For almost a century, the signature block walls of the Biltmore have resonated with sounds of dignitaries, celebrities, politicians, movie stars, tourists and fortunate locals. And while the Biltmore has grown and changed with the times, it remains a magnet, drawing locals and visitors alike to its classic Frank Lloyd Wright design, low-keyed but high-touch service and refined dining.
On a warm evening on the patio at Renata’s Hearth, the essence of smoke – mesquite and pecan – wafts through the branches of enormous ficus trees, their trunks as big as elephant legs, tempting diners to put down their agave-based cocktails just long enough to pore through the 17-page wine list for something to complement dinner off the grill – lamb barbacoa perhaps, or smoked wagyu brisket.
Another laid-back, if rather luxe, evening of dining at the Biltmore.
Renata’s is helmed by general manager Tim Molfino and chef de cuisine Daniel Weber, who have teamed up to create a menu with a pronounced Latin flair and flavor, balanced with those cocktails and a wine cellar that expands well beyond the list (ask for the reserve list and polish your credit card).
Weber began his culinary career in St. Louis, working at an Italian restaurant while attending culinary school. Starting with Disney’s Contemporary Hotel, he worked in Florida and Virginia restaurants before making the move to Arizona a year and a half ago and joining the Renata’s team.
Molfino has spent two decades in the industry, starting as a busboy in Malibu, and working his way up to maître d’ at a posh Italian restaurant. In 2010, after more work in Los Angeles-area restaurants, Molfino moved to Phoenix to be with family.
“I thought I’d spend a year out here, have some fun, get a job, and I just fell in love with Phoenix,” he said.
Why Latin food?
“When I got here there was a Spanish flavor to the menu,” Weber said. “We decided that we would steer away from that focus to a foundation of Mexican offerings, but with a really large window of opportunity to branch out to more Latin American countries, including Brazil and Argentina.”
“We have so many guests from so many parts of the world coming here,” Molfino said. “We wanted something that was representative of Phoenix, for people to come here from the Midwest and from Europe and wherever else and really get a taste of that Phoenician culture and its influences.”
The menu includes sea bass and blue crab ceviche, Weber’s take on the dish that’s a creamy blend of passion fruit leche de tigre, cucumber, red onion, pineapple, pepitas and pimento oil. The leche de tigre, a Peruvian staple, is a citrusy blend including fish stock, lime juice, aji Amarillo chiles, garlic, onion and cilantro.
Lamb barbacoa takes center stage at Renata’s Hearth, with Octopus Veracruzana (left) and sea bass and blue crab ceviche also taking starring roles (photo by Darryl Webb for North Central News). 
Octopus Veracruzana (photo by Darryl Webb for North Central News) 
Sea bass and blue crab ceviche (photo by Darryl Webb for North Central News) 
Lamb barbacoa (photo by Darryl Webb for North Central News)
From Brazil, coxinha is a croquette with smoked chicken, caramelized vegetables, parmesan, cheddar and papaya ketchup. Octopus Veracruzana features charred octopus, tomato, capers, sweet peppers, olives and marble potatoes.
Moqueca, also from Brazila, is a hearty seafood stew with sea bass and prawns, over rice and farofa, a Brazilian toasted breadcrumb condiment. Top it off with dulce de leche crème brûlée with chipotle-lime meringue, and you get the picture.
There’s also a steady parade of specials developed by Weber and his team, exploring more regional flavors and introduced by Renata’s enthusiastic serving team. “Our servers pride themselves on being culinary tour guides,” Molfino said.
That’s a quick skim of highlights of the three-page dinner menu, then you get to the wine and cocktails. “Our wines are incredible, and our cocktail program is also amazing,” Molfino said.
“We started our Fire & Ice cocktail pairing series of five-course pairing dinners last year, and that’s been a huge hit. A lot of our food has a smoky fire influence, and we tasked our culinary team with being as creative as possible. My mescal mavens, what we call our bartenders, paired up with the chefs. They’re mostly agave-based cocktails, but really anything they want with the food. We do also do wine dinners, which are normally five courses as well.
The dishes feature thoughtful blends of Latin spices, fruit and chiles.
A case in point is that lamb barbacoa. It takes days to prepare, starting with the oyster shoulder (the whole front leg) of Chilean lamb. It’s salted and marinated 48 hours in a blend of tomato, guajillo and ancho chiles, cinnamon, allspice, clove, black pepper, avocado leaves and apple cider vinegar. Then it goes in the smoker for two hours before it’s braised with tangerine, salsa machaca, garlic, roasted peppers, and charred onion and chiles and three kinds of salsa: red, green and one made with a base of house-smoked cashews cooked with vegetable stock, chipotles and adobo, then pureed.
The earthiness from the peppers, the char on the vegetables and the succulent spiced lamb make for an indescribably delicious combination.
“You can go anywhere for just good food,” Molfino said. “We want to put on a show. It’s an experience, correct? I think of that more than even a show. My hope is that everybody’s going to find something that is really to their liking, something that they are really going to enjoy.
“Our menu is meant to be served family style, and when you step in the door, you are a part of the Renata’s family, and we treat you as such. Our team is very passionate about what they do. They love what they do. They love our guests. And that’s why I say, when somebody comes in here, we treat them like they’re coming into our house.”
Renata’s Hearth, in the Biltmore Resort, 2400 E. Missouri Ave., is open from 5 to 10 p.m., daily. For information, call 602-954-2507 or visit www.renatashearth.com.
