Our critic goes pazza for this maximalist Modern Italian restaurant in Old Town.
by Nikki Buchanan | Photography by Jill McNamara
I’ve been in a satisfying relationship with Italian food most of my life, and for that very reason, it doesn’t exactly quicken my pulse. How surprising, then, to find myself a bit giddy about Sexy Roman, the vibe-y Modern Italian restaurant that opened in the W Hotel in Old Town Scottsdale this past June.
Created by California-based Alliance Hospitality Group (the same folks behind FLINT by Baltaire at the Esplanade), it takes over the former Sushi Roku space, which sat in hibernation for two full years while the owners and James Beard Award-nominated chef Jason Franey got the stunning décor and equally ravishing menu up to speed.
White tablecloths, table lamps, dark curtains and modern art lend a sultry supper club aura, while sharply dressed servers extend the kind of cordial but correct hospitality mostly lost to a bygone era. Martinis, which are ordered by pressing a button on the table lamp, are mixed at a tableside cart and, at the end of the meal, a cart is also used to prepare the restaurant’s tableside tiramisu. It’s all very ’60s.
Heavy, leatherbound menus feature modern takes on Italian and Italian-American classics as well as six different cuts of steak plus classic steakhouse sides – a hedge-betting ploy that presumably pays off nicely with this young, monied crowd.
Martini cart notwithstanding, the cocktail selection seems surprisingly staid for a place named Sexy Roman, so we head for the wine list, which specializes in Italian varietals (including cult classics like Marchesi Antinori’s Tinganello Super Tuscan), but also offers plenty of global wines and popular American producers. While we browse, we nibble complimentary seed-studded lavash and the long, skinny, cracker-like breadsticks called grissini, both accompanied by rich, Calabrian chile-sparked tomato jam. Even better for a bread-lover like me is airy, crisp-crusted focaccia, strewn with rosemary and oven-charred bits of tomato. Served with olive oil-drizzled stracciatella (think fresh, creamy mozzarella) and tomato jam, it’s wonderful and well worth the $14 price tag.
West Coast oysters on the half shell – served with tiny, adorable bottles of house-fermented hot sauce, fresh-tasting tomato mignonette and chipotle cocktail sauce – make for a bracing opener, while a second course of salmon tartare, dotted with Calabrian chiles and puffed rice, offers richness, heat and the crunchy counterpoint of the rice against silky salmon.
Beef carpaccio – first created at Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy, circa the 1950s – was named for Renaissance painter Vittore Carpaccio, who was famous for his use of bold color, especially shades of red. I’d argue that Franey’s busy, beautiful rendition of this classic dish is a masterpiece in its own right, combining rosy, paper-thin slices of Wagyu beef with golden Parmesan, green onions, pine nuts, marinated mushrooms, puffed rice, lemon and olive oil. Loaded with buttery flavors yet perfectly balanced, it’s one of the best versions I’ve eaten.
A single perfectly grilled octopus tentacle, set in a creamy puddle of tonnato (tuna sauce sparked with anchovies and capers) with cannellini beans and tomatoes, is another fabulous combo – rich, salty and bright with basil oil. Meanwhile, a charred, ultra-tender lamb lollipop nestled alongside smoky eggplant relish makes for a fabulous (and romantically sharable) couple of bites.
Franey riffs on the classic Caesar salad by subbing pale yellow Belgian endive for romaine, which lends a slightly crunchier texture and subtly bittersweet taste. It’s a fun change-up on a done-to-death classic.
Vodka sauce, a 1980s phenomenon, is back in a big way, and Sexy Roman’s spicy version is paired with house-made, perfectly al dente lumache (“snails” in Italian), shell-shaped pasta that captures every dollop of that luscious sauce. A shimmering glob of burrata makes the dish even more indulgent. If only it had arrived at the table hot the second time I ordered it.
Everyone raves about Sexy Roman’s chicken Parmesan – and for good reason. Bathed in thick, lively marinara, the plate-size, Brobdingnagian cutlet is crunchy and cheesy and thoroughly over-the-top – if a mite spendy for chicken. Weirdly, a 22-ounce bone-in ribeye, grilled to temperature and priced near $100, seems like a better bargain. I take the server’s advice and embellish the steak with “the glow up,” a luxurious add-on of five burrata-filled tortellini in black truffle fonduta. They’re delicious, but a peasant like me would be just as happy with the black truffle mac and cheese side.
At this juncture, lighter desserts make sense. Creamy butterscotch budino (which I’d prefer without the granola topping) and excellent house-made white coffee with hazelnut praline gelato hit the spot, while house-made cream limoncello (sweeter and mellower than traditional limoncello) makes the perfect nightcap. I’ll order it often.
Truth is, I entered Sexy Roman a skeptic, and can you blame me? It sits at the edge of Scottsdale’s notoriously rowdy Entertainment District, hardly a bulwark of culinary excellence. But what I couldn’t have known until my first delightful bite of grissini is that the place is much more than martini carts and performative tiramisu. There’s authenticity to go with the vibe, and the whole crew, from hostess to server to busser to Franey himself, seem fixated on the customer experience. I think that’s pretty sexy.
Sexy Roman
Cuisine: Modern Italian
Contact: 7277 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale, 602-609-7002, sexyroman.com
Hours: M-Su, 6 a.m.-11 a.m.; M-Su, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Su-Th, 5:30-9:30 p.m.; F-Sa 5:30-10:30 p.m.
Highlights: Wagyu beef carpaccio ($28); octopus ($27); tomato and rosemary focaccia ($14); lamb lollipop ($21); lumache alla vodka ($29); chicken Parmesan ($67); house-made gelato ($12)
