Palatte

Location: The Cavness House

606 N. Fourth Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85003

Telephone Number: 602.462.9400

Price: $ [$-$$$$]

Website: click here

Food: American Brunch and Lunch

*they are only open from 7:00 am-3:00 pm*

Review: My family and I went for a Saturday brunch at 11:00. Once you find a parking spot on the street (hope you can parallel park) and walk through the wrought iron gates, you enter another world. The set up is adorable. There is a large front yard with several tables, each table has unique chairs with pillows. There are plants and flowers all around that add to the ambiance. When we were there they had live entertainment, an acoustic artist, at a great volume, he could be heard, but was not overwhelmingly loud (my family of various age ranges agreed). The water arrived in a cute container, and the silverware was wrapped in a napkin, tied with a rope, in a small wooden bucket. You must go inside and order your food at the register. The inside was very well decorated as well. It was rustic and small touches that really stood out. We got a variety of brunch foods. We had the potato ($9), the roasted sweet potato pancakes ($8), yogurt ($3.5), the frittata du jour ($7.5), the classic ($8.5), and a large slice of the zucchini cake. We also ordered the ice coffee ($2), two cappuccinos ($2.5), and a housed chai ($2.5). The potato is an egg scramble with bacon, spinach, caramelized onions, and cheeses. It comes with your choice of bread and side. My sister had the potatoes with creme fraiche (YUM). The potatoes were soo good. My dad's classic was an egg scramble (egg whites in his case) with herbs and tomatoes. The eggs were both very good with lots of flavor. My mom's frittata (whose ingredients change daily) had red pepper and sausage. She really liked it (enough to eat it, even though eggs make her sick). My sweet potato pancakes were topped with pecans, mascarpone, and maple syrup. It came with three medium sized griddles. They were very sweet and heavy. They had good flavor, but it is not something I could eat very often for breakfast. I really liked my side of yogurt, it was topped with apples, pears, and orange. The yogurt wasn't too sweet or artificial, it had a fresh, light taste. The family didn't like the zucchini cake too much, it had orange rind, jam, and nuts in it. It was tried and then ignored by all. The coffee was average, the presentation was cute though. The chai tea was really tasty, house blended with spiced black tea. It was a gorgeous morning, in a beautiful setting, with good breakfast food.

Rating:

Cafe ZuZu

Location: Hotel Valley Ho

6850 E. Main Street

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Telephone Number: 480.248.2000

Price: $$ [$-$$$$]

Website: click here

Food: New American Comfort Food

Review: We (my sister and I) arrived there at around 9 on a Saturday night. The restaurant is all open; so that indoor seating still has a view of the patio seating, the bar, and some of the hotel. We sat outside(lovin the weather!). The decor was retro, modern, upscale diner. It was posh, but nothing incredibly exciting. The service was average. The restaurant was pretty empty and we still did not receive attentive staff. We were interrupted several times while ordering and the waitress wasn't knowledgeable about the menu. On to the food..so what did we get? We started out with the sun-dried tomato and goat cheese casserole ($8.75) and the asparagus salad ($7.75). As our main entrees we ordered the famous zuzu burger ($10.50) and the macaroni and cheese ($10.75). We also ordered two side dishes, the truffled yukon gold mashed potatoes ($4.00) and the cheesy grits ($3.25). *These prices might sound cheap but they had main dishes that were much pricier (up to $29.50). The casserole was delicious, it was a warm vegetable dip with spinach and olive chunks covered in melted goat cheese. My only complaint would be the bread it came with, it was very crispy for my taste. I really enjoyed the asparagus salad as well. It came with about 10 spears covered in a light vinaigrette, garlic, capers, and roasted red peppers. My sister wasn't that big of a fan, but I liked it (and finished it). The mac and cheese was tasty, creamy and cheesy with toasted breadcrumbs sprinkled on top. It wasn't anything original or mind blowing but simple, yummy macaroni and cheese. My sister really liked her burger, it came with caramelized onions, bacon, and blue cheese. I didn't try it(i don't eat meat) but I did like their homemade potato chips. I had never had grits before, and I don't know if I would order them again, but they were tasty. I couldn't eat too much of it though, they were very heavy. The mashed potatoes were alright, nothing special, the truffle oil did not add anything to them. We did not order dessert, we had a lot of food, but the menu consisted of chocolate cakes, a lot of different ice creams flavors, shakes, floats, and apple pie. The food was good, and hit the spot on a chilly night, but I don't think I will go back for it anytime soon.

Rating: (out of 5)

WELCOME

Hello! This is a restaurant guide for those nights/afternoons/mornings when you want to try something new and delicious. My reviews will delve into the food, ambiance, and service. I will provide the website (if there is one) and how to get there (location). These reviews are based on my personal experiences, and I hope you find them helpful :)

Prices (main courses) $-under 10 $$-10 through 30 $$$-over 30

Ratings (include food, decor, and service)