Desert Bistro — Restaurant in Moab

This is going to feel like an overly harsh review, but I have my reasons. This establishment loses its stars because of what the price tag is and how it delivers. To start off, the Desert Bistro has a price tag that would rival some high-end restaurants in major cities. The meal that my wife and I had was slightly under 200$. So when you are charging so much, I can be critical in a way that I wouldn't be if the meal were half the price.

So Desert Bistro loses part of a star because the decor in no better term is underwhelming at best. My wife and I had a meal on what would be described as lawn furniture on the patio, metal wire chairs and a tile round table that wobbled, which would be fine if in the house had better furnishings decor, but it doesn't.

But where the real hit to the rating comes from is that the food just misses where it needs to be when the price tag is so high. The meal was beautifully plated but had some miss steps, and at 50$ an entre you need to be on your game to impress.

Here was our meal.

Garlic balsamic soup subtle creamy soup with a sweet balsamic finish interrupted by crunchy cornbread croutons. This was a highlight of the meal with textural complexity and a balance of sweet and sour we both really enjoyed this dish.

Bison empanadas though the empanadas were mostly forgettable with the pie dough a little raw and the bison being so lost that it might as well have just been ground beef. The paired sauce was a charming, warm mole strongly supported with the flavor of ancho with mango salsa.

Bison tenderloin was almost a perfect dish. The star of the plate was the excellently cooked bison. It was tender and moist the backup notes from the Demi glaze was warmed with ancho reveling in the raisin notes. My only ding was the dish ate rich, and nothing on the plate gave me fresh or acid to give my palate a rest. I only ate a bite of the grainy mash potatoes deciding it wasn't worth going in for a second.

My wife's dish was as perfect as I could I ask for. The pistachio pesto crusted lamb t-bones with fingerling potato, bacon, asparagus side tossed in a creamy acidic mustard cream sauce was remarkable. I kept stealing fork fulls of her dish because it was so good.

The meal was finished off with what is the lowest note of the night. A baileys Irish cream cheesecake which by all description should have been great. The cake was ultra sweet tasting more like vanilla frosting and completely missing any of the sharp cheese complexities that make a really great cheesecake. But the egregious error was the complete lack of Irish cream flavor to be found. The drizzle on the bottom of the plate which had Kahlua gave a small interest to the plate, but for a pricey dessert, it...

I wish I could rate this 6/5. This is one of the best experiences I’ve had with food, and I’ve been to some incredible restaurants around the world.

The service was spot on. Eric was a wonderful waiter, and was very attentive . Drinks were never empty, mess was cleaned up, and he was very friendly.

The ambience was excellent. We sat on the back patio which was shaded and had side screens, as well as heaters if it was cold.

The food was absolutely spot on. The agnolotti pasta was superb. I can’t even fully describe the creativity of the dish. It was like Italian mushroom pasta meets ramen broth. It was an incredible mix of flavours and it was for sure the favourite for everyone. The Gorgonzola crusted tenderloin was delicious and the sauce was very tasty. It was cooked to perfection. The market fish was an Australian variety, I can’t quite remember the type but it was fantastic. The caper lime cilantro sauce was just the perfect punch with the fillet.

The best part was the seared Hawaiian ahi tuna (flown in on ice) and it shows. I’ve had my share of ahi around the world and especially in Hawaii and this was definitely fresh and high quality. It has the deep purple colour you only see with the best grades. The presentation and execution of this appetizer could easily sell for over $35. This was a slam dunk of culinary excellence. Everything on the plate was edible, but it was presented as probably one of the nicest dishes I have ever seen. The detail even in the shaping of the wasabi was next level. The taste of course, was perfect. The ginger infused rice, the sauce, the herb garnishes, won tons. It was all just perfect. This was much better than some of the Michelin starred restaurants we’ve eaten at.

I have to also compliment the clearly house made bread, as well as the olive spread. Just fantastic.

The triple chocolate cheesecake was a great way to finish the meal. It was dark and deep, but also like and sweet, the fresh fruit and mint were subtle but perfect.

At the end of the day, I would come Back here and recommend this place to Anyone. It is worth every penny, and hats off to the chef who is doing an incredible Job. Hats off to Eric for giving us a great experience. 15/10 must eat here.

PS - the bathrooms are spotless you could eat off the floor, that’s always a nice...

June 14, 2023: Our party of 4 had a 7 pm reservation on the patio. We were seated promptly and our server Eric was attentive to our drink and dinner orders. About 20 minutes after we were seated a group of 6 men were seated near us. 10 minutes later another group of 6 men were seated at the table next to the previous group and directly across from our party. These 2 tables were obviously connected and there for a working outing. It was also I obvious that they had had cocktails prior to being seated. They talked loudly between tables, cursed at each other at times and generally disregarded other patrons. This went on for the remainder of our dinner. After apps and entrees, I went to finder the manager. His name was Ted. I explained what was going on, told him our service and food were fine, but that the other patrons should have been located more privately as they ruined an otherwise positive experience for our group. Btw, the restaurant could have easily accommodated their seating in another area on that evening. His response was disappointing. Ted said I should have asked to move even though we arrived first and had ordered and been partially served before the other party was seated. He showed no empathy when he said “… the restaurant was not responsible for the behavior of grown adults…” He asked me if we were satisfied with the meal and service and said the restaurant was not responsible for anything more. I am trying characterize our interaction as dispassionately as possible. I sought him ought and called him into a private conversation. He did not follow up or otherwise make an effort to assess whether I correctly characterized our experience. He only seemed interested in continuing his conversation with the hostess at the door. He did not express regret or offer any sort apology. I didn’t want anything free or comped. I simply hoped he would take an interest in the issue as the person on-site responsible for the operation. He didn’t, and I won’t likely return. I hope the owner sees this and asks him about it. Inasmuch as we live out of town, we aren’t interested in anything free or comped. I just want to be respected as a paying customer with a voice who tried to express an issue in a private way to the...