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Rancho Pinot Grill
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
9 reviews for Rancho Pinot Grill
There are murmurings of inner house "readjustments" about to take place at Rancho Pinot, but if the end result of whatever is about to happen manages to maintain itself through the process, I think I've found a new favorite spot in the valley.
I have to admit, the name had no draw for me...Rancho Pinot, I imagined a cowboy mascot sucking wine from the bottle, with gaudy faux western decor. But what I found was not quite as such. Rancho Pinot hidden in the recessed back end of the borgata strip mall was hands down a great experience. The decor was in fact a little old school with sporadically placed cow skulls on the walls and the occasional lasso or bit and harness, as is obligatory with any location that contains the name Rancho in it, but as my lady (as picky as she is) exclaimed, it was very tastefully done, and I'd have to agree...it was oddly, an almost artistically appointed room...yes, they had a stuffed jackalope...but no, I'm not going to retract what I've said...it may not be hip decor, or stylish...but it is certainly tasteful.
The service was top notch professional by what seemed to be mostly career servers, reserved enough to be elegant, casual enough to be fun... and you know your dealing with a rare breed, when you ask for recommendations and they don't in fact recommend the most expensive thing on the menu.
I started with the house cured duck prociutto, which was to die for, and finished off with the Nonni's Sunday Chicken...something of a house specialty as I understand it, passed down through the family, into the hands of Chef Chrissa (sp?) for your dining pleasure....and hot damn was it delicious, succulent, and memorable. The menu itself was contemporary, fresh, and locally realized...which I love...not at all the refried bean southwestern fair I half feared walking into. Everything we had was, in short, inspired.
Their wine list though not for those on a budget, is well appointed and not surprisingly ripe with some mighty fine Pinots.
All restaurants want to be the place that receives the terrific review from the towns hot critics...I couldn't help but think that Rancho Pinot might be one of the places they go when they AREN'T working, as I noticed one of them sitting at the bar enjoying herself with friends....and in my book that's worth ten times more than any great one time review.
*Jackalope = Mythical North American "Critter". A Jack rabbit with the antlers of a deer or antelope. Strange.
great casual atmosphere and interesting food! Chrysa Robertson and her gang do a great job with local and organic foods.
the lamb chops are succulent and savory. also, you will never go wrong with the scallops when they have them.
"mom's pecan bar" with icecream is a great way to finish your meal.....and of course they have GREAT fresh roasted coffee
This place is a solid 4 and 1/2 stars with a great fresh, local menu and fantastic wine list!
My last meal here was excellent with a very knowledgeable and honest server who provided a great dining experience.
Some of the highlights were the asparagus, the beet salad and the short ribs! Oh my gosh did I love all 3 and I have been craving hominy ever since!! Plus, they even had a favorite bottle of wine that my BF and I covet that can't even be bought at the vineyard anymore (I'm not telling as I know they have one other bottle left and I don't want anyone to drink it!!)
Decor is a little Scottsdale circa 1987, but you can tell that this is a great kept secret in Scottsdale! I will definitely be back!!
Came here for my best friend's birthday as it's her 2nd fav restaurant after Stonehorse in Tulsa. She knows the owners, so we figured this would be the perfect choice. We clearly didn't need a reservation as the place was almost empty when we entered. I was joking around with the host telling him I'm quite the yelper and that was I going to review his restaurant.
We were waiting on two more coming from the airport, so the server nicely came over to tell us that we needed to make sure we had the order in by 10. We went ahead and ordered wine and appetizers, which it took the waiter quite some time to figure out that we may have wanted to order some apps before the last two arrived.
The food arrived and I had the lamb. It was not so delightful nor memorable. The grain was dry and the lamb was overcooked (more like medium as opposed to med-rare). I was not impressed.
At the end of the meal, apparently the server asked the person who paid if he meant to leave that tip. It may *not* have been enough, but if you have any sort of class in my opinion, you shouldn't ask your customer if that's what they meant to leave.
Always impeccable service. Excellent wine list. Delicious food and desserts.
Food is always made from fresh, locally grown ingredients. So while you're enjoying a phenomenal meal, you can take comfort in knowing that your spinach wasn't picked by an 11 year old in Chile. Then shipped on a CO2 coughing cargo ship to Long Beach. Then driven on smog spitting 18-wheeler to Scottsdale.
Food is consistently 4 1/2 star quality, as is the wine list.
If it weren't for the slightly kitschy, Gilbert Ortega-ish decor (jackalope included), I'd almost give the place 5 stars.
Service, food, and one hell of a wine selection make Rancho Pinot a 4 star restaurant... We went in on a Thursday night with no reservation or expectations, and we were pleasantly surprised (even my extremely picky boyfriend).
Hoke (not sure on the spelling of his name) was attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly. He educated us on the history of the restaurant - 14 years in business, pointed out the husband and wife owners, and of course upsold us on the wine and entree selection. By no means were we disappointed. Considering he's been there since 1999, we figured we'd trust his judgement.
We started out with the gnocci appetizer. It came with a unique meat sauce. Fresh bread and olive oil complimented the appetizer. I went with the sea bass entree and my boyfriend had the duck special of the evening. Both were filling and left us without room for dessert.
If you are looking for a low key evening without having to deal with Scottsdale snooty attitude, go visit Hoke at Rancho Pinot.
Owned by a husband and wife team. Rancho Pinot's menu changes daily, depending on what's fresh. Entres might include quail with soba noodles, rosemary-infused chicken with Italian sausage, and grilled sea bass atop basmati rice. Reservations essential.
Not an inexpensive place, especially some of the hard-to-find wines from their extensive wine list, but worth every cent. They have a nice bar area at the front, and one thing I really like is that the tables aren't too crowded together. First rate food and service. Just north of the Borgata, buried in the back.
this is a nice restaurant bordering on fancy. the best thing I can say is about the natural, fresh selections on the menu and the decor which is old west, old cowboy and western movie-themed .the pictures on the wall inspired by old postcards, oil paintings and prints of the cowboy way of life are fantastic. the service was prompt, knowledgeable, friendly and very professional. the place was a bit formal for my taste, but it looked like couples, families and work parties would be very happy here. tucked in the back of strip mall of a busy road it's not easy to find..for a NY-er. but it was delicious. unfortunately the Chimichurri sauce was too strong for me and I did not feel well after all, but it was a joy to eat steak here for what it's worth.
