How would you pick a restaurant after a year-long hiatus? Our first was Sel restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona.
It’s hard to argue that 2020 was a crazy year, especially in Portland, Oregon.
First, we couldn’t eat out because of quarantine. Then we lost an appetite for restaurants because the best places are downtown, and it’s still like a war zone in 2021. Besides, mask mandates and eating outside in cold rainy weather is hardly an upscale dining experience we look forward to.
Naturally, vacation rhimes with fancy dinners, and that’s how we picked Sel restaurant. We wanted a place that we haven’t been to in Scottsdale, Arizona, and recognized as a gastronomic destination.
Sel Restaurant Menu
Some may find Sel’s menu design a bit limiting on main course options. But the length of the menu says little about the quality of food based on our extensive experience in top-notch restaurants in NYC, London, Paris, Rome, Sicily, and elsewhere. Actually, there’s a reverse correlation between the length of the menu and the quality of food. If you get a book instead of the one-two-page menu, it’s a warning sign. The best chefs intentionally limit their menu to focus on the quality rather than quantity of dishes.
Sel has both a prefix tasting and a la carte menu. We ordered a la carte because we love appetizers, and Sel had several that we wanted to try: Beef Tournedo, Crab Cake, and Korean Short Ribs. Besides, appetizers offer an excellent opportunity to play a wine pairing game.
For the main course, we had N.Y. Strip Steak, somewhat reluctantly, because either the other dishes potentially could clash with the wines we picked. And you probably noticed that wine is as important to us as food.
Wine List and Wine by the Glass
Sel’s wine list is diverse enough to satisfy many tastes, and they even got the 2020 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. They had some classic as well as off-beaten-path wines. The best part, a wide range of wines, was available by the glass, promising an exciting pairing game.
We started with medium-bodied Viberti “La Gemella” Barbera 2019 filled with Marochino cherries and cranberries flavors. Then followed with more substantial Damilano “Marghe” Nebbiolo 2017 – the early-drinking version Barolo, with impressive violets and sandalwood aroma. The third wine was lingoberry jam-like, yet light, Cesari Valpolicella Corvina 2017.
We expected more from Valpolicella was a bit less impressive than we expected and finished third. Barbera delivered precisely what we expected and paired well with all the dishes. The Nebbiolo was the most impressive of all three and a favorite of the night.
Wine + Food: Pairing Game
The Beef Tournedo is a couple of delicious gourmet mini-burgers without a bun. All three wines paired well with it, with Barbera tasting best.
The Crab Cakes were among some of the best we ever had. Real crab and not overloaded with breadcrumbs. Tender and delicious. The fruitiness of Barbera was the best match. Who says red wine doesn’t pair with seafood?
Finally, Marghe Nebbiolo matched great with N.Y. Strip Steak. Nebbiolo’s tannin and acidity balanced the steak’s fattiness and complemented assertive beef flavor with its fruit-forward character.
In short – yes! Here’s why:
Although the menu is small, Brandon (Sel’s chef) brings up the depth and complexity of some of the common ingredients’ flavors, proving our point of quality over quantity.
As we mentioned, N.Y. Strip Steak for the main course was a reluctant choice. Why other dishes didn’t make a cut?
As delicious as it might be, Sel Burger is not something we look for in an upscale restaurant. We understand why chefs add this trendy dish to a menu. We just not into it.
The other three dishes Scallops, Lobster Tail, and Gnocchi, rather call for Champagne or white or even rosé wines. All these dishes have delicate flavors, and Barbera, Valpolicella, and Nebbiolo could’ve overwhelmed them.
While our steak choice was a reluctant one, we thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to gauge where we stand with our steak skills and learn from a professional chef.
Over the crazy summer of 2020, we experimented with steak preparation methods on and off the grill. We had achieved some good results. Still, we have ways to go towards perfection because cookbooks and videos can get you only as far as the instructions and image. For inspiration, one must taste!
Sel’s N.Y. Strip Steak was among the top five we had. The meat was tender and juicy but not bloody. The sauce was the key to its success and what separates the enthusiasts like us from professionals like Brandon.
To summarize what we liked about Sel: fantastic food and wine list, excellent service from start to finish.
Thank you for the delicious dinner Brandon, Mei and staff!