I’ve been planning another Scottsdale vacation and read about Virtu Honest Craft and Chef Gio Osso and had to visit. Our dinner and service were simply outstanding.

About Virtu

Virtu, the Machiavellian term for achieving excellence, is situated in Old Town Scottsdale at the charming Bespoke Inn bed and breakfast. The quaint restaurant was named as one of the top 20 “Best New Restaurants” in the U.S. by Esquire Magazine right after opening in 2013. In 2014, it was nominated by the James Beard Foundation for “Best New Restaurant”. At Virtu, Chef Osso crafts a Mediterranean-inspired menu that changes continuously, sometimes daily.

The Space & Booze

Photo by Virtu

We arrived at Virtu to find a welcoming adobe building with heating lamps ablaze and candles glowing. The space is cozy with indoor and outdoor seating. There’s a large bar with counter seating where mixologists create delicious, ingredients-driven cocktails. I enjoyed the Ice Queen – Vodka, rhubarb, strawberry, white Balsamic shrub, fresh lemon topped with a Champagne foam and cracked black pepper. Sexy, fun and most importantly – tasty drink. The wine list offers a nice blend of big names and creative finds. I opted for a glass of white Burgundy and a glass of Nebbiolo – both under $15 and properly fresh, not always the case with wines by the glass.

The Food

The menu made me smile – what to order when all the dishes read like a list of my favorite ingredients?! We opted for three starters: Charred Octopus, Asparagus and Beef Tartare and two pastas: Gnocchi de Castagne and Pappardelle.

The octopus was some of the best I’ve had, and I consider myself an octo-expert. The charred octopus was served with chick peas, calabrese chile butter and a side of arugula and fennel salad. The octopus was perfectly-tender, the chile butter brought nice heat to the dish, the chick peas some texture and the salad a lovely tart freshness – stellar dish and a must-order.

Asparagus Photo by Virtu

The asparagus was topped with a nicely-cooked duck egg, Feta, bacon candy and a foie gras Hollandaise sauce – decadent, brilliant and addictive.

The beef tartare was made with masterly hand-cut tenderloin and paired with an avocado crema and tomato vinegar. This isn’t your boring, bland, almost pureed tartare – the beef is diced into impossibly-small cubes and the kitchen knows how to season food and make big flavors shine – can’t say that of many places, unfortunately.

The chestnut gnocchi was pillowy and earthy and served with Marsala-braised rabbit and Cavolo Nero cheese – pure comfort in a dish.

The Pappardelle was tossed with mushroom Bolognese, toasted garlic, black pepper Ricotta, N’duja (spicy, spreadable pork salume) and basil – rich yet light (not sure how Chef Osso accomplished this) with big flavors. We appreciate the heck out of the black pepper purposely-adorning the plate for bites we wanted more heat for.

We were tempted by the desserts, but opted for some very good coffee instead, served in a giant mug…nice touch.

We have three dinners to go in Scottsdale and can’t imagine our meals can improve after this feast we experienced at Virtu.

Virtu Honest Craft – 3701 N Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85251.

Cheers,

Veronique