Monday, March 16, 2009

Digestif: Cal-Ital

Digestif is a hot new restaurant at the Waterfront in Old Town Scottsdale. It is located in the Waterfront District next to the canal and the bridge. It has an outdoor cafe seating area, as well as a hip red-brick interior decorated with vinyl records, and it has a fabulous wood-burning fireplace for cooking. On the weekends, there is often live music out on the patio. The General Manager, Pavle Milic, is always there and greets you and seats you.

Chef Payton Curry creates amazing meals relying on organic vegetables and a wide variety of dishes that he calls Cal-Ital. I regularly choose his farm to table choice, which can consist of mushrooms, asparagus, fried farm egg, brioche, pecorino, and gribiche sauce. Yummy! If I want something with protein and no fat, the Salmon rillete is surprisingly delicious and addictive. The pasta meals are superb with fresh made pasta daily. I like the garganelli alla nonna that has house sausage, cannellini beans, broccoli rabe, chile oil, and pecorino cheese.

I especially love the crostata with crescenza cheese, grilled asparagus, truffle oil fried egg, frisee, and pancetta. The crust of a crostata is similar to a pizza but with more pastry. Digestif also has delicious meals of chicken, duck, scallops served with fresh vegetables, succulent sauces, and an Italian flair. The Grimaud Farms duck with lentil and beet ragu, game jus with lingonberries and hibiscus is wonderful. The Charcuterie offerings are diverse and delicious. They are prepared on site and can be taken home by the pound. Nothing like tasty salmon rillete to add to a home brunch, or foie gras pate, candied fig pate, or some spicy chorizo for breakfast at home. I am a big chorizo fan!

Finally, can we talk desserts? The brownie and chocolate malted semifreddo is scrumptious. I also love the mint chocolate ice cream sandwiches that have white chocolate and peppermint ganache, chocolate macarons, mint/stracciatella gelato, chocolate sauce, and chocolate mint. Heavenly! The lemon marscapone cheesecake with limoncello gelato is also wonderful. Pastry Chef Tracy Dempsey has quite the talent to satisfy our sweet palettes.

Tomorrow I will share with you one distinction that Digestif alone shares with Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Ernest Hemingway. And, you will learn some very interesting information.

Chef Payton Curry will surprise you as he looks like a snow boarder. I came to the restaurant when it first opened up and when I saw the Chef, I told my friends he is the "Snowboarding Chef." Of course, I had no idea if he was a snowboarder, but he looked like he fit the role. I have since asked him and was glad he confirmed that he does in fact snowboard. He hails from San Francisco, California.

We are glad Digestif and Chef Curry are in Scottsdale and part of the Cowboy Ciao, Kazimierez, SeaSaw family of excellent locally-owned restaurants, each with their own unique and high quality style and they each make food creation and sensation the top priority. Foodies love these family of restaurants and always keep coming back for more.

Digestif is located at 7114 E. Stetson and can be reached at 480.425.WINE. For more information, click Digestif.

16 comments:

VP said...

That's a fine review of what seems a fine restaurant. All the italian "items" I read are quite in order. I'd like to eat there!
Don't want to spoil anything but the one thing Hemingway, van Gogh and Picasso had in common was the passion for a forbidden liquor...

brattcat said...

These are great shots. And you have me salivating on my keyboard.

Olivier said...

superbe peinture murale, j'aime bien la photo avec les verres.
superb wall painting, I like the photograph well with glasses.

Jim Klenke said...

I would love to try to cheesecake.

Anonymous said...

That looks like a nice place with that brick walls. And the desserts ... yummy. I think I'm very hungry now.

Rob said...

Whoa! it's nearly 8:30 AM as I type and you have me hungry and anxious for dinner!

Sharon said...

Now you have me craving the salmon rillete. I think it's time to go back.

Lois said...

Looks and sounds like a great place to eat! Now I'm hungry!

Judy said...

A great review of the place. I'm sure they will get a few more people in after this gets around. Nice photo's of the place. Love the neon.

Unknown said...

Very clever name for a restaurant and according to the detailed photos, a very nice atmosphere too.

Last saturday I had dinner at my best friend's; just guess what book she had on the coffee table? 'Chihuly 365 days'! :-)

Lowell said...

Sounds scrumptious...my vegetarian wife would love it. Your photos show off its ambiance perfectly!

glenda said...

My goodness you have made me very hungry and ready to try one of those tempting dishes at Digestif.

Anonymous said...

I like that second shot very much. I don't dare read about the food, I'll put on weight just thinking about all those goodies!

Mo said...

What delicious food

~Cheryl said...

Wowie! What's not to like about this place!

Marie said...

Funny! Digestif is a French word but the cuisine at Digestif does not sound French at all. Must be very good though.

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