Archive for the 'Digestif' Tag
October 19th, 2009, 2:32 pm by Jess Harter
My Monday morning ritual of the past few months has included figuring out which East Valley restaurants closed over the previous weekend. Maybe this is a sign the economy is turning around: Today, there are a couple weekend closures of note, but both restaurants — Bella Vino in Chandler and Digestif in Scottsdale — are promising to reopen by the end of the year.
 Workers were removing fixtures and equipment Monday from Bella Vino, the upscale Italian restaurant on the southeast corner of Alma School and Chandler Heights roads. But a sign on the door indicated Bella Vino (pictured) plans to reopen in November at Gilbert Road and the Santan Freeway. No word on whether it would offer an Italian menu (its original concept), a Mexican menu (which it recently added) or keep both.
(If memory serves, there are a couple of Italian options, Olive Garden and Streets of New York, already at Gilbert and the Loop 202, but I can’t think of a Mexican restaurant there. Plus, owner-chef Anthony Serrano’s family operates several Mexican eateries in western Arizona.)
Meanwhile, Digestif continues to experience a whirlwind of change since opening last year. The Cal-Ital restaurant left its indie-cool, beatnik-basement digs in July and moved across Stetson Drive to a much smaller, stripped-down space vacated by one of owner Peter Kasperski’s other eateries, Sea Saw. Then, chef Payton Curry announced earlier this month he was leaving to take over the kitchen at Tempe’s Caffe Boa.
Marianne Markogianis, marketing guru for Kasperski’s restaurant group (which also includes Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz World Wine Bar), says Kasperski hopes to reopen Digestif by December. Although the restaurant will get a new name, a new look and a new chef, Markogianis says it likely will retain its recently converted gastropub menu, albeit shortened, of globally inspired dishes.
Posted in: Chandler • Scottsdale • Bella Vino • Digestif | 1 Comment »
October 12th, 2009, 8:57 am by Jess Harter
The good news: Digestif chef Payton Curry and manager Shantal Abdo got married Sunday. The bad news: The couple is leaving the Old Town Scottsdale restaurant.
Marianne Markogianis, marketing maven for Spaghetti Western Productions (which also includes Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz World Wine Bar), reports the Currys will work at Digestif through the Crave Arizona culinary festival Oct. 22-24.
The Arizona Republic is reporting Curry is heading to Tempe’s Caffe Boa, which is expanding by adding a Mesa location as reported first on this blog last month.
Digestif was launched in February 2008 with a California-Italian menu. It moved across Stetson Drive into much smaller digs and converted to a farm-to-table gastropub menu this summer.
Curry is the latest high-profile chef to exit from Peter Kasperski’s Spaghetti Western Productions. This year’s departures also have included Bernie Kantak (Cowboy Ciao), Nobuo Fukuda (recently closed Sea Saw) and dessert chef Tracy Dempsey.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Digestif | Post a Comment »
July 8th, 2009, 7:29 am by Jess Harter
Saturday will be Digestif’s final day at Scottsdale’s SouthBridge development.
The farm-to-table Italian restaurant is moving across Stetson Drive into a smaller space that previously housed its sister restaurant Sea Saw.
The new location is scheduled to open by July 22.
For its final four days on the canal side of Stetson, Digestif has dropped its lunch hours. It will open at 5 p.m. daily.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Digestif | Post a Comment »
July 6th, 2009, 8:33 am by Jess Harter
Digestif, Old Town Scottsdale restaurateur Peter Kasperski’s farm-to-table Italian restaurant, is moving across Stetson Drive later this month into the much-smaller digs of its former sister restaurant Sea Saw, which closed last month.
And, in news that won’t surprise many, Kasperski’s planned Mexican Standoff, originally scheduled to open in late 2007, won’t be opening at all. The Digestif and Mexican Standoff spaces, which share a master lease, are being sold.
The good news for Digestif fans is chef Payton Curry will remain and the menu will continue to feature his fresh pastas, hand-pulled mozzarella and charcuterie. The bad news is Sea Saw was tiny — barely accommodating 20 diners.
The stylish Digestif, which combined a “Beatnik basement” decor with an indie-rock vibe (pictured above), opened in February 2008 at developer Fred Unger’s troubled SouthBridge complex, which was to feature seven independent restaurants.
Besides Digestif and Mexican Standoff, Kasperski was supposed to open a larger Sea Saw and a companion Japanese tavern called Shell Shock at SouthBridge. Plans for the latter two were scrapped earlier this year.
SouthBridge’s first restaurant, Foodbar, opened in July 2007 and closed after just a year. It was re-launched last fall as Metro Brasserie. The remaining restaurants, high-enders Estate House and Canal, have struggled to draw diners.
Besides Digestif, Kasperski owns Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz World Wine Bar in Old Town Scottsdale.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Digestif • Mexican Standoff | 3 Comments »
May 28th, 2009, 10:33 pm by Jess Harter
You’ve undoubtedly heard the saying, “Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” It’s a nice sentiment, but what if you’re a guy who sells fish for a living? Such thoughts apparently aren’t deterring a growing number of East Valley restaurants that are instructing their customers how to make everything from espresso to sushi. Here are five to check out (seating is limited so all require reservations):
 Liberty Market: Owner Joe Johnston (pictured) launched an “Espresso 101” course in early April to introduce coffee lovers to the mysteries of the downtown Gilbert market’s fully restored 1965 Faema E61 espresso machine. After learning about the drink and sampling several varieties, participants make their own at the E61. Johnston since has introduced a follow-up “Espresso 102” class; classes are every other Thursday (usually announced via Twitter posts by @libertymarket) for $10. Look for a “Pizza 101” class to debut in June. 230 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert, (480) 892-1900.
Urban Tea Loft: This downtown Chandler tea room offers a monthly “Tea 101” class taught by owner Glynis Legrand that covers the beverage types, health benefits, terminology and brewing techniques and concludes with a sampling of five different teas. A professional porcelain cupping set is included in the $35 cost. The next class is 2 p.m. June 14. Legrand is planning to add “Tea 102” (brewing and manufacturing) and “Culinary Tea” (cooking with tea) classes this summer. 11 W. Boston St., Chandler, (480) 786-9600.
Digestif: Chef Payton Curry and “Pasta Princess” Elizabeth Meinz held their first pasta-making class at this hip eatery in Old Town Scottsdale two weeks ago. Now it’s morphed into an every-other-week “Sunday Skool.” From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Sunday, participants will learn how to make chicken and “dumplings” (gnocchi). The class also includes a pre-class Old Town Farmer’s Market tour with Curry at 8:30 a.m. Sunday’s class is $45; future classes will vary in focus and price. 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, (480) 425-9463.
Roka Akor: This upscale Japanese restaurant, which recently was named one of the top 10 sushi spots in the country by Bon Appetit magazine, is launching a “Sushi Master Class” 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 13. The class, which will repeat the second Saturday of every month, includes hands-on sushi-making lessons from chef Roman Petry, recipes and sake pairings. Cost is $60. Roka Akor also offers a “Robata 101 Class,” where guests learn how to prepare foods on an open-flame Robata grill, the fourth Saturday of every month. 7299 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 306-8800.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse: Both East Valley locations will offer a “Grilling Seminar” from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. June 13 and again June 27. The restaurant’s chefs will discuss various cuts of meat, and then participants will receive hands-on instructions at the grill. Afterward, they will sample three cuts — the filet, New York strip and ribeye — and Fleming’s wine managers will suggest wine pairings. The seminars are $10. 905 N. 54th St., Chandler, (480) 940-1900; 6333 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 596-8265.
Posted in: Chandler • Gilbert • Scottsdale • Digestif • Fleming's • Liberty Market • Roka Akor • Urban Tea Loft | Post a Comment »
April 27th, 2009, 12:52 pm by Jess Harter
Savor Scottsdale, the group of indie restaurants behind the creation of last October’s impressive Eats3 culinary festival, kicked off the countdown to this fall’s fest - now dubbed Crave Arizona - with a “Notorious P.I.G.” dinner Sunday night at Digestif.
More than 80 people packed Digestif for a five-course dinner prepared from a single pig by five different Savor Scottsdale chefs. The evening began with a reception of passed appetizers and wines from southern Arizona’s Dos Cabezas WineWorks.
Digestif chef Payton Curry was first up for the dinner with a stuffed trotter (pig’s feet) salad with Maya’s Farm arugula, sorrel, pecorino and Queen Creek Olive Mill olive oil.
Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar owner/chef James Porter followed with red wine braised leg with roasted fennel puree and cured jowl.
The third course, courtesy of Atlas Bistro chef Brandon Crouser, featured slow-roasted carnitas on a blini with a fried quail egg and shiitake maple syrup.
Before the next course, all five chefs - (from left) Crouser, Aaron May, Tracy Dempsey, Porter and Curry - came out for the kitchen for a wide-ranging Q&A session with the guests.
Porter (left) and Curry share a laugh while bragging about their drinking skills and Porter’s love of Swanson pot pies.
Dempsey looks on as May explains the genesis of his infamous Sasquatch Burger at The Lodge.
May, whose other restaurants include Sol y Sombra, Autostrada and Over Easy, provided the fourth course: standing rib roast stuffed with morcilla sausage and bomba rice served with green garlic calcot onions and salbitxada sauce.
Before the final course, Peter Kasperski (right), owner of Digestif, Cowboy Ciao, Sea Saw and Kazimierz World Wine Bar, introduced Dos Cabezas winemaker Todd Bostock (left), who provided all six wines for the dinner.
Dempsey, executive pastry chef for Digestif, Cowboy Ciao and Kazimierz, capped the meal with a trio of desserts: “Pig in the Orchard” (bacon and apple) bread pudding, bacon-flavored ice cream and bacon pecan brittle.
Every guest even received a small bag of Dempsey’s bacon pecan brittle to take home as a reminder of a delicious, informative and fun evening. Only 178 days until Crave Arizona!
Posted in: Scottsdale • Crave Arizona • Digestif | Post a Comment »
April 10th, 2009, 11:29 am by Jess Harter
 For weeks, rumors have been swirling that Sea Saw chef Nobuo Fukuda was leaving Scottsdale restaurateur Peter Kasperski’s Spaghetti Western empire (which also includes Cowboy Ciao, Kazimierz and Digestif) to launch a sushi eatery in downtown Phoenix.
This morning, though, Spaghetti Western “buzz & schmooze” director Marianne Markogianis sent out an e-mail saying Fukuda and Sea Saw were “staying put for 2009 and the foreseeable future.”
The same apparently can’t be said for Cowboy Ciao chef Bernie Kantak (pictured). Markogianis says the 11-year veteran is leaving Ciao to spearhead a new restaurant project in Phoenix. No word yet on his replacement.
Kantak’s move comes on the heels of the departure of Digestif general manager Pavle Milic to take a similar position at the new Montelucia Resort in Paradise Valley.
Markogianis also reports pastry chef Tracy Dempsey will launch her own dessert bar in Old Town Scottsdale but remain part of the Spaghetti Western family.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Cowboy Ciao • Digestif • Sea Saw | Post a Comment »
February 23rd, 2009, 8:40 am by Jess Harter
 Digestif, one of my top 10 new restaurants of 2008, continues to tinker with its Cal-Ital menu. The hip Old Town Scottsdale eatery has added pizzas and a fresh mozzarella bar for lunch.
Chef Payton Curry has created four pizzas:
• Ricotta ($10), with Queen Creek olive oil, garlic confit, house ricotta and arugula;
• Margherita ($12), with tomato, house-pulled fresh mozzarella and basil;
• Salsiccia fresca ($14), with house sausage, roasted peppers, cipollini, broccoli rabe and pecorino;
• Bolognese con funghi ($12), with house-grind, hearth-roasted forest mushrooms.
The mozzarella bar ($10) offers pulled-to-order mozzarella served warm on toasted bread with a choice of pepperonata, olive tapenade, roasted mushrooms, balsamic-marinated cipollini or braised sunchokes and olives.
Check out the update Digestif menus for lunch, dinner and dessert.
Posted in: Scottsdale • Digestif • Restaurants | 1 Comment »
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