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(Scottsdale, AZ) – While it has become trendy to blur
the lines of cuisine, to turn conventional flavors inside
out and to challenge the palates and patience of many
diners,
Taggia,
opening mid-March, at the Caleo Resort & Spa (now Firesky
Resort & Spa), offers Old Town Scottsdale diners a
refreshing option:
authentic Coastal Italian cuisine
brimming with organic ingredients, vibrant flavors and
straightforward preparations. An
Italian native, Chef Claudio Urciuoli presents an
ever-changing menu reminiscent of his homeland; boasting
fresh seafood, artisan pastas, wood-fired pizzas and organic
locally-sourced produce.
Taggia’s Coastal Italian cuisine is rustic, yet refined and
celebrates the rich history of this region, famed for its
beautiful beaches, medieval-walled villages, historic olive
groves and superior seafood. Urciuoli transforms his
carefully chosen organic, seasonal ingredients into the
time-tested, naturally healthy dishes of Italy's Ligurian
coastline, bursting with bold and compelling flavors. "True
Mediterranean cuisine," he says, "is defined by the quality
of the ingredients." Flavorful dishes such as
grilled calamari with
Umbrian beans and purple scallions,
or
sapece di zucchini con gamberi: marinated zucchini, red
vinegar, mint and grilled white gulf shrimp
will transport guests to the Northern Italian waterside.
Urciuoli lives by the “philosophy of his grandmother” who
owned a salumeria (small Italian grocery market) that
featured the staples of Italian cuisine including olive
oils, fresh breads and pasta, which she made daily. “My
grandmother taught me the value of relationships with
farmers and instilled in me a great reverence for the
integrity of ingredients. She taught me how to taste the
grass and the milk in the cheeses and I have tremendous
respect for the local artisans who have continued the same
process for 1,000 years.”
A passionate proponent of the
popular Italian-born Slow Food movement, which celebrates
local, sustainable foods that are responsibly grown,
Urciuoli’s
regional fare showcases the brilliant artisinal products
available in Phoenix. Urciouli
has quickly developed a relationship and deep respect for
Valley organic garden guru Bob McClendon, of McClendon
Selects. “The Taggia menu is driven by what Bob has in
season, so the passion he brings to farming is a joy to
translate into my menu. His produce is packed with flavor,
so my job is to let those flavors shine. My food really
speaks for itself as I believe the success of authentic
Italian cuisine is 80% raw materials and 20% ability.”
And just one taste of his salad of
organic beets, wild chicory, apples and piave cheese
will indeed leave diners speechless, happily anticipating
the next course.
But to create authentic Italian cuisine, Urciuoli also draws
from his days in Liguria and Campania, where he and his
family established long-lasting relationships with producers
of fine artisan-crafted pasta, cheeses and cured meats. “I
stay very connected to the land of Italy, as my menu in
Taggia features these remarkable cheeses and cured salumis
that are hand-crafted by friends of my grandmother.”
Urcioli’s menu takes diners on a tantalizing journey as he
“discovers products from the past” and prepares them in
simple, but intensely satisfying and classic combinations.
Not one to follow trends, Urciouli is quick to point out
that healthy ingredients have always been a fundamental of
Ligurian cuisine. “I don’t preach or teach, but since I’ve
always shunned trans fats and focused on fresh, I’m thrilled
that this traditional approach is actually becoming trendy!”
By featuring ingredients harvested at the peak of their
flavor, some of Urciuoli’s recipes are deceptively simple,
bowing to the purity of the product, such as his
fish and shellfish cioppino.
Other traditional Ligurian dishes reach beyond the mindset
of what America typifies as Italian dining, as Urciouli
incorporates a handful of primo ingredients in surprising,
yet always approachable and satisfying combinations. The
roasted day boat scallops with baby fennel, fingerling
potatoes and local red grapefruit
is a visual delight, equaled only by the marvelous balance
of texture and taste.
Taggia is designed by the internationally renowned Puccini
Group, whose signature style features warm, inviting
environments combining an innovative mix of fresh,
contemporary elements grounded in tradition and intelligent
style. As soothing as a day by the Italian Rivera, Taggia is
awash in the calming color palette of fresh white,
chamomile, mimosa, sunset orange, olive, golden green and
ochre. The Mediterranean mood continues with rich, yet
casual textured fabrics, accented by rustic woods, stone and
the playful use of colored glass throughout the restaurant.
An open “Italian-style” exhibition kitchen with wood
burning oven, rustic wood beams and stone flooring, is
reminiscent of old world central plazas where guests are
encouraged to interact directly with the friendly kitchen
staff. The sweeping patio, surrounded by lush bougainvillea
and trickling water features, beckons guests to enjoy the
beach vibe and dine al-fresco under a starry sky, surrounded
by crackling wood-burning fireplaces. Taggia offers diners a
variety of settings; a cozy, romantically lit booth, the
lively kitchen area or patio seating, plus
a private dining room that seats 10.
Taggia is open 7 days a week. Lunch is served daily from
11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner is served from 5:30 to 10
p.m., Sunday – Thursday and from 5:30 to 11 p.m., Friday –
Saturday. The bar is open daily from 10 a.m. to close.
Taggia is located at 4925 N. Scottsdale Road at the Caleo
Resort & Spa. Reservations are recommended. For more
information on Taggia, or inquiries regarding private
parties or catering, please call 480.424.6095 or visit
www.taggiascottsdale.com.
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Chef Claudio Urciuoli -photo
courtesy Bridges Media Group
Spaghettini with Diver Scallops and Spicy Sausage
(servers 4)
photo courtesy Bridges Media Group
INGREDIENTS:
1
lb Spaghettini (rustichella degli Abruzzi) or (Latini)
8
oz Sausage
4
oz Dandelion greens or arugula julienne
6
Diver scallops U10 (quartered)
1 T
Extra virgin olive oil
2
Cloves fresh garlic
Sea
salt to taste
PREPARATION:
1.
Grill sausage (just to enough to leave grill marks)
and let rest 10 minutes.
2.
Cut sausage into small rounds.
3.
Boil pasta.
4.
5 minutes before pasta is al dente, heat oil in sauté
pan on med-hi heat with 2 cloves of garlic until they are
golden brown.
5.
Add the scallops, cook for 3 minutes, then add
dandelion greens.
6.
Add sausage and cook for 2 minutes.
7.
Add pasta (al dente) to scallops and sausage sauce.
8.
Add ¼ cup of the water that you cooked the pasta to
the sauté pan and finish cooking pasta to your liking,
adjust seasoning.
9.
Plate pasta and
finish with a high quality extra virgin olive oil.
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