Correction. Chris, JohnOC, and I are big fans of Feasting in Phoenix. Seth has a lot of the same tastes that we do, and like Chris he has an allergy (avocado) that can be a problem in area restaurants. I always take note when he writes of area restaurants messing up his orders for this reason, and any other service issues. Plus, while he doesn't work terribly close to where we live, he eats at a lot of restaurants near where we live (Old Town Scottsdale and Arcadia).
We've found his reviews to be spot-on for what we like so whenever he does a favorable review of a place we haven't been, I tend to add that restaurant to our "must go" list.
So when he did today's review I could not believe we'd missed this particular gem.
Okay, I admit, I have a particular prejudice against restaurants in Old Town, despite the extreme proximity to the house. For one thing, parking in Old Town is horrid, and on the weekend you might as well forget about parking yourself (most restaurants have valets due to idiotic city regulations). For another, the people who frequent Old Town restaurants tend to be either a.) young and trendy, and therefore annoying, or b.) tourists. Both types like style without substance, and for us food is all about substance.
So since I knew Cowboy Ciao is a fusion/nouveau restaurant and the trenders and tourists just LOVE anything "new" (and I generally hate fusion as a concept all by itself) I'd been avoiding giving the restaurant a try.
That was until Seth did his review, and until I took a good long look at the menu.
A few favorable examples:
Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast * ............................. 28
pan-roasted, served with ancho/orange demi-glace, spiced pecans, sweet corn grits
Espresso-Rubbed Filet Mignon * .............................. 32
with cabernet demi-glace, tortilla-smashed Yukon gold potatoes, chipotle aioli
Boda-licious Bread Pudding …………………………………..….. 10
brioche with dried cherries, craisins & pine nuts, with brown sugar/pecan streusel, honey/orange ice cream,
compote of dried cherries & craisins, finished with praline sauce, served warm (and I luv-oola making up words)
And our personal favorites and on the MUST TRY list:
original bacon/pecan brittle three ounces .. 5 half pound ..12 full pound .. 20Anyone else hungry?
bacon cookies? Bacon Cookies! (with chocolate chips, cherries & pecans, for here or home)
single .. 11/2 trio .. 4 six-pack .. 8 twelve-pack .. 15
Mel
