Alessia's Ristorante Italiano - An Italian Gem Hidden in NE Mesa

I just ate dinner at Alessia's Ristorante Italiano located at 5251 E. Brown Rd in Mesa (yes, Mesa). It is tucked in the corner of a strip mall on the SE corner of Higley and Brown Roads, a few doors down from the Broadway Palm dinner theater. It is a smaller, mom and pop restaurant that serves up all sorts of Italian fare. 

Dinner

Alessia's is owned and run by Jon and Shari Carr. Shari does all the cooking and Jon kind of runs the rest of the show. It's a very small restaurant with room for maybe 30 or 40 people max inside. They do have a patio area as well, but this time of year it's a bit chilly for dining al fresco. The decor is pretty bland, but that is just fine for a local eatery. Alessia's is a cozy place and you will definitely get some personal attention from Jon.

The wine list is nice and features all Italian wines. That helps with the authenticity, but I would personally like to see a focus on Italian wines, but still have some offerings from other wine producing areas of the world. The wine prices are reasonable (1.5x - 2x retail) and there are a fair number of them by the glass. We ordered a bottle of 2003 Santome Raboso ($48). This is a very lush wine. Rich fruit, leathery, and very well composed on the palate. Raboso reminds me of really good Cab Sav with some Merlot added for rounded structure.

Alessia's menu offers all the pasta types you would expect, but what I liked is that you can also get just about any type of sauce on those pasta dishes. There are also meat and seafood based entrees as well. The appetizer selection is small, but the choices are pretty solid. Prices are reasonable with apps being $6 - $10 and all larger plates being under $22 (many are under $15).

We split an appetizer, a pasta dish, and an entree. Here is a rundown of the items in the order we ate them:

• Crostini ai Porcini - These were small pieces of grilled bread with fresh mozzarella on them and then topped with sauteed porcini mushrooms and herbs. It was very tasty, but there was so much garlic sauteed with the mushrooms that it kind of detracted from an otherwise delicious appetizer. We still ate it all and it was good we shared it as I could feel the garlic oozing out of my pores afterwards, so I knew I wouldn't be the only one warding off vampires that evening.
• Gnocchi with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce - This dish resulted in a good news/bad news situation. The good news was that the gorgonzola sauce was very tasty. Rich and creamy with a nice bite from the gorgonzola. The bad news is that the gnocchi were just OK. They tasted undercooked, like a pasta that is too al dente. They weren't bad, but the fresh bread dipped in the gorgonzola sauce was making us smile more than the potato dumplings were.  
• Pollo Erbe - Two chicken breasts served in a red sauce with rosemary, sage, garlic, onions, and basil. The chicken was wonderful; very moist and the sauce was great. I would definitely order this again. This came with a choice of a salad or pasta. We got the salad, but if I could use the "way back machine", I would have taken pasta on the side with the chicken and then bypassed the gnocchi for a salad course. Live and learn :)

Overall, the meal was very pleasant. The service was good and Jon makes the patrons feel at home with his sense of humor. The food arrives at a casual pace and that was just fine with us as we were enjoying each course without being rushed.

Final Take

Alessia's is a great neighborhood eatery where you can get a good meal at a decent price. Yes, there are things I would change here and there on the menu, but overall the restaurant delivers exactly what you'd expect from a locally owned Italian restaurant. And to this Foodie, that is reason enough to dine there.

Overall Grade = B (Good)

The EV Foodie

Cowboy Ciao - Eclectic Done Right

I spent last Saturday in Scottsdale and ate dinner at Cowboy Ciao. It's in Old Town at 7133 E. Stetson Drive, pretty much right across the street from the steps leading to South Bridge. I have eaten at Cowboy Ciao a couple times in the past and I was looking forward to returning.

Dinner

Cowboy Ciao kind of rocks the "Rustic Minimalist" approach combined with a touch of artiness. I don't mean that in a bad way, because it works well and is a nice change from so many Scottsdale eateries that ooze pretense. Some of the walls have murals on them that add a splash of color to the decor. The bar is in the center of the restaurant and the bar top is large, angular, and beefy. The restaurant seating and the tables are "plain Jane" for the most part. The one exception is a booth that is raised up on a small, decorated platform. Overall, the place has a warm feel to it. Noise levels in the restaurant can be elevated at times, but I never found it hard to carry on a conversation.

If you are a wine fan, you will find Ciao's wine list both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that they source their wines from Kazmierz (same owners), so there is something for every price range and palate. The curse is that the wine list is H-U-G-E and it's not in a user-friendly format. Instead of being by varietal, then by winemaker or price, their list set up by wine color, then price. When there are 20 wines, it's no issue. When there are 2,000 wines, well now you have to start digging. I wanted to order a half bottle of chardonnay, so that meant turning to the Whites section (mind you, it's the size of a phone book) and then looking page after page for what I wanted. Yes, I probably could have asked, but I'm a self-proclaimed wine snob and asking would ruin the treat of picking out something yummy myself. I finally bailed on the half bottle idea and looked to the wines by the glass list, which by comparison to the bottle list was very small and there were no Chardonnays I liked, so I ended up getting a glass of Kunin Grenache. It was reasonably priced ($11) for the quality of the wine and was very good. Earthy, fruity, and well rounded for a Grenache.

OK, onto the food. Cowboy Ciao's menu is best summed up as being eclectic. Now in my foodie experience, there is eclectic food that is just weird and then there is eclectic food that makes you say, "I'd never think of combining all that, but damn that's good". Ciao is definitely in the latter group. They have a nice selection of both small and large plate offerings. We ordered a variety of small plates to share. Here is a rundown of the items in the order we ate them:

• Stetson Chopped - This is one dish that simply must be ordered anytime you dine here. It is like no salad you will ever have because it's a salad in the loosest sense of the term. Arugula, tomatoes, couscous, dried corn, bacon, smoked salmon, and a couple other items that you wouldn't expect. All tossed together in front of you with an amazing basil pesto buttermilk ranch dressing. Order it and you will not be disappointed.
• Mini Mushroom Pan Fry - This is just a smaller version of what the menu proclaims as "their signature dish". About eight different kinds of mushrooms sauteed and served with an ancho pepper cream sauce over polenta. It's unique and good, but very filling. I'm not sure I'd want the entree-sized version all to myself.
• Dungeness Crab Stack - Large hunks of crab mixed with shaved fennel bulb and a little diced avocado. It has a light lemony vinaigrette that is infused with tarragon. It all worked together, but it was almost like there were too many subtle flavors in the dish and it added up to it being a little bland. Plus, I got tired of the fennel after a while as I felt there was too much there.
• Elvis in New Orleans - At least I think this is what the dessert was called. All I know is that it was so good. A fresh, warm peanut butter cookie, topped with bourbon ice cream, salted caramel sauce and other things to make your dentist cringe. Completely unredeeming - the way a dessert should be.

The food is priced moderately for what you get. Most small plates are in the $11 - $15 range and are shareable. Entrees range from $20 - $40. The service was very good. Our server was attentive without being a pest and the front reception acknowledged and seated us very quickly.


Final Take

Cowboy Ciao delivers a solid meal and offers a unique variety of food. Pair that with an impressive (yet cumbersome) wine list and you have a great spot for dining. I will be back again as Ciao has much to offer.

Overall Grade = B+ (Very Good)

The EV Foodie

Live Culture Lounge review - The whole is definitely not equal to its parts

I recently returned from seeing my lovely girlfriend in Santa Barbara and while there we went out with some friends to Live Culture Lounge. Live Culture is located in the Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center off State Street. I was at a presentation earlier that day that featured an interview with Live Culture’s owners and was looking forward to going there for some food and drink with friends.

Dinner

Live Culture is kind of a conglomeration of a high-end yogurt shop meets wine bar meets wannabe art gallery meets coffee shop meets open mic night. If you were thinking this is an establishment with a fairly serious identity crisis, you’d be correct. When you walk in, there is a glass case to your left that basically looks like one you’d expect see in a shop selling frozen yogurt. Perpendicular that is the bar, a traditional wood looking thing, so you immediately have a dichotomy between the two motifs. There is seating along the walls by both the yogurt counter and the bar. Also, there is an open balcony that sits above the bar at the back wall. This is the place where musicians set up and provide the live entertainment.

Speaking of the entertainment, it seemed like it was an open mic night. The musicians swapped out after a few songs and there was a variety of music. It appeared that a lot of patrons were actually musicians either waiting their turn to play or supporting local bands (or both). The mix of music ranged from not so good to pretty decent. The acoustics aren’t the best and the sound kind of bounces around the high-ceilinged establishment. At times it was pretty loud, thus hard to talk to people, but it is live music.

There were several of us in our party and some wanted wine and others beer. The wine list offered a pretty decent selection and prices seemed about 2x retail for the bottles I saw. Someone else at the table ordered the wine (a $48 Cab Sav). I asked to see the label, but the name now eludes me (sorry, senior moment). It was a good, fruit forward Cab from Sonoma that the four of us enjoyed.

Some others at the table ordered “Real Beer Floats”. It’s exactly what you think: vanilla yogurt in a glass with beer poured on top of it. They opted for a porter brewed by Telegraph. I tried some of it and felt it was OK, but I’d be sick of it after several sips/bites, as the combo was just not doing it for me. They enjoyed it, however, so that’s all that really matters.

The food menu consists of small plates (mainly cheeses and salads) and sandwiches. We ordered a couple cheese plates, a caprese salad, and a grilled cheese with prosciutto sandwich to share amongst ourselves. The cost was a bit on the pricey side based upon the food descriptions and when the food arrived, I really felt it was overpriced for what we received: especially the cheese plates. The food was decent, but nothing special or noteworthy. Here is a rundown of my foodie thoughts:

• The salad was delivered as a stack of the ingredients, which made for a nice presentation. I didn’t have any of it, but the people eating it said it was good.
• My girlfriend had some of the grilled cheese and found the prosciutto so fatty that she removed it and ate the grilled cheese by itself. She is not a picky eater and said the grilled cheese was just OK, so that said a lot to me.
• Cheese plate #1 was brie with a baguette and roasted garlic oil. The plate arrived with three small slices of brie, a ramekin with olive oil and some bloated (not roasted) garlic cloves in it that looked like they came straight out of a jar, and half of a very small baguette. A handful of dried cranberries were scattered around the plate as well. Neither the bread nor the brie was warm. Again, it tasted ok and the olive oil by itself was good on the bread, but it looked like something I could throw together in 2 minutes to snack on in front of the TV…
• Cheese plate #2 said it had 5 cheeses and we let the chef choose them. Well, the plate did have 5 cheeses (3 soft, 2 hard), but barely any of each (it was not even an ounce of cheese). It came with 4 small pieces of crostini that tasted kind of stale and a few dried apricots. It was almost laughable how little we got for $17. My girlfriend said it looked like a sampler plate from Trader Joe’s and that basically summed up my feelings on the dish: very tired and uninspired.

The Dessert menu was calling to me because I was still hungry. They have assorted frozen yogurt themed desserts and other sweet offerings. We were given samples of both their ‘tart’ yogurt and bread pudding. The tart yogurt almost tasted like it was mixed with sorbet and it was not what I expected nor particularly liked, but other people in the group dug it. The bread pudding had a very grainy texture to it and one bite was enough for me. No one at the table seemed impressed with it. I opted for vanilla frozen yogurt over a brownie with chocolate sauce and shot of espresso (yeah, no calories at all in this). It sounded amazing and this was one dish that delivered on the hype. The vanilla yogurt was rich, creamy, and decadent and it just worked perfectly with all the other ingredients. As opposed to the small food plates, this dessert was HUGE. We passed it around the table a couple times and everyone got a few bites of it.

I have commented before on the spotty service you can sometimes get in Santa Barbara and Live Culture is no exception to this. Our server was either way overworked or just really bad. The place was busy, but not packed. I had to ask more than once for a glass of water and when I saw how few crostini came with the cheese plate, I immediately asked for a few more as we had 6 people at the table. He said he’d get them right away. I guess ‘right away’ is relative. When he appeared at the table a few minutes later sans bread, I asked again. Still nothing arrived. I asked a third time and he copped a bit of an attitude saying, “I'm working on it”. Sorry, but it’s not rocket science, it’s toasted bread…and waiting almost 25 minutes and having to ask over and over is completely inexcusable.

Final Take

Live Culture has yet to figure out what exactly it wants to be. I liken it to the saying “jack of all trades, master of none”. Live Culture is the master of none, but it has some strengths it could focus on. However, I’m not sure if good yogurt and live music is gonna pay the rent in that location. The food options were lackluster and our service was subpar, which is enough to kill most establishments. It was a somewhat disappointing experience for us and Santa Barbara has many foodie options, so there is not any compelling reason to go back. I always want places to succeed, so hopefully the owners will take feedback like this to heart.

Overall Grade = C+ (Average)

The EV Foodie

Wildfish Seafood Grille review - Way more than Eddie V's Lite

My wonderful girlfriend and I have a mutual friend (we'll call her 'T') who recently had a birthday and we offered to take her out to dinner to celebrate yet another anniversary of her 39th birthday. T decided that she wanted to dine at Wildfish Seafood Grille in Scottsdale, AZ. So we donned our foodie gear and headed out there this past Saturday for an evening of seafood.

Dinner

Wildfish is right off of Camelback Rd, around the corner from South Bridge in Scottsdale. The restaurant has a very modern and hip vibe that radiates from it. Diners are welcomed by a soft blue neon walkway to the front door and waterfall columns that frame the entrance. When you walk into the restaurant, the large bar area is front and center. It is sleek looking and has plenty of seating. The dining areas are on raised platforms on either side of the bar area that have both booths and tables. The place was pretty busy and as such, the noise level was pretty loud. We were seated at a table and at times I was having trouble hearing some of our conversation over the noise.

We opted to have some wine. The wine list has a nice selection and is broken into their "regular list", which is basically what most people will order from, and a "special" list where the entry price on the wine is $120+. The wine markup was about 2.5x retail across the board, which was not surprising for Scottsdale. There was not much worth drinking for under $45. We opted for a 2006 Newton Red Label Chardonnay that was $59. Very nice chard: supple, well rounded, and moderate oak.

Now for the food. Small plate offerings include soups, salads, appetizers, and selections from their raw bar. I walked past the raw bar and it is impressive. I was fighting a cold, so I didn't want to overload my immune system with raw seafood, otherwise I would have been all over it. Large plates consist of about a dozen seafood choices and then various poultry, lamb, and beef selections. We were all about the seafood that night. The sheer number of choices and their descriptions had us smitten as they all sounded so good. My girlfriend and I share food all the time and T wanted on board with that, too, so we decided to order a several items and share. While that may be great for us, it can be something a server cringes at, but our server never batted an eye. He was prompt, courteous, and VERY accommodating (more on this later).

I wanted the Lobster Bisque and we were told they would be happy to split that order into three smaller bowls as our starter. I spent 12 years in New England and the bisque was as good as any I ever had back east. Rich, without being too creamy with a nice spiciness and just the right amount of brandy in it. We each got a very large hunk of lobster in our portion, too.

Next, we all split the Wildfish Chopped Salad. They took a single order and split it across three plates (nice touch). The salad was very good, with large shrimp and chunks of Jonah Crab. The dressing was actually a mix of a vinaigrette (light flavored and yummy) and a green-goddess variety (kind of bland). They could serve it with just the vinaigrette and it may make for a better overall dish, but it was still very good.

We ordered two main courses: Chilean Sea Bass Steamed Hong Kong Style and Gulf Snapper Filet Meuniere. We also got a side of Baby Bok Choi to go with the Sea Bass. I split the sea bass with my girlfriend (again, they split the order onto two plates for us) and it was exquisite. Light and flaky, yet moist. The sauce it came with was very light and mildly tangy. Highly recommended. The snapper was prepared with a brown butter sauce and was also very good. T was smiling the whole time while eating it, but was unable to finish the large portion, so that was destined to be her lunch the next day. The bok choi was served with macadamia nuts and a sesame based sauce. It really didn't do much for me as it seemed uninspired and a little overdone. It wasn't bad, but I doubt I'd order it again.

Since it was T's birthday, dinner would not be complete without dessert. Our server said any selection she wanted was on the house and she opted for the Pineapple Upside Down Cake (and three forks). I can't say that would have been my first choice, especially with some of the chocolate items on the menu, but it turned out to be a good call. There is no lack of rum in the cake and to top it off, they light some Bacardi 151 and drizzle the burning liquid on top of the dessert, which makes for a nice presentation. The cake was good, but the show stealer was the homemade butter pecan ice cream served with it.

You may have picked up on the fact that the service was top notch. We spent over three hours there and we were not rushed at all. He was on top of all our needs without being overbearing and it all added up to a great night out.

Final Take

Wildfish delivered in pretty much all the areas that matter. Aside from the loud environment and my very minor quibbles with some of the food preparation, it's definitely a place to go for a great seafood meal. I will be back there soon, if for nothing else than to tear my way through the raw bar.

Overall Grade = A- (Excellent)

The EV Foodie

Petit Valentien review - Good things do come in small packages

I do find my way to the Santa Barbara area fairly frequently because my girlfriend lives there. That area does food very well and one place we have eaten more than once is Petit Valentien. I was in SB this past weekend and we decided to go there on a Saturday night for dinner. Petit Valentien is located in the “La Arcada” area off State Street by the Museum of Art.

Dinner

I love where Petit Valentien is situated within La Arcada as it just reminds me of a side street you’d find in Barcelona (and once I finally travel there I can confirm this thought, but for now don’t mess with the visual). It is a cozy restaurant with a nice bar area and a variety of high tops, quasi-booths, and standard sized tables. I had made a reservation that night, as it was a holiday weekend and I figured they might be busy. When we arrived, there really was no one tending the door. One server said it would be a minute for our table and five minutes later we were still standing there waiting. A few minutes after that, a different server asked if we had been helped. He asked my name and knew my reservation and we were seated shortly thereafter. We had a party of four: three adults and one child (my daughter, who has a discerning palette given her age).

One thing to note regarding dining in the Santa Barbara area is that the food may be great, but the service can be spotty. I have seen this in all calibers of restaurants there. So the fact that we waited about 10 minutes to truly be acknowledged by anyone in a restaurant that was barely ¾ full did not surprise me one bit. I did see one couple give up and leave and if it were my first time at PV, I would have bailed on it, too. However, I had dined here before, so I was willing to wait it out. We were seated at a low top table by the bar and had a nice view out into La Arcada (PV has a few outdoor tables, too).

The dinner menu is basically split into small plates and large plates and both are priced reasonably. Most small plates are $9 or less and all entrees are $18. The menu offers seafood, meat, poultry, salads, and soup. My girlfriend and I opted to split an Endive and Pear Salad for our starter. My daughter zeroed in on the Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup. Our server was nice and attentive, but he seemed to also be covering for some service shortfalls from some of the other wait staff that evening, so he could be a bit delayed at times. It wasn’t bad enough to be annoying and we were all talking anyway, but it was noticeable.

We were given fresh ciabatta rolls, which helped ease the wait for the first course of food. I ordered a bottle of 2007 Jack Creek Cellars Pinot Noir for the table. It’s a very nice example of Pinot from Paso Robles. It is fruity, but not sweet, and silky on the palette with a nice, rounded finish. It was an instant hit with everyone. I feel PV’s wine selection is nice and priced well. The bottle I ordered was maybe $12 or so over retail. That’s nice to see in a day and age where some restaurants charge 3x retail (or more) for a bottle of wine.

The starters arrived and I could smell roasted red peppery goodness wafting across the table from my daughter’s plate. She tried a spoonful of her soup and her eyes confirmed what my nose was telling me, so I asked for a sample. It was really amazing. The tomatoes and roasted peppers had been pureed, so the soup was a nice consistency and no hunks of veggies to be found. My daughter started dipping the ciabatta into it and she was a very happy camper. The Endive and Pear Salad is a nice, light starter. A little bitter, a little sweet, and just right with a very mild sweet vinegar dressing.

There were two main entrees ordered at the table: seared scallops with mini-arugula salad and Duck Breast with wine based reduction. The scallops were large and meaty (about U8 sized) and there were 4 on the plate. They were cooked perfectly and when paired with the mini-arugula they became just right. The duck breast was also very good, but it was sooo rich. The portion was nice sized, plump, and juicy. The reduction was well done, but it was a tad sweet for me. I had a couple bites of the duck and returned my attention to the scallops…

We didn’t opt for dessert this trip, but PV has some nice offerings (the flourless chocolate cake is always a winner). We were content to finish our wine and have coffee as a finale instead.

Final Take

Petit Valentien provides a nice variety of dinner choices in plates of all sizes that are priced right. The food is prepared well and to a high quality. The service, while sometimes not the fastest, is usually good. Combine that with a solid wine list and you have a cozy restaurant that could easily become a favorite Santa Barbara haunt for any foodie.

 Overall Grade = B+ (Very Good)

The EV Foodie

Bloom review - The Epitome of Consistency

There are a few restaurants that I look forward to going to and recommend to friends with little hesitation. Bloom is definitely on my short list of such places. It is located in Scottsdale at the shops at Gainey Village. My boss was in town and we needed a place to have a dinner meeting, so I recommended Bloom. I hadn’t been there in a few months, so I got to see if they still had the right recipe for success.

Happy Hour

Bloom has an open floor plan with two tiers of tables and booths. It has a retro-modern feel and it’s a swanky looking place. The bar is a nice size that curves vs. being an ‘L’ shape. Bloom knows how to do happy hour and they now run it daily from 3:00 – 6:00p. The Happy Hour menu has over a dozen offerings and is mainly stocked from their dinner menu’s “appetizers and salads”. That is great because Bloom does small plates as well as anybody. The Crisp Calamari and the Spicy Tuna Tartare are both excellent.

Their drink specials during happy hour are awesome, especially if you’re a wine lover. ALL their wine is half off, not just a select number of labels. The 50% discount applies to flights, by the glass, or the whole bottle. That basically means the bottle cost is really retail (or less). You can order a very nice glass of wine and a couple small plates of food and get a great meal for $20 (including the tip).

Dinner

We sat in a booth on the upper tier. The booths are ‘U’ shaped, deep, and comfy. From here, you have a good view of the whole restaurant. They were a little less than half full this night and it was very easy to carry on a conversation across the table. Our server seemed a little disconnected and preoccupied. She would ask us if we needed something and would almost be walking away before we could answer. It almost felt like she was asking things because she had to, not because she really cared to know the answers. Other than that she was pleasant and fairly attentive.

The wine list is very nice and is broken into groups by color and then varietal. Some varietals are split between more inexpensive options and separate “Sommelier’s Selections”. Everything is available by the glass or within a flight and the list is fairly comprehensive, albeit they are mainly New World offerings. It’s a nice approach that allows you to try something new without having to pony up for a bottle. Wine markup was pretty consistent at 2x retail. We both went with a flight of Zinfandel ($15) that consisted of: Klinker Brick, Rosenblum (from Paso Robles), and Seghesio. I happen to like all three of these wines and it was a nice presentation of zin from Lodi, Central Coast, and Sonoma.

Bloom’s food offerings can be a little eclectic with some of the ingredients, but trust me when I say it all works well together. The dinner menu split between “Appetizers & Salads” and “Entrees”. All of the salads are excellent and I usually opt for one of them as a starter. The dinner entrees cover all areas of food: vegetarian, pasta, pork, lamb, beef, poultry, and seafood. There may be one or two options from each, but they all look delicious. I really love having the problem of too many good things to choose from.

That night we each started with a salad. I opted for the chopped spinach with gorgonzola, glazed, pecans and green apples. The spinach is tossed with very light, sweet-tangy vinaigrette and it is one of my favorite salads. My boss ordered “The Everything Chopped Salad”. I initially thought it may be some lame knock-off of the superlative chopped salad at Cowboy Ciao, but after it arrived I saw it was indeed its own unique creation. A variety of greens, vegetables, nuts, bacon, and fruit with a mild and creamy cucumber dressing all had my boss smiling. Two thumbs up from her.

We had held off on ordering dinner until we finished the salads and we decided that we would opt to split an entrée. The server told us the specials. Bloom has an ‘ever changing’ ravioli and that night it was a mushroom variant with a butter and cream sauce. I could feel my arteries hardening just hearing about it, so we took a pass. The other special was a skin-on whitefish that had my boss turning green around the gills, so that was out, too. Since we still had parts of our zin flights left, we focused on some meat dishes. The contenders were: Aged New York steak with crimini mushrooms, Herb crusted rack of lamb, Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, or Roasted ribeye with Roquefort potatoes. Each sounded divine in its own right, but the roasted ribeye just called to me, so we opted for that.

The kitchen split the entrée evenly onto two plates for us, which was a nice touch as most places usually do a single plate of food and give you two empty plates to divvy it up yourself. The ribeye was served on top of mashed potatoes spiked with just the right amount of tang from the Roquefort cheese. It also came with sautéed French-style string beans that were crisp and tender. The steak was cooked perfectly as ordered to medium-rare and was very juicy. Everything was excellent and it turned out to be just the right amount of food. I will add that it is so nice to actually get some sides included with your dinner selection. I’m sure you’ve picked up on the fact I’m not a huge fan of strict a la carte menus.

Neither of us had room for dessert, but it’s not for a lack of wanting it because the selections are very tempting. The best bet is always the “Bars of Sin”. Don’t even ask what it is, just order it. It has won awards for best dessert and after you have it, you’ll understand why.

Final Take

Bloom continues to impress me. The menu is always full of fresh and inviting options. Some items are mainstays and others get tweaked or replaced as time goes on, but it always seems to have something for everybody. The service is usually good and the wait staff is always friendly. I feel it is well priced and you get real value for your dining dollar. Whether you want an easy happy hour or a formal dinner, Bloom delivers it all with aplomb. I have eaten here several times already and I can easily say that Bloom has solidified its spot on my short list of places to dine in the East Valley.

Overall Grade = A- (excellent)

The EV Foodie

About the East Valley Foodie

Hello, I am the East Valley Foodie and I welcome you to my blog. I will provide my personal take on some of the eateries & drinkeries scattered around the eastern side of Phoenix. Yes, I may venture outside this culinary realm on occasion, but with so many places to try in just this one area I think I'll have plenty to blog about for a while...

About the Foodie

Who is the East Valley (EV) Foodie? I am a male 30-something who has a serious love for great food and wine. Sorry, I don't have any formal training. I'm not a master sommelier, either. I'm just a guy who knows a delicious meal when he's served one. I also am aware of what good service is and whether I'm receiving it.

I have lived in the East Valley for about six years now. Prior to that I have lived in the Midwest and in New England. I have always had a love for food. I was cooking meals by the time I was about 6 years old (I didn't say they were good meals) and am very at home in the kitchen. I love all types of cuisine - from unredeeming bar food to a true gourmet spread. If done properly, I feel all food can be great.

I also love good wine. Yes, other libations have their place in my heart, but wine is the real choice for most food pairings in my book. There are certain varietals that appeal to me more than others, but I try to be open minded (even when someone swears that ice wine from Minnesota is "the BOMB"). I am not a wine snob, but I am picky. I don't care what the bottle costs. Some cheap wine is just that and some expensive wine shouldn't be. I base it on how it tastes and its all around appeal.

As much as I love to cook, I definitely enjoy letting someone else deal with it on occasion. Phoenix has so many amazing restaurants and I just hate to let them go to waste. I usually eat out at least once a week and since I live in the East Valley, that is where I tend to go out.

Yes, I have a day job, but only because I can't figure out (yet) how to make enough money talking about food and wine. Maybe we can help to change that....

About the Blog

Food and wine are a hobby of mine and I'm often consulted for advice by friends, family, and co-workers. I love discussing these items with people. My wonderful girlfriend suggested I blog about my foodie passion and I thought it was a great idea, so here I am.

I'm new to the blogging scene, so I really don't have a formula that I have decided to follow yet. I may try different styles and formats. I may also blog about something that is not a restaurant, but I promise that it will still be "foodie approved".

There are so many places to eat in the East Valley and it seems new spots come and go weekly. So many choices, so few days in the week. My hope is to provide useful information on these places. This way potential customers can get some real feedback on restaurants and make an informed choice before spending their hard earned cash at one of them. Also, restaurant owners will see how they are doing in the eyes of customers (well, at least this customer) and hopefully be open to any feedback that is provided.

I welcome your comments and look forward to helping out my fellow Phoenix foodies.

Enjoy...

The EV Foodie

Roka Akor review - Serious sushi with a few flaws

I had heard nothing but good things about Roka Akor, so I was excited to dine there last Friday. It is a Japanese restaurant located in Central Scottsdale that features "Sushi and Robata Grill". 'Robata' reminds me of a certain song by Styx, but I was willing to roll with it anyway. Besides, "Bon Appetit" recently named them one of the top 10 sushi places in the U.S., so we owed it to ourselves to check it out.

Happy Hour

There were four of us dining and we started off in the bar area to take advantage of happy hour before sitting in the formal dining area. The look of the lounge is sleek, but pretty generic. If Ikea offered Japanese themed interior decorating, Roka Akor would probably be their main customer. Nothing bad about that, but it felt a little sterile to me. Our server was very pleasant and she was attentive without being annoying. Happy Hour drinks were well priced ($3 beers, $6 wine and martinis) with a decent choice of libations. The standout was probably the Saketini my girlfriend ordered: simple drink done well. They also offer Shochu, which is like a Japanese vodka, but nobody tried it this go-round.

The Happy Hour food menu is a nice size and reasonably priced ($2 - $7). We ordered the Crispy Fried Squid, Spicy Sashimi Salad, and 2 orders of the Butterfish. The plate sizes were enough that everyone got some of each. Everything was fresh and tasty, with the Butterfish being the favorite.

Dinner

We finished our happy hour drinks and made our way into the dining room. The first thing I noticed was the noise. It was about 7:30p and the dining room was maybe half full, but the sparsity of the decorating mixed with very tall ceilings meant all the various conversations echoed off everything. Do not expect a cozy meal with conversation you can easily hear if the place is full. Our server was nice enough, but seemed a little out of sorts as if he were new or nervous.

The wine list was a bit disappointing with very few worthwhile bottles under $50. There is good wine to be had, but be prepared to pay for it. Wine markup was anywhere from 2x - 3.5x retail. Ordering our wine was a bit of a process as they were out of a Syrah I wanted off the main list and the alternatives suggested by the server and the little-too-annoying sommelier were not doing much for us. I finally went with a 2006 Canonball Cabernet Sauvignon - fruit forward Cab that paired well with dinner.

The menu is split into different areas: Appetizers, Sashimi & Sushi, Tempura, and Robata Grilled items (sides and entrees). As seems to be the current trend, entrees are served a la carte (no sides). As a group we decided to order several things and share them. We picked items from all over the menu, so there were a mix of small plate and large plate items. One thing to note is that the food arrives very quickly and it seems to show up in a random order. We were expecting apps and smaller plates to appear first, but it was a hodgepodge of apps and entrees. A few minutes later, more plates of food arrived before we were even done with the first round. The table was crowded to say the least. The presentation of the food is excellent and you can tell the chefs take pride in their creations.

Food Highlights:

• Sashimi Chef's Selection - This was amazing. The chef chose Tuna, Scallops, and Yellowtail and it was seriously the best sashimi I have found in the Valley.
• Robata Grilled Asparagus - Tasty soy glaze and grilled perfectly to crisp-tender.
• Robata Grilled Lamb Cutlets - 3 very nice sized lamb loin chops. Grilled medium rare and served with a Korean chili sauce. These were a big hit at the table.
• Roka Akor Rice Hot Pot - What a nice surprise this was. A cast iron pot filled with mushroom infused sticky rice. Very savory and just amazingly good - we scraped every last bit of it out. The only issue was it took so long to arrive compared to the other food, that we thought they forget about it.

Food Lowlights:

• Spicy Tuna Roll - this was surprisingly boring for a 'spicy' roll.
• Beef Tataki with Salad Greens and chili ponzu - This was a letdown. Should be renamed "miniature beef roll-ups with zero character". Instantly forgettable...
• Japanese Eggplant Tempura - Slightly overcooked and very bland, even with the supplied sauce.

Final Take

Roka Akor is bound to be a Scottsdale hotspot. It has that generic hipster vibe to it that just seems to pervade many Scottsdale eateries. The food they do well is excellent and easily eclipses the lackluster items. Stick with their signature dishes (Robata Grilled items and the Sashimi) and you will be pleased. I'd also recommend asking your server to space out the food orders a bit to allow you to enjoy each course a bit more.

I will be back again, but I may just hang in the lounge area next time. It's a little quieter and the seating is bit more intimate. Plus, I still need to see what the Shochu is all about...

Overall Grade = B (very good)