Virtu Honest Craft — Restaurant in Scottsdale

From start to finish this was by far one of the absolute best meals I've ever had. This coming from a guy who has spent over 30 years eating at resturants all over the globe but primarily NYC and Northern NJ. Upon our arrival we were warmly greeted by a very friendly hostess who without hesitation sat us inside with a front row view of the open kitchen. The aromatic essence of the fresh ingredients filled the air throughout the restaurant along with a warm inviting vibe to come sit down not just for a meal but a true culinary experience. Our server Gary came to greet us shortly thereafter and thoroughly went over the menu with us from cocktails and appetizers to our main courses. Being that we were a party of 4 he had made the suggestion of us each picking a few different entrées in order to sample a wide variety of what was to be offered. We would also wind up pairing our meal with a delicious bottle of cabernet to compliment the delights that awaited us. Now I must admit I've had my fair share of Tomahawk steaks but the one that is served here was by far one of the best I've ever had bar none. A true 40 oz. steak. Cooked to perfection, elegantly plated atop a delicious bed of salad greens with a fantastic tasting mustard vingarette. Along with this masterpiece our other entrees included a freshly caught (less than 24 hrs i would say) and perfectly cooked Ahi Tuna steak and a beautifully prepared and presented thick cut pork chop that literally melted in our mouths. Gary continued to check in on us periodically along with the other staff members but never became overbearing or intrusive. They all paid very close attention to us and were readily available for anything that we might have needed. To cap it all off Gary once again reccomended that we each pick a different dessert in order to give each a taste and boy was it a home run by far! Especially the sticky toffee cake with Gelato... The butterscotch pudding was to die for and there was 1 other fruitful dessert mousse from the orient to highlight not just the course but the true culinary skill of the chef. Can't recall the name of it but it too was out this world! I'm not sure what awards or accolades Virtu has achieved so far, but I can honestly say they deserve more and of the utmost prestige.. If you're in Scottsdale or the surrounding area you should definitely make it a mission to come here and have a meal that will absolutely blow your mind.. If you don't you will truly regret it or cheat yourself out of a truly exquisite meal.. All the best to Chef Joey and his staff.. I will definitely be back again as soon...

Virtu Honest Craft - Lets start with the positive. This restaurant is highly recommended by magazines and food critics as a must in Scottsdale. The place is beautiful, imagine if a Spanish Villa meets with a Texan Rancho, blue-mustard color contrasts and rustic furniture. The service is exceptional, great and friendly waiters, bartenders and manager. The menu is well curated and the drinks are really good, particularly the confused Negroni and the old fashioned. The food is very very expensive, a pre fix menu of 75 USD may not seem much but it is when the food is not up to what you expect. The plates are busy, the presentation tries to be good but is not tasteful, if anything is complex, hiding the true flavors of -really good ingredients- in mixes that often times don’t make sense to the palate. The octopus appetizer was burnt, not charcoal, simply burnt, the sauce was really spicy which obscures the flavor of the octopus, not sure what the idea of the chickpeas in the dish was. The Branzino, was well cooked, tender fish and delicate, but the plate was so full of flavors that it was hard to determine what was what. I mean pepper/paprika popcorn to top a dish may sound great in paper but it does not translate well to reality (nor in pictures or in the mouth). The Asparagi appetizer was fantastic, the asparagus were grilled amazingly with confit bacon and duck egg. Sadly it wasn’t that pretty to look at. The duck breast was tender, well cooked -red in he middle and crusty in the outside- but the red pepper sauce was just too much, salty, heavy, not delicate. Personally, I have never heard of duck breast with a foie grass “sauce.” Next to it was a pepper filled with manchego which could and should be a plate on its own. Then there are also mushrooms to top the plate. Understand the purpose of the mushrooms to bring other texture, but the flavor didn’t pair well. Saving the best for last the desserts were AMAZING, the sticky chocolate toffee cake was delicious and the butterscotch pudding as well. To the point that we order more to go. Overall the restaurant has potential but needs to simplify the dishes and to turn around the plates.

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Made reservations based on online reviews. I believed a special occasion 51st b-day celebration for my wife while visiting AZ would be a good idea. First, I was planning on doing the Chef's Table but in order to do that, you have to tell them that info when you make reservations. I wish I had known that before I made the online reservation, but the only way to know is to have called and asked them before hand (or read it here). The menu items we got were good but we wanted the Chef's Table. Second, it was mid May and the outdoor weather was perfect so I'm glad had requested an outside table. If you want to sit on the patio, you MUST request it when you make the reservation because it is going to be filled with prior reservations. Third, the wine list was good and large enough that everyone could find something at a price point to their liking. Fourth, my wife had the pork ragu and it was awesome. I liked it more than my pork rib chop, the latter dish of which had perfect char but was a bit overcooked by maybe 90 seconds. It wasn't dry but it was not medium rare-to-medium (145-160 degrees internal) as a good pork rib chop should be. That being said, the pork rib chop was very large and I really liked it, but a tad overdone. Fifth, the desserts were very good but the late harvest sauvignon blanc made the dessert even better ... really, really good. Sixth, this is not a place for kids but teens would be fine. Nothing against kids but there is no sense in paying those prices for kids that won't appreciate it. Also, the ambiance is that of good, adult conversation in a relaxed and laid back atmosphere. I don't think kids would fit here, especially any under 12. Lastly, the wait staff. Our server was a nice and polite young lady who was adequate. She explained the menu well enough and was pleasant throughout the meal. However, there was a male server there who had obviously years of experience and knew how to do an excellent service. I watched how he did the tables near us and, yeah, he was top notch. So I would say service was good and could be bordering on the exceptionally good. I'd go again....