POSH

 This week for Fun Frank Friday, we found a restaurant in Scottsdale that is the true embodiment of "Adventures in Eating".    When we first heard of this place, we looked up online to check out what they serve.  Come to find out that there is absolutely NO menu whatsoever.  They do what is called an "Improvisational Menu".  It varies from time to time, what is served today is not necessarily what will be served tomorrow.   It starts with an explanation of the paperwork.  Each patron is given a sheet of paper in which they make their selections and preferences known. 
The first selection you make is the number of courses you will be served.  This is what determines your cost for the meal.  The next option is if you choose to upgrade one of the courses for an additional fee.  For an example, our options to upgrade included adding foie gras or kobe beef.  Your next decision is more of an elimination of what you refuse to eat rather than what you want to eat as in a traditional menu.  For an example, the paper has a list of 18 protein choices.  Our choices ranged from rainbow trout to quail.  You simply cross off any you don't want to eat.  The next section gives you the choice of indicating temperature for the meat and fish as well as if you prefer to eat raw meat/fish or not.  The last sections are for you to list any allergies, food aversions, or dietary restrictions.  Once you have completely filled out the paper, our waiter Timothy, read back everything to us for clarification and that there was nothing else left off.

So we chose to have a five course meal and the only item I crossed off my list was trout, hoping that they would indulge me in the less familiar proteins.  Patti didn't want to take any chances and immediately crossed off those items she knew she would not eat.  I wasn't too picky about the temperature of my meat and I did mark that I would eat raw meat and raw fish.  The only restrictions I placed were no grapes or raisins as I am allergic to them.  Shortly after they received all of our information, Timothy came out with what I call a "palate cleanser".  This was French butter and pink salt topped with a slice of radish and chives.  Do not be mistaken this was not numbered as one of the courses you ordered.

 First course: I was given an heirloom tomato salad with cucumber, shishito pepper relish and garnished with tomato jelly.  Patti was given a garlic cauliflower soup with a dollop of sour cream, scallions and a single large homemade potato chip.

The salad was fresh crunch with a slight tang.  But Patti's course was hand's down the more delicious of the two.  It was a hearty full flavor, but when you took a bite with the potato chip there was an extra explosion of nutty flavor in your mouth.  This was one of the best soups we have ever tasted.   We even asked if we could take some extra home and they said they still had a bunch of people we need to feed.  This is one of the tastes that will leave you craving to return to Posh.

 Second Course:  I was brought PEI mussels in a Thai curry broth with bok choy and radish sprouts.  Patti was brought some Mahi Mahi fish with carrot and caraway spaetzel with sauteed mushrooms and sprouts.  My mussels were incredibly tender and delicious and the Thai curry broth gave it just the right amount of kick to bring this dish to the height of its flavor.  Patti's fish was tender and flaky and she really enjoyed the spaetzel.  I felt that my mussel dish was the clear winner for this round.  Although Patti disagrees but that is only because she doesn't like mussels.

Third course:  My beggar's purse pastry filled with escargot was surrounded by white asparagus and topped with a horseradish and hazelnut sauce.  Patti's lemongrass poached shrimp was served on top of an okonomiyaki otherwise known as a Japanese cabbage pancake.  This was then topped with Japanese mayo and barbecue sauce.  My beggar's purse was incredibly light and flaky with a flavorful escargot but I must admit that Patti's poached shrimp was amazing and won this round.  It had the tang and sweet flavor that was complimented with the textures and excitement of the okonomiyaki.

Fourth course:  Placed in front of me was a lamb sausage atop of chickpea hummus and served with a cherry mint sauce.  In front of Patti was placed a breaded and pan fired pork cheek atop a cherry glaze and roasted carrots.  The lamb sausage had a strong hearty flavor with a distinctive taste of port wine.  Don't be fooled by the strong flavor this did not have a strong after taste.  Patti's pork was flavorful but thought the breading made it a bit dry.  Although the glaze helped it, my dish definitely won this round.

 Fifth course: Dessert!  No matter what you choose all the options have a dessert course.  My dessert was a deconstructed apple tartlet made with puff pastry and topped with apples and droplets of cinnamon complimented with a vanilla sauce.  Patti's dessert was a dark chocolate pate topped by a  lavender white chocolate mousse and complimented with huckleberry and vanilla en glace and sprinkled with white chocolate.  These were both two incredible desserts.  I will have to call it a tie on which one was better.  My tartlet was really fun with the droplets of cinnamon that holds together until you bite into it and get an explosion of flavor in your mouth.  Patti's dessert was rich and creamy and an excellent way to end this meal.

 I would like to tip my hat to the waiters who explained our dishes slowly and elegantly for us to understand and the excellent professionalism of Timothy for indulging our extensive notetaking.
But wait there is more!  Just when you thought it had all ended and the check has arrived, two more treats arrived at our table.  We each were given a bag of cookies with brittle and a frozen pumpkin spice cheesecake lollipop for the drive home.

This place is amazing!  I enjoyed the spontaneity and the creativity of the food.  So if you haven't had a chance to try an improvisational meal, go to Posh and try it now!