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| - This was far more than a meal; this was an experience. Actually, this was two meals: we enjoyed ourselves so much we went back two nights later.
Friday night: very busy, but we hung out at the cocktail pit near the fire until a table was available. Cocktails: a Spice Market and something like "not your grandma's root beer" or something like that. Both were very good. Inside, it's rather tight. But I had a great view of the bartender and the kitchen going in the back. Seemed kinda cramped for the staff; dishes stacked up on the bar while tables were cleared, but then the staff all seemed to come together to clear those off quickly. Very happy, positive vibe in the restaurant.
Started with the octopus, and it was tremendous. I don't know if the whole "cooked in cork" thing is real or not, but the octopus was truly an amazing experience. Then we had the rabbit gnocci, which was also amazing. It really was an awesome experience, and the wine we wanted wasn't chilled yet, so Hoke the manager came over and gave us a pour each of something that was ready, while ours chilled. Dessert: pistachio gelato that was out of this world. And I think we also had the chocolate gelato, which was also fab.
Sunday night: far less busy. Got a table outside. Chilled at the cocktail pit and we had to go find someone to take our order after 15 minutes. Another Spice Market and an Ice Queen. Both were good. Then table outside was great. Started with the pate, which, ethics aside, was phenomenal. And then the black squid ink linguine with prawn. Which was tremendous. And the duck was fab. Espresso was grand, as was the pistachio pudding and I forget which kind of new gelato we tried. Again the wine was excellent.
Overall, the food and ambiance were amazing, and I now have very, very positive feelings about Scottsdale, in large part based on our experiences at Virtú. We had hear about this place from Clark the gallery guy, and if you meet Clark, give him a high-five for me, since he really nailed it. Both nights the service was excellent, the staff was well-informed, and the ambiance was delightful. My only regret is that I can't give it six stars here.
I will be visiting Virtú every time I am in Scottsdale from this day forward. And, I am telling everyone about it.
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