2020 is looking to be another big year for Food Pioneer Lisa Dahl, owner and executive chef of Dahl Restaurant Group (DRG), as she announced today that the second and largest location of her casual, wood-fired pizzeria, Pisa Lisa, will open in Sedona, Ariz. this fall.
With construction slated to begin this spring, pending plan approval by various local agencies, the new restaurant will bring a more refined and industrial look to the beloved pizzeria, while still maintaining the same quirky charm and Rock ‘n’ Roll sensibility locals and world travelers have become accustomed to. In addition to the wood-fired pizzas, organic salads and artisan gelato offered at the original location, Dahl will be introducing an expanded antipasto of fire-roasted tapas, a selection of healthy grab-n-go items and local coffee with morning goodies for hikers and bikers. This will be the flagship location for the Pisa Lisa concept, which Dahl hopes to eventually expand statewide and potentially nationally.
“Over the years Pisa Lisa has become a beloved staple in West Sedona and with this expansion, I’m really looking forward to honing in on this concept and elevating the restaurant experience with more social spaces and a wider range of menu items,” said Dahl. “With The Village of Oak Creek being the gateway to Sedona, I see this Pisa Lisa location serving as a gathering point where locals and hotel guests can relax and recharge before and after hitting the trails whether its grabbing a fresh pastry and coffee in the morning; having a Mediterranean-inspired plate for lunch; or ending the day with a satisfying, wood-fired pizza and organic salad, along with cocktails that will even make the red rocks blush.”
The new Pisa Lisa location will be a 3,500 square-foot restaurant offering casual service within a vibrant social setting complete with relaxed lounge seating amidst communal dining tables; a funky, elevated bar; two wood-fired ovens and a curated marketplace of eclectic, food-centric favorites and DRG-branded merchandise. In the morning, the restaurant will be a buzz as a chic espresso bar shares the spotlight with a fresh pastry counter offering gourmet items like Dahl’s “morning after” breakfast pizzas. Along with favorites carried over from the existing Pisa Lisa menu, Dahl has a few new tricks up her sleeve including an array of wood-fired Molten Grilled Cheeses with local hot honey; Polpette Con Porcini with handmade beef meatballs in a delicate porcini cream sauce; Affinato Bundles with mozzarella-filled ambrosial radicchio wrapped in prosciutto, and a selection of rustic seafood tapas.
Dahl is one of the country’s leading female chefs and restaurateurs who has pioneered the culinary scene in Sedona for over 20 years. A James Beard House-featured chef and completely self-taught, Dahl is widely credited for Sedona’s recent emergence as a national “foodie destination.” Dahl introduced fine dining to Sedona in the late ‘90s with the opening of Dahl & Di Luca, which today continues to draw national attention, and has since expanded to become the largest restaurant group in the area with accolades spanning the culinary spectrum. Today, she also owns and operates the highly acclaimed Cucina Rustica, Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill and her newest, most buzzed-about addition, Butterfly Burger, A Couture Burger Lounge.
Dahl was recently recognized with the prestigious top honor of “2019 Food Pioneer” by the Arizona Restaurant Association’s Foodist Awards where she took home “2018 Top Chef” the previous year. She was also recently acknowledged with the “Best Chefs of America Hall of Fame Award” by National Elite, a national restaurant industry organization.
Pisa Lisa will be located in the Village of Oak Creek within Sedona Vista Village, a redevelopment project currently underway by Martin Aronson who is transforming the former outlet center into a mixed-use destination with restaurants, retail and a new 120-room hotel, Element by Westin.
For more information on Lisa Dahl and Dahl Restaurant Group, visit dahlrestaurantgroup.com/.
