Dinner
Wildfish is right off of Camelback Rd, around the corner from South Bridge in Scottsdale. The restaurant has a very modern and hip vibe that radiates from it. Diners are welcomed by a soft blue neon walkway to the front door and waterfall columns that frame the entrance. When you walk into the restaurant, the large bar area is front and center. It is sleek looking and has plenty of seating. The dining areas are on raised platforms on either side of the bar area that have both booths and tables. The place was pretty busy and as such, the noise level was pretty loud. We were seated at a table and at times I was having trouble hearing some of our conversation over the noise.
We opted to have some wine. The wine list has a nice selection and is broken into their "regular list", which is basically what most people will order from, and a "special" list where the entry price on the wine is $120+. The wine markup was about 2.5x retail across the board, which was not surprising for Scottsdale. There was not much worth drinking for under $45. We opted for a 2006 Newton Red Label Chardonnay that was $59. Very nice chard: supple, well rounded, and moderate oak.
Now for the food. Small plate offerings include soups, salads, appetizers, and selections from their raw bar. I walked past the raw bar and it is impressive. I was fighting a cold, so I didn't want to overload my immune system with raw seafood, otherwise I would have been all over it. Large plates consist of about a dozen seafood choices and then various poultry, lamb, and beef selections. We were all about the seafood that night. The sheer number of choices and their descriptions had us smitten as they all sounded so good. My girlfriend and I share food all the time and T wanted on board with that, too, so we decided to order a several items and share. While that may be great for us, it can be something a server cringes at, but our server never batted an eye. He was prompt, courteous, and VERY accommodating (more on this later).
I wanted the Lobster Bisque and we were told they would be happy to split that order into three smaller bowls as our starter. I spent 12 years in New England and the bisque was as good as any I ever had back east. Rich, without being too creamy with a nice spiciness and just the right amount of brandy in it. We each got a very large hunk of lobster in our portion, too.
Next, we all split the Wildfish Chopped Salad. They took a single order and split it across three plates (nice touch). The salad was very good, with large shrimp and chunks of Jonah Crab. The dressing was actually a mix of a vinaigrette (light flavored and yummy) and a green-goddess variety (kind of bland). They could serve it with just the vinaigrette and it may make for a better overall dish, but it was still very good.
We ordered two main courses: Chilean Sea Bass Steamed Hong Kong Style and Gulf Snapper Filet Meuniere. We also got a side of Baby Bok Choi to go with the Sea Bass. I split the sea bass with my girlfriend (again, they split the order onto two plates for us) and it was exquisite. Light and flaky, yet moist. The sauce it came with was very light and mildly tangy. Highly recommended. The snapper was prepared with a brown butter sauce and was also very good. T was smiling the whole time while eating it, but was unable to finish the large portion, so that was destined to be her lunch the next day. The bok choi was served with macadamia nuts and a sesame based sauce. It really didn't do much for me as it seemed uninspired and a little overdone. It wasn't bad, but I doubt I'd order it again.
Since it was T's birthday, dinner would not be complete without dessert. Our server said any selection she wanted was on the house and she opted for the Pineapple Upside Down Cake (and three forks). I can't say that would have been my first choice, especially with some of the chocolate items on the menu, but it turned out to be a good call. There is no lack of rum in the cake and to top it off, they light some Bacardi 151 and drizzle the burning liquid on top of the dessert, which makes for a nice presentation. The cake was good, but the show stealer was the homemade butter pecan ice cream served with it.
You may have picked up on the fact that the service was top notch. We spent over three hours there and we were not rushed at all. He was on top of all our needs without being overbearing and it all added up to a great night out.
Final Take
Wildfish delivered in pretty much all the areas that matter. Aside from the loud environment and my very minor quibbles with some of the food preparation, it's definitely a place to go for a great seafood meal. I will be back there soon, if for nothing else than to tear my way through the raw bar.
Overall Grade = A- (Excellent)
The EV Foodie
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