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| - We eat out frequently and we have our usual fave haunts and places around Phoenix for dinner or weekend eats. We try different things; a lot of it palatable, most of it good and some of it great. But when you enjoy a meal that is truly superb, in every sense of the word, it sticks with you.
Superb describes our recent experience at Distrito in Old Town Scottsdale. Located inside the toney Saguaro Hotel (hipster haven and loved it!), Distrito is a lone outpost, holding down the fort in far flung Arizona, leagues from its' Garces Group cousins back east. I was surprised to learn that Garces Group, which apparently has a stronghold in the Philadelphia and Atlantic City food scenes, has a few outliers here in the Southwest; Distrito & Old Town Whiskey at The Saguaro in Scottsdale and Tonto & El Jefe in the swanky Saguaro Hotel in Palm Springs. Personally, I'm a big fan of indie & local, but I also think there's a place for regional chainlets to show their colors. Garces Croup's Distrito does just that.
Our meal at Distrito was my freshman introduction to the Gacrces Group and man, it made a great first impression on me! The menu is chock full of small plates and sharing options (as well as as full meals), so we took a snacky approach to dinner. My other half and I wanted to sample a variety of items from the menu and agreed we'd get more bang for our buck by going micro, rather than limiting ourselves to just an app and a main course. I'm glad we did!
We started off with the guacamole; a tell-tale bell weather of how the rest of the meal might go at any restaurant, and we were more than delighted with the fresh, hand-hacked guac, dusted with fresh cotija cheese and delicious chips. We decided to splurge a bit and added the fresh crab (only $5!!!) and didn't regret it for one second. The crab was so fresh, I'd swear we were dining on the beach in the Chesapeake Bay (except we'd never get avocados that fresh in MD), so we were thrilled with the bi-coastal combo!
Moving onto the "Snacks" or Antojitos section, we split an order of Rellenitos. A clever twist on the classic "Chile Relleno", this bad boy was served sliced , each piece breaded and fried to perfection with the tastiest smoked tomato sofrito I've ever had the pleasure of spooning past my lips. 150% scrumptious!
My other half scarfed Pescado Tacos after the server told him the fish of the day (the species escapes me now) that constituted the fish tacos. Divine! We then each split Small Plates of Queso Fundido (with a savory Duck Barbacoa) and Chilpachole de Mariscos; a spicy seafood stew. My boif loved the Queso (I'm not a huge fan of duck, but it was very tasty) and I laid quick waste to the bowl of Chilpachole,which was chock full of fresh mussels, clams and hand-made masa dumplings. The stew sauce alone is incomparable and I've been craving a return visit since we ate there, even if just for this dish alone!
Rounding out the extraordinary (and I do not use that word lightly! This meal was EXTRA-ordinary), I give big props to the staff and service of Distrito Scottsdale. Our server was adorable, knowledgeable, friendly and quick as a flash with food, drink refills and answering questions for us. The General Manager Niels even stopped by our table to chat with us, check on everything and make sure we were enjoying ourselves. That is rare in this day and age and I appreciate the personalized attention, brief and non-intrusive conversation and approachability. I told him we'd be back and I stay true to my promises.
Apparently Distrito has a revamped menu and is remodeling inside. If there were one thing I would take points off for, it would and could only be the décor -- in that I was facing a blank wall during dinner. Considering that my attention was fully focused on the fantastic food, savory servings and the company of my adorable other half, I barely even noticed the walls!
I'd like to go back to Distrito soon (even if just for that Chilpachole seasfood stew!!!) and pace myself so I could try their Platos Fuertes (Large Plates) and dessert menu. We never even made it that far because we were STUFFED on apps and small plates. For 2 big boys to not reach dessert phase, you know the portions are generous and the servings substantial.
I'd also like to get a group together some time and give their Taco Bar a try. It's $25 per person (min 2 peeps) and features an assortment of tasty Latino fare that I'm sure would knock my socks off -- if it's anything like the meal we experienced 2 weeks ago at Distrito in Old Town Scottsdale inside The Saguaro Hotel. Definitely A++, Distrito!
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