An Openly Queer-Friendly Fine Dining Spot Exists in the Pines

OutBack

This is one in a series that uncovers the untold stories of LGBTQ+ life beyond the city, celebrating queer resilience, creativity, and community in Arizona's suburban and rural areas. Read the full series here.

Most of Arizona’s mountain towns aren’t known for their culinary scene or queer-friendly vibe. But Flagstaff checks both boxes, and one reason for that is Shift Restaurant & Bar.

Situated in the Babbitt Building in the heart of downtown, just off Route 66, Shift displays a giant Pride flag on its window and trans flags throughout.

Owner Dara Wong, who identifies as a bisexual woman of color (Chinese on her dad’s side, Jewish on her mom’s), donates to and advertises with Flagstaff’s Pride in the Pines—slated for June 20 this year—and offers space at her sister business around the corner, Oeno Wine Lounge, for Pride events. Many of the staff are queer, too.

“I feel the restaurant is an extension of myself, and I’m not afraid to hide that,” Wong said.

She added, “We try to let it be known that we’re a queer-supporting business.”

A place for trying new things

Shift celebrated a decade in business on April 1 this year, building its success on providing a cosmopolitan fine-dining and drinking experience for tourists and summer visitors accustomed to urban amenities.

Wong said she wanted to emulate the vibe of European bistros, which exude vibrant energy and a sense of community, along with serving exceptional food.

Dara Wong owns Shift Restaurant & Bar in Flagstaff, which offers a queer-friendly creative culinary experience. Photo: Shift

The 49-seat eatery offers eclectic chef’s tasting menus, creative desserts, small-batch spirits, interesting mocktails and a sophisticated wine list that includes Arizona bottles.

“Seasonality’s our biggest goal,” Wong said, “but from there, we like to think about supporting small farms or small producers.”

She added that minimizing waste is another focus. The restaurant composts, and Chef Tamara Stanger raises chickens and ducks that provide eggs and eat the kitchen’s vegetable scraps, Wong noted.

While Stanger generally is in charge of the main plates, Wong, a pastry chef, handles the desserts. She opens from 8 to 11 a.m. on the first Saturday of the month for a bake sale, and she’s big into savory sorbets made from cilantro, parsley, tarragon, tomato, sorrel, carrot and carrot tops.

Chip Chang, a queer woman of color who’s lived in Flagstaff for five years, said she takes friends and family from bigger cities to Shift for its more unusual offerings like the sorbet, as well as for simpler yet expertly executed items like the bread board with olives—a food she didn’t use to enjoy but has been learning to like.

Shift is “a place where people can try new things and open up their mind and perspective,” Chang said. “I think that relates a lot to queer identity and queer politics, right?”

Shifting personally and professionally

Wong has made many personal and professional shifts throughout her life.

Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, Wong swam competitively at the University of Denver and got a bachelor’s degree in business management. But, she admits, college wasn’t easy because she has dyslexia.

After working in hospitality during college, Wong decided that was what she loved, so she switched gears. She attended culinary arts school and worked in fine dining, including at the now Michelin-starred Frasca in Denver and at Sweet Basil in Vail.

In the mid-2010s, Wong moved to Flagstaff with a former male partner and worked at various restaurants, including Tourist Home Urban Market, and the couple opened Shift together. They married in 2016, but divorced in 2018, and now Wong is the sole owner.

Another life change came when Wong joined a gym and met her future wife, Sierra Wong. In September, the couple will celebrate their fourth anniversary.

Meanwhile, Shift has been such a success that it’s difficult to get in on weekends without a reservation. Wong bought a wine bar on the next block in 2022 so staff can send guests to Oeno while they wait.

When asked how customers have responded to Shift being openly queer-friendly, Wong said no one has confronted her about it, but it’s possible some have done a quiet “unfollowing” or “unsupporting.”

She added, “The people, though, that do support it, really support it. It really brings out the queer community even more when they see that flag, because they feel safe and welcome.”

Shift Kitchen & Bar
Address: 107 N. San Francisco St. No. 2, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Hours: 5-9 p.m. daily
Contact: 928-440-5135; shiftflg.com