A steakhouse can inspire the sort of loyalty usually reserved for a favorite fighter. At Phoenix’s inaugural RARE Steak Championship, diners will see how those loyalties hold up across more than 25 competing restaurants, with plenty of chances to taste before picking a favorite.
It’s a carnivore’s paradise, with an entire evening to follow your appetite from one chef’s specialty to the next. While the whole line up is great, here are four places to keep an eye out for.
Get to Know RARE Steak Championship
Salt River Fields becomes the showdown arena on Thursday, November 12, for an evening of steak tastings and cocktails. Produced by DiningOut Events, the festival began in Denver in 2019 and pits chefs against one another in Traditional Steak and Creative Steak categories. There’s also VIP Omakase and Cocktail categories. Judges will try each bite in a blind tasting to choose their winners, while ticket holders cast People’s Choice votes.
With unlimited steak tastings included in every ticket, guests can make the rounds before casting a ballot, stopping for cocktails and spirit samples as live music plays. First Taste ($175) and VIP tickets ($275) start the evening an hour early, with 6 p.m. entry. General admission ($125) enters at 7 p.m.
The VIP ticket expands the field with the Omakase Challenge, a separate competition offering tastings just for VIP guests. Private lounges offer a place to pause between bites, and dedicated bars will pour premium spirits and cocktails.
We heard that one chef will give a flat iron steak a sushi-inspired treatment. Another will pair strip loin with scallops and arancini for a surf-and-turf plating. And elsewhere restaurants, whose regular menus feature fire-cooked ribeye and tomahawks carved tableside, will be throwing down an array of beefy bites provided by Newport Meats. Come taste for yourself on November 12.
CIELO
CIELO is counting on a flat iron to knock out contenders with its hard-hitting flavor. Executive chef Sean Han, who joined ADERO Scottsdale Resort this October, plans to serve Flat Top Seared Flat Iron Beef Carpaccio “Nigiri Style,” borrowing sushi’s format for his competition entry.
“Great cooking isn’t about choosing the most expensive cut,” said Han. “It’s about respecting the ingredient and unlocking its full potential.”
His preparation begins with a flattop sear, then brings the beef together with seasoned steamed rice and avocado for richness. Spring mix adds freshness and another texture, while a ginger gastrique supplies a tangy counterpoint.
Back at the resort, CIELO’s broad windows and terrace overlook the Sonoran Desert. The restaurant’s current Steak Frites pairs grilled ribeye with Yukon Gold fries, adding pink peppercorn demi-glace and spicy chimichurri. Han is developing his own contributions to the menu, making RARE an early opportunity to see where the new chef wants to take the kitchen. 13225 N. Eagle Ridge Dr., Scottsdale, aderoscottsdale.com
La Zozzona
La Zozzona has size in its corner, ready to strike heavy starting with a bone-in tomahawk that gets carved tableside. At the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort, executive chef Jesse McDannell and chef de cuisine JR Walters work alongside celebrity chef Richard Blais of Top Chef and Next Level Chef on an Italian menu whose steak program looks to Florence and Tuscany.
At a recent tomahawk steak class, the three chefs walked guests through their meat cooking process. The demonstration moved from sous vide, which cooks the beef in a temperature-controlled water bath, to a hot pan for the sear. Basting with butter, rosemary, and thyme added flavor as the exterior developed its crust.
One practical tip from the class was to use the butter left in the pan as a sauce, carrying the flavor of the meat into the final serving. It gives home cooks another way to make the most of what is already in the pan, and we’ll have to see if chef McDannell brings the same technique to the competition. 7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd., Scottsdale, lazozzona.com
Telefèric Barcelona
A 20-ounce wagyu ribeye gives Telefèric Barcelona muscle on a menu where tapas and paella receive much of the attention. At the Scottsdale Fashion Square location, the Ribeye Chuletón is cooked over fire, asador-style, and served with potatoes and mild, sweet piquillo peppers.
Beef also shares the spotlight with lobster in the Fiesta Paella. Both dishes are part of the restaurant’s regular offerings, giving diners two very different ways to approach steak. Either a substantial cut with straightforward accompaniments or a pan of rice that turns dinner into a shared occasion.
That communal approach suits the dining room, where pale walls and a wood ceiling frame sculptural hanging pendants that transport diners to Spanish interiors. During a recent visit, families and couples filled the space as dinner service moved seamlessly, while an open kitchen kept cooking as part of the night’s entertainment.
The restaurant’s Spanish roots extend to a small market that also supplies the kitchen. Jamón Ibérico, also on the menu, is “almost like a religion” in Spain, chef Xavier Beltran Trell said, explaining the breeding behind the restaurant’s special offering. We aren’t sure what the chef will showcase in the main area at RARE, but we’re excited to find out. 7014 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 0561, Scottsdale, telefericbarcelona.com
Desert Diamond Casino
Executive chef Belal Rajab has a surf-and-turf combination in mind for Desert Diamond’s title bid. The casino will compete under its own name while promoting Nineteen 86 Steakhouse at its West Valley property in Glendale.
“It’s going to be scallops, strip loin, and arancini,” Rajab said. He plans to work with a grill and fryers, with Brazilian cheese bread also joining the match.
For diners visiting before the championship, Rajab recommends the Wagyu Ribeye Cap, his favorite steak on the restaurant’s menu. He said it usually comes with mashed potatoes and a choice of side, with sauces also available.
Inside the steakhouse, oversized booths and marble-and-wood details provide a classic setting for the beef. The 32-ounce tomahawk offers plenty for a dinner for two, while the weekly Filet and Lobster special pairs tenderloin with Atlantic lobster tail and potatoes au gratin. 9431 W. Northern Ave., Glendale, ddcaz.com
Get Ringside
Head to Salt River Fields (7555 N. Pima Rd.) in Scottsdale for the festival. RARE runs until 10 p.m. on November 12 and is open to guests 21 and older. Tickets are $125 for general admission, $175 for First Taste, and $275 for VIP. Get tickets here.
After all, a favorite steakhouse might bring you through the gate, but a single bite could put a challenger ahead on your scorecard. As for you the festival goer, expect an unforgettable night to fill the belly and the soul.
