Nice little north Scottsdale restaurant. I wasn't really feeling the 'farm fresh' concept that seems to be the basis of the restaurant though. I was expecting a much younger feel but the decor and vibe was more 40+ Scottsdale socialite than 20+ urban organic hipster.
They have a reverse happy hour from 9:30 to close. We arrived at 9pm and it was pretty empty, adding more to the sterile vibe. Sat in the bar and ordered a couple of apps for the table to share and a bottle of wine, then ordered one of everything from the happy hour menu at 9:30 and another bottle.
The best things about Calistro are the presentation and the service, both 5 stars. Outstanding on both counts. The food was really good and I think the sweet spot here is for the happy hour on the way home from a movie or something. A 7pm dinner would feel a little bland to me.
Dishes of note: Falafel, Flatbread, short rib sliders, lamb meatballs were all excellent. I wasn't a huge fan of the fish taco or the ravioli (it was really dry and flavorless to me, my companions loved them)
I don't know if I'd plan a dinner here, but I'd definitely go back for happy hour. If the weather was a bit warmer they had some great fires and couches on the outside patio overlooking the city. Other than to sit out there, I wouldn't come with a group of more than 4.
Cliffs
- meh atmosphere
- great service/presentation
- pretty good food
- meh value, good value during happy hour
- one of the best restaurants for sure in the Pima corridor location