Crudo

Basis for my starred ratings (which skews heavily to the food or drink):
1 star: Never again.
2 stars: Poor food, poor experience, extraordinary measures in order for me to come back.
3 stars: Average, nothing really special, nothing particularly bad.
4 stars: Very good, would definitely return.
5 stars: A favorite, one of the best.
Back again. Had some old standby’s and some newer additions.
For the pigs’ ears and risotto, see the former review.
Tried the chicken heart skewers. Very good. Not done like yakitori, which tend to be a little overcooked. These were cooked to medium and had nice texture and a decent amount of salt. Also got the Farmer crudo plate, which was arugula, tomato, cucumber with avocado vinaigrette. (Sorry, no photo because we ate it all before I remembered to take one.)
Also ordered the gargati with mussels. This was the weakest dish of the night. The pasta was al dente but the texture was off. There were a lot of mussels (which were large, meaty and nice) but the menu also listed uni, and we could not catch a whiff or taste the richness of it anywhere in the dish. The tomato sauce was pretty good, though the dish was a little over-​sauced as a whole.
Topped off dinner with another Tracy Dempsey victory. Blueberry crostada with white chocolate streusel on top. Served warm, it was not overly sweet with good texture between the crust, streusel, and the blueberry filling. My wife, initially dubious, was converted. We both loved it.
So all in all, another successful dinner. The gargati was a minor misstep in an otherwise fine dinner.

Absolutely amazing food. My Fiancé and I love coming on Sundays for brunch. The Streusel French Toast with mixed berry compote is the best. I wish they would send out more emails to their customers with coupons or encouraging them to come visit!

I guess it’s pretty hard to find crudo Italian restaurant in Phoenix. This one is so rare thing, so exceptional! I have already tried more than a half of the dishes on the menu and cannot remember anything awful. Of course, there is something I like more, but that’s just my preferences, can’t really say anything bad about their food or service. My favorite dish is squid ink risotto! If you visit Crudo try it out!

This is my boyfriend and I’s favorite spot. Best cocktails in Arizona and the staff is awesome. I highly recommend sitting in the bar area for the best experience. You MUST order the pig ears, smoked olives and the butterfish. We come once a month!

Met a friend for happy hour after work. The menu has many options. We ordered quite a bit of food, but what stood out to us the most was the fresh mozzarella. It was so good, we ordered two orders. It sounds like such a basic dish, but they took a basic dish to the next level! I loved the octopus crude and the butterfish. I also would recommend the pig ears.

Something of a hidden gem, in that it’s a little hard to find. The tasting menu is the way to go, and a couple getting three items each is plenty of food. We’ve had nearly everything on the menu, and it is all terrific. The jalapeño drink (not spicy, very refreshing) butterfish, gnocchi, and risotto were highlights. One of the best restaurants in the Valley.

Smoked olives– Looked great, but I wanted to save room for mozza and griglia menu items!
Grana spread: Loved this! Really loved the granular texture, and the flavor and feel of the olive oil. Might’ve been the only one who did. Can’t blame my friends… the other plates were quite scrumptious!
Crispy pigs’ ears: My first time trying this– why did I wait so long??? These were wonderful! Like chicharrones, but with meat, and the sweet peppers gave this dish a sweet kick!
Fresh Mozzarella, with bacon relish and caramelized onions. Good, but would’ve been better if the mozza was a little more tender/​silkier. Bacon relish was the superstar in this one.
Straciatella, with battuto (root-​based pico), hazelnuts, and radicchio. I enjoyed the crushed hazelnuts over the creamy mozz. Had to avoid the battuto due to carrot allergy.
Ricotta, with walnut sauce and honey. Another favorite of mine, for I am a lover of fresh ricotta that’s well-​made. And walnuts. And honey.
Brisket, with fingerlings, raddichio, and collatura ($ 19), with added Bonemarrow (+$ 5). Found the brisket to be a bit too salty. Fingerlings were excellent– crispy skin-​on exterior, and fluffy interior… simply magical! Really appreciated the bone marrow presentation (whole, uncut), which had a lot of meaty marrow that didn’t make me feel like I was eating foamy oil on bread.
I had a two glasses (OK, a glass and a quarter) of the pinot noir on the happy hour menu. Was able to sample this and one of the cabernets, and I surprised myself by favoring the pinot more. The cab was a tad drier than I liked.
Yes, I want to return again soon. Very, very soon. Big thanks to Chef JK for recommending this place to me months ago, even though I’d had it bookmarked for years. Why did I wait so long???
p. s. Thanks to friends JY and DK for meeting me here– what a fun evening!

When I own a home, I want my kitchen and dining room to be exactly like Crudo.
Guys, this is one of the best tasting menus in Phoenix. For $ 35 you can choose three of ANYTHING on the menu. So yes, if you want lamb belly, pork belly, AND brisket in one meal, you can have it. YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL! But you probably shouldn’t, because obesity.
My boyfriend and I came here last night for a late birthday dinner and had an amazing time. First of all, THEY HAVE FOUR KINDS OF PAPPY VAN WINKLE ON MENU. FOUR. Boyfriend really wanted you to know that. Because that is really impressive. And if you’re a bourbon fan, I’ve probably already sold you to come here. If you aren’t, let’s move on to the food.
We both had the 3-​course tasting menu. Crudo also offers four and five courses, but three was the perfect amount. We started off with the yellowtail and octopus crudos. The yellowtail was delicious, but nothing too unique. The octopus was amazing and highly recommended! I’m always hesitant to order octopus because when done wrong it chews like rubber, but this was not the case. The octopus was so tender! And the citrus oil really balanced the briny taste of the octopus.
For the second course I had the Gargati with mussels and uni butter. This is a new addition to their menu and it is SO. GOOD. I didn’t really taste the uni butter, which might have been a good thing because the sauce wasn’t overwhelmingly rich. They sprinkle mint on top, which is great with the tomato. Definitely going to be garnishing pastas like this at home.
For the third course I had the Market Fish and boyfriend had their Pork Belly. You should definitely get the pork belly. If you’re worried your dinner will be too heavy, just get two crudos and the pork belly. It was melt in your mouth delicious with the most buttery polenta. I was so jealous boyfriend got to eat this and not me.
Service was absolutely amazing. Their manager, Fran, came out to greet us with Prosecco for my birthday, which paired really well with the crispy pig ears (how can I forget to mention those until now!). Bonus points: their dining music is your favorite Coachella playlist — Neon Indian, Yeasayer, Beach House.
Overall, one of the best dining experiences I have had in a while. Next time, we’re getting the whole roasted pig’s head

This place is one the best restaurants I’ve been to in while. Lauren was our server. She was gracious and helpful. Very quaint and intimate. Great place for a date or family dinner. We sat on the patio, candle lit with an ivy canopy. Laurent explained in detail the menu. I started with the chicken hearts. They were awesome, if you love the iron and mineral taste of blood. Not a fan but I gave it a shot. She quickly brought out pig ears instead which were delicious. I then had the octopus, staticatella, lamb neck gnocchi and lamb belly. All were amazing! Just go and eat here. You’ll be glad you did.

Pig’s ears was very tasty. Bartender recommended Devil’s Short Shorts for Cocktail pairing. Amazing. Complimented the saltiness if the pig’s ears. The risotto was so-​so but the cocktail pairing was spot on.
Easily my new favorite restaurant.

Crudo is the epitome of a true dining experience. The atmosphere is warm and swanky, especially in combination with their inventive cocktails. The food presentation is clean and the flavors are decadent, but comforting. I am pretty sure I’ve had multiple dreams about the texture of their olive oil whipped goat cheese against the earthy grilled beets!

NOTE: rating only the bar
Stopped in for drinks before dinner next door at The Market. Immediately noticed that it was pretty quiet (was only 6p on a Saturday). We had actually tried to get reservations, but opted for elsewhere when Opentable showed only 5p and 9p available… Surprising as the place was empty at 6 and not on a long wait at 7.
Nice looking place. Very modern, gentrified old building type feel,
Sat down and looked over the drink menu. It was quite cool. A large list of cleverly-​named featured cocktails with creative ingredient lists… I had the Scotch Baio. My wife had the Temporary Treuse (like chartreuse…). We were actually quite excited to try it out. Unfortunately, the marketing turned out to be far better than the product. Both drinks were interesting but overly sweet and more like something you’d find at Fat Tuesday or something. Honestly, they gave the impression that someone is trying way too hard to be creative and special… Maybe we just made poor choices,
Service was solid. At some point we’ll be back to try a full meal (the place did smell spectacular).

So impressed by everything here! The food was very innovative and so flavorful! I definitely recommend this place to people who love food. Definitely get the 3 course at least, and you will still be full. The server was so helpful on what to choose, and very accommodating.
Their drinks are also on point! Had some classics, and some of their specials and all were perfect. I will be making this a frequent spot to eat. One of the best places in town!

Crudo is amazing. Best place to eat in Phoenix. I did the 3 course meal. The ahi plate was small but incredible. I also tried the butterfish and yellowtail plate but you can’t beat the ahi.
I had the gnochitti fig plate which was amazing as well as the short rib plate.
The apple desert was my favorite of the 3 offered. Crudo was lare and could accomadate large parties.

I went to Crudo last night starving so I knew I needed lots of food! We came for happy hour at the bar. Luckily, it wasn’t too packed and found a place to sit quickly. Hubby ordered the Dark and Stormy and I ordered the Daquiri — I must say, they make a «mean» cocktail! It was refreshing, sweet and strong, but not too strong. I barely can taste the alcohol but after a few sips, I started feeling a little too happy.
We first ordered the Ricotta Mozza — it was delightful! It was gone in 2.123 seconds, I think. They only give you three pieces of bread, but they will give you more upon request.
We then ordered the Ahi Crudo and the meatloaf burger. The Ahi was amazing — just like everyone said on the reviews I’ve read. The meatloaf burger wasn’t that bad either.
So here’s the issue: I normally assumed that these three dishes would be enough to get full. Hubby and I normally share one burger at other restaurants, but this time, it wasn’t enough! I needed more! I ordered one more meatloaf burger and finally, I was calm and ready to take a nap.
For happy hour, our check was a little high — $ 62 plus tip for two. However, I loved every bite and every sip. The service was good as well.

Another terrific culinary adventure at Crudo last night. We opted for dining in Bar Crudo instead of the dining room. Good call since it was Halloween and we were treated to dinner and a show! Crowd favorite was the huge Smurf at the bar, complete with blue balls.
We started with a pre-​dinner cocktail and the obligatory crispy pig ears. Between the three of us, our first course began with the Farm salad, butterfish and the yellowtail. My favorite was the butterfish followed closely by the farm salad. Lots of good fresh veggies and salad fixin’s in the salad. Next course was ricotta with walnut, mozzarella with fig & balsamic reduction and the gnocchette (sp?). All of these were really well prepared. I’d order any or all of them again. Finally, we had the brisket, yellowtail collar and gnocchi with lamb. Once again, all worth a repeat visit. Another bonus is they aren’t stupid expensive with the wine list. All reasonably priced wine which complement their cuisine.
At $ 35 per person for a 3 course adventure, this place rocks.

Great brunch — had their version of eggs Benedict but with potato and pork belly. Loved the hot sauce used.
My wife had the risotto with fried eggs — good but I didn’t think the risotto was «breakfast».
Also did the Crudo and Avacado mason jars. Just a great experience.

What a fabulous place. I love the interior design — clean and simple without feeling plain. The atmosphere easily suits a romantic dinner or meeting the girls for happy hour.
The drink menu is a thing of beauty. Clearly a lot of thought went into creating these cocktails and that’s evident in how they taste.
They have a tasting course option and that’s the way to go here. Portions are smaller and you’ll be able to try a bit of everything.
Service was excellent. Our server was friendly and attentive without hovering or whisking the plates away too early.
I look forward to coming back!

Totally disappointed in this place especially after reading all of the good reviews on Unilocal about it. After calling we drove almost an hour to get there excited to try their infamous crispy pig ears only to walk in the door and have the hostess tell us their closed until July 14^th.
Here’s an idea…
Put up a sign or don’t answer the phone but instead leave a recording on your voicemail stating your closed. It would also be nice if when someone calls to ask if they need a reservation you didn’t tell them you take walk ins but instead say «we’re closed currently» if your not even open for business. Also know that this place is a bit hard to find if you don’t notice the paper sign that’s said’s Crudo’s is in back.
This experience sure left a bad taste in my mouth.

Wow. So. Good. I could just leave it at that.
First, don’t let the non-​descript strip mall look from the outside turn you away. The actual space inside and is a pretty cool ambiance for unwinding and enjoying good food after a busy week. When we were there for dinner it was mostly professionals all enjoying a nice, relaxing quiet dinner.
Started out with some hamachi that had a grapefruit component that completely washed out any flavor from the fish. Point of sushi is to enjoy the flavor of the fish. Huge miss. I asked the server about it, if I were missing the concept or something and she agreed. And without me asking or anything further she brought out another sushi dish that was delicious. Huge save. I think it’s very classy to when restaurants do this without you having to ask and be «that guy». Makes the experience much better and is a huge win in my book. And big points for the server!
Next up were cheese courses. House made mozz with bacon which was good. But the ricotta with honey and a walnut sauce that was just fabulous. Savored every bite.
We were already on a roll when the entrees hit the table. I ordered a brisket with a tower of bone marrow and the flavor combos were just sensational. (Yes, I said a TOWER of bone marrow. Well played sir, well played.) I liked the brisket was not sauced allowing to enjoy the flavor of the brisket and in a different way then usual. And the bone marrow was a wonderful accompaniment.
Overall the service, food, and ambiance was very satisfying and I can’t wait to get back.