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| - Five stars doesn't mean perfect, and Carvalho's is not, but it does mean that Scottsdale now has a new interesting dining experience that I can recommend to everyone. Once. Whether you will want to come back time after time depends on how much you like Brazilian food and whether the limited menu has enough variety for you.
The restaurant is very attractive, especially the outdoor seating towards the back (they also have a few tables in front near the parking lot), which is isolated from roadways and borders on a small pond with a fountain. These may be some of the best tables in Scottsdale and almost worth a visit on their own in nice weather. But there's more to like here.
The food is really Brazilian, although you will find some other Latin American influences present as well. As far as I can tell, everything is not only fresh but freshly made, and that makes a big difference. Plantain chips, which are served when you are seated, get stale easily, but these were fresh, and fried and salted perfectly. Our fried yucca and coxinha de frango (chicken fritters) were also impeccably prepared, fresh, and crisp.
The Feijoada, a traditional black bean stew with sausage and smoked meats was tasty but in this case it was the presentation that wowed - the stew was served in a bowl, the rice in another, two small cups contained a pico de gallo and toasted ground yucca, and a plate had shredded collard greens and orange slices. Color, shape, and a dynamically fresh appearance made this dish a visual delight. You put the ingredients together yourself in another plate. All for $16. Another entree, the Picanha na Grelhada, was a plain steak with a slice of grilled pineapple - well prepared but rather mundane.
We tried a dessert, Bolo Prestigio, a chocolate layer cake filled with what I believe is a reduced condensed milk-coconut pudding. It was just too sweet after we had filled ourselves on everything else.
The service speed was fine, but our waiter was new - not just to the restaurant but to being a waiter. Although nice, he made mistakes such as taking our forks and knives when removing the appetizers and not replacing them, then disappearing for ten minutes.. You may have to put up with that here.
I would consider Carvalho's a dining experience and not overpriced. Our two appetizers, two entrees, one dessert, and a drink cost me $80 including tax and tip.
If you are at all adventurous in dining or want a romantic evening, you really need to try Carvalho's.
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