The restaurant ambiance is classy yet relaxed, not overly stuffy, but visually clean and inviting,…read morelike you feel better about yourself when walking in somehow. You know you are in for a true fine dining experience. We started off with some cocktails and I was very impressed with the clear ice cube in my Smokey Old Fashioned as it was branded with the "Toro" logo. It was so smooth and probably the best Old Fashioned I ever had, so I had 3 more! My wife throughly enjoyed her Espresso Martinis also.
I started off with the Grilled Octopus and nearly cried because it was so good. This is a food favorite of mine and although I love the flavors, most restaurants over cook it and you need to cut it with a steak knife. Not this dish, no knife necessary, your fork will do. So tender, so flavorful, so amazingly delicious.
The Mrs. ordered the crispy calamari and was thoroughly impressed as the texture was what fresh calamari should be and not the rubbery texture you get from 8 out of 10 other places. Seasoned to perfection with spices but not overly spicy. My wife can't bear spicy anymore , but she really enjoyed it. I finished it for her of course, because she always remembers to leave room for desert and never finishes anything. And I'm glad because I always get to taste her meals too. It's a win-win for me!
I then had an off-the-hook Ceviches that rivaled my own. I am also a part-time cook and also wrote a cookbook. Ceviche is a particular dish that I compare to other restaurants and until now, never found another place that compares to mine. Toro doesn't disappoint my friends.
Now for the entrée, Lomo Saltado for myself and a medium rare Ribeye for the Mrs. The Lomo Saltado was beef tenderloin on creamy rice, crispy potato, heirloom tomato, bell peppers, Rocoto Aioli and a Chifa Soy Sauce. It was mouth watering. The beef tenderloin was cooked a little on the well done side, but my bad for not specifying to cook it medium rare. It was still amazing and not a big enough deal to even mention it in the review, but I just want you to specify your preference when you order yours.
My wife had the 14 Oz. Ribeye, medium rare ( she thought it was also medium but I found it to be medium rare myself) it was soooo good. She had a side dish of Crispy Brussels sprouts that were unworldy. We never had Brussels sprouts that good, it must be the sherry vinagrette and cotija cheese. Unreal. I had a side of shishito peppers that made my heart happy. My favorite peppers are not usually available everywhere so it was a real bonus to the meal.
Desert, well the desert was worth the wait. We both ordered the Ube Basque Cheesecake. It is a dark purple colored slice of heaven with masa crumble, Yuzu espuma and coconut jam. The presentation was stunning. We even enjoyed espresso with sambucca to finish our dining experience. How many places offer espresso on their menu just to inform you the espresso machine isn't working? Just another bonus for us. Price wise, what you would expect for a high-end restaurant in a beautiful resort area of Scottsdale, no sticker shock there, but still, I'd save this place as a never can fail go to for a first date, anniversary, job promotion, marriage proposal, special occasion restaurant. They also do breakfast, brunch, lunch and Happy Hour. I hope you get to experience this place at least once. Put it on your bucket list, you'll be glad you did!