Postino in Scottsdale, Arizona

Walking into POSTINO in Scottsdale, AZ. was an interesting experience. Postino is not actually a restaurant, but it serves good food, as well as wine. The space is basically a ground level garage - a big one, but nevertheless a well air conditioned and remodeled garage. The building was once a post office - thus the name POSTINO. One of the nicest things about the space is the openness and the comfortable placement of tables and divans.

We started with the Olive Bowl and Bruschetta. The Olive Bowl ($4.00) was a mixture of predominantly green, and some black olives. There were eight bruschette on the menu and one picks any four of them for $10.00. We chose the Salami with Pesto, Fresh Mozzarella with Tomatoes and Basil, Roasted Artichokes, and Roasted Peppers with Goat cheese. All were very good, not in the least because of the quality of the bread upon which the Bruschetta were constructed. We ordered a glass of Nino Franco Prosecco, and Nora Albarino at $5.00 a glass. Both were good.

We enjoyed our first meal that we decided to return and try something else. This time we had the Bella Postino ($5.00). Of course, we had no idea what a Bella Postino was, so we asked our waiter. It turned out to be a selection of breads, accompanied by an excellent Basil Pesto. The small bowl of pesto was meant as a dipping sauce. It was probably one of the best pesto dishes that we have had in a restaurant. The combination of basil, olive oil and Parmesan cheese was basically perfect.

This time we had a Montevento Pinot Grigio and a Pilsner Urquell Beer. The glass of wine was $5.00 and the beer $4.00.

Since POSTINO calls itself a winecafe, we feel obligated to list a few of the available wines. Please note that regardless of the prices posted below, Postino's wines by the glass are $5.00 between 11 am and 3:00 pm.

Whites/Winery	Varietal	Year	Origin	Per Glass Cost
Smith Madrone	Chardonnay	2001	California	$11.00
Montevento	Pinot Grigio	2003	Italy	$7.00
Nora	Albarino	2002	Spain	$8.00
Redbank	Chardonnay	2003	Australia	$9.00
Shepards Ridge	Sauvignon Blanc	2002	New Zealand	$9.00
Reds/Winery	Varietal	Year	Origin	Per Glass Cost
Seghesio	Zinfandel	2002	California	$9.00
O'Reilly's	Pinot Noir	2003	Oregon	$10.00
Cesari	Ripasso	2001	Italy	$9.00
Montecillo	Rioja	2002	Spain	$7.00
Paringa	Shiraz	2002	Australia	$8.00

Included among the other items on the menu are a PANINI selection. Some of the choices are: Caprese: a sandwich of Vine-Ripe tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, and Torn Basil dressed with Olive Oil, Prosciutto with Goat Cheese, Roasted Artichokes, Salami, Vegetarian and Grosso. The latter includes Salami Toscana, Prosciutto, Cappicola, Mortadella, and Provolone dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

All in all, POSTINO is a good place to go when either your appetite is modest, you want to enjoy a good glass of wine, or both.