A So Cal Girl in the Desert

My husband and I will celebrate our third wedding anniversary this coming Wednesday, August 31st. It's hard to believe it's been three years! Sometimes it seems like just yesterday was our wedding day, while other times it seems like we've been married forever...so much has happened in such a short amount of time. Since my stepson's mother is in town for the weekend and my husband and I have some time alone for the first time since we moved here, we decided to celebrate our anniversary a little early by going to the places we can't go with a kid.

We first stopped by J-bar at The James Hotel in Scottsdale for their famous mojitos. We had been there before on a couple of occasions when we were in the Phoenix area looking at houses, but we haven't been able to go recently since we have our son, so this was really a treat. J-bar has THE BEST mojitos ever. Their recipe uses everything fresh. It's not too sweet or too sour. The best part is the mint foam they add on top. We really like J-bar because it's hip and cool, but not pretentious. It's very "L.A." without the L.A. attitude. We sat outside on the patio and slowly sipped our cocktails while enjoying the warm night (bordering on too hot to sit outside, but I'm a die hard when it comes to outdoor dining opportunities).

Then we went on to the main attraction, Cowboy Ciao. We heard about this restaurant through one of the wine distributors my husband interviewed with, and as soon as we checked out the menu on their Web site, we knew we had to go. Talk about an indulgent evening! We got there at about 8 pm and our reservations weren't until 8:30 pm, so we sat at the bar and ordered a flight of sparkling red wine. Three flutes came half full with three different types of sparkling red, and the base of the glasses were slid into a rustic looking wood rack for transporting. The rack was branded with a "1," "2," and "3," and there was a little clip on the top of the rack that held a strip of paper that described each wine. As we tasted the wine, we checked out the room. The decor is described as "Cowboy chic," and I would have to agree. All the wood surfaces were rustic, the fabrics rich, the walls deep colors, and the chandeliers looked like something you might find in an old western whorehouse. Or so I imagine. The patrons were buzzing and the staff was busy, yet the place still seemed really relaxed. My husband was in heaven because the wine list had over 1850 listings. It was a miracle he ever selected anything, because he has a tendency to get lost in extensive wine lists. Their list is actually provided to each table in two forms. One by price, and one by varietal.

We were sat at a nice table for two by the window that also had a good view of the kitchen, the arched doorway to which was framed by a stage-type curtain. Our server, Justin, was great. He was just the type of server you want for an enjoyable evening. Confident in his recommendations but not pushy. Attentive but not overly so. Very friendly, but didn't talk your ear off. We took his appetizer recommendations and couldn't have been happier. We started with the "Mini Mushroom Pan Fry," a smaller version of their signature dish described as "cremini, button and oyster mushrooms in ancho cream over double-cooked polenta with grilled portabellini, avocado, tomato and cotija cheese...our signature dish." The flavors and texture were amazing. We often seek out mushroom dishes, and this one was up there with the best, if not THE best. We then had "The Stetson Chopped." It's listed as a salad, but I'd describe it as more of a mixture of ingredients. They describe it as "smoked salmon, arugula, bruschetta tomatoes, sweet dried corn, pearl cous cous, Ciao train mix (asiago cheese, black currants, pepitas) tossed at the table with pesto buttermilk dressing." It came as stripes of each ingredient on the plate...just beautiful. The server described each ingredient, delicately drizzled the dressing over the top, then tossed and served. It was absolutely delicious. It was unusual because there were so many ingredients that all worked together to where you could taste each flavor individually and as a combination. Justin told us we HAD to try it, and he was right. My husband went on to have a special, a rib-eye steak with cheddar bacon mashed potatoes and vegetables. Delicious. I had "Puerco Lento," "pork shank slow-cooked with cumin, chipotle, paprika and Mexican oregano; served over creamy fingerling potato casserole with cranberry/walnut chutney." It was one of the best dishes I've ever had. It was also huge (my husband is cooking the leftovers up with some egg right now for breakfast). When it came out, the server said, "Yeah, this is actually one of the smaller shanks. I think it's kinda like the Flinstones." Exactly. The problem with this place is that there are so many amazing dishes on the menu. We wanted to try everything. We will have to go back again and again, which will be a strain on the wallet and the diet. Since I was stuffed and could only eat one bite of desert, my husband made the selection. He chose the "Chocolate Peanut Butter Pot Pie." Sounds light, huh? It was pretty much like the best chocolate souffle ever with a glob of molten peanut butter in the center. Around the plate were root beer-glazed peanuts and grape jelly sauce with a scoop of peanut butter ice cream. I had more than one bite.

Needless to say, I was just about in a coma when we were finished. I actually fell asleep on the ride home. What a wonderful anniversary. We had great conversation, superb food, a lively, fun atmosphere...perfect for a special celebration.