With its elegant-yet-inviting atmosphere and a delightful menu of inventive seafood dishes, Pescada Scottsdale — the latest concept from acclaimed local restauranteur Sheila Bryson — fills a much-needed void as it aims to inject new life and sophistication into the North Scottsdale culinary landscape.
Taking over the old Herb Box space in Market Street DC Ranch, this welcome new restaurant offers a lovely indoor-outdoor layout perfect for peak season in the Valley. Local dinners are likely familiar with Bryson’s other well-received concepts (Soul Café, Vic & Ola’s and ALMA), and in many ways, Pescada feels like a continuation of those places’ exceptional value, accessibility and warmth.
“Market Street in DC Ranch has been seeking higher-end dining since the days of Eddie V’s well over a decade ago,” Bryson says. “As an avid diner myself, I found that going to Market Street for dinner didn’t offer much when it came to a ‘special occasion’ night out.” That led to her opening Vic & Ola’s, with its “higher-end dining experience” and “casual and comfortable atmosphere,” and now, Pescada.
The menu at Pescada is designed to be explored as either a three- or four-course prix-fixe experience (with an optional wine pairing), but all dishes are also available a la carte, a welcome touch for such a concept. The menu focuses largely on fresh fish from the Mediterranean and Atlantic Coast, and the restaurant offers a mostly-European wine list.
The seafood is fresh and the presentations are vibrant. Highlights include dense, mouthwatering lobster bisque with cognac cream; Mediterranean mussels with Fresno chilies and a white wine broth; octopus carpaccio with Calabrian chili aioli; and Chilean sea bass with Tuscan kale, celeriac puree, pickled pear, white asparagus and squid ink coral.
Not a seafood fan? Thankfully, Pescada doesn’t leave you alienated. Surprisingly, perhaps the biggest standout dish on the current menu is the Iberico Pork Pluma. Gourmands know Iberico as the “wagyu of pork,” a delicacy to seek out whenever possible, and Pescada’s rendition is cooked to absolute perfection and served with compressed butternut squash, chili oil, hen of the woods and pesto verde. It’s a dish so exceptional, it’s worth a visit to try it alone.
Overall, Pescada marks a welcome new addition to the region, offering unique-yet-accessible dishes in an upscale but still cozy atmosphere. It makes an excellent spot to grab a glass of wine and a lone dish on an afternoon or dive into a multi-course experience with a date or a large group. North Scottsdale dining just received a breath of fresh air.
To view the complete menu for Pescada Scottsdale, visit pescadascottsdale.com. Reservations are available on OpenTable or by calling 480.590.5735.
20707 N. Pima Rd. Ste. 140
Scottsdale, AZ 85255