03/09/09

Fabulous View, Fantastic Food

by NeChic

One of the best, and certainly the most overlooked restaurant in the Valley. Their new chef, Anthony De Mauro, is nothing short of amazing! It is quite a unique pleasure to find a top shelf (cuisine & ambiance) dining spot that has a warm, intelligent and outstanding staff. While it is an elegant rooftop restaurant with the most incredibly beautiful view in town, it is also "non-stuffy". You can impress a date, a boss, or your spouse without feeling that you've just spent your mortgage payment! The food is inventive, delicious and gorgeously presented...this place is a long-time hidden treasure. Who cares about the next "trendy spot" (where the food is usually overrated and overpriced) when you can enjoy a fabulous meal, a fantastic view, and not break the bank?

• Pros: Delicious meals gorgeously presented, fine wines, outstanding view!
• Cons: None

03/02/09

Perfect spot for Romance

by Phaeton84

I proposed to my fiance here, and can say if you are looking to impress, choose this restaurant. I coordinated with the catering manager Traci and the receptionist Rachael, and both did a great job making the night unforgettable.

We had a table right next to the floor-to-ceiling windows providing spectacular views of the valley of the sun. If you don't get a window seat, don't worry--the tiered dining room affords great views from every table.

The venison carpaccio was spectacularly fresh and smokey, but don't even think about eating here without trying the pan-seared diver scallops. Served atop a split pea gazpacho, they were simply amazing.

For entrees, the Rib Eye is a real man's dish--no tiny servings here. I got a 12+ oz Rib Eye, huge Abalone mushrooms, and potatoes dauphanoise (interesting texture of starchy potatoes, creamy sauce, and a crispy top). My fiance chose the duck atop a spinach and polenta torte. I have never liked duck due to its greasy texture, but I actually traded a few bites of my beef for more of this dish. Choose medium rare and you will be delighted.

Don't expect to find many full bottle wine selections for less than $200, but we chose cocktails with appetizers and a half-bottle of Syrah with dinner. The sommelier even provided an interesting story about the wine we chose as he opened it for breathing. Oh, and for manly men don't worry--they didn't look down on me for asking for a beer or a humble Jack and Coke with the other courses.

Now to the special treatment--the pastry chef created a light and airy dessert with a unique plating. She took a thin cake bottom with a thick consistency (almost like cookie dough), topped it with 2 kinds of chocolate and some sort of almond cream, and then plated it on a dish with the words "will you marry me" written in chocolate on it. My fiance was speechless. For once.

Bottom line-great food with hearty portions, secluded romantic atmosphere, and a dedicated staff. Give this place a try

• Pros: Amazing view, top notch service, fancy entrees designed to appeal to anyone
• Cons: It's quite a walk to the restaurant from the hotel--take a car or bring a sherpa

12/29/07

Salt, salt, and more salt

by miel

The view here is spectacular, but this has got to be one of the most overrated places we have ever eaten at in terms of the actual food. I am a vegetarian and my husband is a meat eater. When we arrived, there was one vegetarian meal on the menu and we were told that unlike what citysearch states regarding the kitchen encourages asking for something different, we were told they don't do that there. And the place was not even busy the night we were there. Maybe 2 or 3 tables on the inside and eating outside there were 2 or 3 tables with people at them as well. So there wasn't even the issue of being a super busy night. Both my vegetarian meal and my husband's were incredibly salty. We couldn't even taste the actual food. All we tasted was salt. If you want to go there for a spectacular view, go and order drinks. But I wouldn't eat there again. Very disappointing.

• Pros: View
• Cons: Food