The Latest Food Goss!

Phoenix AZ, USA

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Dine, Dance and Romance

What:     Mastro’s Ocean Club

Website: Click here

Where:  15045 North Kierland Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ, USA

Rating:  

Why:

If you’re up for a romantic, swanky, fine dining experience in Scottsdale, Arizona, then look no further than this fabulous restaurant and club.

Perched on the corner of North Kieland Boulevard and the entry drive into Kierland Commons (diagonally across from the Westin Kierland Spa and Resort) is Mastro’s Ocean Club.

This restaurant, lounge and club opens as a lounge from 4pm but is otherwise for dinner only. It unashamedly tries to be a glitzy affair and achieves that in spades, perhaps even going too far if you’re the cynical type. From the pretty, tanned and precociously aloof model in the LBD who took our booking at the door that afternoon (and who joined several other equally gene-blessed hosts at the reception area inside that evening), to the silver service from the male and female waiters all dressed in black tie complete with white coats and black bow ties — this is unabashed swank in all its glory.

Even if that’s not your thing, it is difficult not to be entirely impressed because this Club pulls all of that off really well. The restaurant is beautiful inside, the wait staff know the extensive food and wine menus, as well as the night’s multiple specials, in significant detail, and they do absolutely everything they can to make your stay just that bit special.

As you enter the restaurant, to the right of reception and down the stairs is a large wine bar with some standing and seated tables where you can enjoy whatever drink takes your fancy while you listen to the live band entertaining the more energetic visitors on the dance floor. The restaurant itself (which is to the right of reception, not down the stairs) is indeed optional as many locals visit the venue for the glitzy club feel it offers. If we are going to be picky about it, the band were actually cheating a little as they had a backing track with music and vocals on it that they were singing and playing to, and really only the drummer was the professional musician. However, they sang in tune enough and appeared entertaining enough to delight the 20-30 people constantly on the dance floor, while the rest of the room, comprising at least 100 people, were happily singing or tapping along while enjoying their cocktails – no musical purists here.

Being a Saturday night, the restaurant and club were both inordinately busy, which is a very good sign, so while we had a reservation, we were still quite happy to wait and listen to the music for 10 minutes or so. It passed by swiftly and we were ushered to our table by another model-esque host, and were met by our waiter hardly a moment after the host glided serenely back to reception to join the other hosts.

This is where you come to set the bar really high on a first date, or to celebrate something really special, or when you are on holiday (like we were) and just want to do a bit of safe splashing out on some great quality food and service. Once again, this fine restaurant does not disappoint.

As you might imagine from its name, the restaurant specializes in seafood. As is expected in a fine dining restaurant that actually does provide a fine dining experience, the “usual suspects” on the menu are all there, and then some, but are also specific to a given region or breed of fish, and of course there are varieties of crab, shrimp and lobster. As well-fed Australians we have been spoilt multiply with large and beautiful prawns, but the shrimp we were served as an appetizer were enormous and nothing short of impressive, not to mention extremely tasty.

The excellent menu also includes an impressive array of meat cuts and other proteins, a variety of tasty sides, sauces and dressings, as well as multiple gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options.

Our waiter was attentive, friendly and down to earth. However, she was certainly able to switch on the “glam” if her customers appeared to want that – she was having a very different conversation with us from that she was having with the customers a couple of tables down, but never skipped a beat.

Being a very busy night, the food was delayed but only very slightly – we were eating our appetizers within 15 minutes of ordering and our entrees (remember main courses are called entrees in the US) within 30 minutes of finishing our appetizers.

Our appetizers (and, we noticed, a number of other dishes on the menu) came with a bit of theatre, with our shrimp cocktails served in a glass cocktail bowl surrounded by concealed dry ice, leaving the cocktail bowls smoking away as they arrived and for a few minutes afterwards. It’s a well-known restaurant gimmick, but it is still impressive and is totally in line with the product they sell, which is fine quality food with a fine quality presentation.

The seafood we were served for main course – a thick swordfish steak for me and B enjoyed lemon sole with vanilla in tempura batter – was impeccably cooked and presented and tasted every bit as good as it looked. As seems to be the case in this part of the world, the serves were very generous – you will certainly not go hungry.

If you’re smart, you will not finish what’s on your main course plate (assuming that was physically possible) and leave room for one of the scrumptious desserts on offer. We saved some space to share some creme brulee for dessert and it was equally as impressive as the main course.

As expected, the wine we were recommended towards was perfectly matched with what we ate, and rounded off what was in our view a very impressive fine dining experience.

Being as impressive as it was, you do not expect the bill to be any less impressive, but even without under-doing it, you might expect a bill total for two (pre-tip) to be around or just under the USD$300 mark. To minimize it, we suggest minimizing how many cocktails you order. They’re quite delicious and won’t break the bank, but that’s no reason to invite them to do so.

This is a place to which we will most definitely return.

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Italy Meets Arizona

What:     Postino

Website: Click here

Where:  7030 E. Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ, USA

Rating:  

Why:

The Kierland Commons outdoor shopping centre in Scottsdale, Arizona, boasts a number of excellent restaurants, and this one is a shining example of just that.

At first blush, Postino seems like a smart casual Italian restaurant – and it is at least that – but it is actually also a very worthwhile wine and cocktail bar.

This venue is one of a number of Postino restaurants across Arizona, Colorado and Texas, and their website markets them as “wine cafes” – which seems unkind if this restaurant is typical of the group. The quality of the food, drinks, and for that matter, the professional and ebullient service, makes this excellent venue much less cafe and much more restaurant and wine/cocktail bar. It could be fine dining if not for its more casual and relaxed atmosphere.

Most of the staff are young twenty-somethings and most of them seem to have the gift of the gab and to have received very good training. Our waiter was certainly able to make great food and drink pairing suggestions, which was unexpected but most welcome.

The ambience probably depends upon the time of day – it was lunchtime when we attended and the restaurant was only half full with a relaxed, casual atmosphere where you could have a quiet conversation if you were a duo, or you could come as a group and be seated outside if you wanted to make more noise. However, with tiled flooring and great acoustics, the atmosphere would likely become quite energetic with the after-work crowd, amongst whom we imagine this place is quite popular. Your quiet conversations should probably be reserved for before 5pm or after 8pm.

There are separate menus for the food and the wine / cocktails – the cocktails are certainly worth a look. Be wary though, they carry a potency that will make two more than enough if you want to walk out straight and certainly only one if you are going to go near a steering wheel.

The food itself is predominantly Italian fare, and the generous servings are full of flavour and more than a hint of spice if requested. The pasta is reportedly home made and absolutely delicious. Requests for more parmesan are always cheerfully granted.

As we have found with other venues in Kierland Commons, service is swift and friendly and the food and drinks also come out swiftly.

The restaurant is well-lit, during the day mainly with natural light which is used well courtesy of slightly higher white corrugated iron ceilings. This comfortable brightness seems exemplified in the effervescence of most of the staff. That combined with excellent quality food and drink results in a most enjoyable experience throughout, which will likely be topped off by a fairly modest bill at the end.

We’d have to be quite pernicketty to fault the experience we enjoyed there. It’s a “must visit” if you are passing through or staying in Scottsdale.

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Little Bit of California in Phoenix

What:     The Greene House

Website: Click here

Where:

15024 N Scottsdale Road, Suite #100, Scottsdale, AZ, USA

Rating:  

Why:

Sitting happily amongst other good venues and shops, about 100m up the main drive into Kierland Commons on your right, is The Greene House.

It’s the sort of place you go to if you have had a long day and just want to relax with a good meal and cheerful conversation, or even if you’re in a group and are in the mood to party, and need a good feed at the beginning or end of it.

From lunchtime onwards it’s a hustly bustly yellow-lit hive of happy activity and good food, and you’d best be hungry as the serves are generous.

We visited twice at different times and, despite the place being fairly busy on both occasions, the service was swift and friendly. The food also came out relatively quickly, tasted great and left you wondering what you might order when you come back next time (once you get over your food coma, which you’ll certainly have if you finish what’s on your plate).

The place is very clean with a homely “polished wood” feel, the dress code is casual and dining is inside or outside. In winter it can be a bit cold outside, but having said that, we visited in mid November (barely 2 weeks away from winter in this part of the world) and the temperature outside was just fine – only a light jacket required. It can also get pretty warm here at lunchtime even at that time of year, so you won’t need to stress too much about the temperature generally.

Taking its cues from the Californian west coast, the fare is generally protein and three-veg, but the menu has a good range and most dishes can be cooked to order.

Soft drinks are also bottomless so don’t be concerned if your still-half-full glass of Pepsi is whisked away and replaced with a full one – don’t worry, you’ve only be charged once.

You will also be pleasantly surprised by the bill at the end of your visit – and it’s no surprise that this restaurant is one of the most popular in Scottsdale. We will certainly return there.

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Outdoor Saloon

What:     Waltz and Weiser Whiskey Bar and Cantina

Website: Click here

Where:

Westin Kierland, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Rating:  

Why:

Nestled underneath the stairs leading out to the central outside seating area overlooking the golf course, is the Westin Kierland’s homage to the mining history of Arizona, the Waltz and Weiser Saloon / Whiskey Bar and Cantina.

While there is a smaller inside eating area, done up very much like an old western saloon bar, the outside area takes advantage of the delightful Phoenix air and, by day, the resort’s sweeping views of the golf course and the Phoenix mountains as backdrop.

By night, when we attended, the darkness of the Phoenix desert is brightly illuminated by the resort’s several large fire pits around which willing participants sit and enjoy the many varieties of scotch whiskey and cigars available to be ordered. There is also a reasonable array of beers and wines, and even a couple of beer cocktails, as well as the usual soft drinks.

It was a mild clear night and there were perhaps 100 people sat outside enjoying the food, drinks and the enormous suspended Skywatch screen which televises the latest scheduled football match and sports wrap afterwards. Many partaking of the cigars on offer may be seated near you so if you don’t like eating around cigar smoke, you’d best eat inside.

Outside is a better option subject to your cigar sensitivities, but between November and March, take a jacket as the desert air can be quite cool at night.

Despite the size of the area and number of people outside, we were looked after fairly swiftly. The restaurant is a casual one so don’t expect silver service and fine dining here, but you can expect a warm friendliness and willingness to please.

The food menu is duly focused on old style saloon fare bearing in mind that it is supposed to represent a slice of Arizona mining history, and it does not disappoint in that regard. Some may feel the menu is a little on the limited side, but that is to be expected given what it represents.

While the options are focused, they are delicious and we can certainly recommend the Chipotle Drummettes, onion rings and pulled pork sandwiches.

As is customary in this part of the world, the servings are generous so you will not go hungry – it is definitely worth a visit.

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Course Before the Course

What:     Nellie Cashman’s Monday Club Cafe

Website: Click here

Where:  Westin Kierland, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Rating:  

Why:

You don’t have to be a golf enthusiast to enjoy the delights of a great resort that sometimes markets itself as a golf resort. However, if you are a golf enthusiast, that just adds another layer of sweet icing on top of what is already a very tasty Westin Kierland Resort and Spa.

The Monday Club Cafe is just one of a number of great dining options at this resort, and we review here their breakfast offering. We had the benefit of several visits while we were staying at the Westin Kierland.

There are a la carte or buffet options available, and most things can be made to order. As you might expect at a quality resort, the service is generally swift and professional but friendly. The serves of food are also generous and attention to detail is generally well paid.

Blessed with terrific sunny weather on these several Fall mornings (to us Aussies, that’s Autumn, but when in Rome …), on one of our visits we chose to eat outside and were rewarded with sweeping views of the golf course and the musical chatter of the many varieties of local birds. However, on two of the mornings, it was a bit cool outside and so we chose to eat inside on those occasions. Inside is warm and pleasant, but outside the views are lovely.

Being basically in the middle of the desert, water is a necessity and it is provided in abundance here. The resort grounds also enjoy the benefit of a generous amount of eco-friendly irrigation and the grass is especially lush and green.

After some healthy stimulation of the visual senses outside, our breakfast arrived and our culinary senses were not left wanting. Portion sizes were on the hefty side but that was a good thing in our case as we were famished – and completely sated in the end.

While the service is generally very good here, it can be a little hit and miss depending upon who serves you – some (in fact, probably most) staff are excellent, and all staff seem very friendly and eager to assist, but there are occasionally some who are a little lacklustre in their service which is unfortunately highlighted by the top level service you probably received from somebody else on your previous visit. More often than not, though, the service is excellent.

Cost is also quite reasonable – two omelettes to order with toast and condiments, a cappuccino and a green tea came to about USD$42.

A visit to this resort absolutely necessitates a visit to this cafe.