I am always looking to try different restaurants in and around Scottsdale, Arizona and yesterday, I finally had the pleasure to have a meal at the perennial favorite, Cowboy Ciao in Old Town Scottsdale. 
Cowboy Ciao has been a fixture in Downtown Scottsdale for many years and after having eaten there, I now can appreciate all of the great things I have heard about it.
A group of us were there for lunch and therefore had the opportunity to try a lot of the menu items. The team behind Cowboy Ciao enjoys presenting a menu that is eclectic, creative and fun without being intimidating. Entertaining guest quotes are sprinkled throughout the two pages and there are always several specials of the day to keep things interesting. Our server was very helpful in going over the menu items we had questions on so we could make our final picks.
My friends had raved about the Stetson Chopped salad so we ordered it for the table as a starter. With a blend of arugula, smoked salmon, dehydrated corn, trail mix and a few other items, I was definitely curious as to how it would all blend together. It all worked very well and was delicious – No wonder it is a best seller. We also ordered some Ciabatta for the table which was another winner. It came with sides of a garlic alioli-type sauce and a green olive tapanade and I loved the crunch of the crust.
For lunch, we got to sample a few items. One of them was the Burrata Insalata. There was a very generous portion of burrata served over arugula and garnished with avocado, radishes and fried shallot rings and a vinaigrette. It was very tasty. Two of us ended up ordering the Seared Scallops and Beet Risotto. Wow. The scallops were cooked perfectly and there was so much flavor from the risotto and the accompanying ring of goat cheese and dill cream sauce. Cowboy Ciao also does a Quesadilla del Dia and yesterday was a sausage quesadilla. I did not get to sample it, but the other diners thought it was delicious. Overall, we did not have a bad bite throughout the entire lunch.
I really enjoyed my experience at Cowboy Ciao and look forward to going back not only for another lunch but to try dinner as well. A lot of the lunch items also appear on the dinner menu as well as an expanded entree selection. You should definitely give Cowboy Ciao a try the next time you are looking for an entertaining, creative and tasty meal in the SouthBridge area of Old Town Scottsdale.
More Information:
Cowboy Ciao
7133 East Stetson Drive, Scottsdale AZ 85251
SouthBridge/Old Town Scottsdale
Lunch: Daily 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Sunday Brunch items also available
Dinner: Nightly 5pm to 10 pm and 11 pm on Fridays & Saturdays
