Located inside the historic Montezuma Inn, a structure that was built in 1900 as the Joe Lane Saloon, Moscato Italian restaurant might be Camp Verde’s worst-kept secret. In January, executive chefs Salvatore Moscato, originally from Italy, and Jenny Robbins, originally from South Africa, opened the comfortably chic restaurant, and foodies from as far as Phoenix and Tucson quickly turned Moscato into a destination. (Reservations are highly recommended on the weekends.) The dining room, with its original dark wood floors, is decorated in soothing shades of white and gray with diaphanous white curtains covering the windows. On the more rustic patio, the walls are painted a sunny yellow, white lights adorn mulberry trees and you’ll find fresh flowers at every table – a little slice of Italy in Arizona.
Just about everything at Moscato is made in house including the to-die-for pasta, bread and desserts. Organic and local ingredients are used whenever possible. The eatery offers beer, wine and a full bar. We started our dinner with the Il Salumiere appetizer: a wooden board brimming with parmesan and gorgonzola cheeses, salami, bresaola, prosciutto, olives, crostini, pickled vegetables and pomodorino sauce. It’s an elegant charcuterie plate with a full range of flavors, from fatty and salty to bright and piquant. We couldn’t pass up the pasta for dinner, so we ordered the Linguine Pesto Genovese, which tastes like a summer garden on a plate. The fresh-made linguine is tossed with a creamy basil-nut pesto and topped with tender, plump shrimp. Chef Jenny told us the Costatella is a favorite among regulars, so we had to try it. The dish features boneless, braised, beef short ribs with a rich red wine sauce served over creamy polenta. You could eat the entire meal with a spoon, the beef is just that tender. It’s the ultimate comfort food, comparable to your grandma’s beloved pot roast (times 10).
During our visit, Chef Salvatore had just added a new dessert called Chocolate Paradiso to the menu. It’s the essential way to end your meal if you’re a chocolate lover. The dessert is the consistency of dense, rich chocolate pudding. It’s splashed with Amaretto and served with a side of whipped cream. Just like Moscato, it’s a little slice of paradise. – Erika Ayn Finch. Photo by Deb Weinkauff.
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