Cask 63

Made arrangements to meet a group of friends here yesterday only to find the place is closed. They need to update their website — it was frustrating to check it out online only to find it’s apparently been closed for over a month :(

Food:
–Pretzel bread with flavored butter, fun to eat with 4 different types of flavored butter but taste-​wise it was all just okay
–Oyster salad with hard boiled egg and bacon bits, genius combo, salad of champions
–Chilean seabass with macadamia nut crust/​coconut lemongrass broth/​asian risotto/​asparagus/​duck confit on top, I died, omg every word in the dish’s name is like one of my favorite things, bravo bravo!
–Chevre key lime pie, delicious, neither the goat cheese nor the sour lime flavor overpowered
Posh setting, great service, fanfreakintastic execution of each dish.

I went here while on a business trip to Scottsdale. The food was great and I enjoyed the wine selection. It was also not too expensive considering the quality. I also really like the semi-​tapas approach they have to entrees. I got two entrees.
I got the pear salad. It was a perfect blend of greens, pear, nuts and cheese with just the right amount of dressing.
I got the lamb with gnocci which was perfectly cooked and went very well with the sides.
I got the scallops as my second entrée and they were some of the best scallops I’ve had
I highly recommend this restaurant.

What happened? We used to go to lunch here about once a month. They carried over a good part of the old Bloom menu, which was superb. There were appetizers, salads, entrees, etc. It was awesome.
I went in there this week and was handed a menu with 10 items on it. The two of us flipped it over looking for the entrees, but there were none. It was just those 10 items, and they all looked like appetizers. Is this is restaurant or some little café with 10 things? We got up and left.
I went back to my office and checked their website and sure enough, their lunch menu went from awesome to 10 lousy items, none of which really looked interesting. None that looked like it could fill me for lunch.
Did I miss something?

Came in to celebrate my friends birthday. We decided to try happy hour since we had never been before. We were so pleasantly surprised! The food looked amazing online so it was nice to not be disappointed. The beet salad with goat cheese = AMAZING. It was so good. You won’t get huge portions here but we loved that better because then we had room to sample a few things.
We also ordered the pear salad and salt and vinegar wings. The pear salad was tasty as well. We didn’t care for the vinegar wings. It wasn’t because they weren’t good they just weren’t my cup of tea. I like a sauce on my wings and these had a dry rub. I can see how someone else might like them. They are definitely unique and well made. I almost felt bad for not enjoying them! The bartender took them off of our bill without me even asking which was very nice!
After our salads we ordered the wild mushroom flatbread. OMG it was so good. Very filling as well. I saw someone get the mussels and oysters and almost ordered those too.
We decided to order dessert since it was my friends birthday. We order the S’more brownie. While it wasn’t in a jar like the picture I saw in Unilocal,it was still really good. I think they maybe made it smaller/​differently since it was a free birthday dessert? Not sure. It was really delicious all the same. I am going to crave it for weeks.
Our bill (after the comps made) came to only $ 23. My friend had wine as well so you really can’t beat that! We were seriously shocked we got such amazing food at such a great price. And the service was also great. They really took care of us. I am eager to go back and try this place for dinner. I’m willing to spend a little more $$ to try the dinner menu!

Holy Moly was this place amazing! Stuck around for 5 hours if that gives you any idea.
Made a reservation for my friends bachelorette party right around 7 so that a few us could linger in before hand and take advantage of the fantastic happy hour selection (3 – 7). Then, much to our surprise we were taken to our seats in the oh so classy private dining area. It’s my understanding that there is a significant minimum spending requirement to dine in there, so it was a lovely surprise indeed.
The menu was pleasantly priced and had a wide range of options to suit everyone’s palate. We pretty much had one of everything, shared it all, and loved it. The service was out of this world. The ambiance could not be beat. They even whipped up a few specialty items in the kitchen for the lady of the hour, which was especially impressive.
I seriously cannot praise this place enough. Our experience here was the highlight of our night (and it was a great night). It was a first time visit for many of us, but there is no doubt we will be back. Thank you Jerrmy (that’s how the receipt spelled it?) for giving us gals a night we won’t soon forget.

I brought a group of 12 to this restaurant. Granted, it was on a Monday night, but they’d had multiple months’ worth of notice that we were coming.
The menu that I’d expected from the web was completely different in-​person. Instead of reasonably priced entrees I encountered the same prices, but for tapas.
The server only explained the specials and the menu concept to one half of the table.
Then when the food came, less than half of us received the correct order, and some people’s orders were apparently never put in at all.
I’m embarrassed that I recommended this place to my group and I imagine I’m never going to live the experience down…

Was very happy with the experience here. Wine was great, service was fantastic, and food was well cooked
My only complaint is how terrible the oysters were… but everything else was quite good.

Great spot for a nice quiet dinner. Our waitress was very friendly and patient when we were trying to decide on our drinks. The food was great. Everything was seasoned well. Our lamb was not medium rare as we ordered, closer to medium, but it was still tender and tasted great. Dessert was by far the best, the panna cotta wasn’t too sweet and the flavors were all there. Will Definetly come back if I ever find myself in Scottsdale.

Just had dinner, and am very impressed with the food. We had scallops, quesadilla, beef tender, and more. It was delicious. However, I’m not impressed with the price on cocktails. We had two drinks before we sat down, and it was more than half the price of our meal! Oh, and not to mention we were looked down upon for arriving before our reservation. If you open at 5, your staff should be here BEFORE you open. The manager (assumed she was a manager) said to «come back» at the time of our reservation. She then proceeded to visit every table in the dining room, but never stopped by our table. Not sure if arriving a few minutes early is against protocol, but you don’t have to be rude about it.
Like I said, food was great. Just seems to be a few loose kinks in the chain. Good dinner, though!

Been here for both dinner and happy hour, and loved both. The servers have lots of personality, with our dinner waiter also making excellent well priced wine suggestions after learning what we like. Everyone loved their food, which was all perfectly prepared. I love the menu which is different enough from every other American grill to be interesting, but no so much that I found anything weird. It’s a swanky looking place, but not so stuffy you can’t go in nice jeans for dinner. If you haven’t been before, try to ask for a table on the upper level. Next time you can always sit at the lower level if it looks fine to you.
Happy hour is a great deal, but get there early before all the tables are filled if you don’t want to sit at the bar. The only negative about my hh experience was that the bartender knew less about wine than I do. The hh food is all very good.

Tried Cask 63 for a friends birthday dinner and ended up sitting at the bar for happy hour. Talk about some great specials! ½ off bar apps and generous portion size! Everything was very flavorful, the place had a great upscale atmosphere, and I can’t wait to get a chance to go back and explore their full menu.

Had a group of 11 at Cask 63 on New Years Eve and were fortunate enough to get a private room.
With a big group, we got to try a lot of different things… and I loved them all!
The mushroom flatbread is a MUST try, our whole group loved it! I had the scallops– they were ridiculous! The rest of the group had lamb, duck, steak, and ahi tuna– everyone loved their meals, and we had several of us needing to-​go boxes!
I would definitely visit Cask 63 again– it was fun and so fabulous!

So I had a group of 7 friends and we all decided to try Cask 63 for the first time last night to jump start Restaurant week. The restaurant design is classic yet sophisticated at the same time. It reminded me alot about Skye but without the stage for musicians. I really loved the atmosphere when we walked in!
I made reservations for 7 people as mentioned above, yet they sat us at a table where 3 of those 2 seater tables were put together. This meant that it was ample seating for 6 people, not 7 so those of us sitting on the «booth side» had to squeeze into a space that was meant to fit 3, not 4 people, while the people with 3 chairs across from us sat comfortably with plenty of room! I kept wanting to say something, like adding another 2 seater table to accommodate us but there was a couple already sitting next to us, so we couldn’t steal their table. Nor was there enough room to just grab another chair to place it on either end of the long table set up, so we were in a bind. We were squished on our side, and I couldn’t keep my mind off of that.
They have about 10+ sets of wine flights available and I had Flight #8 which featured 3 cabernets from Napa Valley. I enjoyed them tremendously and it helped me drown my concerns over being squished. A couple of my friends complained that the Manhattans were too sweet, but another friend said that their regular martinis with the blue cheese olives really hit the spot and wasn’t too sweet.
My hubby and I ordered off the Prix Fixe menu for fall Restaurant Week. I had the «Surf and Turf» entrée which featured a petite filet beef tenderloin and 2 pieces of shrimp of a tortilla, which turned out to be a egg potato omelet looking thing, with the consistency of Tomago (that egg sushi nigiri). My husband had the pork brisket which ended up being really chewy at medium cooking. I think had he ordered it slightly rarer, it might have been less chewy. He and I sat in envy of our friends who ordered off the the prix fixe menu. Apparently, the chilean sea bass was cooked to perfection. It was light and flaky and full of flavor! The filet mignon was also very appetizing and I was told it was delicious! The salmon was also prepared perfectly! I had a friend that ordered the trout off of the prix fixe menu and she seemed to love it with the exception of the seasoned crispy skin part, but I had a taste of that and it was cooked really well! I was very entrée jealous, because although mine was good, I kind of wanted my friends’ other entrees. Has that ever happened to you? I will return to Cask 63 again, but next time, I will go all out and order something that’s on their regular menu, because there was an obvious difference in portion size and flavor it seems…
Oh, and speaking of entrée envy… You must order the oatmeal cookie dessert with the Guinness ice cream, because not only was it huge, it was un-​freaking believable! My s’more jar did not even compare to my friend’s dessert!

We had the opportunity to come here twice in our business trip to Scottsdale. A special shout out and thanks to Brian (executive chef) and Michele and Lindsay (the best wait staff ever!).
On the first night we came in around 10 p.m. and even though they closed at 9 they still seated us with a smile and asked us what they could make for us. (Try getting that at any restaurant these days.) The food is amazing but the service and connection to the staff is even better. This is truly a dining experience and not just a place to eat.
In the two nights I tried the filet (magical combo of flavors with the potatoes w/​tarragon) and the rack of lamb (I uploaded a pic for your viewing pleasure). On the second night we started with the wild mushroom flatbread (a must for the combination of mushrooms, onions, red pepper flake, balsamic, and fontina) Brian came and sat with us as did Lindsay. Since we had expressed a true love of wine on the first night we met, Brian brought a special bottle from his own cellar and shared it with us. (Thanks again Brian it was very nice!)
Everything here has Brian’s passion for cooking and making each patron feel like a king or queen. Michelle and Lindsay are amazing with the perfect suggestions on what should be ordered and are very attentive to your every need.
To end the night Brian broke away from the duties in the kitchen and enjoyed a cigar with us out side. I’m already trying to map out another trip down here just to have another perfect dining experience. Well done all!

Picture this, 12 hungry people wanting something for dinner on a Tuesday night. Me being the person in charge of selecting a restaurant for said hungry people and hoping that everyone is happy. Enter Cask 63. OMG!!! Words cannot even begin to express how happy everyone was. It was a work dinner and you know how hard it can be to make everyone happy. Cask 63 delivered and then some. It is a nice swanky looking place that would make a great date night for those that are thinking of taking someone out to a special place. (hint hint)
First and foremost I must give a huge shout out and thank you to Tracy for being so very patient with me and for making sure my reservation was all set up. Anthony, our fantabulous server for the night was phenomenal!!! I mean the man went above and beyond to make sure were taken care of. To the rest of the staff and crew, thank you so much for making our dining experience extra special.
Ok now let’s get to the food. OMG The food!!! From the warm brie, to the calamari, to the shrimp cocktail in which the shrimp looked like mini lobsters to the oozing with yummy goodness flatbread. How on earth did we save room for dinner? Yum! Let us not forget the bread that cam out piping hot. The pretzel bread was the favorite of course. All that was missing was the mustard (so said my coworkers). The Ladera (sp) wine that Anthony suggested after he patiently let me do a mini taste of about four of them was right on point. (I am a Cabernet girl, what can you say lol) Everyone was happy with everything that they had. I had the Seabass and it was cooked to perfection. Light and airy set on top of some risotto with just a little bit of lemongrass broth. I ate all of it! Except for the asparagus. (I love asparagus but asparagus doesn’t love me) The sauteed spinach with huge shavings of reggiano. Can I just say that I am sad that I shared that? Let us not forget the sweet potato fries. They were some of the best I have had in a long time.
Then the desserts. I ordered the crème brûlée which was melt in your mouth goodness. Others ordered the smores which had peanut butter ice cream. Did I mention that everyone, and I do mean everyone was VERY happy?
So will I be back? HA! Of course I will. Everything was very reasonably priced and with the staff like Anthony and Tracy, why wouldn’t I come back? :)

Excellent lunch offered at Cask 63. I really enjoyed the cool, Scottsdale vibe and bright interior.
I highly recommend the Trout and Pulled Pork sandwich.

My girlfriends and I decided to check this place out around 7pm on a Saturday night, thinking that we won’t need reservations cause its new. Haha, well I recommend making reservations, we were quoted an hour wait but were offered to check out their lounge that is first come first serve. We went for the lounge option and happened to luck out finding three, out of the ten, stools at the bar available. The restaurant is extremely loud and the lounge area is no different. The décor is trendy and contemporary with greys and whites. The lounge area offers one small flat screen that had ESPN playing, but this is not the place to watch sports.
The two bartenders on were very friendly and greeted us right away and we given a drink and food menu. Let me say that I wanted to try every item on the food menu as all the options sounded delicious. The drink menu, well for advertising as a wine bar, their by-​the-​glass wine selection is pathetic, but their 2 ounce flight menu had hope. I opted for a drink off their cocktail menu titled Cider Bellini and it was a delicious treat that reminded me of Fall due to the cinnamon and apple cider. The bartenders use fresh fruit to make all the drinks which is greatly appreciated.
We split two appetizers, the Warm Brie and the Crab Cake 3 Ways. Both were super tasty and gone within three minutes of being set down in front of us (psh, don’t judge).
The brie had a black pepper almond crust and was accompanied by a fig and pear compote and those two salty/​sweet ingredients combine to form an amazing party in your mouth. The three crab cakes were super small, But each had a different flavor: Traditional, Corn wrapped Red Pepper Aioli, and a Sothwestern hush puppy-​esque fritter. The Maryland Traditonal crab cake was the favorite among us three ladies.
We will definitely be back to try more specialty cocktails and sample more of their delicious food!

I went here last Friday night with a party of 6 at about 8:30pm. We had a reservation so were seated right away. It looks like this place gets pretty crowded so I would recommend reservations.
I don’t want to compare this place to Bloom but I just can’t help it. I’ve only dined at Bloom 3 or 4 times over the years but this place just reminds me of it. The look and the food are a bit different but the essence of the place is still there. Not that it is a bad thing. Its just very similar in my eyes.
*Pretzel bread they give you to start = awesome. They don’t give you the traditional pretzel roll with normal butter. Instead, they give you 3-​inch long pretzel «sticks» with 3 different types of butter. It was great.
*Wedge salad = excellent. It was big, bacony and blue cheesey — just the way I like it.
*Beef brisket burger. This was easily one of my top 10 favorite burgers. Perfectly cooked, very tender and juicy. Just very tasty all around. The outside had the perfect amount of crunch and the bacon/​brisket added awesome flavor and texture. The parmesan fries were amazing as well. Salty, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. The sweet potato fries were not very good. I thought they were soggy and the dipping sauce was blah. Plus I don’t like when random herbs are put on fries that make them taste weird.
The rest of my party wasn’t equally impressed with their meals for various reasons. The service was pretty good except it took forever to get our main courses. The owner/​manager/​someone important did come by our table to ask how everything was which was very nice.

The designers went contemporary. There is a mixture of woods. The curves in the lobby wall are pretty slick with the sparkling blue, green and gray glass tiles. Very plush streaked light carpet. And the bar is fashioned concrete, something Frank Lloyd Wright would innovate.
Today Sam, an exceptionally cool bartender chills with me. Jerry Tingle, one of the Cask 63 partners, graciously shakes my hand as we introduce ourselves and speak a moment.
A look at the wine menu, I order a glass of 2009 Wavertree Pinot by Wedell Cellars. A grape the ancient Romans cultivated. This wine has a deep blush color, a soft berry flavor, full body with a velvety texture finish. 15.
I find several dishes I want to try, like the wild mushroom flatbread. Tuna Nicoise salad. Madeira braised beef short ribs. Fillet Mignon. Rainbow trout and especially the lobster pot pie.
But today for lunch I am going to pair my wine with the pulled pork BBQ sandwich and sweet potato fries. 15. The bread is a tangy chewy ciabatta. Neither the pork, bbq sauce or the crusty sourdough over power each other. I know little about the recipe but the sandwich is mouth watering. Someday I would enjoying trying a different, slightly thinner Italian bread but it would need to be flaky and just as tangy. Portion size is large.
A toast to Cask 63, two business partners and a gathering of gentle people who share a cozy vision.