Though it flubs a few lines, this against-type effort from Latin food legend Doug Robson stays in the picture as a multi-genre crowd pleaser.
by Nikki Buchanan | Photography by Charles Barth
Clint Eastwood often plays a badass. Ryan Reynolds, a sarcastic goof. In culinary terms, Phoenix restaurateur Doug Robson is similarly typecast – in his case, as the Mexico-raised Arizona chef famous for modernized Mexican food at Gallo Blanco and Otro Café.
Robson broke character this spring, taking over The Newton space formerly occupied by Southern Rail to open an internationally flavored New American eatery called Tesota. The kitchen is run by Robson’s friend and colleague, chef Jared Porter, and barring a few early-stage hiccups, the place has the look of a hit.
Taken from the Spanish word for the desert ironwood tree, Tesota wanders through culinary genres, offering harissa shrimp, yakisoba, bucatini puttanesca, sandwiches on wood-fired bread, craft cocktails and enough variety to tickle every fancy.
The bread and spread starter is an early favorite, comprising three appealing dips: edamame guacamole topped with peanut-chile oil; hummus and black olive tapenade; and garlicky white bean relish with arugula-pistachio pesto. For scooping and smearing: corn chips and an excellent Nice Buns toasted baguette. It’s perfect the first time, dry and hard the second.
Another dry baguette accompanies baked Brie served with sweet peperonata and savory bacon-leek jam. If the Brie were of better quality and the bread more carefully handled, this could be great.
Hiramasa crudo – silky slabs of fish piled high with cucumbers, guacamole and radish sticks, set in a puddle of leche de tigre – offers big flavors in big bites.
From the entrée menu, Porter’s “peas and carrots” pasta bursts with color and crunch. Creamy black truffle ricotta, swirled along the bowl’s edge, adds perfumed creaminess to gemelli pasta tossed with peas, asparagus, sugar snaps, heirloom carrot salad and arugula-pistachio pesto. A perfect summer dish. Fish katsu, combining crisp-fried cod, pickled vegetables, peanuts, furikake and lettuce on a buttermilk bun smeared with yuzu mayo, is florid, messy and great. A crisp, oven-blistered margherita pizzetta, made from the sourdough pizza dough Robson perfected during his years at La Grande Orange, is amped up with Calabrian chile just for fun.
Coconut pudding with chocolate shaves and toasted coconut hits the spot for a sweet, summery finish.
Robson isn’t playing to type, and the happy result is a winning neighborhood restaurant, worldly yet unpretentious.
Tesota
Cuisine: New American
Contact: 300 W. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-989-8456, tesotaphx.com
Hours: Su-Th 11 a.m.-9 p.m., F-Sa 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Highlights: Bread and spread ($15); hiramasa crudo ($22); gemelli “peas and carrots,” ($19); crispy fish katsu ($18); pizzetta ($13-$15); coconut pudding ($8)
