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| - Let me start this review by simply saying, thank you to Crudo.
Crudo, found in old town Scottsdale, is actually inside of a salon right on the corner of 3rd avenue. Yes, that is right, its inside a retail business operation. Parking has never been a problem, including last night on a Saturday on Valentines day weekend.
Originally founded by Cullen Campbell and Branden Crouser, formerly of Atlas Bistro, now the kitchen is run by just Cullen, as Branden as moved onto to take over as executive chef at Avalon. Let me be clear, Cullen Campbell is a culinary genius. It is reflected not only in his menu or dishes, but in the entire way he operates his business. This is a chef who will not compromise quality for quantity, on any level. When yelpers describe what a five star requires, they are speaking about the qualities that Mr. Campbell bring to the valley within Crudo.
Last nights visit brought my standard choice of going off menu for a seven course tasting menu with Chef Campbell making all the decisions for both myself and companion. Our waitress, with her ever present English accent, informed myself and companion that the live sea urchin would not be on the menu, as there was rough seas yesterday, and their supplier could not fish. No, I am not kidding guys, this is the type of information you receive at restaurants that tout authenticity and true culinary inventiveness. I was informed though, that there was some amazing foie gras in the house and I would be seeing it later. I am getting off track though, so lets get down to what matters.
The Amuse presented to our table was a delightful plate of in house smoked olives. They were beautifully presented and tasted unique, even for olives. We were not even into our first course yet and my companion and I shared that look worth a million dollars between us; This was going to be a great evening.
Our first course arrived and it was Chef Campbell's tried and true favorite, his butterfish crudo. This is a beautiful, inviting, and absurdly delicious plate of sliced butterfish, marinated with olive oil, spices and what tasted like candied nuts. No matter what changes to the menu the chef makes over time, this dish will always be there, just ask Thomas Keller at the French Laundry if he can remove his pearls of tapioca or tuna ice cream cones from the menu. Our second course arrived at the table touting a bright red piece of tuna and fresh heirloom tomato. Well seasoned with cracked sea salt and the tomato being extremely fresh made this dish satisfying and enjoyable. We were almost done with our first bottle of champagne when course numero tres arrived and the conger eel made its appearance. Chef, what are you trying to do me here? This Eel was so good its scary. It was a rectangle piece of cooked eel over braised kale. This dish just kicked my ass, plain and simple, I could eat it for lunch or dinner every day of the week.
We somewhat left the fish courses for the second half of the menu as the braised veal with polenta arrived. The veal was tender, succulent and tasty as hell. The polenta, surely house made, was excellent and the perfect accompaniment to the veal. As this dish ended, some risotto hit the table. Not just any risotto, no, squid ink risotto. I am unsure where else in Arizona I can acquire squid ink anything, let alone risotto, but here it was, sitting in front of us, in all its glory. The risotto was cooked perfectly, spread out across the bowl in its perfect texture and sauce and tasted as if I was eating on Iron Chef Japan, the real Iron Chef television show(not the bullshit you see on food network nowadays).
Just as I thought the evening could not get any better, course number seven arrived, the foie gras. Lets talk for a second here, alright. Chef Campbell served my party, a peanut butter and jelly foie gras sandwich. True story. It took me a second to figure out what was going on my plate as it hit the table, but i quickly figured it out. There was a thick and delicious slice of prime foie gras on the plate. Underneath, a silky and savory peanut sauce with nuts, while on top of the foie gras was a delicate sauce of poached pear. Served on the side were thin slices of homemade Challah bread. Who does this chef think he is??? When put together, this dish kicked the ever loving shit out of me in a way that cannot begin to describe. It was genius, it was brilliance, it was inventive, it was one chef single handily taking the valley to the next level of culinary adventures.
There is not much more I can say about this restaurant. There is no six star rating on Yelp. Here is my conclusion, if you consider yourself a foodie, if you consider yourself a culinary adventurer, then do yourself the favor and go to Crudo. Call ahead, introduce yourself, make a reservation and let them know you are coming for the time of your life. This is the restaurant to treat yourself too, this is the future.
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