“It’s the biggest restaurant we’ve ever done,” says Arboleda co-owner Mitchell Rosenthal, as we admire the stunning interior of his new Mediteranean restaurant in the Scottsdale Quarter. “Our restaurants in San Francisco were about 100 seats, and this is about 240.” In April of this year, restaurateurs Mitchell and his brother Steven Rosenthal, along with Björn Kock, opened the doors of Arboleda to whisk diners off to the Mediterranean. They tapped designer Mark Zeff, who created a breezy indoor-outdoor concept with a grand barrel-vaulted ceiling, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that merge the outside patio and dining room in nice weather, and a 14-foot olive tree as a centerpiece (arboleda translates to a grove of trees in Spanish).
Although the restaurateurs have a long history of operating several successful restaurants, Arboleda represents a long-planned entry into the Scottsdale market and an entirely new concept for them. “We’ve always done one-of-a kind restaurants, including our places in San Francisco and one we had in Portland, Oregon,” says Rosenthal, who during the pandemic aftermath had to shutter all the restaurants except for Town Hall, a San Francisco culinary institution with a Southern menu.
For the first six months as they scouted a location, the team concentrated on Old Town Scottsdale. “Then someone said you should look at North Scottsdale and as soon as we came up here, we knew this was where we wanted to be,” shared Rosenthal. The well-curated shops and walkability of Scottsdale Quarter appealed to them, as did the neighborhood’s residences. “We wanted to be part of the community since we all moved from San Francisco, and now we all live within five minutes of the restaurant.” That includes Executive Chef Evan Gotanda, a Los Angeles native and Le Cordon Bleu graduate who had worked with the trio for eight years in San Francisco. “Evan was the chef of Salt House, which was California progressive cooking, and Anchor & Hope, an East Coast-style fish house,” Rosenthal explained.
To craft Arboleda’s distinctive Mediterranean menu, Gotanda drew inspiration from his experiences and his travels. “We took an R&D trip to Spain,” he shares as he mentions the team’s exploration through Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Gerona, and San Sebastian. “Every dish has a story to it and a lot of thought. There were many conversations between Mitch and me as we tested recipes back in San Francisco. And now that we’re here, the menu continues to evolve,” says Gotanda, in part because of connections they’ve made in Arizona.
“We were surprised at how many great products we were able to find out here, like local purveyor Jet Fresh for the shrimp in our gambas, and WorldClass, where we get our octopus, jamón Ibérico, and great Argentinian beef,” notes Gotanda. “I’ve met a farmer growing White Sonora Wheat,” Rosenthal adds. “And tomorrow we’re going to meet up with Heartquist Hollow Farm. I had some of the lamb last week and loved it. And then they turned me on to Rhiba Farms.”
Along with local sourcing, you’ll find Mediterranean countries such as Spain, France, Italy, and Greece deliciously represented on the menu. There are tapas and shareable plates like hand-carved jamón Ibérico de bellota (the luxurious prized Spanish ham made from acorn-fed Iberian pigs) and charred Portuguese octopus with pickled Persian cucumbers (“the amount of octopus we sell is insane,” says Rosenthal). Also try the hummus with za’atar and puffy pita bread baked in-house, or the hamachi crudo (pictured) with carrot purée, black garlic vinegar, crispy Brussels sprouts, and Gotanda’s signature chili garlic crunch made with dried chiles, garlic, shallots, and ginger.
Gotanda’s skills are further demonstrated in the deceptively simple-appearing Spanish tapas of patatas bravas (crispy potatoes with smoked pimentón espuma). To produce them, he grates a combination of Kennebec and Russet potatoes, seasons them with onion and garlic, and then compresses them in a Cryovac before rolling them out, cutting them into cubes, and frying to produce an ethereal crispy-creamy texture. “Typically, it comes with a tomato-based spicy sauce and aioli,” he explains, “but for ours, I base it off a Hollandaise recipe using egg yolks, cream, shallots, and a mix of dried chilies. It’s sous-vide in a water bath for about half an hour, and then we puree it and aerate it in something like a whipped cream charger. It’s finished with charred onion ash, so you get a lot of layers of flavor.” “Evan’s cooking is so layered,” adds Rosenthal, “with so much technique. What’s interesting is that the dish mimics the traditional aoli and tomato flavor, but it’s lighter. And better.”
The same care is seen in the gambas píl píl (shrimp with garlic and chile) with Gotanda’s secret being three kinds of oil—a garlic oil, his chile crisp, and a laborious shrimp oil made by combining shrimp shells with tomato paste, herbs, and oil, and cooking sous-vide for 10 hours to extract the maximum shrimp flavor. “It’s a long process,” he notes, “but using the three oils really elevates that dish.”
Those looking for heartier dishes may want to dive into grilled chicken with peri-peri sauce, made with African peri-peri peppers, vinegar, and spices. Or, indulge in the filet mignon, which is butterflied, seasoned, and rolled before being sliced into juicy spirals. Another standout is the lobster spaghetti with toasted garlic and vadouvan (a French interpretation of an aromatic Indian curry blend) inspired by Gotanda’s years working with LA’s famed Italian chef, Celestino Drago.
With beverage director Brandi Young in charge, the wine and cocktail programs are just as thoughtful, with Young putting special effort into seeking lesser-known labels and interesting varietals. Thanks to Young’s guidance, my go-to wine to accompany gambas and tapas is a refreshing glass of Viña Esmeralda blanco, an aromatic blend of white Moscatel de Alejandría and Gewürztraminer, while the Montsant Llenca Plana, a rich Spanish red, is a perfect pairing for Arboleda’s juicy steaks. The cocktail menu includes specialty drinks like one of my favorites, the Sueño (a gin and tonic enhanced with white port and juniper berries), and stay tuned for an update by renowned cocktail whiz Richie Moe, who recently joined the team.
Rosenthal and Gotanda emphasize that the experience is just as important as the food at Arboleda. “There’s a special satisfaction and a certain feeling you get from a busy night and speaking to the guests,” Gotanda notes. Rosenthal agrees: “You really have to have that need to make people happy. That’s what’s important. This place transports you, and it’s pretty awesome to be able to do that.”
written by: christina barrueta
photographed by: luke irvin
also, check out our podcast with arboleda