Mesa Grill - Bobby Loses the Vegas Foodie Throwdown...

Vegas can be a foodie mecca, which is one of the reasons I enjoy going there. I have eaten some amazing meals in Sin City, but had never yet gone to Bobby Flay's restaurant, Mesa Grill. My good friend was with me who is a big fan of Mr. Flay and asked that we dine there. Mesa Grill is located inside Caesar's Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. I'll admit to watching some of Bobby Flay's shows on Food Network, so I was looking forward to the meal.

Dinner

Mesa Grill has an upbeat, modern vibe to it. Lots of glass, light woods, and metal. The bar is off to the side as you enter and has a warm and inviting look about it. Of course you have Bobby Flay swag for sale right in your face as you approach the hostess stand. I get why it's there, but it upped the tacky level more than I'd usually like (even in Vegas). There were a fair number of people waiting, but we had reservations and our wait was less than 10 minutes. Seating is a mix of tables and booths. We had a party of seven and were given a booth with a couple of chairs added.

Our server was fairly prompt to the table to take appetizer orders, but I had to tell him we needed a drink menu and the wine list first (sorry, this is something that should be noticed by a server). The wine list was decent, but nothing exceptional. Prices ranged from 2.0x - 3.0x retail. The Sommelier stopped by the table to offer advice and she was very pleasant to deal with. I usually like to pick my own wines, but I still appreciate a sommelier's advice at times. We opted to do two bottles: one was a Joel Gott Zinfandel and the other was a central coast Syrah that carries the restaurant's private label. Both were about $60 each. The Zin was lovely, with a deep color, soft tannins, and all the mouthfeel you'd expect from a nice zinfandel. The syrah had nice flavor, but was a tad tight on its own. I figured it would shine with some of the meat dishes and it did pair very well with the entrees.

Noise levels in the dining area were pretty loud, but it was also a Friday night in Vegas and the place was busy. As for the service after we ordered, well it can be summed up with one word: s-l-o-w. Our apps took a while to appear and the entrees took even longer after that. Close to 30 mins between app plates being removed and entree plates being brought. Seemed way too long for everyone involved. The server really wasn't checking in very often either and was pretty much invisible after our entrees came.

The menu is all about showcasing Bobby's flair for all things southwestern and you won't find much that doesn't have at least some corn, chile, salsa, and/or spice. Appetizers were all in the $10 - 16 range and entrees started at about $30 with most meat dishes over $40. Sides are separate (of course) and they're $8 a pop. We ordered a lot of food for seven people, so I will only get into the highlights and lowlights of the dinner:

Menu Highlights

• Spanish Chorizo Quesadilla - This was by far the best thing on the appetizer menu (and arguably on the whole menu). It is served up with grilled green onions, artichokes and a smoky salsa. A fried egg adorns the top of the totrilla to complete the package. This was awesome. The flavors all work together and the chorizo had nice bite without overpowering the dish.
• Coffee Rubbed Filet Mignon - This was a nice sized filet, cooked perfectly to the requested medium rare. It came with a mushroom reduction sauced spiked with ancho chile. It was very tasty and the coffee rub added a nice nuance to the dish. The person eating it was kind enough to share some of it with us. I knew by the size of the smile on his face that it was a winner before I even tried any of it.
• Roasted Corn - Yes, this is a side dish, but it ranks as one of the better options on the menu. The corn kernels were crisp-tender and then tossed with cactus & lime. Some cotija cheese is sprinkled on top for good measure, too. Very tasty and worth the $8 for a bowl. 

Menu Lowlights

• Tiger Shrimp & Roasted Garlic Tamale - I figured this dish was a no-brainer in this restaurant, maybe that's why it was such a huge disappointment. The shrimp were a nice size, but overcooked and the textured of the tamale itself seemed way too dry. This went mostly uneaten. 
• Green Chile Ciopinno - Flay is known for award winning ciopinno, but let's say that this was not the finest example. Most of the seafood was overcooked, which was such a downer because the green chile broth was amazing (I'd order a bowl of the broth by itself if I could).
• Salmon with Ancho-Honey Glaze - This was a nice sized piece of salmon and fairly thick and, as opposed to the other seafood dishes, it was cooked perfectly. It was served with a spicy black bean sauce and a jalapeno crema. It all sounded like it would go well together, but it really amounted to just too much going on. On top of that, it was extremely salty. It all added up to a dish I wanted to forget about after a few bites. 

Final Take 

Mesa Grill was kind of a mixed bag for us. It did some things really well, but there were a lot of things that were 'meh', too. When you're talking about a place that was easily $100+ per person, I expect a bit more in the food and service department. If I had to do it over, I'd probably stick with having a drink and an app at the bar, then go get dinner elsewhere. My apologies to Bobby, but this is one throwdown that he lost because this foodie feels you can do far better on the Strip at this price point.

Overall Grade = C+ (Average)

The EV Foodie

Caduceus Cellars Tasting Room - Awesome Music, OK Wine

I found myself escaping the summer heat in Phoenix by taking a trek up north for the weekend. One of my stops was in Jerome, AZ. I figured I'd hit the Caduceus Cellars tasting room on Main St and then grab some lunch.

I'll admit that I'm a huge fan of Maynard Keenan's music and I feel most of his work is brilliant. I was really hoping that same brilliance translated to an amazing wine tasting experience. And well, let's say it there were some glimmers of greatness, but not enough to have me sold on the whole package quite yet.

The tasting room itself is very nice. It's a got a classic look, with a modern feel. There were a few servers working the Saturday I was there. Wines came in three different tasting flights:

$5.50 bought you 4 tastes of Merkin Vineyards offerings. $10 bought you 4 different Caduceus wines and then there was another flight of 4 Caduceus wines for $13.

I opted for the $10 tasting. Let me stress that they take the word 'taste' very literally there. The pours are almost laughable; maybe 1 oz at most. You'd think they were serving holy water blessed by Jesus himself.

My tasting consisted of the following wines (sorry I forget some of the actual label names):

• 2008 Chardonnay blend: It's a 70%/ 30% blend of Chardonnay and Malvasia Bianca. The wine had a bitter finish. I thought maybe I had some residual food or something on my palette, so I drank some of the reds and came back to it. Still bitter. I couldn't even drink 1 oz of it, so I'd take a pass on this one. Some people said "The Diddler" by Merkin Vineyards was a better white wine to have. 
  

• 2007 Sangiovese: This was a nice wine. Great bouquet and had good structured tannins. It would rock with some lamb chops.

• 2006 Primer Paso: This was a wine that I expected to better than it was. The bouquet was way funky, and not in a good way. Kind of like dark chocolate mixed with a hint of ashtray. There was almost too much going on with the wine and I think it just ended up tasting a bit dull. Honestly, it reminded me of a bottle that had been left open too long.

• 2007 Anubis: Here is the star of the show for me. It's mainly a Cab Franc/Cab Sav blend. It's a big wine with firm tannins that still need a bit of age to round them out. The quality of the wine is very apparent. It has a great mouthfeel with nice fruit, but also some hints of smoke and maybe licorice. Hard to judge completely when you don't get much to taste. But it was good enough for me to want a bottle.

• Bonus taste - Merkin Vineyards Chupacabra: I asked for a taste of this and was granted a 1 oz allotment. It's a very dark wine, mainly Cab Sav and Syrah I was told. It was pretty tannic and had sort of a dank, musty essence to it. Maybe it needed some decanting or food to pair with it, or both. Either way, I felt it was decent, but not worth $25. 

Which brings me to the prices. Caduceus is pretty proud of their wines as $30 is pretty much the entry point. Most reds were $40 and up. The Merkin wines were a little less expensive, in the $20 - $25 range. My bottle of Anubis was $40.

*** FYI, if you buy a bottle, they still charge you for your tasting. I've had wine in dozens of tasting rooms and NEVER paid for a tasting when making a purchase. When I asked about this, my server said "well, I didn't charge you for the Chupacabra taste." Wow, how could I have overlooked that gracious act of wine philanthropy???

Final Take 

$50 got me a good bottle of red and a taste of some wines Caduceus makes. I'd really like to see them pour a decent sized taste (go crazy and make it 1.5 oz) and if people buy wine, comp them the tasting fee. I'd say they show promise and I love that AZ is starting to make some good vino, but I think Arizona Stronghold does a better job across the board with their wines as they seem a bit more consistent. Half the wine I tried at Caduceus was very forgettable, but then I realized that every Tool album always has a couple "throwaway" songs. Like 2 minutes of static, or some dude mumbling in German. I know it's artistic, but after one listen you tend to skip them. Maybe Caduceus wines are like that, too. There are a few that should be tried, then skipped, so you can really savor the ones that rock your inner wino.

I do look forward to seeing how this winery develops and matures over the next few years as I really want them to do well. Plus, I'd like to revise their grade to something better at some point...

Overall Grade = C (Average)

The EV Foodie

City Hall - Forget the mayor, where's the Butter Cake?

Summertime in Phoenix means one good thing: No Crowds. This is especially true at the many excellent restaurants and nighttime hot spots peppered throughout Scottsdale and Biltmore. One such place is City Hall which is often packed during tourist season. It's proper name is Mastro's City Hall Steakhouse located in Scottsdale on the corner of Goldwater Blvd and Camelback Rd in the prime Scottsdale Fashion Square corridor. Mastro's establishments are known for their food and service (and prices, let's be honest), so the bar was already set. I was in the mood for a serious steak dinner and I had high hopes that City Hall would deliver.

Dinner

From a distance, City Hall kind of blends in with the surrounding office buildings. However, once you get closer you are greeted by two massive, opaque glass doors. They also have complimentary valet parking, which is a rarity in Scottsdale. The interior has a nice feel to it: classy, modern, yet understated enough so you know you're in a special restaurant.

When you walk in, the bar and lounge is on your left and is a very nice size. The area above the bar is lit up with red LED inset lighting. I took a picture, but it's tough to do it justice. Trust me when I say it works and I could easily see myself sitting at that bar enjoying a nice drink and some chilled oysters. The lounge also has plenty of seating and live music was being played as well.

The main dining area is separated by several glass panels from the lounge. There are also other dining sections further back in the restaurant. It's a big place, but my guess that summertime would be slower was correct as there was no issue getting seated. Our server, Alicia, was promptly at the table and when she saw we had darker pants on, she swapped out the white napkins for black ones to avoid white lint on us. I truly appreciate things like that. Noise levels in the dining area seemed pretty subdued as we could easily carry on a conversation. Granted it was not very crowded, but I'm guessing it's probably never extremely noisy based upon how it is set up.

We all wanted some wine to get us ready for steak. The wine list is decent size and overall quality is solid. Prices were pretty consistent at 2.0 - 2.5x retail. We started with a bottle of Robert Craig 'Affinity' Cabernet Sauvignon ($85). What a stellar wine. Robert Craig always delivers and this was just a great mix of dark fruit, cocoa, and mild tobacco all rolled into one. Luscious mouthfeel, mellow tannins, and a long finish. We enjoyed it so much that we needed more wine before our entrees arrived. We agreed on a Franciscan Cab Sav ($54) based upon a recommendation from the manager. It was a nice wine, but a little tight on its own. It needed food to really shine and shine it did when paired with red meat.

The menu has the meats front and center, which is what I expected. Most of the serving sizes are very large with 16 - 24oz cuts comprising most of the choices and are priced from $25 - $45 (a couple are Fred Flintstone sized if you're really hungry). The seafood selection is also very nice with lots of appetizer and entree choices. There are plenty of salads as well, which they'll do as half portions if you request it (nice touch). Only one soup, which was kind of a bummer as I do enjoy a chef's creativity with this starter, but it is onion soup which is a good one to have. The entrees are a la carte, so you have to purchase sides separately. They're big portions, though, and easily feed a few people. Here's a rundown of what was ordered at our table that I actually tried:

• Chilled Seafood Tower - Mastro's owns Ocean Club, so I knew the seafood would rock here and I was not disappointed. The Fannie Bay oysters on the halfshell were crazy good. Creamy, meaty, and succulent - I could have eaten 12 of them. The shrimp were huge and easily 3 bites each. We also got a few snow crab claws, which were very sweet and tasty. The horseradish they serve on the side has great kick, too.
•  Bone-in Filet Mignon -  OK, I had never seen a 'bone-in' filet, so I had to order it. I got the 12oz cut. It was served on a plate hot enough to melt lead that's coated with an herbed butter. I think my cholesterol count jumped 10 points just by being in proximity to it. When side dishes are put on your plate, it sizzles from the hot butter. Nice effect. The steak was so tender and juicy, I was loving every bite until I got full. The only negative I could find was that the steak was actually a tad bland. Not sure if it was too much butter or if the seasonings put on it just were a little dull (or both). I got Potatoes Lyonaisse on the side and they were very good. The onions in them were done perfectly.
• Rack of Lamb -This is a serious rack at 22oz and was easily shared. I counted about 8 ribs on the plate and it was presented nicely. The lamb was very tender, well seasoned overall, but a tad on the salty side for my taste. It paired very well with the Franciscan Cab. Side dish was sauteed asparagus and it was perfect crisp-tender. 
• Warm Butter Cake - The dessert menu is large and has many appealing choices. The manager said that if you have one dessert, it must be the Butter Cake. All I could think of was "great, more butter....", but this is so not what I expected. Think of the best pound cake you've ever had crossed with a fresh shortcake, served warm, with killer good vanilla bean ice cream and fresh berries. After the first bite, I knew why it is their signature dessert. I wasn't alone in my thinking because we destroyed it. No questions when you go, just order it...

Final Take 

'Wow!' to the service and attention to detail. The manager, Justin, personally checked on us twice and gave us solid ordering advice as well as chatting for a bit. Our server also was top notch and professional. I always appreciate service that is there when you need it, but not in your face. City Hall delivers very well in that regard. Add in some amazing food along with great wine and bar choices and you have the makings for a very special evening. And it should be viewed as something special because it is a high end restaurant and has the prices to warrant it. We get spoiled in Scottsdale because good restaurants are so plentiful, but I feel you are getting value for your restaurant dollar at City Hall, especially when compared to other eateries of this caliber in the area. Next time you need to celebrate, consider doing it here. Just be sure to order the Butter Cake first...

Overall Grade = A- (Excellent)

The EV Foodie

Il Vinaio - Real food in downtown Mesa

I had dinner last week at Il Vinaio in Mesa at 270 W. Main St (pretty much by Main and Center Streets). Now downtown Mesa  is not normally known for higher quality food or destination restaurants, but Il Vinaio is looking to buck that trend. I'm a big fan of locally owned, non-chain restaurants (especially in Mesa), so I was happy to give this place a try.

Dinner

Il Vinaio doesn't look like much from the outside. It resides in an older building which resembles a diner built circa 1965. Inside, however, is a whole different story. The restaurant has a large area in the middle that is mainly open and provides room for the live music. The upper part of the central area has wine related quotes on the walls. It's a nice touch and it adds some airiness to the layout. On either side of this central area is more seating. The tables are cozy and some even have small loveseat-like benched pulled up to them on one side. This was a nice touch and my date and I were able to sit next side by side and be view the band (and each other) well. That set up is also conducive for sharing food.

There is a bar in the back corner of the restaurant and that seemed to be the most popular spot because there were only a few other patrons in the restaurant outside of the bar area (pretty empty for a Friday night). The live music is a nice touch, but it can get a little loud, so I'd recommend sitting away from the center of the restaurant if you want any chance of carrying on a conversation.

The wine list is a nice size and is good quality overall. There are plenty by the glass and some only by the bottle. Prices were kind of all over the map: from 1.5 - 3.0x retail. In general, if you opt for the cheapest wine on the menu, you're usually getting ripped off. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Consilience Syrah on the menu ($11/glass), so we ordered that. It was absolutely lovely, with rich fruit and a smooth, lingering finish.

The food is basically a hodgepodge of Italian meets Greek meets Spanish combined with a little bit of whatever the chef feels like today. The menu broken in to Starters (apps and salads) and Entrees (fish, meat, and pasta dishes). As you know, I'm a fan of sharing food because it means you get to try more from the menu. Here's a rundown of what we ordered:

• Classico Bruschetta - This was pretty much what you'd expect ingredient-wise: tomatoes, garlic, basil, and Parmesan on toasted bread. However, this was probably the best bruschetta I've ever eaten (and I've had my share, trust me). The bread was toasted perfected in olive oil; slight crunchy on the outside, yet soft in the middle. The tomatoes were so juicy and flavorful that we were fighting over them. The one warning I will give is that there is no lack of garlic on this.
•  Caesar Salad - Perfect size for sharing. This came with more of those yummy diced tomatoes on top, which I like on a Caesar. The dressing was very nice, with just enough pureed anchovies and garlic to give it a little kick without killing it. Croutons were good, but not great.
• Pasta Pomodoro -Angel hair pasta with fresh tomatoes (you sensing a meal theme here yet?), garlic, basil, and olive oil. Again, the tomatoes just rocked our world. The server split our dish for us, too, which I always appreciate. The pasta was good, but actually a tad bland. I rarely add salt to food after it's cooked, but this dish needed some and a dose of pepper flakes, too. 
• Individual Apple Pie - The server may have been trying to get into my date's good graces, but this dessert just appeared without us ordering it. We weren't complaining, though, because it was very good. Basically, it was a large ramekin lined with puff pasty, filled with apple pie goodness, and baked. Then topped with vanilla bean ice cream and a little caramel. The pastry was awesome as was the ice cream. The apples were good, but it was a bit much for me after the prior 3 courses. We put a nice dent in it tho, and there wasn't a scrap of puff pastry to be found on it...

Final Take 

The service was really top notch and they were very attentive. We also got to chat with both the manager and the owner. The food was solid and the wine selection was very good (beer choices are nice, too). Now whether downtown Mesa is ready for what Il Vinaio is offering is another story and I think that's biggest issue they face. The Mesa Center for the Arts is amazing and it's right down the street, so hopefully concert and theater goers will stumble upon this restaurant. But what I think would help Il Vinaio the most is some competition. My thoughts on this are that when you have a single, high quality restaurant surrounded by lower budget eateries, it's harder to draw the crowd to you. However, if there were a few higher quality restaurants in that area, well now you have something to attract more people. When one place is busy, you go to the next one over and check it out. That's why Scottsdale is money for many new restaurants because the hungry crowds are already there. Il Vinaio deserves to succeed and I hope that Mesa encourages similar caliber restaurants to set up shop.

Overall Grade = B+ (Very Good)

The EV Foodie

Culinary Dropout - Upscale Bar Food

I had dinner Friday night at Culinary Dropout in Scottsdale at 7135 E. Camelback Rd. It took over the spot where the ill-fated Pink Taco used to be (next door to Wildfish). It's a great location with exposure to the mall crowd at Fashion Square and around the corner from South Bridge. This is another Fox Restaurant Concepts eatery (I'm a fan of most of their places), so I've been wanting to check this place out since it opened a few months ago.


Dinner

Culinary Dropout was pretty busy the Friday night we were there. The bar area is a fair size and it was packed two people deep around it. The restaurant itself kind of sprawls out. It has fairly high ceilings and they mounted several flat panel TV's up high, so they can be seen from just about anywhere, but they do not detract from the overall atmosphere. I kind of liked being able to look up and catch the score of the game whenever I wanted to. The seating is a serious hodgepodge of furniture. Round tables, square tables, bench seats, wing chairs, and low backed lounge chairs with various fabric patterns make up the decor. This may sound bad, but it actually works (and the seats are very comfy, too). The place is fairly dim, but not like a cave. Noise levels were elevated, but we were able to carry on a conversation without any issues.

You can tell Culinary Droout wants to be more of a bar just by looking at the beer list vs. the wine list. The number of beers is twice as many as the wine, which is not a bad thing if that is what you're in the mood for. They have beers from all over the world and in any style you could want. The wine list is fairly small, with maybe 30 or so wines, but the selection is decent. Everything is available by the glass or the bottle and prices seem to be pretty much 2x retail. We had a bottle of Kinton Syrah that was $35. It's a fine example of a California Central Coast Rhone varietal: dark, rich, fruity, and just delicious.

The menu is a nice assortment of both small plates and entrées. You can mix and match your own antipasti as well. Prices range from about $12 and under for the appetizers and all the entrées are pretty much less than $20. There were so many good things to choose from that we ended up picking several different things from all over the menu. Here's a breakdown of what we ordered:

• Chilled Oysters - These were perfect, medium sized oysters from the Pacific Northwest (I asked what type they were and forgot, but they were similar to Hog Island oysters). All I know is they were exactly as I like them to be. Creamy texture and very silky. Just a squeeze of lemon and dash of hot sauce was all they needed to be a perfect starter dish for the meal.
• Artichoke Salad - This was actually a mix of artichokes, chopped asparagus, endive, and shaved parmesan. Let me just say that the salad is awesome. It was so good that my date would've probably dumped me for it...
• Butternut Squash Cannelloni - We were debating on having room for this dish, but it sounded so good we had to try it and was very worth it. I'm sometimes not a fan of this type of pasta because there's too much filling, but this one was done very well. The pasta pieces were a smaller size and the butternut squash filling was just the right amount. The sauce was not overly rich and overall it was a very enjoyable dish.
• Bistro Steak -This is a thin cut sirloin with a creamy peppercorn sauce that has just the right amount of spice to it without being overpowering. It is served with a side of french fries that are very tasty. The steak itself was cooked nicely and it's a satisfying large plate entree.

Final Take

I wasn't sure what to expect from this restaurant, but left knowing I'd be back soon. The food was great and the service staff was very nice. The manager was also making rounds a swell. We share all our food and the kitchen split all of our courses onto two plates for us (that's always a nice and welcome touch). People coming here looking for high end bar food will not be disappointed. If you're expecting something special, well you'll need to look elsewhere as Dropout is geared more towards being a restaurant-sized bar that serves up good grub. And for most people on a Friday night, that's just what the doctor ordered...

Overall Grade = B+ (Very Good)

The EV Foodie

Caffe Boa Bistro - A Hit or Miss Dining Experience

I just had dinner at Caffe Boa Bistro in Mesa at 2837 N Power Rd. It's on the NE corner of Power and McDowell (in the same shopping plaza as D-Vine Wine Bistro). This is owned by the same people as the original Caffe Boa in Tempe which I ate at a while back and it was good. The Mesa location opened a couple months back and I've been meaning to check it out since I live in the area.

Dinner

Caffe Boa Bistro is decorated nicely, albeit a little plainly. It's modern, but not edgy. The dark wood flooring lends it a slightly warmer feel than the generic tables and chairs do. There is a large, high-top table that could probably seat 24 people that runs down the center of the restaurant that helps break up the space nicely. If you're looking for privacy, this is not the place to eat as the seating is very open and your neighbors are close by. There is a pretty small bar area and a separate table in the back of the restaurant for a private group as well. Noise levels were pretty subdued, even with a large group of people at the bar while I was there. 

The wine list by the glass is very nice with about 50 different ones to choose from. I really like the fact that you can choose how much you want (3, 6, or 12 oz or a full bottle). But with all that customization, I was surprised not to see any wine flights offered. Bottles seemed to be pretty close to 1.5 - 2.0x retail, which is nice. There is a modest sized reserve wine list as well with some very nice offerings, but you'll need to be ready to shell out some green for most of the choices. I had a 6 oz glass of Miner Chardonnay ($11) with my meal.

The menu is an Italian format in the sense that it's split into Firsts, Seconds, and Thirds (which is really just another way of saying: apps/salads, pastas, and entrees). Apps range from $9 on up, pastas start around $14, and entrees are $12 for smaller plates (like a burger) or $25+ for a seafood or meat dish and they appear to include sides. They also give you fresh bread and a trio of items to use for dipping, which is a nice touch. We stuck with appetizers that night and here is what we ordered:

• Meatball Bruschetta - This was an odd dish. Some parts worked and some, well, just didn't. This is not a typical bruschetta. Basically there was a large piece bread, a pile of meatballs and onions, and a mound of arugula on a plate. It was not assembled in any way and the plating looked pretty haphazard. The meatballs were in a sauce I'd liken to a cross between marinara and smokey BBQ with sauteed onions mixed in. The meatballs were tasty and moist, but the bread was just OK and there was way too much of it. The arugula was kind of plain and seemed like an afterthought. Also, like the bread, there was a lot of it.  
• SoCal Love - Here is a salad that has many things I like: butter lettuce, chicken, avocado, almonds, sprouts, and tomatoes topped with a champagne vinaigrette. Again, this was a hit or miss dish. The butter lettuce was perfect and there were several large, full leaves. The tomatoes and avocados were also fresh. However, the plating of this salad missed the mark. The avocado was under the base of lettuce leaves and I didn't notice it until my daughter pointed it out to me and asked why it was hidden. The chicken was chopped/shredded and piled on the bottom edge of the plate. Sadly, it was fairly dry and kind of bland. The champagne vinaigrette was pretty good, but there was not enough on the salad. SoCal may have inspired the dish, but I wasn't really feeling the love....

Final Take

I had high expectations for Caffe Boa Bistro and I feel the whole experience was a little lacking. The service was fine as is the wine selection, but the food we had was just OK. Boa needs to do better if they want to keep people from defecting and going next door to D-Vine. I would eat there again and try something different, but it may be during happy hour where I can get something for a bit less cash. I want Boa to succeed as I feel they have enough of the right pieces in place to deliver a dining experience that is better than average. I guess time will tell.

Overall Grade = B- (Above Average)

The EV Foodie

Modern Steak - Fox RC Does It Again

(Photo courtesy of  http://penandfork.wordpress.com)

The most recent dinner I had out was at Modern Steak in Scottsdale. Its address is 7014 East Camelback Road, but you'll know it better as Scottsdale Fashion Square (aka: BMW's overflow lot). Modern Steak is part of Fox Restaurant Concepts, who are known for some highly acclaimed eateries: Bloom, Olive & Ivy, North, The Greene House, et al. I'm usually not a corporate food guy, but Fox RC knows what the hell they are doing, so I was all on board with giving Modern Steak a try.

Dinner

The restaurant is big and very bold. Lots of blue/silver, accented with whites and browns. The decor is very busy, but it works. The bar area is a nice size with just enough flat panels to satisfy your curiosity on the games, without spoiling the aesthetic of the restaurant. Seating in the main dining area is varied: tables, long booth bench seats, corner booths, and some smaller tables that mimic eating outside (but you're really in the mall). Personally, I'd take a pass on having people watch me eat as they walk back from donating a kidney in exchange for some new duds at Barney's.

The wine list is fairly small for a restaurant of this caliber with maybe 30 wines total, but they are almost all available by the glass. Most of the bottles range from about 2x - 3x retail prices. Their idea of a "reserve list" consists of two wines that are both $35 a glass. They are both very good wines, but then again, at $35 a glass they should be. I settled on a glass of Kunde Syrah that was $10. It's fruit forward syrah from the CA Central Coast that has nicely rounded tannins and a smooth, smoky finish.

Those of you thinking the menu is all about red meat will be in for a surprise as there are a lot of seafood dishes available. But lovers of the cow won't be upset as Modern Steak does live up to its name with about a dozen beef entrees. Unsurprisingly, the entrees mostly come without any sides, so any extras you want will be a la carte. I spied Parmesan Truffle Fries amongst the sides and knew immediately they would be part of the meal. Here is what we ordered:

• Poached Wild Caught Shrimp - This was simply amazing! Four colossal shrimp, cooked perfectly then chilled. Served with a ginger infused cocktail sauce and some small herbs (maybe micro arugula?). It was a perfect start to the meal.
• Beef Short Rib with Red Wine Jus and Horseradish Gnocchi - This was a very well executed dish. The short rib was very tender and just melted in your mouth. The gnocchi were cooked perfectly and the sauce had just enough horseradish without overpowering the plate. The jus was a perfect accent to the dish and mixed well with the horseradish sauce. They also split the order onto two plates for us without being asked (always a plus).
• Parmesan Truffle Fries - These kind of speak for themselves. Thin cut fries married with truffle oil and parmesan cheese. Perfectly crispy and just a delight to pop in your mouth. They come with "house made ketchup". When I heard that, all I could think of was Chevy Chase in Vacation: "Ooooh, real tomato ketchup, Eddie???"  This ketchup was much better than that, but still seemed lacking. We ended up getting a side of the homemade ranch dressing to dip them in instead. Nothing but high class at our table....
• Sauteed Asparagus with Parmesan - We were lacking greenery at the table, so we also ordered a side of the asparagus. It was cooked OK, but seemed a little bland. They also cut the spears into 2 inch pieces, which doesn't hurt the flavor, but it looked odd. All in all, a pretty forgettable side dish.

Final Take

Modern Steak continues the trend of a high quality restaurants run by Fox RC. The food choices are solid and the service is very good. The location is great, so they will probably keep themselves pretty busy between the mall crowd and people walking over Old Town. I will be back because I want to try their burger (you can order it in the restuarant or from a "to go" window that you access from inside the mall). The menu options are not cheap, but I feel you get a quality meal for the money.

Overall Grade = B+ (Very Good)

The EV Foodie

The Wine Cask - Better Than You Remember

My girlfriend and I had a chance to dine last week at the Wine Cask located in Santa Barbara at 813 Anacapa Street. This restaurant closed for a while in 2009, but has since reopened with a new outlook on the dining scene. The Wine Cask has a vaunted reputation as being one of the nicest eateries in town. That is no small claim in a Foodie haven like SB, so I was ready to see if it lived up to the hype. 

Dinner

The Wine Cask occupies a fair sized space, but it is laid out so the tables are not all that close together (a good thing in my humble opinion). The hostess station is fashioned like a gigantic wine barrel, which looks more tasteful than it sounds. The dining area has a very large fireplace adorned with large format bottles from some amazing wineries. It has an elegant feel, yet is very approachable. We were there on a Monday night and it was not too busy, but even if it were packed, I'm guessing the noise levels would still be pretty subdued. There is also a lounge/bar area and a tasting room at the Wine Cask. We didn't venture into either one, but I'm guessing they are done up in a similarly tasteful fashion.

Living up to its name, the wine list is very nice. While not cheap (2x -3x retail), the choices are solid with offerings from both the Old world and New. The sommelier, Aaron, was very helpful and I was in the mood to have someone else pick some wine for us that night. After several questions from Aaron regarding what wine I was thinking about and what my preferences were he went to work pairing some wine with our meal.

The menu is fairly small, but I felt the options were good for both small plates and entrees. Meat lovers may balk at a lack of anything for them as a starter, but I was happy with the seafood, soup, and salad options. The entrees cover all the main culinary bases: meat, seafood, pasta, & vegetarian. They also include sides with the entrees, a novel concept I wish more places would get back to. Here is the food and wine rundown for our meal:

• Farmer’s market greens with herbs, oil and vinegar - What a pleasant salad. The greens were very fresh and the dressing was perfect. Light olive oil with just enough white balsamic to give it some kick. 
• Local Spiny Lobster & House-made Pappardelle - Large hunks of lobster meat and fresh made pasta bowties had both of us in Foodie heaven. The sauce was light and had a little fresh ricotta in it to give it some legs. This dish was exquisite. Aaron paired this with a Mersault from Louis Latour. This is a White Burgundy and it was a perfect match for the dish. Think of all the things you love about a great chardonnay minus any over oakiness or too much butter and you have this wine.
• Crispy skin Salmon with fingerling potatoes - The manager, David, had mentioned that this dish is one of his favorites and I can see why. The salmon was cooked perfectly; moist, yet flaky, and the crispy skin just made it. It was served with a lemon and thyme infused sauce that was delicious. The potatoes and the greens complimented the salmon well. Our wine pairing for this dish was a Red Burgundy: Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus. This is a big Burgundian wine that needed some air in it to really open it up, but it was very nice with the salmon. It had some of the old world Pinot Noir bite, but it was kept in check by the lovely fruit (and a little smokiness) in the wine. It all added up to a great main course.
• Trio of desserts - We were unable to decide on dessert, so they were nice enough to give us a small sample of three: Butterscotch pudding, Berry oatmeal crisp, and Chocolate caramel tart. The Butterscotch pudding is made with real butter and real scotch and is served with fleur de sel on top. I'm not usually a big pudding fan, but this was good. Although I liked it less once the parts with the fleur de sel were gone. The Berry oatmeal crisp was very tasty. Big, fresh berries were cooked on top and it has fresh oats rolled in with it after it baked. I would have liked it more with a very small scoop of vanilla ice cream or gelato. The Chocolate Caramel tart was served with a little chocolate ice cream and caramel sauce drizzled on it. This dessert was a bit rich for me. I love everything in it, but together it was a little much. The pastry crust was also a tad overdone for our liking. The chocolate ice cream was very tasty, though.
  

The service was really top notch. Mira, Aaron, and David all made us feel welcome and you could tell they were committed to delivering an enjoyable dining experience. The food pricing has small plates at $15 and under and most entrees being close to $30, which is in line for a restaurant of this caliber.

Final Take

The Wine Cask lived up to the hype and delivered a great meal experience in spades. The food was really amazing as was the service. The desserts were good, but they didn't quite match the high bar set by the first three courses, so they get a little ding for that, but that is a very minor blemish on an otherwise wonderful meal. We'll be back here again soon.

Overall Grade = A- (Excellent)

The EV Foodie

Oysters and Wine, Anyone?

I recently returned from a trip to Foodie Mecca Northwest (aka: San Francisco). Whenever I'm there I always try to get my fill of the excellent and abundant seafood that is available at the local eateries, especially the oysters. While dining with friends, I was asked what wine goes with these tasty bivalves. That seems like a simple question, but it is not something this Foodie can easily answer. So I decided to blog about it instead!

I'm sure many people would answer with Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris (or some other light, white wine). Those are a safe choice and they probably do taste good with oysters because there is not much in those wines to take away from the inherent nuances of the oysters themselves. But I can't say that there is one wine varietal that goes with everything oyster because they vary so much in taste and type.

Just as there are wine snobs, there are oyster snobs, too. I can be called the former at times and the latter will possibly deride this blog post as being too general. I am by no means an expert on oysters, but my palate knows what tastes good to me and what doesn't. Some oysters I like raw, others I want cooked in something. Oysters come in many varieties and from various coastal regions. I feel the region plays a larger factor in how an oyster tastes more so than the actual type it is. I have noticed roughly three general regions from where oysters are sourced: Pacific Northwest, Gulf, and Northeastern. I will give my thoughts on each along with some wine suggestions.

Pacific Northwest Oysters

I love pretty much every oyster I've ever had that has come from the Pacific Northwest when served on the halfshell. Some varieties can get quite large. I'm good with medium large (Hama Hama) on down to smaller (Kumamoto). They all have a very creamy texture that is almost fruity in nature and are also very fleshy. All I know is that they taste divine by themselves when raw. My first choice would be to drink sparkling wine with these oysters. I do love champagne (Veuve Clicquot goes with everything), but if the bubbly budget is tighter a quality sparkling wine from California works just fine, too (Domaine Carneros or Roederer Estate are two of my favorites and either can be had for $30 or less).

Gulf Oysters

Gulf oysters taste much brinier (even marshy) to me when served raw, so I tend to not order them on the halfshell. However, they take on a completely different nature when cooked and that briny taste now adds amazing character to the larger dish. Two of my favorite entrees with these are fried oyster po' boys and oyster gumbo. Truth be told, a po' boy begs for a pint (or two) of your favorite beer to wash it down (I'd opt for a pilsner). But oyster gumbo deserves a bold wine that can withstand (and even compliment) the Mardi Gras of flavor in your mouth. I'd go for an old vine Zinfandel with big fruit and nice structure (Klinker Brick "Old Ghost" and Cloud 9 "Seity" are two very good zins in the $30 range). I know some people will want sweeter and lighter (body and color) wine in this pairing, but I find that lighter wines can sometimes get completely lost when matched up with dish as bold as gumbo.

Northeastern Oysters

I spent a good chunk of my life in the Northeast and I like the oysters from this region both raw and cooked. When served on the halfshell, I find that they are leaner than their plump Pacific Northwest cousins, and they taste more minerally (but not in a bad way). I like Bluepoints and Wellfleets served this way. Northeastern oysters also cook up nicely, but I find they often need another seafood along with them in the dish, as they don't quite have enough character to carry a hot entree on their own. When served chilled on the halfshell, I envision myself with a glass of lovely French white like Pouilly-Fuissé ($30 and under) or Mersault ($30 and up).

You should take this pairing advice for what it's worth knowing it's based purely upon my heavily jaded palate and the fact I love both oysters and vino. The problem now is that I want to try all of the above pairings and see which combination I like the best. It's really tough being a Foodie sometimes ;) Bon Appétit!

The EV Foodie

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)