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Old Town Whiskey and Chef Jose Garces

Posted on: December 12th, 2011 by Rodney Hartwig No Comments

The recently opened Old Town Whiskey at The Saguaro has already received some buzz from Phoenix food enthusiasts for their burgers, duck fat fries, shakes and impressive library of over 100 varieties of whiskey, bourbon, rye and scotch. The restaurant is product of Iron Chef Jose Garces and his Chef de Cuisine, Dave Conn. If you haven’t been out to try it yet, put it on your list of restaurants to visit!

Our friend Rodney Hartwig of Adventures in Cuisine had a meal there and shared his thoughts with us. Read his recap of Old Town Whiskey below:

Whiskey Flight

Look at that. A thing of beauty. A whiskey flight. Ahhhh.

I think what intrigued me most about trying Old Town Whiskey in Scottsdale was this phrase from the Food and Beverage GM, “The menu is built around the whiskey selection, rather than the other way around.”

Then a bottle of Chef Jose Garces’ private label was sent to the table for a taste.

Jose Garces’ Four Roses

The tone for the evening had been set.

“What are these? Are these pickled cherry tomatoes? What the??”

And then I tasted one. On a night where I sampled five whiskeys, three milkshakes, two different burgers (one with foie gras, but we’ll get to that later), a smoked pork sandwich, duck fat fries smothered in short ribs and cheese sauce, oysters, a lobster roll, fried chicken, fried shrimp, tater tots…. it’s the pickled herb cherry tomatoes that stand out to me.

Pickled tomatoes are not anything that sounds even the least bit enticing to me, and yet, there was something intriguing about seeing these pale red orbs in the little pickling jar. So I went for the gusto and try one. As best as I can describe, these were simply little flavor bombs, waiting to explode with acidic goodness in your mouth. The tangy vinegar on the outside had seeped into the already tangy sweet tomato and taken it to a completely different level. I would definitely say that these are a must try.

As our host began to order food, and more food, and still more food I realized something.

Possibly the worst thing that can happen at a table is to be ready to reach for the duck fat fries with short ribs and cheddar sauce and hear “Hi, guys this is Iron Chef Jose Garces, he just wanted to say a few words” as you stare longingly at the plate of potato and beef and cheese, tantalizingly close yet not close enough for it to not be obviously rude as you reach across the table while the chef, standing directly next to you, speaks. So I waited, not quite patiently, but I waited.

Duck fat fries smothered in short ribs and cheese sauce

Obviously I jest about this being ‘the worst’ thing that can happen but… it’s really not that far from the truth. Fresh cut fries, fried in duck fat ( “That’s healthier, right?” one of my dining companions inquired. No, I’m sorry, it’s not.), smothered in braised short ribs and a cheddar sauce made using hefeweisen from local favorite San Tan Brewery.

Duck Fat French Fries

The ‘Shortys’ as the server called them were beyond delicious. I could have eaten them all night long. (I most definitely was pleased to have some leftover for the next day.)

The Whiskey King Burger is the star of the menu at Old Town Whiskey, and, well, rightfully so. An 8oz grass fed, organically raised patty, ground with a Wagyu beef fat cap, and topped with rogue bleu cheese, bacon and FOIE GRAS. This was a cacophony of flavors coming together at once. The buttery rich texture of the seared foie gras, the salty unmistakable bacon, the sour, salty tang of bleu cheese, and with all of that, the smoky charred beef.

Whiskey King Burger

I was impressed by the amount of competing flavors, but also by the obvious care that was put into creating such a fanciful burger. When I asked about the process, I was told a tale of thrice ground meat and strands of beef that held up so well that they sat upon each other like mounds of spaghetti. As the crown jewel of the menu, there was definite care and attention paid to how this burger comes across.

Other objects of my affection on a night when I was an invited guest and encouraged to try any and all menu items were the lobster rolls, with an alluring citrus aioli, the smoked pork sandwich and of course, the shakes.

Dessert. My true love. And in the case of Old Town Whiskey, why not take ice cream, cake, and alcohol, and mix them all into one delicious shake? The cold, sweet ice cream, the bite of whiskey or beer, the rush of sugar, the warm flood of happiness. This, my friends, was a great idea.

We sampled 3 on this night: the house chocolate, made with a Left Hand Brewing Milk Stout, the Seasonal Pumpkin with Heaven Hill Bourbon, and the Irish Car Bomb.

Seasonal Pumpkin with Heaven Hill Bourbon

Irish Car Bomb

Irish Car Bombs have long been a weakness of mine so let me end on this note. Guinness Beer Cake. Jamesons. Ice Cream. I longed to try the full sized shake rather than the sampler we were served. Another time I suppose. Another time…

The restaurant is open from 11am-midnight, Sunday through Thursday, and 11am-2am on Fridays and Saturdays. To learn more about Old Town Whiskey, visit jdvhotels.com/dining/old_town_whiskey.

The Saguaro | 4000 Drinkwater Blvd | Scottsdale, AZ | 877-808-2440 | jdvhotels.com

Visit Rodney’s website and read more of his articles at adventuresincuisine.net.

About the Author - Rodney Hartwig

Rodney Hartwig is a Phoenix native currently living in Portland, OR. He sometimes eats crazy amounts of food, and always enjoys it. When he is not writing for Phoenix Bites, he is wondering what he will write next, eating, or running half marathons. Follow him on twitter at @thatrodneyguy.

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