Evo - Scottsdale

Made reservations for 9 for a Sunday night; we were seated pretty soon after we arrived. Off the bat, the place itself was pretty loud, I felt I had to shout at my friends most of the night to hear. Dim lighting, romantic ambience, dark leather seats but I can't say I enjoyed the smell. Let's get onto the food- My friend and I split three items by starting with the focaccia. I was pleasantly surprised; the creaminess from the cheese was perfectly complimented by the chewiness of the bread and sweetness of honey. The evo salad was next, I'm glad we split this bc I was getting a bit tired of the taste. It had a lot of fun textures and flavors but just got old quickly. For our main, we ordered the bolognese. The pasta was perfectly al dente with a nice and meaty sauce. We were celebrating two bachelorettes at this party and our server brought out two free desserts which was really sweet- fried donuts with three sauces and tiramisu. Also! Half off a bottle of wine on Sunday, so we took advantage of that as well. Overall, was pleasantly surprised at this dining experience- great food, top notch service, and reasonable pricing! Would come again!

Pros: Locally sourced ingredients Friendly, knowledgeable staff Easy parking Large dining area Amazing meatballs and sauce EVO salad had a wonderful array of textures with crispy kale, tender brussels and pancetta Cons: A little pricey, but well worth it Pro tip: Check in on Yelp and you'll get a glass of Limoncello!

Nice menu options for a large party. Awesome service and provided free desserts for special events (tiramisu and donuts). The EVO salad was good but would be better for sharing because it was a large portion. Also, the brussel sprouts were a little underdone. Also, I enjoyed the focaccia greatly but it was more like a stuffed flatbread, just an FYI. Did not partake in the wine but they had a good deal available for a bottle for the table. They also offer wine on tap. The atmosphere was not amazing but not bad. It was dark and moody. The noise was a bit oppressive. I think the bathrooms should be more clear than saying hello gorgeous etc.

The restaurant itself was cute I liked the simple rustic interior and the dim lighting made for a good date night ambiance! Nothing completely blew me away, but it was enjoyable, portions were large and met the price point. The meatballs in the meatball appetizer plate were juicy and huge! Definitely good for sharing. The focaccia appetizer was also very big; if I were to go again, I wouldn't get this just for two people but maybe a larger group, as we didn't even make a dent in it. It was also more of a stuffed flatbread than traditional focaccia, but still a tasty option for a cheesy/carby appetizer (also a little on the sweeter side). I really enjoyed the lobster gnocchi entree. The lobster tail was big and tender (cooked very well), and the gnocchis were also large and doughy, which I like! Both the sauces on the lobster gnocchi and on the chile shrimp were good but not anything special in my opinion they both could've been a little thicker/creamier and had richer flavor (for instance, the chile shrimp could've had a bit of a kick added to it). Service was standard and food came out pretty quick. Our waiter expressed he was overly concerned we would fill up on focaccia and sent our entrees out very soon after. While I don't disagree that we didn't need the full focaccia, as mentioned above, it felt a little rushed. All in all this was a good meal and made for a fun night out! Would say this is probably more of a 4.5/5.

Fantastic filet at 11pm Charcuterie was phenomenal as well! Thank you to our server Matthew