Chef Danny Grant’s rustic companion piece to Maple & Ash hits its marks in trendy North Scottsdale.
On an early Monday evening in late spring, Etta is rocking, a third of its tables in the vast open dining area occupied on this traditionally slow day at this traditionally unfashionable hour. The tourists are gone, and the locals are out in force, a varied swath of humanity assembled under the same soaring, greenery-filled roof for dinner, drinks and a night of fun.
Surely, this is the scenario chef Danny Grant and What If Syndicate – the group behind Scottsdale’s hipster Maple & Ash steakhouse – hoped for when they designed this beautiful room at the Scottsdale Quarter and created a quasi-trendy but mostly mainstream menu, founded upon wood-fired food from a wood-burning brick oven.
Just as at M&A, an undercurrent of partay is ever present, enhanced by a $50 shtick called “Porrón and Polaroid,” which involves having wine poured down your throat as someone photographs the hilarity for posterity. I’m just here for the food, which will rise to the occasion in most scenarios (shopping and lunch, happy hour, brunch) but falls somewhat short of
foodie nirvana.
Grant’s signature shrimp, for example, bubbling in a faintly spicy mélange of smoked tomato, ginger, chiltepins and fresh mint, sounds way sexier than it is. For my money, rustic white beans with wild nettles (think sassy spinach), served in a soupy broth brightened with conserved peppers and Dijon, is more interesting and satisfying.
Etta’s oxtail cappelletti has its charms – the richness of the oxtail in contrast to the sharp sweetness of cherries, the earthiness of mushrooms and the pine-y notes of rosemary, all swimming in beefy jus – but the folded edges of the pasta are inexplicably hard and dry. A small half-chicken, burnished to a golden-brown crisp in the oven and nestled in a velvety potato purée enriched with pan drippings, is textural perfection, if a tad salty.
Leek-like ramps, asparagus and pecorino, on a charred and chewy thin-crust pizza, are seasonal and fun, even better with adornments of chile oil, dried herbs and spices, Parmesan and house-made giardiniera.
And then on to dessert. Roasted olive oil cake with honey-drizzled ginger ice cream recalls defunct Radio Milano, circa 2010, which supports my argument: No surprises here, but the perfect go-to when good is good enough.
Etta
Cuisine: New American
Contact: Scottsdale Quarter, 15301 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, 480-939-4444, ettarestaurant.com
Hours: Su-Th 11 a.m.-10 p.m., F-Sa 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Highlights: White beans and greens ($16); ramps and asparagus pizza ($18); wood-fired chicken ($24)
