Kai Restaurant Wins Prestigious Award from Wine Spectator Magazine

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Kai Restaurant at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa was recently awarded the “Award of Excellence” by Wine Spectator magazine.

The August issue features the magazine’s 2004 Restaurant Awards. In the wine category, Kai was recognized as one of the year’s “New Winners and Upgrades” for the “Award of Excellence.” The award is given to restaurants with wine lists that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers and show a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.

Kai’s wine list includes 500 wine selections from around the world and 3500 individual bottles are kept at the restaurant. The wine list was created to compliment Kai’s unique Native American cuisine.

The list is broken into three sections to make it user-friendly for both guests and the restaurant staff. The sections include the origin, price and varietals. The origin section allows guests to search for wines from different regions of the world, the price section lists wine prices based on the grape used to make the wine and the varietals section lists wines from the lightest to heaviest.

“Our philosophy at Kai is to make wine fun, not intimidating,” said John Rothstein, Kai’s Sommelier. “We’ve broken the menu down into three categories so guests are not overwhelmed by a list of 500 wines.”

Kai is one of Phoenix’s most talked-about dining experiences. Chef Sandy Garcia incorporates the essence of the Pima and Maricopa tribes into the menu and restaurant décor. Kai, the Pima word for ‘seed’, will treat you with a contemporary approach to Native American cuisine in a rich yet relaxing atmosphere. James Beard Award-winner Janos Wilder is Kai’s consulting chef and is renowned for creating unique menu experiences that utilize indigenous Native American ingredients.

Kai’s menu features citrus from the Gila River Farms and items from Native Seed SEARCH, which is a foundation that preserves ancient Native American seed lines that would otherwise be extinct. In addition, Chef Sandy Garcia works with the local Gila Crossing Elementary School on an agricultural curriculum and incorporates the programs vegetables and seeds in several menu items.

For more information (or to make reservations!), visit the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa online.