The Desert Oasis

Kinda cool experience, just be aware that culinary students are cooking your food, and culinary students are students, so they screw up sometimes.
Also, no booze. Which is miserable, but tied to the student thing as well. Just be aware of what you’re getting in to before you go.

Have been wanting to try this place for quite sometime and finally was able to make reservations about a month in advance.
Simple place where students of the Scottsdale Community College Culinary School prepares and serves the meal.
We started off with an Amuse Buche and then for an appetizer had the quail and salmon, then a salad, next was the soup where we had a tortilla soup and a potato soup, then the entrée was beef Wellington and sea bass with dessert of Beignets and a chocolate mousse.
My wife and I tried to select different dishes so we could try as many items as possible.
I enjoyed the tortilla soup and the sea bass the most. The Beignets were on the cold side and would have hit the mark if they were at least luke warm
Quite a meal for $ 22 per person.
The entire staff from chefs to waiters to receptionist were all student led.
I liked how the dessert staff came out to show each d person dining the dessert creations.
Good meal overall and well done Scottsdale Culinary School.

We were invited by friends who have come here frequently to try the place. No need to rehash the concept: other reviewers have done that well.
Our experiences: We ordered soup, salad and appetizer. The soup came out before the appetizer. The server made like this was intentional but I think he or the kitchen messed up. Not that it was a big deal, just disconcerting. I had the Oxtail Consommé. It was pretty watery with traces of beef flavor and some vegetables floating in it and some trace of fat from the beef. I didn’t finish it… not that exciting.
My wife and I love calamari, so we ordered the Crispy Calamari and Octopus Carpaccio. Imagine our surprise when the plate arrived with 4 little calamari, paper thin octopus, and a shot glass of ceviche. While all were very tasty, it was not very filling, to say the least. No wonder we kept asking for more bread!
I will say, as another reviewer did, that everything was presented nicely with decoration, definitely done with care.
Desserts were presented ahead of time, and all were good. Crepes Suzette were finished tableside. Then a small dessert sampler was also presented to the table after the check was delivered.
So, the verdict:
* Service — Good. Strong effort, friendly, and mostly good execution
* Ambience — Very good. Relatively quiet, cozy
* Food presentation — Excellent
* Food taste — Overall very good
* Value — While you get what you pay for, you will leave hungry unless a) you have a tiny tummy, or b) you drink lots of water with your meal (I did that and still wasn’t full), or c) have lots of bread
I’d go back with friends, but not too often, as I need my dining out dollar to go far.

I enjoy eating at culinary schools which supports the students and provides a really nice meal at a very reasonable price. The Desert Oasis is no different. I came here for dinner in a party of 4. I did plan which week we came based partially on the menu which is posted in advance at Scottsdale Community College’s website. My one complaint for the night was that the menu originally had a dessert I was looking forward to having, but the dessert course was changed to a sampler which didn’t have much that I liked (personal preference).
The food was very good. The service is sometimes rough, but hey, they’re students learning their trade. The students are more than willing to explain their course of study to you, let you know where they are in the training, what they do next, and their plans. Some also have parts in making the different courses, and they love feedback to the meal. The host for the night helped with the appetizers, and explained how he was allowed to improvise a few things on the appetizer, which ended up being one of my favorite parts of the meal, so I was happy to tell him he had wonderful ideas for the food.
Good job! I will continue to come back when I am in Scottsdale, and the Desert Oasis and Artichoke Grill are open.

What a hassle finding the restaurant on the rather large and spread out campus of Scottsdale Community College. It caused us to be 10 minutes late for our 6PM reservation, but we then waited till 6:30 to be seated. Our server, one of the culinary students, was a friendly young lady from LA who said our summers here were «really really HOT!» Physically a very pleasant and luxurious looking ambient with black tablecloths and white dishes and tons of silverware placed all about the service plate. A small basket of fresh warm breads and tiny plate of mini-​swirls of soft butter were placed on our table by our student chef-​server Taye. She smiled all the time and appeared to be having fun.
We began our 5 course dinner with a surprise palate cleanser that was a single bite of cheese/​toast/​tomato, so small it was difficult to taste! My wife and I looked at each other with wonder as we thought it was our appetizer of salmon, the very thin little slice of a cherry tomato looked like it could be salmon. Our salmon appetizer was delicious albeit small making me wish it were 3 or 4 times larger, a theme for the rest of our meal. Delicious soup, tepid, not hot, followed, then by our salad which was tasty I think, but certainly needed to be much larger.
My main dish was Veal Marsala, about a 2 ½ inch piece of veal, some mushrooms and perhaps polenta with a nice sauce, again tasting great but needing to be enlarged at least 3 times! My wife had the Beef Wellington, similar in size to my veal dish, great tasting and leaving you wishing for more. The deserts were large. We chose the chef’s Choice, a chocolate cake filled with strawberry compote with a chocolate dipped strawberry on the side. It was obviously done by an amateur, the chocolate on top too thick to cut through, too much filling and the dipped strawberry was over ripe and mushy! The chocolate had a really good taste and the filling was too tart. I noticed that all of the desserts were rather large. I guess that way you can go home pleasantly stuffed.
We enjoyed the diversity of the menu selections, many of which if larger would have made this quite a memorable meal. It is worth coming to support the school and students and enjoy the luxury of a fancy 5 course dinner.

Ok, so obviously this is a different experience because you have culinary students waiting tables so with that said, you need to remember that. They are cooks that are made to wait tables. We had Colin tonight and he was completely delighful. The ONLY things, as a server for 20 years, I would say was I wished he would’ve explained what we were eating. The menu tells what it is but nothing about the little extras and sauces. We had a 5 course meal for 60 bucks so no complaints there. We had… wild mushroom ragout with goat cheese, seafood cakes (2) with a really nice sauce, no idea what it was, though. Butternut squash soup and NE clam chowder, both delicious! For the salad, we had a radicchio and asiago and some sort of fruit forward salad and again, both were super good. The scallops were in a lobster sauce of some sort and the short ribs were kinda tough but still pretty tasty with some kind of purée, some kind of gravy and a smear of mashed potatoes. There were 5 desserts to choose from but we just did the crème brûlée. There was also a lady, who may be an instructor maybe, that was super nice and checked up on us a few times. Definitely want to come back and do this again. Its a culinary journey that I’m glad I went on. Thanks Colin!

This is a school, and these are students, so adjust your expectations. The food was fine, but our wait staff was clearly nervous. He seemed flustered and unsure of himself when explaining the menu. He wasn’t always readily available to refill our drinks or clear our plates. I really enjoyed my appetizer soup, but sincerely can’t remember what I had as an entrée. Clearly, it did not leave a lasting impression. The students give you a tour of the kitchen after your meal. It’s a great program, and an interesting experience. Great to do once.

The Desert Oasis was recommended by one of our dining group — and so glad she did. It was really a fun experience.
I have a few overall comments: the service was excellent, presentation of every dish thoughtful and eye-​appealing, and for the most part, though very good, the food was just a little better than cold.
For appetizer, the choice was of shrimp and crab cakes or a wild mushroom ravioli. I chose the seafood and DH the ravioli. DH’s comment on the ravioli: if it had been warmer that room temperature, it would have been exceptional. Having cadged a taste, I agree — -the pasta dough was very thin and silky and cooked perfectly and the filling was rich and mushroom-​y. My appetizer was not so successful. Though generously portioned, the shrimp were overcooked and I found the adorable little crab cakes to taste more of bread crumbs and Old Bay then crab.
2^nd course: soup. DH and I both chose the Butternut Squash Soup. It was excellent. A rich, golden color and lovely spices really amped the squash flavor. Again, could have been warmer. This was the least interesting presentation — just a few sprinkled herbs in the center of the bowl. Several of our DC’s had the New England Clam Chowder and approvingly commented on the quantity of clams and the rich flavor.
3^rd: Salad. Island Jungle Salad or Citrus and Mint. Probably the least successful course, imho. I had the Island Jungle Salad. I really liked the soy sauce based vinaigrette but sadly, the roasted beets were not roasted enough and the papaya was unripe, both requiring some sawing with the table knife to get a bite. Micro green very fresh. But — and I admire the outside-​of-​the-​box thinking, there was a wedge of coconut ice cream? ice milk? sorbet? as an ingredient and though it tasted very good, it was an odd, discordant note. My closest DC also had the Island Jungle Salad and agreed. DH had the Citrus and Mint Salad and he thought the dressing was far too acidic and he did not like it.
Next: a palate cleanser of a tiny martini glass of sorbet — a tiny helpings of margarita flavored sorbet and a peach-​licorice. You wouldn’t think so, but the peach and anise flavor together was very delicate and delicious.
Fourth: Entrée. A choice of four — a NY strip with a parsnip purée and what I would call a potato hash, and a 2 inch section of bone marrow. I knew DH wouldn’t eat that, so I called dibs immediately. I enjoyed the Duo of Duck (roast and confit) with a butternut squash purée and sauteed spinach. There was also a trio of lamb and I believe a salmon en croute. All the menfolk got the steak (of course, lol!). DH said his was cooked perfectly to order and beautifully seasoned, but quality of beef meant he left about a third on his plate. In his opinion, potato hash was diced a little too small and portion too small and the parsnip purée was «okay». He said everything was very good, but wished there had been something to bring some «crunch» or texture. (BTW, bone marrow: good but perhaps could have been rendered a little longer, as it was still a little greasy and lacked the unctuous tongue feel you get from well-​prepared marrow.) The Duck — my first slice was a tiny bit overcooked to my taste, but the remainder was sheer, delicious perfection. Perfectly rendered, just the right amount of pink, lovely seasoning. The confit was delicious — but how can you go wrong with duck simmered for hours in duck fat? Hell-​llooo! The butternut squash purée — it was the silkiest, smoothest — literally satin on the palate. Delicious. It would have been nice if the very good soup had had that same incredible texture, not to bash it. One of our DC’s preferred her duck cooked to medium and the kitchen produced exactly what she wanted — good job!
Dessert: It was unique how they presented the desserts — the young chefs who prepared the dish walked around the dining room and presented their dish to each table in turn. It was Crepes Suzette, Apple Flip, Cheesecake Trio, and Extreme Chocolate Cake. I chose the cheesecake. DH had the Extreme Chocolate Cake. I am so happy I chose the cheesecake. The trio consisted of a caramel-​coconut with a rum sauce, strawberry daiquiri with strawberry sauce and a margarita with a salted lime sauce. Each more delicious than the next. The Extreme Chocolate Cake — omg. Profoundly chocolate and served with a chocolate curl and chocolate ice cream. One bite of DH’s and I was in chocolate OD. What a way to go.
A wonderful meal, excellent service, and I can’t wait to return for the next menu change. Thank you, SCC Culinary students — you done good!

The Desert Oasis is a modern fine dining restaurant (well prepared food without the extensive use of expensive ingredients) run by the Culinary Arts school at Scottsdale Community College. This is a top notch cooking program, and the students, supervised by excellent chefs, do the cooking and serving at Desert Oasis. And they do it very well.
You will get a 5 course fixed price meal for about $ 21! This will include a choice of appetiser, choice of soup, choice of salad, choice of entrée, and choice of dessert. There will be 2 – 5 choices for each. The menu changes weekly so there is no point in reviewing specific dishes, but the worst of the ten that my wife and I experienced was good, and over half were excellent.
Service is genuine if not polished, partly because the servers will be or were recently the cooks, and they really care what you think. I thought the pace was a shade fast, but it took 1 hour and 25 minutes for the five courses, so maybe we were just enjoying ourselves.
The Desert Oasis is only open when school is in session, so it will close for the summer in May and reopen in October or so. They serve three or four days a week. The menus for the season are published in late summer. You must make reservations way in advance, as the popular menus sell out almost at once.
Here are some hints:
1. The Desert Oasis is on a reservation and no alcohol is permitted.
2. They used to mail menus out to people on their mailijng list but this is being discontinued. Go to their website and sign up for email alerts. That is about the only way you will know when they have opened up the new season for reservations.
3. There will be about six different menus which will be rotated throughout the year. Pick out the one or ones you like and go early in the season. You may want to come back and you will need to get those reservations in way ahead for most menus.
4. The restaurant has a sign out front but is hard to find. It is on the Scottsdale Community College campus. From the 101, take the third entrance (they are numbered) and go through the parking lot (lot H) towards the North. You will run into a building. Look for the sign.

Friday march 4^th
An amuse bouche, appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert and sweet for UNDER $ 30? And well prepared AND well cooked and presented? Nahhh! Not possible right? Wrong! This place is fantabulous!
The food is prepared and served by culinary students, and the tips actually go into a scholarship fund.
The menu rotates throughout the semester, and the students are (mostly) allowed to execute recipes with their own interpretations. It’s sometimes shockingly good. For example, this evening one of the sweets was a lavender cookie. Don’t knock it ’til ya try it!
It can be hard to get a reservation, so check the menu on line and try to get in!

The Desert Oasis is the counterpart restaurant for The Artichoke Grill at Scottsdale Community College. While The Artichoke Grill is open in the daytime, The Desert Oasis is open with a prix-​fixe menu for dinner. The menu changes every few weeks, and you have at least 2 choices for appetizer, salad, soup, entrée, and dessert to choose from, for a little over $ 20 per person, including tax and tip.
I went with some friends that are big fans of the restaurant, and generally everything was very well prepared. My appetizer was a nut-​crusted sea bass with crab claw. The crab claw and sea bass were cooked perfectly, with a lot of flavor. I tried the wild mushroom soup, which I thought was missing one more ingredient to give it an extra depth of flavor. In addition, the mushrooms in the soup had a rubbery texture, and not much taste. I tried the elk osso buco entrée, which was slow cooked with white northern beans and vegetables. The broth was very nice and the elk was fall off the bone tender, and tasted a lot like beef.
Drinks are an additional charge, and to save on bartender fees, etc. all drinks are non-​alcoholic. They do offer a decent non-​alcoholic sangria (albeit a bit dry), and faux champagne which tastes a lot better than it sounds. They have a very wide selection of teas to choose from, and if you ask, they will bring out the tea chest to show you the different blended varieties in glass jars.
Generally, the quality of food is very good for the price, and you get a lot of food for your meal. All in all, I will definitely be going here again.
P. S. It can be a bit confusing to get to the restaurant since the parking lots are not all connected. The best way is go to entrance 3 or 4 and follow the winding road East all the way to the parking lot H.