By M.V. Moorhead
As a rule, one doesn’t get to eat both a Scotch
egg and wild boar in the same weekend. Or,
at least, I don’t get to. But I did last week,
courtesy of multiple visits to Nosh Arizona, a chic,
dimly lighted little gourmet eatery and wine bar in
the Albertson’s plaza at McClintock and Ray.
It was a tasty weekend.
Actually, I had never, as far as I can recall,
tasted wild boar before. But the Wild Boar Ragu
Bolognese left me more than happy to try it again.
The meat, served over wide strips of
papparadelle pasta, had a hearty, slightly earthy
flavor, and I didn’t leave a speck on my plate.
This is all the more impressive since I already
had partaken of one of the substantial appetizers,
New England Clam Chowder “in a delectable bread
bowl.” (See accompanying photo…)
The Nosh menu isn’t being immodest; the crusty
bread bowl, made on premises, is delectable, and the
creamy, clam-packed chowder that fills it is at least
equally so. But while it’s listed with the appetizers, it
could definitely make a meal by itself.
Nonetheless, I was determined to sample Nosh
Arizona’s desserts as well, so I tried the Goat Cheese
Cheesecake, and again found myself delighted. The
small round portion was lighter than cheesecake
usually is, with a faintly grainy texture. I could only
get through about half of it, so the rest was packed up
for me.
“This will make a nice snack around midnight,”
my server told me. Without knowing it, she knew
me all too well. She could not, alas, arrange for a
“to go” cup of Nosh’s iced tea, however, to my slight
disappointment.
No matter—Sunday I was back to try Nosh’s
breakfast, and this time I brought reinforcements.
With chef Stacey Carson sitting nearby, my wife tried
the N.Y.-Style Egg sandwich, with a side of corned
beef hash—bacon or sausage is also available—while
my 11-year-old tried the French Toast.
I was tempted to go the wild boar route again—
it’s also available on the Nosh breakfast menu, in the
form of a boar chop over corned beef hash and egg.
But I decided to go for variety, and opted for Nosh’s
version of the Scotch Egg.
All three of us chose well.
The sandwich, topped with cheese and bacon,
was yummy in itself, but its side of hash was
about as excellent a specimen of that dish as I can
recall—savory and admirably lacking in grease. The
kid’s thick, soft French Toast was made, like the
clam chowder’s bread bowl, from bread baked on
premises, and came with splendidly fresh, sweet
blackberries and sliced strawberries.
As for the Scotch Egg, if you’ve never sampled
this British pub-food classic, Nosh is the place in the
Kyrene Corridor to do so.
It’s two hard-boiled eggs enclosed in an outer
crust of sausage meat and crunchy panko bread
crumbs, served sliced in half along with roasted
potatoes and drizzled with a fine mustard sauce. As
with the hash, it’s light on the grease, potent on the
flavor.
Nosh offers an elaborate wine list for
enthusiasts, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays,
Mimosas and Bloody Marys are $5.
Designate a driver, and go to brunch.
Go to nosharizona.com or call 480-838-NOSH
for hours and details. The only area location — so far
— is 4080 W. Ray Road, Chandler, in the Albertson’s
Plaza at McClintock Drive.
