| rev:text
| - One senses a unique bend of lighthearted swank and artsy irreverence when entering Cowboy Ciao. The mixture of these two elements is a dicey proposition that's fraught with peril, but management has successfully done it...and created an ambiance that mixes soft and hip music, subdued and sultry lighting, and break-the-rules decor while still coming off as elegant funk rather than young punk angst.
Myself and my sidekick got here during prime time on a Friday night when the estimated table-wait was hovering right around the 40 minute mark. Rather than hole-up for a table, we opted for zero-wait seating at the bar. The waiters were great....both informative and talkative folks that made you feel comfortable with a genuinely friendly air about them that eschewed excessive fawning in favor of a down-home demeanor laced with neighborly charm.
Grub-wise, everything we had was fantastic. We started out with a Ciabatta appetizer served with both green and kalamata olive puree. Next up, the famous "Chopped Stetson Salad", an indescribably unique and wonderful taste that's often known to upstage the main course. They bring it to you with six different ingredients set in rows and explain what each ingredient is. Next, their server mixes it up in front of you with a special dressing. It's savory taste and simple recipe has presented experienced cooks with something of an inexplicable magic trick. From what I gather, many have tried to duplicate the taste, texture, and nuances of this deceptively simple dish, and lack of success has created vexing puzzle that's become the local culinary equivalent of Fermat's Enigma or the Four Color Problem.
My date opted for Pistachio-crusted salmon. I went light and ordered the Exotic Mushroom Pan Fry. Both dishes were fantastic. Icing on the cake came in the form of my favorite beer on the planet....Anchor Steam on tap. My only gripe? My dish should have come with bread to soak up the excess Mushroom sauce. We asked if we could get some, and the only option provided was to order another ciabatta appetizer. C'mon people...bread is cheap! My date and her raging sweet tooth opted for desert....I had another beer. She satiated her sugary cravings with something called a "zinger" that looked like raspberry infused cheesecake, and sang it's praises while relishing every morsel of it.
Welcoming ambiance and staff. Great menu and fantastic, creative dishes. There's no TV visible anywhere, but the staff will update you on the D-backs or Suns games if you ask. Downtown Scottsdale is chock-full of incredible shops, and the surrounding area makes for a nice post-meal stroll. All in all, it's a truly unique dining experience that's taken the artistic ethos of it's surrounding area and successfully applied it to Southwestern Cuisine. If you're in the area and looking to chow down in a manner that'll give you something to tell the folks back home about, then by all means stop by, sit down, and check it out.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)