Tag Archives: Atlas Bistro

My wife and I had a beautiful celebratory dinner for her birthday recently at Atlas Bistro in Scottsdale, AZ. The dishes served were all complex with layers and layers of flavor. It is always a culinary journey with a Todd Sawyer run restaurant experience. This location is one of the only fine dining restaurants operating as a BYOB in AZ. We selected the wines from our cellar for the pairings. The wines and the detailed menu are shown below.

What Worked

The salad and seafood dishes were a compilation of flavors that were meant for each other and paired well with the Champagne – over the top fabulous. The Maitake and Lobster mushrooms in the seafood spaghetti dish tasted like rich, earthy butter. The beef steak dish was prepared medium rare and was a great match for a very complex vintage of Ch. Montelena Cab. The Cab leaned towards Old World and was very welcome. The soft cheeses with the aged Sauternes may actually have been the highlight of the evening. The service was excellent as always.

What Did Not Work

The lamb was too heavy with Caribbean spices, particularly nutmeg. There was a spicy-hot mouthfeel coming from the nutmeg that did not work for me. Would have been better to skew toward cayenne/paprika (jerk style) for the heat and use the nutmeg as an accent. I am not sure any wine could have paired well with this. I am all about fusion style cuisine and big flavor, but this dish was less successful. My wife had the extra foie gras course and it was very unusual… it was served with a layer of quince jelly and peanuts, sweet cherry tomatoes and a sweet/savory sauce. My wife loved it. I did not think this was the best combination of flavors. The traditional Sauternes pairing would not have worked here and I would need help to arrive at a proper wine choice.

Overview

Some of these dishes were truly fabulous, others could have been better, but overall it was a culinary exploration and journey through a myriad of layered flavors. The wines selected paired superbly with several of the dishes. I would recommend seeking out Atlas Bistro and giving the experience a try. Without wine, or corkage fee, the five course prix fixe meal is $110/pp and changes seasonally. If you don’t have a wine cellar to pair your own, the owner has a wine shop adjacent where wines can be purchased and served with a corkage fee.

Prix Fixe Menu with Paired Wines

With aged Gosset Grande Reserve NV Champagne

First Course

Salad – Grilled Peach, Ruby Grapefruit, Golden Beets, Poppy Chevre, Crispy Prosciutto, Arugula, Strawberry Ver jus Vin

Second Course

Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Baja Bay Scallops & Manila Clams, Oregon Lobster & Maitake Mushrooms, Toasted Nori, Tarragon Miso Butter, Tomato Dashi

Supplemental Course

Cast Iron Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Foie Gras Canape, Almond Butter, Quince, Gelee, Honey Roasted Peanuts, Noble Toast Points

With 2012 Chateau Montelena Cab

Third Course

New Zealand Lamb Bacon Pastrami, Caribbean Savory Doughnut, Persian Cucumbers, Cilantro, Caraway Seed Dressing

Fourth Course

Black Garlic Basted Linz Prime N.Y. Strip Steak with Grilled Stuffed Zucchini, Brussels Sprouts, Pink Peppercorns, Braised Cabbage, Thyme Beef au Jus

With 2014 Suduirat Sauternes

Fifth Course

Beignets with Poached Black Plum, Orange Blossom Foam, New Zealand Freeze Dried Manuka Honey & Mandarins, Almond Soil

AND

Cheese plate of various cheeses and sweet/savory jellies