Before getting my boots dirty on the hiking trails in Sedona, AZ, I put out a message to everyone I knew who had recently visited this high desert landscape to see if they had any suggestions. Quickly, I received a ping back from a friend-of-a-friend that went something like, “If you are there on a Sunday, do yourself a favor and snag a reservation for brunch at L’Auberge de Sedona, you won’t regret it. Oh, and it’s by a gorgeous river, so sit outside.” I was sold.
Brunch can be hit, or miss, however I knew this recommendation was going to be good. Yet, we still wanted to do something in the morning before stuffing ourselves during this all-you-can-eat brunch by the river. But, what? A hike! After some scrolling, we decided upon a sunrise hike to the Instagram famous Subway Cave, hoping the influencers were going to still be asleep.
Our plan worked. My partner and I woke up before sunrise and were on the trial as the clouds turned a dark orange, red. The hike to the Subway Cave went quickly and we had the place to ourselves, for a little while. By the time we looked at our phones, crowds were showing up, our bellies were growing, and we were cutting it close.
We had 35 minutes until our reservation.
Shocked how fast time passed, we jogged back to the vehicle, fearing our river-side table would be given away, and zoomed from the trailhead to L’Auberge de Sedona. Hopping out of the vehicle, the valet snagged our keys and kindly reassured us there was no need to rush. The brunch experience had already started.
As we walked towards the restaurant, our noses were greeted by Juniper burning in a fire-pit, calming us as the door opened and we were sat at the table. The sun was warming us as the waiter walked us through our options for brunch and let us loose to discover what made brunch at L’Auberge de Sedona so magical.
Oysters, scones, lamb, made-to-order omelet bar, prime rib, macaroons, potatoes, croissants, salmon, salad, the options were endless. Almost overwhelming. Yet, I wanted to sample everything I could with the limited space my belly had to offer. A good thing I built up an appetite with the morning hike.
Plate one.
Plate two.
Plate three.
In many ways brunch felt like tasting menu at a 7 course meal, taking small portions, but tasting an explosion of flavor in my mouth with each bite. At first, I thought prime rib from brunch was strange, but as it melted in my mouth, I wanted more. Each bite took me to another place. Sometimes I dreamed of being at the beach while slurping an oyster, other times I dreamed of being in France drinking coffee while controlling my impulse to devour the chocolate croissant.
Regardless of where a bite took me, I was always brought right back to the present moment as I stared out upon Oak Creek at the ducks swimming around in the water.
My friend-of-a-friend was right with their quick response, L’Auberge de Sedona is the best brunch spot in Sedona, AZ. Now, I wondered what it would be like to stay at this five-star resort.