Phoenix Arizona Restaurant Reviews by a Few Normal Guys and Gals
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.
- Tags: Fine Dining, Modern American, pricey, Red Wine, visitors, White Wine, wine
2 Responses to “Cowboy Ciao”
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Our purpose is simple: to provide honest and accurate reviews of restaurants we visit. We're not restaurant buffs or experts, we just know when a restaurant is cool, when food is good and what a reasonable price is. Let us know if there are places you'd like to see, or feel free to add your own review. Talking Dish is an Arizona restaurant review website for the Phoenix Arizona cities including: Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler, Mesa, Glendale and more.
Elisa
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:42 am
As I was staying one weekend at a hotel in Scottsdale, had to offer a friend of min told me about Cowboy Ciao, and that the next time I was in town to stop by the place and have dinner. And so I did. The first thing I noticed about the restaurant was it had a look that looked like a phoenix luxury hotel, thay we so often want to stay in, the place was beautiful. And the food matched the decor. I highly recommend this restaurant!!!
Restaurant Robin
February 27th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Cowboy Ciao is a great restaurant. I recommmend the Pan-Seared Panko-Crusted Halibut. It’s fantastic.
Robin R.