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

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

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

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

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

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

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)