Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
424
make sure you get it with some of Bandera's great mashed potatoes or cornbread. Sure,
you could order prime rib or seared ahi tuna, but you'd be a fool if you did. Stick with
the chicken or maybe the barbecued ribs, and you won't go wrong.
3821 N. Scottsdale Rd.
&
480/994-3524.
www.hillstone.com. Reservations recommended. Main
courses $11-$30. AE, MC, V. Sun-Thurs 4-10pm; Fri-Sat 4-11pm.
Digestif
ITALIAN Peter Kasperski, the restaurateur who gave Scottsdale Cowboy
Ciao, Sea Saw, and Kazimierz World Wine Bar, has been hard at work expanding his
culinary empire into the new SouthBridge development. This was his first restaurant in
the new waterfront development, and as the name implies,
digestifs
(after-dinner drinks)
are an essential part of a meal here. Sort of a reimagining of a basement Italian eatery in
New York's Little Italy, this place is casual yet very hip. Don't miss the
bruschettone
(knife-
and-fork
bruschetta
) with your choice of tasty toppings. For the day's freshest produce,
order the “farm to sea to table” appetizer. Cheeses and various cured meats are on the
menu for late-night noshing, and desserts are to die for. Whenever possible, local ingre-
dients are used.
7114 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale.
&
480/425-WINE.
www.digestifscottsdale.com. Reservations recom-
mended. Main courses $13-$28. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11am-midnight.
Los Sombreros
Finds
MEXICAN Although this casual Mexican restaurant is in
an attractive old house, it doesn't look all that special from the outside. However, the
menu is surprisingly creative and veers from the standard dishes served at most Mexican
restaurants. Start with the chunky guacamole, which is some of the best in the city. Be
sure to order the chicken
molé
or the
puerco en chipotle,
succulent, slow-roasted pork in
tomatillo-chipotle sauce. Finish it all off with the flan, which will spoil you for flan
anywhere else. For a real treat, get it with almond-flavored tequila. Unfortunately, service
here can be slow.
2534 N. Scottsdale Rd. (at McKellips Rd.), Scottsdale.
&
480/994-1799.
www.lossombreros.com. Reser-
vations accepted for 5 or more. Main courses $16-$21. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Sun and Tues-Thurs 5-9pm;
Fri-Sat 5-10pm.
Old Town Tortilla Factory
MEXICAN Located in an old house surrounded by
attractive patios and citrus trees that bloom in winter and spring, this moderately priced
Mexican restaurant has a great atmosphere, good food, and a lively bar scene (more than
80 premium tequilas). As you enter the restaurant grounds, you might even see someone
making fresh tortillas, which come in two dozen different flavors. The rich tortilla soup
and the tequila-lime salad make good starters. For an entree, try the pork chops crusted
with ancho chile powder and raspberry sauce.
6910 E. Main St.
&
480/945-4567.
www.oldtowntortillafactory.com. Reservations not accepted. Main
courses $14-$33. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Sun-Thurs 5-9pm; Fri-Sat 5-10pm.
13
Veneto Trattoria Italiana
ITALIAN This pleasantly low-key trattoria, special-
izing in the cuisine of Venice, serves satisfying “peasant food,” including traditional pork-
and-garlic sausages served with grilled polenta and braised savoy cabbage.
Baccala
mantecato
(creamy fish mousse on grilled polenta, made with dried salt cod soaked over-
night in milk) may sound unusual, but it's absolutely heavenly. Other good bets include
the salad of thinly sliced smoked beef, shaved Parmesan, and arugula. For a finale, try the
semifreddo con frutta secca,
a partially frozen meringue, with dried fruits, in a pool of
raspberry sauce. There's a welcoming bistro ambience and outdoor seating on the patio.
