Opening this fall at Scottsdale Fashion Square, Élephante is an all-new coastal Italian restaurant combining irresistible fare, delightful drinks and spectacular vibes. Handcrafted by renowned restaurateur and designer, Nick Mathers, every single aspect of this 12,000 square foot dining destination, with a total capacity of 345, including 60 patio seats, has been bespoke built, from the furniture to the artwork to the imported travertine tile, all with the intention to transport guests to the sun-drenched Mediterranean. Starting with the menu of wood-fired pizzas and puccia bread, plus house-made pastas and sustainably-sourced seafood and meats, to the refreshing cocktails and the rarefied wine program, including a full-time sommelier roving the floor, Élephante is a breezy escape for locals and visitors alike.
MORE NEWS: Retail remains red-hot in the post-pandemic recovery
Élephante Scottsdale marks an exciting expansion for Wish You Were Here Group. It’s the second-ever location of the famed Santa Monica hotspot, and the first concept located outside of New York City, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. “I’m passionate about creating experiences that transport guests,” says Nick Mathers, founder of Wish You Were Here Group. Mathers is hands-on throughout the entire design process of each restaurant, drawing inspiration from his travels and diverse sources. “Arizona’s stunning landscape and welcoming people have made it the perfect location for our next Élephante. With Élephante Scottsdale, we’re creating an experience that embraces the local surroundings while staying true to our ethos of making guests feel like they’re on vacation, even if they’re just a few blocks from home. This has been our approach since we opened our first restaurant in New York over 20 years ago.”
Led by Culinary Director, partner and fellow Australian, Thomas Lim, the seasonal Coastal Italian menus at Élephante are as appealing as the scenic setting. “Classic menu items include our pizzas made with long-fermented dough, and a starter over 30 years old; and our signature shareable puccia, which is a puffed, soft bread from Italy’s Puglia region, served with the whipped eggplant that is an elevated take on babaganoush,” Lim says. Exclusive to Scottsdale, look for expanded puccia options, including imported burrata, anchovies crudo and more. Plus, enjoy fresh pastas such as vodka sauce canestri with a hint of mascarpone, “and a Ricotta Cavatelli with a pork fennel sausage ragù.” Élephante’s wood-fired grill also temps with a dry-aged bone-in ribeye, “a pork pluma that’s like the wagyu steak of pork because they are fed a rich, nutty diet of acorns,” and a lobster piccata, cooked whole and then split and drizzled with lemon-caper-butter sauce. But be sure to save room for desserts including the soft-serve-machine sundae selections, including a Sicilian olive oil with honey caramel.
And because it’s not a vacation without a cocktail in hand, they have an extensive beverage menu offering a wide variety of signature cocktails, punch bowls, mocktails, and a curated selection of classics. Their namesake cocktail, The Élephante, features passion fruit, lemon, almond orgeat, Montenegro, and Calabrian chili, paired with the guest’s choice of spirit. “We’re also creating draft cocktails made in-house, such as our sparkling, crystal clear Paloma, where we use a centrifuge to clarify the fresh fruits, and then add carbonation so it looks like sparkling water, but you’ll take one sip and say, ‘yeah, that’s a Paloma’,” says VP of Beverage, Julien Calella. There will be a rotating selection of frozen cocktails as well as a full menu of espresso martinis, with an option to add a custom picture of your choice that is printed in coffee ink right atop the cocktail.
Finally, because you can’t be transported to the coastal Mediterranean without an extensive wine list, Élephante showcases wine from every single region across Italy, including limited quantity vintage wines from top producers, and four proprietary private labels, including a Pinot Grigio from Sicily and Super Tuscan from Tuscany. Offered by the glass, this private label program also includes Pinot Noir specifically designed for the Scottsdale palate, “It’s Russian River wine with a little more fruit, slightly rounder, a touch of oak and from the 2019 vintage so it’s not as young and astringent as some wines,” says Gianmarco Duin, Corporate Sommelier. Most importantly, he says, many wines will be available to taste, “so if Russian River Pinot Noir is not your thing, there is an amazing selection of Italian and domestic wines that are both approachable and delicious.”
Élephante Scottsdale will be located at 7014 E Camelback Road at the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall. More information about Élephante can be found by visiting their website at www.elephanterestaurants.com or on their Instagram @elephante.
