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Janos
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
12 reviews for Janos
While doing photography for the Westin La Paloma hotel, I was in a meeting with the owner of Jano's and was curious about his restaurant. A friend and I dined there later that evening and felt horribly out of place.
I called ahead of time and asked what the dress code was and they said "Whatever you are comfortable with."
I thought BADASS! Skinny jeans and a grey American Apparel Tee.... Hilarity did not ensue. As my friend walked in (he was wearing an ASU shirt...In Tucson) we were easily the youngest people under forty in there and the only ones not in dress shirts. Awkward-ness aside, we then ordered. Our server was a colorful character and helped us decipher what to order.
I decided to go with the three-course deal and got a $17.00 appetizer which was a whole 2.5 bites (no wonder rich people are so skinny). We then received our main course which was mahi-mahi over coconut rice or something exotic. While the fish was most delectable the mixing of French cooking with Latin food did not strike a note with me. While I am sure some of the other dishes pull it off well, this tuna was blasé.
The interior of the joint is pretty snazzy though and paired with the view of the city, but the experience, for us, was totally worth it because my friend and I got caviar on-top of something else equally exquisite, compliments of the chef...I thought that only happened in rap songs.
Overall, if you want to impress your girlfriend this is the place and they even bring you gourmet lollipops at the end. Little things like that make the wallet-raiding seem almost worth it.
Food was average. I had the lamb trio- very salty tongue taco. No lobster in the bisque but tasty. Sister and friend had the chicken and it was dry and nothing special. Waitress was not that good. Not worth the money for dinner but I wonder if brunch would be good- yummy coffee.
People thought this was:
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The food and service is with no question five stars, yet I am compelled to award only four because, A. The old location years back was so much better, and authentic, and a boost to that area and B. La Paloma Resort, where it is presently, is so corporate and was always disliked by natives when it was built ...a.k.a, the "pink scar" on the Catalina's.
This said, Janos Wilder is perhaps one of the very best chefs in the United States, definitely in Arizona (and after all, he is from the bay area!).
The eclectic, but harmonious menu is marvelous and ever-changing. The last time my dinner companion and I went, we had the Salmon, which was so tender, buttery moist and had just an almost undetectable smoky taste and hot spiciness...this was great even if you are not the biggest fan of Salmon! The other entree was the Quail Breast, which was accompanied with Chorizo and bread pudding...It was raved over, not just by my companion, but from other diners who ordered it as well!
This restaurant is still a "must" in Tucson, a "destination" even ... long live Mr. Wilder!
People thought this was:
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Not as elegant as some fine restaurants I've dined at... something is missing, I'm not sure what it is... but very nice and I appreciate the use of local, seasonal ingredients.
Our meal:
Amuse Bouche... duck confit over a corn and tomato salsa.
(This was pretty big for an amuse)
Me:
Anaheim Chili Relleno with Toasted Walnuts, Apples, Cider Sauce and Roasted Dates - Roasted Anaheim chile stuffed with toasted walnuts, dried apples, grapes and queso blanco, served on apple cider sauce with dates stuffed with whole roasted almonds wrapped in prosciutto.
Striped Bass and Crisp Whitefish with Olive Oil-Mashed Potatoes and Mediterranean Garnishes - Fresh striped bass pan-seared and served on olive oil-mashed potatoes with carrot nage, black olive tapenade, dried-tomato vinaigrette and garnished with crisp-fried whitefish.
Him:
BBQ Quail Breast Stuffed with Pork Carnitas on Green Corn Tamale Pie - Quail breast stuffed with pork carnitas and wrapped in mesquite-smoked bacon, roasted and served on green corn tamale pie with BBQ sauce, pearl onions, haricot vert and roasted corn vinaigrette.
Lobster and Wild Mushroom Bisque - Rich lobster cream with exotic mushrooms, corn and smoked poblano chiles, baked in puff-pastry dome.
Tournedos of Beef Tenderloin Worthy of a Splurge
Twin filets of beef tenderloin set on brioche toast, slathered with foie gras butter and served with truffle sauce, port braised cipollini onions, fingerling potatoes, fall mushrooms and leek puree.
Dessert to share:
Warm Chocolate Truffle Souffle and Kahlua Ice Cream
For the amuse/starters we had a 2002 Robert Sinskey Pinot Blanc from Napa. It was incredibly floral and fantastic...
With the main courses we went with the recommendation of an 03 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir.. which was decidedly jammy but not overpowering so. (Both wines were half bottles). With the dessert, the BF had a glass of 20 year Tawny. I forget which...
We would not hesitate to go back.. the bisque was a standout.. occasionally I found myself wishing for just a little bit more salt, though, to bring out a bit more flavor in a couple of the dishes.
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4.5 stars
This is the BEST restaurant in Tucson....go Westin hotels!!! Absolutely beautiful setting and interior, impeccable service, I don't think my water glass every slipped below halfway, and just over all an awesome experience.
I had the elk which was cooked to perfection, my boyfriend has the lamb 4 ways that was also amazing, and our desert was great. Good wine selection.
I would ABSOLUTELY go back - when I wanted to spend that much money. But it was quiet, romantic, all those lovely things a dinner date should be.
The food was really good. I had the lamb trio (the tongue taco was the tastiest). I also enjoyed being walked to the bathroom. Life is all about the small pleasures really. But they dropped the ball on service. There is nothing worse than having a nice meal and then staring at the dessert menu for 15 minutes.
Great service - creative and fun food - located in a beautiful location; however, the inside doesn't do it for me, it doesn't have it's own presence. You could close your eyes and open them and be at almost any nice restaurant in a metropolitan city.
The staff is well trained, well prepared to answer detailed questions, and able to dissect the menu so you get an idea of what you will be eating. The menu does a great job of detailing the items, is seasonal, and does the final product justice.
It's a nice place, but not so pretentious you have to wear a dinner jacket and slacks. I wore jeans and a nice button up. The meal is expensive, a bit too expensive once I compare it to similarly priced meals I've enjoyed. Oh, valet parking is free so don't park on the other end of the lot just because you're at The Westin.
The soup was a lobster bisque with a flaky dough top for dipping. At $14 though I was hoping it was less predictable. I had the lamb four ways - the chef went out on a limb to serve tongue tacos, but it was the best tasking tongue I've ever had, not chewy, not overly pungent, and in fact was soft and almost silky. I'm mexican so I've had mole and tamales more times than I can count, but i've never had them with lamb - I'll ask mom to change up the recipe because it was right on. If you have the money or its a special occasion, give the place a try, your meal isn't rushed and your taste buds will be pleasantly challenged with new and improvised flavors.
I don't see why there is such a big fuss about this place? The meal I had was undercooked and not seasoned well. Service was so so. I thought it was very pretentious, but I did really enjoy the mojito and the patio view of the city.
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Nice restaurant but I was not real impressed. The view of the valley was nice. The food was OK. The service was sort of slow. Oh well, it was just OK.
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My husband and I went to celebrate our wedding anniversary on a past weekend and heard the buzz about Janos, so we decided to try it out. The crispy skinned sea bass was perfectly prepared, and although the short ribs were tasty, the accompaniments were completely overpowered by the heavy and rich piece of meat and sauce. Halfway through, you felt like you needed a good palate cleanser to continue and the small pieces of jicama swimming at the bottom of a plate full of gravy just didn't do it. Being good cooks ourselves who make short ribs on occasion, we just couldn't see how they justified charging so much money for an averagely prepared piece of meat and expected at least something better than what we could cook up in our own kitchen. The appetizer of ceviche made of fresh fish was completely overpowered by the mango flavor, and the chocolate souffle was not anything resembling a souffle - it was a bland flourless chocolate cake at best. On the plus side, the wine list was good and the waiter's wine recommendation was spot on. Coffee was delicious (even the decaf), most of the staff was at least polite if a little stiff/cold/rehearsed (hostesses), but nothing to rave about. We had better service from the younger staff at La Paloma's country club at brunch the next morning. Even though we took the waiter's recommendations, Janos was average at best and with the prices they charge, average just doesn't cut it. We will not return.
One more tip to you out-of-towners: Arizona adopted a law against patrons bringing their own bottles to a restaurant. We found out when we called the restaurant and asked for their corkage fee just hours before dinner. We were able to enjoy our special bottle before dinner in our room, but still a disappointing thing to find out when we picked our bottle out for this special occasion.
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Its been a while since I have last eaten here but wow. Great, fresh, interesting food coupled with a beautiful view and wonderful service. It is very expensive but worth it on a special occasion.
Well there's J-Bar & Janos, actually pronounced Yanos. J-Bar is much less expensive and I always have his World Famous vegetarian nachos. Janos just next door has these WONDERFUL 10 hour short ribs. Janos is a James Beard recipient FYI. A little hard to get to as u have to take this little winding road up into a resort.
