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In Dining
Scottsdale's Deseo defines "Nuevo Latino" cuisine
The lobby of this uniquely-designed Nuevo Latino restaurant.
By Andy Tarnoff RSS Feed Twitter Feed
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E-mail author | Author bio
More articles by Andy Tarnoff

Published May 10, 2008 at 5:07 a.m.
Tags: deseo, nuevo latino, westin keirland, travel week, scottsdale


All aboard! It's Travel Week at OnMilwaukee.com as we bring you stories big and small from destinations near and far. When you post travel-related reader blogs -- from Monday, May 5 through Sunday, May 11 -- you're automatically in the running to win an all-inclusive trip to a Mexican resort courtesy of Apple Vacations. The OnMilwaukee.com editorial staff will pick the best travel blog of the week and the winner will jet off to sunny Mexico! Get writing!

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- In Milwaukee, you'd be hard-pressed to find a restaurant inside a golf resort so good that you'd actually travel all the way across town just for dinner.

But if you ever find yourself in Phoenix, make the trip to Deseo, a "Nuuvo Latino" restaurant inside the Westin Kierland Resort, 6902 E. Greenway Pkwy.

It's hardly centrally-located in the valley -- in fact, it's on the far north side of Scottsdale. That said, if you're lucky enough to stay at this gorgeous hotel, Deseo is a must visit. Or, if you're just craving a creative dining experience that you simply can't get in Milwaukee, it's really worth the drive.

Our group dined at Deseo in late March, knowing nothing of what was in store for us. We quickly discovered, however, that we were about to experience something unique when we descended the stairs into the colorful, Cuban-inspired lounge. Resident artist Nelson Garcia actually paints on the premises Tuesday through Saturday, and guests can watch him do his work while enjoying a cocktail -- or one of 2,000 wines that Deseo stocks in its cellar.

Arriving at dusk, we experienced the restaurant come alive with color as the sun set over the award-winning golf course outside. If you can imagine a Southwestern take on Prairie style -- combined with a Latin flair -- you get the idea.

For drinks, we ordered from Deseo's "muddle bar," which is the restaurant's take on mojitos, with exotic fresh fruits and sticks of sugar cane. At $11 and $12 for a cocktail, this was to be no bargain dinner -- but it was well worth it.

We ordered three appetizers: the free-range chicken empanadas ($10), the Kobe meatballs ($13) and the shrimp Chicharron ($12). Our server brought us fresh rolls that tasted different than anything I've had before: slightly sweet, puffy and dense, that melded perfectly with garlic butter. Our trio almost wondered if we'd have room for the entrees.

Fortunately, we did. I ordered the delicious Churrasco of beef ($30), which was uniquely seasoned and delicious. Bill had the Abodo rubbed bone-in rib eye steak ($30), and Paul had the "Dorado Ajilo," a mahi-mahi dish ($27). We also ordered a side of grilled white asparagus for $7. Finally, we finished with a dessert sampling of three tiny cheesecakes ($10).

I rarely say this about a dinner, but everything was perfect. Flavors came alive from seasonings like Chimichurri, an Argentinean marinade, and garlic potatoes that accentuated the entrees' unique spices.

Our group went in with no expectations and left simply blown away. For a trip that mostly consisted of ballpark food and burritos, we had a chance to enjoy a menu from James Beard Award-wining Chef Douglas Rodriguez, who, we later found out invented Nuevo Latino cuisine.

You'll find no shortage of excellent restaurants in Phoenix and Scottsdale. But if you plan on having one spectacular meal, make it Deseo.



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Posted by scotty on May 10, 2008 at 9:28 p.m. (report)

It's Travel Week, dumbass. Lighten up and enjoy the stories.

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Posted by atomhammer on May 10, 2008 at 4:47 p.m. (report)

So besides pointing out repeatedly that in provincial little Milwaukee we can't have food this good, WHAT does this have to do with Milwaukee again? If I want to read reviews of restaurants I (and 99% of Milwaukeeans) will never attend, I suppose I could just google random cities and look for food critics. OR....while looking for a place to eat in Milwaukee, I could read pointless articles about how SOL I am living in Milwaukee, stuck with Viejo Latino cuisine. Brilliant, Onmilwaukee. My sombrero is off! (EDITOR'S NOTE: Hey, Atomhammer -- In case you missed the memo, or the paragraph at the top of the story, IT'S TRAVEL WEEK at OnMilwaukee.com. We're writing stories about places around the state, around the US and around the world. You know, because in order to TRAVEL -- you generally have to leave Milwaukee. Google a few other publications, from the New York Times to the San Francisco Chronicle or any others you can think of and you'll likely find that in their TRAVEL sections, they have stories about places outside of their respective cities).

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