Taggia
Review of Taggia in Scottsdale, AZ
About.com Rating 
Taggia - What I Liked
- Uniquely prepared Italian specialties
- All price ranges
- Menus online
- Portions just right
Taggia - Be Aware
- Kitchen noise in dining room
- Online menus not always current for offerings or prices
- Lack of ambiance
 Burrata at Taggia © Judy Hedding |
Taggia - The Mood
Taggia (pronounced 'ta juh' with the j sounding like it does
in the Taj Mahal) is located inside the FireSky
Resort & Spa in Old Town Scottsdale. Sit inside for a more
upscale or private dining experience, or sit outside where shorts and
swimwear comprise the common dress code! The last time I dined here,
in 2009, Taggia was located on the Scottsdale Road side of the resort.
It has since been moved to the center of the resort, more convenient
to the common areas and the pools. The redesign called for an open
kitchen, visible from certain tables in the dining room (your choice
whether to watch the kitchen action or not), but able to be heard by
all. Taggia's menu consists of
"coastal Italian cuisine" so while you will
find pizza and some red sauces, the focus at Taggia is northern
Italian fare. Where feasible, Chef uses locally grown produce and
products.
Taggia - The Damages
The menu at Taggia isn't extensive, but you'll find a pleasant variety of dishes, as well as prices, here. You can have pizza ($12 to $14) or pasta ($16 to $22) with a salad ($8 to $9) or you can have a traditional several course meal. On the evening we dined at Taggia we shared two appetizers, one pasta dish, two entrées and one dessert. Excluding beverages, tax and tip that came to about $50 per person. Of course, that's a lot of food!
My Review of Taggia
I love appetizers. I'd choose an appetizer over a dessert any day of the week! Taggia offers diverse antipasti selections. We tried the Calamari ($12) last time and enjoyed it, but they were out tonight. The Burrata with caponata and grilled bread ($12) is just how I remembered it, and I'm glad they didn't mess with a good thing. I love this appetizer.
 Pan Seared Duck Breast at Taggia © Judy Hedding |
The Charred Beets Salad that I had last time is no longer on the menu, and the salads looked like mostly greens, so we opted to share a pasta dish as a second appetizer. Our server (and the bartender, and the maitre d') recommended the Orecchiette pasta dish ($18), made with local sausage from Shreiner's. It was delicious and not heavy, more than enough to share as an appetizer or enjoy as a main dish. For the entrees we tried the Pan Seared Scallops ($28) perfectly prepared and presented atop vegetables and beans, and the Pan Seared Duck Breast ($25) on polenta with locally grown carrots. The Chef loves fresh vegetables, and so do we. No additional side orders are necessary with these entrees, and they were both very good.
 Dining Room at Taggia © Judy Hedding |
None of the desserts evoked that 'ooh, I can't wait to try that' emotion in us. Last time I was here I tried the recommended Zabaglione dessert, but I wasn't excited about it. This time -- since there are still no primarily chocolate desserts aside from gelato -- I tried the Cannolis ($7). There were three medium-sized cannolis, and while the chocolate shavings were sparse, I could really taste the orange ricotta. Nice!
Taggia's dining room is comfortable. In the daylight it is fairly nondescript and what I would call 'typical hotel'. In the evening, the lighting adds a bit more drama and interest to the design, more pleasant for what turned out to be a very enjoyable meal.
Taggia is open seven days per week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Where to Find Taggia:
4925 North Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-424-6095
Visit Taggia online.
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Taggia.
Date of review: June 2012
All dates, times, prices and offerings are subject to change without notice.
As is common in the industry, the writer was provided with a complimentary meal for the purpose of the review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
