CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar
Sophisticated American cuisine just north of Tucson
Tucked into the foothills of Tucson’s Tortolita Mountains in The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar is a destination in its own right. Whether you’re staying upstairs at the resort or 45 minutes away in the city, it’s worth making a trip to the upscale-but-playful, intimate-but-convivial CORE for a memorable meal.
During breakfast, dinner and Sunday brunch, the open kitchen turns out American cuisine rooted in Sonoran influences and Southwestern ingredients — you can even pick your own citrus fruit from the resort’s grove for your morning juice.
Come evening, wine is the star; the wine list includes a host of less obvious choices (check out the “ABC” or “Anything But Chardonnay” whites), and a wine table in CORE’s center displays just a few inspiring favorites from the restaurant’s 2,800 bottles.
During breakfast, dinner and Sunday brunch, the open kitchen turns out American cuisine rooted in Sonoran influences and Southwestern ingredients — you can even pick your own citrus fruit from the resort’s grove for your morning juice.
Come evening, wine is the star; the wine list includes a host of less obvious choices (check out the “ABC” or “Anything But Chardonnay” whites), and a wine table in CORE’s center displays just a few inspiring favorites from the restaurant’s 2,800 bottles.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- From the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain’s second-floor lobby, both the elevator and a grand staircase lead down to the restaurant, which is large but designed to feel intimate.
- The Four-Star restaurant's lower-level location offers outdoor seating areas and proximity to the resort’s citrus grove. Inside, the views of the saguaro-studded mountains through the restaurant’s oversized windows are stunning, with bonfires glowing across the property at night.
- On Friday evenings, the restaurant opens early — at 5 p.m. — for an hour-long wine experience in which the sommelier shares samples of three vintages with tasting notes, food pairings and complimentary charcuterie.
- Breakfast and Sunday brunch both offer a mimosa bar featuring oranges, grapefruits and tangelos from The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain’s own citrus grove.
- The sophisticated space is beyond comfortable, with muted red and natural-brick walls, leather seating and masculine wood tones creating a modern lodge-like feel.
Things to Know
- CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar is open daily for breakfast and dinner . It’s also open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sundays for a prix-fixe market brunch that includes chef stations, fresh seafood and sushi, a pastry shop and unlimited mimosas.
- Reservations are recommended for any meal or wine experience at CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar.
- The dress code at CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar is casual. Since many diners are guests of The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, and have spent the day golfing, hiking or sunning, you’ll notice a lot of resort-casual attire: collared shirts, pressed slacks and tailored blouses.
- If you’ll be sitting on the patio for dinner at the Four-Star restaurant, bring a sweater to ward off the desert chill. Then again, you can always warm up by the inviting hearth just inside.
The Food
- The breakfast menu features two buffet options (continental and American) as well as a varied selection of a la carte items.
- The health conscious will appreciate the Lifestyle Selections menu at breakfast, featuring items like pink grapefruit brulee, steel cut irish oatmeal or an egg white and veggie frittata.
- Heartier breakfast fare includes Southwestern specialties like chilaquiles and huevos rancheros. A braised short rib and potato hash will be sure to fill you up before a day of exploring the desert.
- For dinner, expect American fare with a Southwestern twist. Start with avocado tartare before digging into a cast iron jambalaya of seafood, fire rice and smoked paprika pulled chicken.
Amenities
Bar
Breakfast
Brunch
Dinner
Resort casual
Getting There
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CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar
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