Taggia at FireSky Resort: Experience Chef Massimo’s new menu

I’ve always thought Taggia at FireSky Resort in Scottsdale was a bit of a hidden gem – mostly because the resorts sits off of busy Scottsdale Road and unless you haven’t been there, you’d never know that there is an unseen oasis tucked right in the middle of the city. The patios at Taggia are beautiful; indoors, the ambiance is warm, romantic and elegant. I love the space’s large chandeliers, dim lighting and spacious round booths (great for getting cozy with your date). Now that the new Executive Chef, Massimo De Francesca, has taken the helm, there is a lot to be discovered here. Although the look of the restaurant hasn’t changed, the menu has.

Dinner offers classic Italian fare though each dish is jazzed up a few notches. If you’re hungry enough, it is best to take suggestions from your server and try a couple dishes from each section of the menu.  Be sure to request Will, one of the most thorough and friendly servers I’ve ever experienced in a restaurant. His descriptions of each dish made us feel like we actually tasted its flavors while he spoke and he did a great job pairing each of our courses with wines. If we were ever indecisive on what entrée to order, he took an extra moment to walk us through our options and help determine what we were most in the mood for.

We started off with a few small tastes from the shareable portion of the menu. We sampled the Clams Rockafeller and a taste of the mussels:

Clams Rockafeller and Mussels

Then a sampling of their Prawn Escabeche with watercress puree, red onion, and garnished with lobster powder and lobster oil.

Prawn Escabeche

The clam and mussel bites sat on a pretty bed of herbs and baby spinach which was lovely. The artistic appeal of the Prawn Escabeche made it a really gorgeous plate. The soft, buttery prawn was complemented perfectly by creamy, slightly grassy watercress puree. The acidity and tang of the raw, red onion garnish electrified the dish and I really enjoyed all of the components in one bite. I’ll definitely order a full plate of this on my next visit.

One dish that really left an impression on me and my companion was the Italian classic, Veal “Tonnato” with caper and tuna emulsion. Cold, sliced, poached veal was dressed with a creamy blanket of caper and tuna emulsion which was more indulgent and rich than salty/briny like you might think. The dish was topped with finely grated pickled eggs for even more decadence and gherkin pesto that lent a huge pop of flavor. For a dish so simple, its presentation was lovely. I only wish I had had more!

Veal “Tonnato”

Another standout starter – the Smoked Duck Carpaccio (very tender)– combined all my favorite flavors.  Baby radish, blueberries, smoked goat cheese, King Oyster mushrooms and a porcini crumble was all wedded together with local greens on top of a smear of beet for a colorful dish.

Smoked Duck Carpaccio

For entrees, we shared the Potato Gnocchi with chorizo, crab, English peas and soy brown butter. The texture and density of the gnocchi were spot-on and I loved the salty bits of crispy chorizo with the crab meat.

Potato Gnocchi

The other dish gracing our table was the Coulette with smoked bone marrow, fingerling potatoes, escarole and Cipollini onions. Chef suggested we order this dish medium-rare and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The photo I snapped didn’t do this entree justice, but trust that it was delicious. The steak medallions were unbelievably tender and had an incredible flavor all on their own, but add a dab of that super-smoky bone marrow on each bite (Chef Massimo calls it “steak butter”), and it was taken to a whole new level.

Dessert was just a good as our previous dishes. Chef Massimo made us a “pre-dessert” of fresh berries, cocoa nibs and zabaglione… so light and fresh, there wasn’t even a hint left in my bowl after I was finished with it.

Fresh berries, cocoa nibs, zabaglione

And, his version of Tiramisu which barely resembles the traditional dish (in a good way… after having tiramisu after tiramisu in countless Italian restaurants, I’m ready for something new) and really impressed me. Presented in a dark chocolate shell, chocolate sauce is poured over the top until it cracks, revealing mascarpone tiramisu mousse that was hard to say ‘no’ to.

Tiramisu

Will swayed us to try his favorite dessert, too. Although there was barely any room left for another bite, I’m so glad he talked us into trying the Chocolate Bread Pudding with dulce de leche and coconut. An absolute OMG-worthy ending to a meal and was surprisingly not too sweet.

All of the staff we encountered during our meal – from General Manager Brian Blanke to the hostess and table bussers — were friendly and made sure to note if we needed anything extra (oh, and our water glasses were never empty). It was really neat to observe the staff interact with all of the guests in the dining room – it seemed as if everyone who dined in got the royal treatment!

If you haven’t been into Taggia at FireSky since Chef Massimo De Francesca and GM Brian Blanke have come on board, I really encourage you to check it out. Learn more about the restaurant at taggiascottsdale.com. And, read our recent interview with Chef Massimo.

Taggia at FireSky | 4925 N. Scottsdale Road | Scottsdale, AZ | 85251 | 480-424-6095

*This meal was provided to us complimentary as a part of a media invitation. However, this has no effect on our opinions and comments regarding our experience. View our Disclosure Policy for further explanation.