Cucina Rustica - Sedona

For starters, we ordered the antipasti, and the grilled artichoke with lemon pesto aioli was outstanding. The Affinato, which included radicchio with Croatian fig marmalade, mozzarella rolled in prosciutto and grilled, was also promising, though one of the rolls wasn't grilled enough to melt the cheese completely. Moving on to the main courses, the Vitello Justino—thinly sliced veal with mushrooms, Gorgonzola, and orzo—was excellent. It was tender and complemented beautifully by a Marsala sauce. There was also a regular menu item that caught my attention—a chicken penne dish with vegetables in a chipotle cream sauce—which I can’t discuss in detail as it wasn’t listed on their website. I opted for a nightly special: mahi mahi served with green beans and orzo. Unfortunately, the fish was overcooked, which detracted from the dish as a whole. For dessert, I chose the flourless chocolate cake. Having tried similar desserts at various restaurants across the country, I found this particular cake to be more like a pudding in consistency, though it did have a pleasant taste. The port wine I paired with it was quite disappointing, particularly surprising considering the restaurant won an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator in 2007. Described as a “chocolate harbor," the ruby port had a strong alcohol bite typical of tawny ports, which I didn’t enjoy. I’d recommend pairing chocolate with a Graham’s port instead—either Graham’s Six Grapes or their vintage port is an unbeatable choice! Overall, the service was good, but it lacked the fine details we expect from a restaurant of this caliber.

The antipasti included a grilled artichoke served with lemon pesto aioli, which was excellent. Another dish, the Affinato — radicchio rolled with Croatian fig marmalade, mozzarella cheese wrapped in prosciutto, and grilled — would have been outstanding if one of the rolls had been grilled thoroughly enough to melt the cheese properly. The Vitello Justino, featuring thin slices of veal with mushrooms, gorgonzola, and orzo riso, was excellent and very tender, complemented by a fine marsala. Additionally, there was a chicken penne dish with vegetables in a chipotle cream sauce that I can't quite name since it didn’t appear on their website menu, but it was quite enjoyable. I opted for one of the nightly specials: mahi mahi paired with green beans and orzo riso. Unfortunately, the fish was mushy, which detracted from the overall dish. For dessert, I chose a flourless chocolate cake. I’ve tried many across the country, and they can vary greatly. This one had a pudding-like consistency rather than a cake texture, though the flavor was good. The port served alongside it was a letdown, especially surprising given that the restaurant has an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator in 2007. Described as a 'chocolate port,' it was more akin to a ruby, but it had the strong alcohol bite of a tawny, which I personally do not enjoy. I would recommend pairing chocolate with Graham's Port; you can't go wrong with either their Six Grapes or Vintage Port. While the service was satisfactory, it did not meet the fine detail we anticipate from a restaurant of this caliber.