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Where the Fork I Went…… Fall Arizona Restaurant Week 2017 #EATARW

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The Forking Truth

Fall Restaurant Week ran from September 15th-24th in 2017. There were over 160 restaurants participating. Most were offering three course meals at either $33.00 or $44.00. Some were offering couple packages for either the $33.00 or $44.00 and a few other special deals going on. This really is a time to discover a new restaurant that you haven’t been to. I’ve been to Match Cuisine and Cocktails at the Boutique Found:re Hotel before but yet again they have a new chef and new menu. So I felt the restaurant was new again. The Executive Chef is the FAMOUS Alex Stratta…….AKA Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef, James Beard Award Winning Chef, Personal Chef to Jesus Chef ( I made that one up). He’s very well known and has impressive Chef History and training. For restaurant week The menu sounds amazing so here I am again at Match Cuisine and Cocktails at the Found:re.

You step into the lobby and this some of what you will see.

It is so cool looking here.

Our First Courses were Tabbouleh with Citrus Marinated Ahi and Lobster with Spinach Agnolotti.

The Tabbouleh was Non-Traditional and was served over a passionfruit vinaigrette. It not their fault but the strongest onions I ever tasted in my life were used here. My husband said the lobster was cooked nicely and the Agnolotti were good.

Dinner was Halibut with Vegetables in a Parsley Sauce and Short Rib with Shallot and Potato Gnocchi.

Halibut was Textbook Perfect with a perfect sear and the flesh was moist and flaky. The Parsley sauce was a little flat…maybe the container needed a stir? The Short Rib was tender and flavorful. Gnocchi were tender but not gummy.

There weren’t any strong flavors in any of the above dishes (expect for the onions) For the most part everything was pretty mellow.

Dessert was a little bit of Tapioca Pudding with a little chopped fruit, topped with toasted coconut. Restaurant Week Priced at $33.00 (2017)

That was Match Cuisine and Cocktails at Found:re  www.MatchPHX.com

Another Night I re-Visited Christopher’s and Crush Lounge in Phoenix. I know I’m suppose to go to a new place but Christopher’s knocked it out of the park last year and I enjoyed a few dinners there since so we couldn’t resist. This restaurant is a little different than most. The Chef Christopher is an actual James Beard Award Wining Chef that owns and actually works in his restaurant. He personally greats everyone and ask how things were while he is working on the line.

Christopher’s and Crush Lounge Phoenix AZ

They started us off with the amazing in-house made French Baguette and French Butter…Ummmmmm

First Courses were Herb Ravioli and Scallops and Tart of House Smoked Salmon. Words aren’t needed for any of the dishes…Here you just eat because everything (so far…every time I’ve been here) has been absolutely perfect and delicious.

Dinners were Buttery Sole Meuniere and Duck Confit Cassoulet.

Then we shared a delightful an Artisan Cheese Course. (Husband’s dessert pick)

Lastly we shared Chef Christopher’s REALLY Incredible dessert!

Parnassienne of Chocolate. It’s the most beautiful Mousse Tower I’ve ever seen and an amazing treat!

Then they sent us home with a whole baguette.

We always have a splendid dinner at Christopher’s and Crush Lounge. Restaurant Week Priced was $44.00 with optional wine pairing.

www.ChristophersAZ.com

That was Fall Arizona Restaurant Week for me 2017.

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

 

 

Atlas Bistro in Scottsdale AZ is Certainly Worth a Fork

Amuse Bouche of Hawaiian House Smoked Fish with Caper and Lemon

Amuse Bouche of Hawaiian Opah House Smoked Fish

Atlas Bistro is a small but upscale restaurant located in an older strip mall in Scottsdale AZ. This little ten table restaurant is also a B.Y.O.B. and is adjacent to a fine wine store next door. Different chefs have worked here over the years and all of them have gone on to open some of the greatest restaurants in the metro phoenix area. All the meals I had here were all exquisite, very detailed, masterfully prepared and exciting.

This happened to be Arizona Restaurant Week and we were getting a lovely three course meal for $44.00 each. They started us off with an amuse bouche of house smoked Hawaiian Fish with a caper and lemon aioli. It was just delicious and would be forking awesome on a bagel with cream cheese. I wished I could purchase some to go!

My first course was easy on the eyes and very easy to put away in my stomach.

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Cucumber, sweet crisp watermelon, Israeli Feta, jicama, pickled honeydew, pistachios, and a watermelon/lime vinaigrette. This was delicious and was one of the plates my husband kept trying because it was so DARN likable. All the flavors and textures were exciting and so refreshing. The cucumber was so crisp and sweet, the pickled honeydew added light acid and the creamy very mild Israeli Feta just melted everything together. Anyone would love this dish as it was forking delicious. I never came across Israeli Feta before it wasn’t too salty or tangy like some feta cheeses are, and was much more creamy than the average feta.

My second course was also well orchestrated.

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Golden beets that were so moist, soft and naturally sweet and obviously just picked, with creamy pungent blue cheese, fennel for brightness, onion brûlée, Swiss chard, crisp rye berries, a couple dabs of lightly smoked buttermilk and red beet vinaigrette. Another light and tasty earthy dish that’s full of lots of detail.

Then came dinner.

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Exotic Wild Hawaiian Hebi Spearfish, beet cous cous, za’atar shitakes, asparagus, braised leeks, harissa, charred radicchio and saffron corn puree. This was all delicious and painstakingly detailed. But I had to fight my husband’s fork from taking too much of the amazing cous cous. The cous cous had the most exciting flavor of everything on the plate and outshined the perfectly prepared and seasoned fish. I never imagined cous cous could be so exciting. They were cooked with beets and that delicious mildly spicy, red peppery and the taste of caraway. It was just  so delicious. The shiitakes were also very tasty the way they were seasoned. I would have traded some of the bitter radicchio for another mushroom.

Unfortunately I was too full to even forking think about dessert.

One of the benefits of a B.Y.O.B. is also a low down because your wine won’t pair with all the entrees but if you drink your wine between dishes it doesn’t matter. At the time of this review 9-21-15 the corkage fee is $15.00 at Atlas Bistro.

Worth a Fork! You'd Drive Across Town to Dine Here.

Worth a Fork! You’d Drive Across Town to Dine Here.

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth