When a new spot opens in town, we’re eager to check it out, let you know our initial impressions, share photos and dish about menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened – an occasion to sample a few items and satisfy curiosities (both yours and ours).
Pinyon is part of the abundant wave of new restaurants that identify as Mediterranean. It’s a big tent that has managed to comprise places serving steaks and sushi as well as pasta and grilled fish. Pinyon’s ownership team, Hi Noon Hospitality, knows it’s a term that can be overused. They also noticed that many of these restaurants end up leaning toward one specific cuisine.
After a multi-week trek around Europe, Hi Noon CEO Adam Strecker resolved that his team would should showcase the Med by cooking popular dishes from across the region. The restaurant opened in Old Town Scottsdale at the end of October.
Hi Noon is no stranger to operating coastal-inspired spots. It’s the parent company behind Valley seafood staple Buck & Rider. At Pinyon, they took things a step further, crafting a space designed to make diners feel like they’re in a European bistro.
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The two-story, indoor-outdoor space overlooks the verdant lawn of Scottsdale Civic Center. Filling it was a globetrotting endeavor. There are Portuguese marble checkered floors, modern chandeliers and an outdoor fountain from France and, in the kitchen, a custom-made Josper grill from Spain.
To call it gorgeous would be an understatement; the space is stunning and sophisticated from top to bottom.
During a weekday visit to Pinyon, the space wasn’t buzzing; it was booming. Couples and besties sat at the bars upstairs and down, dishing over spritzes. Nearly every seat in both dining rooms was occupied with large groups sharing platters of meat and passing carafes filled with wine. There’s the rattle of cocktails being shaken and the occasional clacking waterfall of tiles rotating on Pinyon’s split-flap board.
It’s upbeat and energetic, the kind of place you want to be for a celebration. If you’re looking for a cozy space to whisper something demurely across the table to your partner, the response you’ll most likely get in return will be, “What?”
Pinyon’s luscious hummus is plussed-up with ingredients like grilled beef tenderloin, roasted garlic and Aleppo pepper.
Tucking into a candlelit table, we picked up the menu, which reads like a greatest hits album. It’s stuffed with popular, recognizable dishes like pan con tomate and tuna tartare but also boasts delicate turbot and Dover sole.
There’s a separate menu card dedicated to a rotation of hummus and dips. Shareable salads, crudos, cooked seafood and tapas make up about a third of the main menu, while another third is dedicated to large plates. These have the broadest range — including cheeseburgers and pan-roasted chicken alongside pasta, Josper-kissed fish, shrimp skewers with rice and steaks.
We started with a mezcal and Lebanese amaro-based tipple and a gin sour, paired with hummus studded with grilled beef tenderloin and roasted garlic. This first course showed that Pinyon isn’t afraid to go big and bold with its flavors.
The mezcal cocktail, 6000 Miles, was smoky and rich with the taste of anise from arak. Pomegranate and lime add balance and freshness, but licorice is a divisive flavor, and this drink is best suited for those who adore the forest-like fennel taste. The saffron gin sour, meanwhile, hit like a late-day sunset, packed with bright orange and comforting saffron honey.
Shareable tapas at Pinyon include spicy Gambas Al Ajillo.
The artichoke salad at Pinyon.
Pinyon serves cocktails and spritzes, including the whiskey-based Maiden Voyage and the citrusy Sant’Andrea Spritz. 
Pinyon’s cacio e pepe is creamy and comforting.
What to order at Pinyon
The hummus plate was our favorite bite of the evening. Two golden griddled pitas arrived with a silky hummus, subtly spiked with Aleppo pepper. The bread rounds weren’t the airy pocketed style but more of a fluffy flatbread, perfect for dragging through the silky, luscious hummus. The dip has notes of toasty cumin and nutty tahini. Tender nuggets of beef and soft cloves of garlic formed umami shingles we layered onto the bread, taking each bite to another level.
Next, we opted for the artichoke salad and Gambas Al Ajillo. The salad, which is primarily arugula, arrives with a dusting of parmesan cheese, a cascade of meaty pine nuts and plump kalamata olives. The artichokes, tender but subtle, play second fiddle behind peppery greens and assertively briny olives.
The gambas, which are Sea of Cortez shrimp, come in a hot cast-iron dish with crusty slices of bread. The aroma of toasted garlic fills the table as the shrimp swim in a red pepper-tinted browned butter sauce with slivers of garlic. The butter sauce adds the right amount of decadence to the shrimp, along with a good amount of sizzling heat and bite. Be warned: give this plate a few minutes before you dive in. These shrimp come burn-your-mouth hot.
Large bistro plates with a forest green “P” arrived last, bearing Loup de Mer and Cacio e Pepe. The bucatini is textbook: creamy and comforting, punctuated by craggy broken peppercorns and crystals of savory parmesan. It’s a solid option, but a familiar one, and we’ll explore other dishes in the future.
Pinyon’s entree selections include Loup de Mer, a branzino cooked on a Josper grill.
The loup de mer, a whole branzino, is butterflied atop a bed of heirloom tomatoes and salsa verde. The tender, deboned flesh takes a trip to the Josper grill, where it develops a golden crust. The charcoal imbues delicate smoke and a satisfying texture without drying out the fish. It’s evident there’s a lot of care that goes into this plate.
However, the fish’s delicate flavor was muted by a heavy hand of salt. Both the fish and salsa have delightful natural brine, but there was a noticeable salty sting that detracted from the dish. The tomatoes didn’t pack enough acid to offer the relief, leaving us wishing for a massive Amalfi lemon wedge. Luckily, a sip of the bright, fresh Sant’Andrea Spritz, made with a house citrus-cello, could stand in.
Throughout the meal, there were moments when the service lagged and the pacing slowed. The evening’s crowd no doubt played a role.
With the backing of a restaurant group that runs one of the Valley’s most popular seafood restaurants and the fast-casual Ingo’s Tasty Food, we’re hopeful these kinks will work themselves out. Still thinking about that velvety hummus, we’re eager to return and sit on the patio on a sunny Sunday afternoon, spritz in hand.
Pinyon
7363 E. Scottsdale Mall, Scottsdale
Dining and Cooking