Talking Dish

Four words can sum up Cowboy Ciao, wine, wine and great food. Notice I used the word wine twice that’s because the restaurant boasts an impressive 10,000 bottle wine list!!! It’s simply massive, but can be overwhelming to the average wine drinker. Don’t hesitate to ask the staff for recommendations as they are full of them. They also offer a variety of red and white wine flights that include three different glasses of wine for an extremely reasonable price. For this avid wine drinker though, the list is sublime. Everything from eastern and western shore Bordeaux’s to blends from Columbia Valley boutique vineyards to Malbecs from Chile. There’s a glass, bottle or magnum for anybody. Enough with the wine onto the food.

Like the wine, the food can also be overwhelming to the average foodie. Don’t get me wrong, this place serves modern American classics like short ribs, filet mignon, salmon, lamb etc etc, but Chef Bernie Kantak and his team have put a Southwestern or Global twist on just about every dish. The filet mignon is espresso rubbed, the salmon is pistachio crusted and the shorts ribs are doused in a cherry BBQ sauce that is simply divine. Okay enough with the over flowery sentences here I am getting carried away. Onto the honest review.

We’ve visited Cowboy Ciao twice and enjoyed (for the most part) the following:

• Stetson Chopped Salad…Odd, but tasty take on the classic salad
• Testosterone Salad…A meal unto itself loaded with beef tenderloin and Maytag blue cheese
• Exotic Mushroom Pan Fry…A mushroom lover’s (i.e. My Mum) dream
• Slow-Roasted Short Ribs…Tasty, but a little too much fat on the ribs
• “We’re Number One” Ahi Tuna…Not worth it. Tuna was overcooked.
• Pistachio Crusted Salmon…Best cooked salmon I have ever tasted.

Now for some things we didn’t enjoy. While the desserts have wordy titles and the wait staff sing their praises, neither myself or my dining partners were impressed. Walk over to Sprinkles or Gellato Spot if you want to enjoy some post dinner indulgence. Reservations are a must and if you don’t have one, don’t expect to get seated before 9 or 10pm on the weekends.

Check Please:

• Appetizers: $6-$20
• Main Dish: $20-$36
• Desserts: $4-$10

Last Thoughts:

• It’s all about the wine
• Reservations are a must! Utilize OpenTable.com
• Friendly, attentive service
• Desserts are wordy, but not impressive

www.cowboyciao.com
Click here to for directions to Cowboy Ciao

Happy New Year from all of us at TalkingDish.com! We look forward to continuing to provide you with honest and accurate reviews of Phoenix-area restaurants. The plan for 2009 is at least one review per week. Let us know if there are places you’d like to see and will get it in the queue.

Cheers!

For all you Phoenix foodies, here is a great opportunity to sample some of Phoenix’s top restaurants. It’s called Arizona Restaurant Week and, like most things in Phoenix, mirrors the same concept from San Diego and New York. Tons of restaurants all over the Valley are offering three course menus-appetizer, main course and dessert-for $29 per person or $58 per couple. Some of the restauarants are even offering additional items such as wine or signature drinks. This is a great deal when you consider some of the restaurants include Cowboy Ciao, The Estate House, McCormick and Schmick’s, and The Capital Grill. All of these places would easily cost $100+ per couple on any other night, but diners will get the opportunity to sample some of the restaurants’ signature dishes without paying their signature costs. 

For a list of all participating restaurants, course menus and reservations, visit Arizona Restaurant Week’s web site at www.arizonarestaurantweek.com.

We here at Talking Dish are happy to see this happening in Phoenix and hope it becomes an annual event.