Atlas Bistro in Scottsdale AZ is Always Worth a Fork! One of BEST of YEAR!

Atlas Bistro is a small but upscale modern B.Y.O.B. Bistro in South Scottsdale Arizona. Fear not about being this restaurant being booze free as they are adjacent to a very good wine store next door. Cork fees for wine are $15.00 (September 2018 pricing) BUT NO WORRIES ABOUT CORK FEES…..The wine we picked up at AZ Wine was a 2003 Legacy Red Wine at $59.00……My husband eyed it out. It’s valued at $104.00 according to www.Wine.com Don’t know if every bottle is that great of a deal but we always seem to find one. Be aware that wine in restaurants is normally double to triple the cost of bottle (most often triple). This same bottle of wine would run over $200.00 on any restaurant menu.

Atlas Bistro has a history of hiring some of the very best upcoming chefs. Many of the prior Atlas Bistro Chefs have moved on to open and also consult on some of the great restaurants of Metro Phoenix. This restaurant only holds ten tables so reservations are necessary.

For dinner they offer three course New American dinners that don’t include dessert…..but you can always add on dessert or a cheese tray if you want. ($65.00 as of September 2018…pricing subject to change (The charge this year 2018 has been greatly discounted for Restaurant Week) Altas bistro serves high quality foods that are organic, mostly locally sourced, wild caught and also the exotic. So far all the dishes I tried from Atlas Bistro were all painstakingly detailed, masterfully prepared, very exquisite and also EXCITING!

This time we started with an amuse bouche of a house made tortilla raisin mole and sauces.

Our First courses were-

Wagyu Beef Pastrami, Honey Mustard Emulsion, Shaved Relish, Pickled Mustard Seeds

Smoked Chula Swordfish, Pickled Huckleberry Gold Potato (maybe the best potato I ever tasted), Cucumber, Finger Lime (Fruit caviar), Dill, Celery Leaf and Buttermilk Dressing. Really Great! A careful gentle smoke on the fish the way I like. Never tasted swordfish like this before. They used the most special tasting potato. Celery leaf added a great flavor. Just wished they went a little heavier with the finger lime. Didn’t get enough to taste or feel the popping.

Finger lime looks like this and is one of my favorite things. It’s citrus-ee….and a little lime-ee but not sour. It got the POP in your mouth like natural Pop Rocks kind of thing…..It’s Fruit Caviar.

Finger Lime is next to impossible to find. You have to order it. I once found it at AJ’s in October a few years ago. This is how much I used on fish. It really Forking POPPED!

Sorry I didn’t mean to go off track………..

Back to Atlas Bistro.

Second Courses were-

Super CRISP Jadori Chicken Skin Cracklings, Goat Cheese Mousse, Romaine Stems, Honey Poached Cranberries, Rosemary and Cranberry Jam. This was the most FORKING Upscale Chip and Dip Plate ever!

Here’s Pork Sausage Vindaloo. Tomato Conserva, Pickled Onions, Cilantro, Mamra Puffed Rice, Kashmiri Chili and Sauce Vindaloo. This plate is very detailed….with great flavors.

Third Courses were-

Have a better look at this whimsical plate!

Carrot Gnocchi (the yellow that looks like chunks of carrots), Gold Lentil Meatball, Artichoke, Melted Leeks, Fried Broccoli, Leek Puree and Seascape Cheese. Eye Catching plate full of beautiful colors and all very good flavors. It’s just a Leek but the leek was the most amazing delicious leek I’ve ever tasted and really did melt in my mouth. The Golden Lentil Meatball was made like a very good fluffy falafel….really super fluffy, light, seemed free of oil with a nice thin crispy exterior. The Fried Crispy Broccoli florets were nice, crispy and added that deeper flavor the plate needed. The Carrot Gnocchi had a nice Carrot flavor but the texture and taste was not familiar to me as a gnocchi…….It was something completely different….It was an interesting journey of vegetables.

Veal Tenderloin, Chicken of the Woods Mushroom (fried and crispy by the veal), Celery Root under the Watercress Leaf, Camparis, Garlic Emulsion, Marrow Butter and Mushroom Jus. Everything was masterfully prepared and all was well seasoned.

Too full for dessert…….. 🙁 …….dang

Our dinner at Atlas Bistro was spectacular! Somehow the owner remembered us and welcomed us back! Stunning DETAILED Quality Food! GREAT Service! I love when servers explain the food to me and don’t just do a drop and run. Amazing steal on wine…….(got lucky again…WOO HOO!) One of the best of the year!

A few past dishes from Atlas Bistro