The Mission Restaurant: A Culinary Pilgrimage

The Mission Restaurant takes diners on an extraordinary culinary pilgrimage—starting with the main dining area which is decorated in rich earth tones, supple leathers and large candelabras hanging from the exposed duct-work ceiling. A back-lit Himalayan salt wall sets the stage for Peruvian accented Latin fare that introduces the palate to a complex and bold piquancy. The pilgrimage is highly pleasurable, no penance paid.

The Mission Restaurant exterior by MikesRoadTrip.com

Located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, in the famed arts and shops district is an iconic church known as the Old Adobe Mission. Its stature and bright white exterior is impossible to miss—at over 80 years old, it is one of the oldest buildings in Scottsdale. Directly next door, is The Mission Restaurant, which takes esculent Latin cues from its historic holy neighbor.

Brian Raab, general manager of The Mission, told me that the location of the restaurant was purely coincidental and good fortune, that the concept was already in the works before the location was selected some six years earlier. The connection between the two neighbors goes beyond shared land, withing The Mission Restaurant diners will find a few similar characteristics as within the Old Adobe Mission, from votive candle holders to the crosses.

Dining Room at Mission Restaurant in Scottsdale by MikesRoadTrip.com

A few months ago I enlisted a group of Phoenix area food writers and bloggers to give me their top-3 favorite restaurants in Scottsdale. In order to have no duplicates, I then assigned each writer one of their top three choices to write about. The end result is one of the most fair top-10 lists of best Scottsdale Restaurants you’ll likely come across. One of the restaurants that several of the writers had listed, and that was featured, was The Mission in downtown Scottsdale. There were a handful of restaurants on the list that I personally had not tried, The Mission Restaurant was one of them. Thankfully, I finally had an opportunity. This was my experience…

The Mission Restaurant in Scottsdale Patio by MikesRoadTrip.com (sepia)

On this gastro experience I invited my folks to join me, it was also their first time to The Mission. We were seated in the back courtyard, which on a beautiful spring day is probably the most coveted place to sit at the restaurant. We were soon greeted by our server, Sterling, who proved to be extremely knowledgeable about both the food and drink menus. Sterling also had an extraordinary personality, which really enhanced our dining experience.

Back patio at The Mission Restaurant in Scottsdale by MikesRoadTrip.com

We started off with a serving of table-side, freshly made guacamole, a signature starter at The Mission. While being prepared, we were able to choose from an array of ingredients to either include or exclude…as well as level of heat desired. We also ordered a round of signature margaritas made with top-shelf tequila.

guacamole at The Market Restaurant in Scottsdale by MikesRoadTrip.com

Margarita at the Mission Restaurant Scottsdale by MikesRoadTrip.com

At this point it was the first chance I had to look at the menu, which the physical appearance itself is worth mentioning. The pages of the menu were covered with a heavy, well-aged leather, in the form of a booklet. The menus were soft and pliable, and the age appeared to enhance the masculine beauty. The interior menu pages were a unique type of paper, perhaps vellum with a sheen, quite smooth to the touch. The graphic design and layout matched the uniqueness of the menu display. This attention-to-detail is carried throughout the restaurant and what makes the entire experience so enjoyable.

While we were masticating on the guacamole and sipping our cocktails, an order of shrimp anticuchos arrived (skewered shrimp, aji panca, oregano, soy & black pepper), a perfect accompaniment to the margaritas.

shrimp anticuchos at The Mission in Scottsdale by MikesRoadTrip.com

For entrees we ordered the following:

Swordfish - Purple & romanesco cauliflower, toasted farro, leek & garlic mote & smoked pasilla sabyon
Swordfish – Purple & romanesco cauliflower, toasted farro, leek & garlic mole & smoked pasilla sabyon.
Filet at The Mission Restaurant Scottsdale By Mike Shubic
Creekstone Filet – Roasted poblano grits, beer onions, Oaxacan pasilla glaze & haricot vert.
Pork dish at The Mission Scottsdale by MikesRoadTrip.com
Chorizo Porchetta – Pork shoulder, house made chorizo, rosemary, cotija, white bean puree & sweet garlic crema.
Grilled Street Corn - Skewered corn, butter, chila paprika, aji rocoto, cilantro & cotija.
Grilled Street Corn – Skewered corn, butter, chila paprika, aji rocoto, cilantro & cotija.

Every dish we had was equally as good. Often there is a stand-out dish, but not in this case, each had its own characteristics and emanated a unique flavor profile.

To conclude the meal, we shared a warm Pumpkin Bread Pudding with scotch, pepitas & pomegranate with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to top it off. To complement the dessert, we tried a tequila flight. Tequila, like others in the spirit industry are seeing a surge of boutique distilleries producing some fantastic high-quality liquor. We had the Reposado flight which consisted of Casa‎ Noble, Clase Azul, Casamigos and Forteleza tequila. None of them we’d heard of before, but all were quite good. Each had such a full aromatic bouquet and smooth finish. The one that stood out was the Forteleza…silky smooth with a touch of sweet and a tad of spice–like coconut candy with a hint of cinnamon. If you want to try this tequila, you’ll have to go to a restaurant like The Mission since it’s not sold retail.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding at The Mission Restaurant by MikesRoadTrip.com

tequila flight at The Mission Restaurant by MikesRoadTrip.com

Bottom Line: I’ve been to dozens of outstanding restaurants in Scottsdale, The Mission is right there at the top. There are many components to a dining experience and The Mission Restaurant excels in all of them. Amazing and unique food, wonderful atmosphere, outstanding service and great presentation.

If you’ve ever been to The Mission Restaurant in downtown Scottsdale, please leave a comment below and share your experience.

The Mission Restaurant Contact Info:

Phone: (480) 636-5005
Address: 3815 N. Brown Ave. – Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Website: TheMissonAZ.com
Prices: Cocktails $10-$14; Appetizers: $7-$14; Entrees: $12-$38

Mike Shubic

Mike Shubic is a seasoned road trip travel video blogger, traversing the byways of the world looking for those hidden gems of the road. From unique destinations, unexpected discoveries, creative cuisine, intriguing inns to exciting attractions…the road is his page. The experiences are his ink. And every 300 miles, a new chapter begins. Whether you live vicariously or by example, Mike will do the exploring so you can have an adventure.
[crp]

5 Comments

  1. Mike
    Wow! Your write up was the best I have seen and read in all my 27 years in the restaurant business! Thank you! I am certain Brian Raab will be reaching out to you but I will be showing this at our owners and manager meeting today to make sure he does! Chef Matt Carter owner and culinary creator will be so flattered!

    1. Oh my gosh, thank you so much Tammy! That is so kind of you to say! I was trying to get a little creative and play off the Old Adobe Mission next door. Glad it translated in your eyes. 🙂 Chef Matt has done an amazing job!

  2. Mike, your food photos always make me hungry! What a wonderful write-up. I cannot wait to try this place next time I’m in Scottsdale.

    1. Jake, you are too kind! Thank you so much for the kind words. Yes, you certainly need to check out The Mission next time you’re in town. Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Cheers, Mike

Comments are closed.