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EXECUTIVE DINING
I won't dance around the fact that I'm a big fan of WildFish Seafood Grille.
Wildfish first opened in Orange County and then took the show to Scottsdale.
Seems like in so many other cases, restaurants first open in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. Then another restaurant emerges here.
(Don't tell the rest of the world, but it's our enviable lifestyle and heavenly environment that catches them every time.)
I've had so many impressive meals with my patient dining partner-my husband Patrick-and with a group of friends hauled along here and there.
Everyone seems to agree with me that the ambiance is just the right balance: attractive and friendly-the sort of place that cossets the stressed psyche without getting cute or pretentious.
When a restaurant opens, there's buzz about where it will fit in with others of the same genre. Some of the dining public is serious about trying everything new immediately. They're the easy targets.
The rest of us try new places as our schedules permit. In both cases, it's the repeat business we give a restaurant that defines its niche in our landscape.
Now facing its first anniversary, this team is relishing its fit in the community.
Wildfish was founded by seafood lovers Guy Villavaso and Larry Poles, who have more than 30 years of restaurant partnership behind them. They started their friendship in the 1970s in Baton Rouge, La., when Poles hired Villavaso as a restaurant employee.
They later became business partners, creating Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill, with 10 locations in six states, and Roaring Fork, with one restaurant each in Arizona and Texas.
In 2000, they launched Eddie Vs Edgewater Grille, a concept of prime seafood and steaks and live music, with three restaurants in other states.
Bon Appétit magazine said that "Eddie Vs sets the standard for seafood." Villavaso's and Poles' concepts are known for quality, impeccable service and innovative menu items.
To gain first-hand experience in the science of seafood, the pair attended a highly acclaimed school in Boston. They spent countless hours on the docks where they were mentored by the best. They learned how to source, ship and store seafood. This expertise gives them the confidence to claim they provide the freshest seafood available from the...