Thanks for all the helpful responses. When I arrived in Phoenix, my friend took me to Le Grande Orange. I really liked this place. I had a difficult time making a decision - everything looked so fresh. I opted for the croque madame - it was delicious. I really enjoyed the multi grain bread that was used. Next, we walked next door to Arlecchino Gelateria. I was really looking forward to trying their gelato after reading about Ronnie's numerous visits. Again, too many appetizing choices! I went w/the Nutella, and it did not disappoint. I could've eaten a lot more than the scoop that I ordered!

For dinner, we arrived at Pizzeria Bianco around 4:30. We just missed the first cut, so we waited in the bar next door. I don't think we sat down until 6:30 or so. We started w/the mozzarella and tomato salad. The tomatoes were not particularly good, and the mozzarella was fine, but this didn't really make an impression on me. I ordered the wiseguy pizza and my friend ordered the margherita. I loved my pizza. It was delicious. The onions and sausage married deliciously with the smoked mozzarella. I liked that the sausage was sliced into long, thin strips almost like gyro meat. The sausage makes this pizza very filling. It was well worth the wait.

The next day, my friend chose Chompie's for brunch. I wasn't sure if we were going to have lunch or not, so I opted to order on the lighter side. I had a garlic bagel w/lox spread and red onions. I was surprised that the bagel came toasted w/o my request. For fresh bagels, I prefer not to toast them until day 2 or 3 if they last that long. I couldn't really taste the lox that was mixed into the cream cheese.

Being a Sunday, this town really shuts down. So many restaurants are closed. I wanted to go to Postino Wine Cafe for an afternoon snack, but I thought I had left the address at my friend's. (and even if we had the address I wasn't sure if we'd find it b/c my friend really needs a GPS device!) We ended up back at Le Grande Orange where I had a Sonoma garden salad (romaine, tomato, golden beets, dates, marcona almonds, roasted peppers, & goat cheese w/ orange poppyseed dressing). We were so disappointed upon our departure to come and realize that Postino was just on the other side of LGO! Oh well, some other time.

For dinner that evening, we ended up at Wildfish in Scottsdale. My friend had wanted to try it, so I let her choose. I had the scallops, she had the parmesan crusted sole, and we shared the crab fried rice for a side. I felt like everything was cooked with a pound of butter. This experience has turned me off of ordering scallops for an entree. None of the sides sounded especially appetizing except for the asparagus but we didn't want the hollandaise sauce, and it's not really asparagus season. I thought the crab fried rice might be something kind of different. I couldn't really taste any flavors beyond the buttery rice. Since it was my belated birthday dinner, a chocolate cake was brought to our table. We were full, but we still managed to have room for dessert. As much as I love chocolate, I feel like most rich chocolate molten cakes all taste similiar. I find them hard to distinguish from one pastry chef to another.

All in all, I would return to LGO, Arlecchino Gelateria, and Pizzeria Bianco on future visits. Thanks for all the tips.

I am in phonic currently and have also hit LGO. I am also planning a trip to Los Dos...My inlaws have been and have given it a seal of approval, I am looking forward to a visit.

The wife and I tried Trader Vics at the recently refurbished, to the tune of $100 million, Valley Ho hotel in old town scottsdale. If you are unfamiliar with the Valley Ho it is a masterpiece of midcentury modern architecture that you can only find here or in palm springs. I have been to Trader Vics in London and Chicago and always loved the kitschyness of the place along with the fun umbrella drinks. The Trader Vics here is something to be seen. Same drink menu with an excellent restaurant attached and perhaps the best Crab Rangoon I have ever head. All of the entrees are cooked/smoked in the japanese wood fired kettle smoker encased in glass in the center of the restaurant. The seafood entrees, lamb and curries were all wonderful.

I was happy to see that they are continuing the Trader Vics concept with new restaurants that are done in a modern/poly/tiki-upscale manner. I always loved trader vics and I was sad when they closed outpost in the basement of the palmer house. The reworked concept is really cool and I highly recommend it. What a great place...I dont think they have re-opened in chicago, but if they do I am there and not just for the nostalgia, the pimms cups or the zombies!!

Trader Vics @ The Valley Ho Hotel
6850 E Main St
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 421-7799

Another excellent old-school phoenix favorite is El Chorro Lodge on Lincoln just off of Camelback in Paradise Valley. This is one of my wife's familys favorite places for dinner. They have been eating here as long as they have been in the valley

Great location, huge outdoor dining patio with firepits burning juniper logs and heat lamps for when when it is slightly cooler. The restaurant has been around since the late'30s which is ancient in arizona terms. This place reeks of arizona, which you either love or hate, if you like old town scottsdale you will like the chorro.

House specialties are chatuebriand and roast duckiling, chicken livers and a wide variety of prime steaks and chops. If you want cowboy atmosphere this is place is a home run.

El Chorro Lodge
5550 E. Lincoln Dr.
Paradise Valley, AZ
480-948-5170

Just returned from Phoenix and had several excellent meals worth reporting.

Noca was absolutely wonderful. Please check out Ronnie's excellent thread here.

Had a less then totally satisfying lunch at Los Dos Molinos. I found the enchilladas to be just ok, really a poor man's approximation to what you might find in New Mexico. The green chile was not very hot, the enchiladas were rolled and they wouldn't let me order them "christmas" style. The tortillas, while advertised as homemade were thick and crumbly. They didnt even resemble tortillas. I did ask my waiter what they were and he assured me they were tortillas but I found them to be very bready. They did serve them with a fried egg on top. I wouldn't drive out of my way to go to Los Dos again as it is inconveniently located from most places in the Valley that I am ever likely to be.

Had a typically good lunch at La Grande Orange which I have mentioned in a post upthread.

The concierge at my hotel recommended The Breakfast Club on Scottsdale Rd in Old Town for a good breakfast and I have to agree that it is worthwhile if you are in the neighborhood. I had their signature Bar Harbour Flapjacks which are blueberry pancakes and they were just great.

Finally, we enjoyed a new restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale called The Mission where they advertise modern latin cuisine. The food and atmosphere were terrific. Apparently a table side prep of guacamole is a new thing in Phoenix and they do it very well at The Mission. We also tried the fish "street" tacos, grilled salmon and grilled scallops and octopus. The mission fries which are a combo of regular and sweet potato fries with lemon, chile and cumin were a highlight.

The Breakfast Club and Barrista Bar
4400 N. Scottsdale Rd. #100
Scottsdale AZ
480.222.2582

The Mission
3815 N. Brown Avenue
Scottsdale, AZ 85253
480 636 5005

Sorry to hear about Los dos Molinos. It's been several years since I've last been there. Hopefully your experience was the result of a bad day and not a downward trend.

My wife and I went to Pizzeria Bianco last night. Two questions: How good WAS it? Was it worth the WAIT? We arrived at about 4:40 on a "cold" Phoenix afternoon after a downpour, and found a long pre-Xmas line. We were told that we would get a table at about 8:30-8:45, but it was 9:00 before we were called for the table, and 9:30 before the pizza arrived. Fortunately the system allows one to leave the area and then return before the selected time (to be fair, we asked for a table and not to sit at the bar). So we went to the excellent Arlecchino Gelateria for their home-made, inspired Cortina Gelato (Italian Almonds and Lingonberries), Dulce de Leche, Coconut and Chocolate, and Cherries and Cream) and then back to the hotel to wait.

As for the pizza, it was very good, excellent. Transformative, not quite. We ordered two pizzas (11"):
ROSA - Red Onion, Parmigiano Reggiano, Rosemary, AZ Pistachios
SONNY BOY - Tomato Sauce, Fresh Mozzarella, Salami, Gaeta Olives



PB must be complemented on their commitment to quality. Each of the ingredients was well-sourced and the oven-cooking (a thin, bread crust pizza) was excellent. Having said that, I must confess that I found the pizzas somewhat unbalanced in their flavor profile. My wife's Sonny Boy had an overly generous amount of salami: the meat was not an addition to a tomato pizza, it was the whole game (it was excellent salami) and we needed to pick some of the salami from the slices to enjoy the pie to its fullest. In my case the parmesan was somewhat strong. This was not a white pizza, but a parmesan pizza. Pleasantly distinctive, but I would have let the rosemary and onions speak louder. My Farmers Market salad (Orange Slices, Fennel, Italian Parsley) would have been excellent had they be more frugal with the dressing. The salad swam in the dressing. I guess their specialty is pizza.

Don't misunderstand, Pizzeria Bianco is very, very fine pizza, and would stand up well in Chicago (and is akin to Stop 50 pizza). PB would be a pizzeria that we would talk about with favor because of its commitment to quality. On the other hand, this is not better than much excellent pizza. Would I do it again? On a lovely day in Phoenix I would arrive at 4:00 to get in the first seating.

For the record, we had a nice breakfast at T. Cook's (at our resort), a well-regarded Phoenix restaurant. The Mediterranean Benedict (with proscuitto and tomato sauce) was excellent. The French toast, good was but somewhat mushy. The fresh squeezed OJ, only OK.

I was in Phoenix, AZ, over the Thanksgiving holiday and my must-stop was Pizzeria Bianco, after a rather lackluster experience at Grimaldi's (whose New York location I enjoy quite a bit). We went there on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, arriving at just before 4 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.) and there was a line about 30 people deep. We missed the first sitting by two or three tables. I absolutely hate waiting in lines, but Pizzeria Bianco made the experience pleasant, as the bar next door opens at 4 p.m. and one is allowed to get beer and wine at the bar and drink while waiting in line. As a bonus, the beers (two local brews, I forget which at the moment) were $4--a more than reaonsable price especially for an essentially captive clientele. At 5 p.m., the doors opened, our names were taken down, and we sat down at the picnic tables outside drinking and talking until our seats were called about an hour and a half later (so, total wait, two and a half hours.) This is by far the longest I have ever waited to be seated at a restaurant.

For me, it was absolutely worth it. I noticed they had La Quercia prosciutto available as a pizza topping, but not as an appetizer. I asked whether it was possible to get it as an appetizer plate and the server was more than happy to oblige. I wanted to order two pizzas, one after another, but, unfortunately, their system does not allow that. You have to order all the pizzas you want up front. I suppose if it were less busy (does that happen here?) it'd be okay, but I was slightly put off by the fact I had to decide how hungry we were up-front. But I could understand, given the high demand.

Anyhow, I ordered the margherita (my baseline standard for any pizza joint) and dining companion ordered the Wiseguy (onion, house-smoked mozzerella, sausage.) The margherita was simply the best margherita I've ever had. The crust was nothing short of perfection -- thinly crisp outside, puffed edges, underside flecked throughout with black, slightly smokiness, very slight hint of sour in the dough, a little floppy in the middle. Great depth of flavor throughout. Simply perfect. If I had just eaten the crust, I'd walk away content with the 2.5 hour wait. The toppings themselves--housemade mozzarella, basil, and a simple, plain tomato sauce--were pure and fresh, with just the right balance of herbal, sweet, tang, and salt. I cannot imagine a better margherita.

The Wiseguy, on the other hand, when compared with the margherita was slightly disappointing, but that's only because the bar had been set so high. I felt the smokiness of the mozzarella combined with the abundance of onions overpowered the flavor of the crust, which to me is Pizzeria Bianco's biggest selling point. I didn't notice any flavor reminiscent of Liquid Smoke, as other posters have. It just tasted like a house-smoked product, perhaps when smoked a little bit uncleanly (hints of creosote in the flavor). That said, dining companion liked it enough, so I could see how people who want more aggressive flavor profiles would dig this pizza.

So, overall, Pizzeria Bianco's margherita is my current standard bearer as far as pizzas of this style are concerned. Also, given how much they could charge for this pizza, I was impressed by the price--IIRC, it was $12 for the margherita. I would happily wait 2.5 hours for this pizza again.

What is striking about dining in Phoenix is how all the food derives from somewhere else. What do the natives eat? Tumbleweed? (Yes, I gather there are a few places to get Navaho Fry Bread.) But for the most part I dined on soul food (smothered fried chicken, yam, collards, and lemonade) at Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe, where the yams were particularly impressive, and, then, wonderful fried catfish, lovely savory baked beans, good hot links, impressive sweet potato pie, and so-so North Carolina style chopped pork BBQ at Restaurant 28 BBQ (North Carolina Style BBQ and Soul Food) in Glendale.

Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe

Inside of Mrs. White's

Smothered Fried Chicken at Mrs. White's


Perhaps the most interesting non-gelateria of the visit was Pittsburgh Willy's, a booth tucked inside an antique mall in Chandler. There the owner Randy Walters serves his own style of Pittsburgh confections: pierogies with a peppery sour cream, a cheesy chili (not exactly Cincinnati style, but certainly not Southwestern - ground beef, but no beans, and lots of melted cheese), and a hot dog with Pittsburgh style chopped ham (and cheese). All of it was quite extraordinary and delicious as out-of-place street food.

For whatever historical reason, the Valley of the Sun is the home to numerous competing gelato outfits (seemingly more popular than ice cream). I decided to attempt a gelato-a-thon. Without question my favorite was Arlecchino Gelateria: artisan dulce de leches, cortina (almonds and lingonberries), amarena (cherries and cream), and coconut with bits of chocolate. With well-trained Italian owners (owner Moreno Spangaro trained as a gelato maker for a year in Italy), they consider gelato-making an art. The scoops transcended any American gelato that I have eaten. Unfortunately they were not serving my very favorite flavor (from the last time in Phoenix): Valentino, made with rose petals, lavender, and pomegranate juice: among my top ten foods in my life, but not available this time. I read online that there have been attempts to filch their recipes, a scandal that Arizonans refer to as "gelato-gate." I can believe it.

I also had some fine gelato at Angel Sweet (a deep, smooth chocolate, mango, tropical delight, and a smoky, burnt panna cotta): all impressive. Gelato 64 is known for having 64 flavors of gelato, and the counter girl let me try about a dozen. I wasn't taken by the texture of the gelato, but I did admire the Black Seseme and the Sunshine (Orange-Pineapple-Mango). Finally, lowest of the gelato food chain was the Gelato Spot where neither the texture nor the flavor appealed (I had Banana and also Amarena). Gelato Spot will only give customers one flavor in a small dish, whereas Gelato 64 and Arlecchino permitted two, and Angel Sweet generously allowed three. On this trip I missed getting to That's Amore in Scottsdale, another Italian-based gelateria that has an excellent reputation.

Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe
808 E. Jefferson, Phoenix
602-262-9256

Restaurant 28
5025 W. Olive Ave., Glendale
623-929-1388

Pittsburgh Willy's
1509 N. Arizona Avenue
480-857-2860

Arlecchino Gelateria
4410 N. 40th Street, Phoenix
602-955-2448

Gelato Spot
3164 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix
602-957-8040

Angel Sweet Gelato
1900 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler
480-722-2541

Gelato 64
2095 N. Dobson Road, Chandler
480-726-6472

I, too, was surprised by the incredible number of gelaterie to be found in Phoenix. Our singular stop was Arlecchino, which I can attest is truly excellent. I think I'd concur that it's the best I've had stateside.

And when you return, Gary, you should know that you can have three flavors in a cup... you just need to order a large cup

One great thing (among many) about places where it's relatively warm year-round is establishments like Arlecchino.

Sure, the snow is beautiful but it doesn't exactly inspire a desire for gelato!

=R=

I just returned from Phoenix and had two notable meals.

BLT Steak at the Camelback Inn is the Scottsdale outpost of Chef Laurent Tourondel's NYC modern American Steakhouse. BLT Steak is another example of a mega Scottsdale resort abandoning their traditional fine dining venue in the hopes of bringing in moneyed thirty something diners who have previously foresaken the traditional resort dining room. The Phoenician and Princess have already done it and The Camelback Inn recently took the plunge with BLT Steak.

I have not eaten at any of the many other BLT Steaks in NYC or around the country, but I have been to many a steak house and this one stacks up with the more contemporary ones that I have tried. The room has been redone in cool dark tones with an open and airey vibe. While the food is good, with some items bordering on great, I have to say that what struck me most about this restaurant is that it is damn expensive. I had a beautiful piece of dover sole for $50 and we shared the Kansas City Strip which weighed in at $50 plus. These are ala carte prices btw. Dinner for 5 with two vegetarian diners sharing several side items and the rest of us sharing the two above mentioned entrees plus salads, several sides, one dessert and wines by the glass cost us $400 with tax and tip. Easily the most expensive meal, pound for pound, that I have had in the valley. Highlights were the above mentioned Dover Sole, cactus fries and excellent grueyere popovers which accompany every meal. They also start you out with an excellent chicken liver pate which we enjoyed quite a bit. All and all a very nice meal, great atmosphere and terrific service. Just be prepared to spend like you are in New York and not Arizona.

We also hit the Duck and Decanter, which I do not believe has ever been mentioned on these forums. Duck and Decanter has been around forever and is a deli/specialty grocer/coffee house that serves outstanding sandwiches and salads in an only an atmosphere that can only be accomodated by phoenix and its climate. I put this place in the same category as Le Grande Orange. Great lunch spot where you order at the counter and take your food out to the garden to enjoy in the beautiful weather while being serenaded by some musician or other. The smoked duck breast sandwich and the tuna salad are all time family favorites. This is the kind of place that I wish we had here in Chicago.

BLT Steak
The Camelback Inn
5402 E Lincoln Dr
Scottsdale, AZ 85253-4118
(480) 905-7979
http://www.bltsteak.com/


Duck and Decanter
1651 E Camelback Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85016
(602) 274-5429
https://secure.cnchost.com/duckanddecanter.com/

I had some very nice muesli at Le Grande Orange, and a slice of not so great Red Velvet Cake (made notable because it was Red and Green Velvet cake (different layers). LGO (both the cafe and the grocery) is right next to Arlecchino Gelato.

Le Grande Orange Grocery
4410 N. 40th Street Phoenix, AZ 85018 * 602-840-7777

It's funny that BLT Steak came up (are we all going to Phoenix at the same time?). We were there a week and a half ago for grandma's 80th, and I was mostly underwhelmed.

I'm on the same page when it comes to the popovers and chicken liver pate, particularly the pate, which had a heavy booze component and was served quite loose and very warm. Really delicious. My wife also had the sole you mention, and enjoyed it a lot. But elsewhere, we had issues. My ladylove's Caesar -- and I really hate to complain about a salad being underdressed since it's such a crime to smother great greens -- but it was way underdressed. Beautiful Parmesan, but otherwise it was almost like eating -- if you'll allow a bit of hyperbole -- a bowl of plain greens. I'm not sure how I fail to remember the assorted sauces and pickled items that accompanied my hamachi sashimi, because it was absolutely obliterated by them. Which is too bad, because a piece of fish pulled from the sauce soup was of excellent quality. But I have a fairly high tolerance for overdressed sashimi and crudo, and this was just completely overdone. Bone-in ribeye was a fine piece of beef, but while I'm not a steak junkie, it struck me as criminally underseasoned. A shaker of sea salt presented with the popovers was left behind, but sprinkled on top is no substitute for properly seasoned in the first place. Accompanying asparagus and hash browns were waaaay short on salt as well, though that was more readily addressed by the table shaker. And the hash browns, otherwise, were actually really nice, more of a thick pancake that was brown and crunchy on the outside, and almost creamy with a ton of onion in the middle.

I understand the French chef doing contemporary steakhouse thing. All night I couldn't stop thinking about Prime. Or more accurately, how much better Prime is for inhabiting the same subgenre.

Huh... Arlecchino has been sold and renamed. Sounds like the new owner is trying to stay close with Spangaro, but here's hoping this isn't a prelude to a downhill alert:

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/ ... coming.php

(And talk about going from a great to a lame name.)

Dmnkly wrote:Huh... Arlecchino has been sold and renamed. Sounds like the new owner is trying to stay close with Spangaro, but here's hoping this isn't a prelude to a downhill alert:

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/ ... coming.php

(And talk about going from a great to a lame name.)

Wow! What a shocker. I'll try to get some additional information about this asap.

And even though I am a huge Grateful Dead fan, I completely agree about the new name.

=R=

I'm glad that I got one last taste before the change. Of the four gelato spots I tried it Phoenix, there was no comparison.

Interesting. La Grande Orange is one of my favorites and they recently partnered with Rich Melman's kids to open another LGO in Santa Monica, CA. Might we soon be seeing LGO/Gelato stores sprouting up like Maggianos and Corner Bakeries?

Is the food counter at LGO worthwhile, iblock? I was disappointed by the grocery. For the most part, it struck me as one of those precious places that was overly expensive and didn't really have enough of anything to make it worthwhile. Cute and useless. There was some delicious-looking stuff, but there was so little of it that it seemed kind of like it existed purely for impulse shopping. Other than the prepared foods (which I haven't yet tried) and maybe the booze, I couldn't ever imagine myself thinking, "I know, I'll go get that at La Grande Orange!"

From what I can ascertain, the sale is essentially the result of the fact that the Spangaros longed to return to Italy, which is what they plan to do.

I hope the new ownership can maintain the same high standards. Otherwise, this will be a real loss for the area.

=R=

We ordered Muesli at LGO, which was fine, and a Xmas colored Red Velvet Cake (RVC seems popular in Phoenix), which wasn't very flavorful. Certainly LGO did not seem as impressive in its niche as AG did in its.

Dmnkly wrote:Is the food counter at LGO worthwhile, iblock?

We love breakfasts and lunches at LGO. I have never been dissapointed by anything that I have tried there. The grocery is sort of an afterthought to me, i browse while waiting to order my sandwich, etc. Havent tried many of the baked goods as i am usually there before my sweet tooth kicks in or i will get a gelato next door. The commuter sandwich is a breakfast favorite in my family.

I have found all of the LGO places, incl chelsea' kitchen and radio milan, to be very good.

For another similiar experience try duck and decanter mentioned upthread. The smoke duck sandwich was very nice.

iblock9 wrote:

Dmnkly wrote:Is the food counter at LGO worthwhile, iblock?

We love breakfasts and lunches at LGO. I have never been dissapointed by anything that I have tried there. The grocery is sort of an afterthought to me, i browse while waiting to order my sandwich, etc. Havent tried many of the baked goods as i am usually there before my sweet tooth kicks in or i will get a gelato next door. The commuter sandwich is a breakfast favorite in my family.

I have found all of the LGO places, incl chelsea' kitchen and radio milan, to be very good.

For another similiar experience try duck and decanter mentioned upthread. The smoke duck sandwich was very nice.

In that mall, my favorite place for food (other than Arlecchino) has been Postino. Great sandwiches on outstanding bread, an excellent wine-by-the-glass selection and a wonderful vibe in general.

=R=

Postino
3939 East Campbell Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85018-3650
(602) 852-3939

My baby sister lives in Mesa. I told her last month about stevez's fave, los dos. So last night she went to the local branch. She liked it a lot, and will go back. But she said that the salsa was a bit hot (!), more my style than hers.

I'll have to give it a try next time I visit her.

Geo

Had a quick business trip to Phoenix where the temperature topped out at 110 degrees the past several days. My sister in law suggested Sunday dinner at FnB in Old Town Scottsdale which is now my second favorite place to eat in the valley (behind Noca). FnB focuses on locally sourced foods, seasonal ingredients, farm to table dining, etc. The place is a home run. Everything from the appetizers to the almost entirely Arizona wine list was carefully created and thoughtfully edited. We started with spicy roasted pecans, a great roast pepper and tahini starter and rock shrimp with jalapeno tartar. Salads of microgreens and beets were just outstanding as were the entrees. I loved the Chicken Jidori which is a crispy chicken served over spaetzel and spring lillies. My SIL and her husband had the halibut and it was equally good (not sure where you get local halibut in arizona but who knows). Really great place and worth checking out the next time you are in Arizona.

FnB Restaurant
7133 East Stetson Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85252
(480) 425-9463
http://www.fnbrestaurant.com/index.php

I really should have posted about this earlier, but I can't agree more about FnB. The place is a real treasure, run by wonderful people who turn out some great food. Pavle, who runs FoH, is one of the most energetic and entertaining people I've met. The bulk of the menu is actually vegetables, and while everything is great, I think that's their strength.


Fried Green Tomatoes, Green Goddess Dressing & Feta
Nothing fancy. Killer tomatoes, nice and tart, very crisp coating (I've heard she uses polenta), with a creamy green goddess dressing, crumbled feta and tons of greens on top.


Asparagus, Cauliflower Puree & Crispy Beets
There's almost no acid in this, which really threw me at first, but a few bites in I realized it worked and I'm still not sure why. The beet chips are really nice, too... very light and crisp.


Braised Leeks, Mozzarella, Mustard Bread Crumbs & A Fried Egg
This is becoming one of their signature dishes, though it's off the menu for the season. A fried egg on top, I know. But it's a great dish. You can't see, but there's a pile of thick, braised leeks underneath. They hand-pull the mozzarella to order and melt it under a salamander, then add some crispy, chunky bread crumbs laced with mustard and top it with the egg. The only downside is that Pavle never lets you break the yolk yourself. It isn't overly-attentive service. I think it's just that Pavle likes doing it so much.


Grilled Spicy Broccoli, Meyer Lemon Aioli & Crispy Onion
My favorite, though, is the spicy broccoli. They grill it, which is fabulous. The smoke really comes through. There's a sweet-tart aioli on the plate and little flecks of crispy fried onion. A little red pepper flake just makes it. Really simple, really good.

It's Old Town Scottsdale, so they're gussied up a little more than they need to be -- dim lighting, white tablecloths, etc. -- but it's a concession they kind of have to make to the neighborhood. Along with Noca and Andreoli, this is one of three places in Phoenix that I completely adore right now.

Dom:

have you had the chance to check out Binkley's Restaurant or Cafe Bink in Cave Creek? Binkeleys is closed Sunday and Monday so I didnt have a chance to check them out on my last trip but it is high on my list of must try places in the Phoenix area. I would love to hear your impressions.

iblock9 wrote:Dom:

have you had the chance to check out Binkley's Restaurant or Cafe Bink in Cave Creek? Binkeleys is closed Sunday and Monday so I didnt have a chance to check them out on my last trip but it is high on my list of must try places in the Phoenix area. I would love to hear your impressions.

It's funny, I went to Binkley's two summers ago while we were visiting family, and everything was beautifully done, but I walked out of the place thinking that in two months, I wouldn't remember anything I ate. Sure enough, I sat down to post about it two months later, and couldn't remember a thing. I had photos of dishes I didn't even remember eating. So I didn't write about it.

No complaints, just nothing the least bit memorable. Folks out here -- those I trust, too -- adore it, though, so I really need to give it a second shot at some point.

Just got into Phoenix on a Sunday afternoon, and San Diego Bay was a nice jaunt from the airport to fortify myself after the flight.

Just ordered what rowed my boat, and I somehow think I did not order as well as I might have, had I looked more carefully at this thread.

Ceviche tostada was quite good.

Chile relleno with shrimp was unexciting. I am not convinced that the addition of shrimp to the chile and cheese was a worthwhile thing, though it obviously sounded good enough to hook me. And I have been playing with stuffing chiles with cheese in various preparations this summer, and found some versions that make me quite happy - this suffered by comparison. Not that there was anything wrong with it, just nothing special.

IMO, the apt Chicago comparison with San Diego Bay is Las Islas Marias, which is not bad, but not high praise for me. Perhaps if I had ordered differently, I would have reached a different conclusion. Next time, I will try one of the New Mexican style places.