| CHOW BELLA | t Café The grilled watermelon salad at Santé. Live and Let Eat First Taste: Scottsdale’s Santé satisfies a crowd. I BY MER NORWOOD When a new spot opens in town, we can’t wait to check it out, let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead, a peek inside restaurants that have just opened — an occasion to sample a few items and satisfy curiosities (both yours and ours). f you’ve ever gone into a restaurant as a person with a dietary restriction, only to be presented with iceberg lettuce, Santé is here for you. With a menu boasting dishes that are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo, and keto, this new Scottsdale restaurant sets out to provide more options without having to compromise flavor while at the same time creating a hip, posh environment. Co-owner Nico Doniele says it’s all about celebrating food, and how we can do it together — without the limitations of dietary restrictions. “Something that brings us together more than anything on the planet is sitting down having food and cocktails, and nothing sucks more than dietary restric- tions,” Doniele says. “I know this because I have dietary restrictions — you go to a restaurant, and you can’t do anything. So, I think that we truly created a niche for people to celebrate. Your best friend who’s vegan can have a beautiful vegan dish, while you have a bison filet.” Yes, bison filet. Santé is no ordinary health food joint. At this new restaurant, it’s all about the details, from the luscious pink decor to the tiniest purple carrot put on your plate. The food is organic and conscience- forward, meaning Santé partners with regenerative organic farms which conduct ethical agricultural practices. In other words, the animals are treated well (think grass-fed and free-roaming), and the carbon footprint of your dinner is much smaller because these farmers give back to the land. Doniele’s passion for wellness and commitment to impact are the backbone of Santé. Executive chef Saul Velazquez is here for it. Utilizing ingredients respon- sibly while not compromising flavor is key, he says. “We do use butter, but it’s organic grass- fed butter. We do use sugars and sweet- eners and stuff, but it’s honey and coconut sugar,” Velazquez says. The kitchen experiments with sustain- able substitutes and techniques that elevate each dish. “It’s just taking really familiar ingredi- ents and going a little right — as far as right as we can without scaring the guests off,” Velazquez says. >> p 24 23 Mer Norwood phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES JUNE 16TH– JUNE 22ND, 2022
