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FOOD & DRINK
SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | AUGUST 16, 2020
Food & Drink
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Los Sombreros debuts new take-out concept BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer
W
hen Scottsdale residents and Los Sombreros owners Kurt and Colleen Riske said “I love you” for the first time, they were vacationing in San Carlos, Mexico. When Kurt proposed to Colleen, they were at a private club in Honolulu called the Outrigger Canoe Club. And when it came time for their honeymoon, the newlyweds flew to the picturesque beach town Tamarindo on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. It’s a love story you will find printed on the menu for Colleen and Kurt’s latest concept, Carnitas Way. Launched mid-July, Carnitas Way is a delivery- and pickup-only restaurant that offers California-style burritos, bowls, and salads, all made from scratch with fresh, quality ingredients.
It’s a concept that Kurt and Colleen have been working on since they purchased Los Sombreros in 2017. “I’ve always had in my mind wanting to do a super-fast, fresh drive-through concept with Mexican food that’s really simple,” Kurt said. The pandemic, they said, was the perfect time to move forward with Carnitas Way, where all menu items are under $10. “With everything going on with COVID, the time just seemed
Kurt and Colleen Riske, the owners of Los Sombreros, recently launched a new, delivery- and pickup-only concept called Carnitas Way. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)
right,” Colleen said. “[Because] this is takeout and delivery only, we know that people are looking for good value, and they are getting that through these generously-sized portions and delicious, fresh meals.” Colleen added that because people are spending more time at home, “it really felt like the time was right for a deliveryfocused restaurant.” Carnitas Way operates out of their three Los Sombreros restaurants, with orders made in their respective kitchens. “We didn’t have to invest in a new brick-and-mortar to start a new brand. The food is all coming out of our existing kitchens; so, it’s sort of allowing us to dip our toe in the water of the cloud kitchen-type movement that’s going on,” Colleen said.
see CARNITAS page 25
Sugar Jam serves southern favorites
BY LAURA LATZKO Progress Contributor
T
he Black Lives Matter Movement has not only sparked conversations and protests, but it has driven home the importance of supporting black-owned restaurants like Airpark-based Sugar Jam Bake Shop & Bistro. “I have a place where it’s not about the color of your skin,” said founder Dana Dumas. “I have a place where hatred is left somewhere else. It doesn’t come into Sugar Jam. Discrimination doesn’t come into Sugar Jam. It is a place of harmony. It is a place where you feel at home. It’s a place where people can gain new friendships, bring a loved one.
Dana Dumas, founder of Sugar Jam Bake Shop & Bistro, wants her Scottsdale Airpark restaurant to be a place of harmony. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff)
Sugar Jam offers freshly prepared homemade Southern foods and baked goods. The restaurant’s expansive menu includes comfort foods such as catfish and fried chicken dinners; fried chicken and waffles; shrimp and catfish po’boys; pulled pork with mac and cheese; savory scones topped with applewood pulled pork; salmon croquettes and grits; smoked
brisket and biscuits; creole shrimp and grits; biscuits and gravy; applewood pulled pork sandwiches; collard greens; cowboy beans, candied yams and Parisian-style French toast sandwiches. Among the most popular items on the bakery side are the cherry, caramel apple and bourbon pecan pies, as well as chocolate chip, sea salt caramel toffee and jam-filled cookies. Dumas comes from a long line of cooks and bakers. Her great aunt was a trained pastry chef, and her grandparents owned two restaurants in New York City. Growing up, she always looked forward to her grandmother’s cooking.
see SUGAR JAM page 25
