000-square-foot vegetable and herb garden that is only footsteps away. Produce has never been fresher or tastier! In addition to the nightly dinner menu, which changes quarterly with the seasons, Chef Flowers offers two tasting menus for your dining pleasure. Various wine pairings are available as an accompaniment, and two fulltime sommeliers are on hand to assist. There is also a cocktail lounge and patio with the same sweeping panoramic views of the city, and live music is offered nightly.

As we enjoyed the pristine view of Phoenix after dark, Chef Flowers took time to personally introduce us to each course. We were impressed by the first course of portbraised short rib spring roll. Served with Marsala-poached matsutake mushrooms and a sweet-and-sour grape syrup, the rolls were light and crispy, and the short rib filling was rich and complex.

Next came a luxurious black trumpet mushroom-infused lobster bisque, prepared with a wild mushroom consommé. This soup was the perfect execution of richness versus delicacy, instead of the overly rich, creamy butter bomb other restaurants pass off as their bisque. It seems that balance is another value infused into Chef Flower’s cuisine. As the courses progress, that point is continually emphasized, much to our delight!

Pan-seared Kona kampachi followed. Again, we were blown away. Kampachi is a premium Hawaiian fish recognized for its 30 percent fat content, ranking it with some of the best wild salmon available. It is also high in Omega- 3s and has a very mild, delicate flavor. Our kampachi is served with a vanilla-scented ginger butter and fresh tagliatelle sherry pasta. Amazing, again.

A braised venison shank was the next arrival at our culinary adventure. Chef Flowers serves it with truffle dauphinoise and an herbsherry demi-glace. Although we were slowly getting full, we could still enjoy the meat’s extraordinary richness, texture, and depth of flavor. Even a small spoon was provided for those marrow aficionados!

Finally, dessert was served. A gorgeous platter of decadence arrived, mis en place, and it was time to go to work. The banana-maple caramel cake oozed tropical delight, and the true maple flavor was an unusual treat. The trilogy of semisavory freezes left us wanting more, and ruined us for all future frozen fruit concoctions! The chocolate snow satiated the mocha lovers, and the Key lime-vanilla bean cheesecake was a final example of the balance achieved by Chef Flowers and his entire culinary team. It was a meal to remember, with worldclass award-winning food and wine pairings that stretch far beyond chardonnay and cabernet. Our taste buds were electrified, and we were impressed.

Executive Chef: Ivan Flowers
Sous-chefs: Cory Oppold and Steven Smith
Master Sommelier: Eric Spragett

Different Pointe of View is located at 11111 N. 7th Street in Phoenix. Call (602) 866-6350 for reservations, or visit differentpointeofview.com.