Chef Stef K.'s Profile

So my friend and I decided to grab lunch here with her two children.  I was worried that there would be a wait, but quickly remembered that it was Thursday afternoon at noon...no wait!  We sat at a convenient table inside, up front (room for the stroller) and was greeted by the friendly waitstaff.  

The waitress guided us through a nice obscure selection of beer and wine and ordered one of each and a lemonade for the kinder.   We perused the menu deciding on a bunch of different dishes that we'd share.  The oxtail with cheese curds and duck fat fries, the brussel sprouts, the short rib burger, the ahi burger, the grilled cheese and sweet potato fries. And did I mention the burgers had a small mescaline/arugala mix and homemade potato chips; WHAT?!?!  

The grilled cheese came first for the baby; though I didn't try it, it had nice thick bread and oozy cheese; how bad could it be?

TheSweet Potato Fries w/ Lime zest, garlic, cilantro, red pepper were a fabulous surprise; full of flavor and some kind of hidden spice, maybe a smidgen of cinnamon or all spice that seemed to round out the flavor in a warm way...then a kick of spice in the end; gotta try that at home!

The Beef Oxtail Poutine: Tender Beef Oxtail braised in burgundy red wine reduction, cheddar cheese curds, duck fat fries, was sinful; a meal in and of itself, but whatever, it's not often I can get braised oxtail AND duck fat fries.  The dish came, and all sense of being at a table with other people went right out the window.   I couldn't hold back and immediately stabbed at the fries with my fork like a heathen forgetting all manners that my mother ingrained in me. The fries were crispy, perfectly sauced, nestling the cheese curds and the perfect stage for the 2 gelatinous and meaty braised pieces of tail.  My friend doesn't judge.... I tried at first to be dainty, pulling the meat off the bone and taking a bite with some fries and curds, but eventually lost all control and picked up the bone...it was meant to be picked up!

The Pan-roasted Brussel Sprouts w/ crispy apple wood bacon, cipolini onions,  white balsamic vinegar and fig reduction were bright in color, flavor and caramelization; roasted to perfection; practically candy-like, with a kick.

The Short Rib Burger of Niman Ranch short rib braised in amber ale, melted gruyere cheese, grilled mushrooms on a brioche bun was very good overall. The fresh bun maintained its texture and didn't get soggy.  The patty was free formed with beautifully seasoned chunks of short rib.  My only complaint; I thought it needed a little more cheese and the mushrooms lacked the woodsy deep mushroom flavor you get when they are caramelized in the pan.

The Ahi Tuna Burger of Szechwan peppercorn crusted ahi tuna, Asian slaw, Japanese kewpie style and sriracha mayo on a brioche bun, I heard, was delicious...we didn't even try it, as we were full from everything else, though my husband ate it later that evening, heating it under a minute and still proclaiming it was FANTASTIC, and he wants to go next time.  

I can guarantee that will be soon!  Glad I live down the block!
Thank you Tavern On 2   :)

I was visiting Phoenix for my 5th wedding anniversary, and decided to check Groupon to see what deals we could get while out there...and we totally scored!  A $50 groupon for $25!  We made the reservation without any problems, and the gentleman on the phone was actually very friendly and welcoming, even after I mentioned I had a groupon, which gave me positive vibe.
We arrived on time; 8:15, walking quickly past the cotton candy, cowboy tourist attraction next door and opened the door to the large, yet intimate feeling room of a warm mediteranean bistro.  We were quickly greeted simultiously at the door by both the server and owner or manager.  Upon enterring, it seemed odd that they seated us toward the back when the whole front was empty, but we didn't dwell on it.  
Our server was very friendly and had no problems taking substitutions; as my husband wanted a vodka sauce: not on the menu...no problem!  I ordered the chicken marsala over pene; no problem!  And as an appetizer we order the special: PEI mussles casino, and ultimately a cannoli to go.
I have to admit, i was a little sad that they didn't serve fresh, warm bread and butter, but realized i was better off not filling up on that.  The mussels arrived fairly quickly, to take my mind off the bread, and while they were good, it didn't thrill me, though the sauce it was served on was fresh and bright.  My marsala, however, was very rustic and full of the wild, earthy flavors of an abundance of various  mushrooms, while the chicken was lightly dusted in flour and pan fried to juicy perfection.  My husbands dish:  unbelievable!  The smoked tea chicken breast served in vodka sauce.  It has inspired me to try to duplicate that smoking affect...cross ur fingers!  The smoked chicken added a whole new layer of flavor that I never thought to add to italian dishes.
We ended up getting the cannoli to go...we were so full, but I just had to get them.  Our server brought them to our table to show us how pretty they are before they start rolling around inside (which I discovered when i got home and dug into them.)  They were good, however, being from new york....difficult to compare to a n.y. Cannoli.  It needed a little more sweetness, and maybe a little lemon zest to liven it up.   Regardless: our entrees and service were so good, it didn't matter.
Awesome meal, great prices

The last time I was here, I noticed that the health inspector indicatted changes need to be made.  I didn't say anything, but when my husband suggested we go again this morninng, I raised my concerns.  Yet, somehow here we are and while the view is priceless, the food and service, not so much.  Burnt bread, cold rice with little-to-no sauce on my shrimp enchilada, and a BEYOND salty burger that my husband ate b/c he was so hungry and no one had come to check on us to tell them about it.  Something is definitely up with this place...it was never this bad!  And just because they have a million $ view doesn't mean they should slack on quality of food and  service.  Two thumbs down; WAY DOWN.

I had hopes from the reviews; and was sad to discover below par.  And that is not acceptable with sushi.  My wine glass had lipstick on it, the service was nothing to write home about, and the food was unacceptable.

We ordered some spicy tuna, philly roll and some yellowtail.  None of which seemed fresh, but instead mushy and sloppy.  I also ordered the seafood udon bowl; really? seafood essence was more like it!  There WAS   one mussle and then remnants of some bay scallops; c'mon, bay scallops are already tiny.  When I asked where the seafood was, he informed me that they chop up the shrimp & scallops; a HUGE pet peeve of mine.  Towards the end of dinner; neither of us felt great in the tummy.  Not cool.

Loved the sexiness of the hotel lobby; friendly, warm updated and inviting.

The room was nice; a bigger bathroom with larger soaking tub would have made it better.  The bed was clean and comfortable.  Loved the balcony but would have LOVED a small heater to be able to enjoy it a little more in the cold desert evenings.

I walked near the pool which was soooo inviting, and while it was only 40something degrees, there were people lounging and swimming...while I didn't note an "adult only pool", I find that a VERY IMPORTANT aspect at a spa resort of this caliber.

I was fortunate enough to acquire a spa reservation New Year's Eve day.  While I wasn't able to reserve the 2 hour spa package, I was happy enough to get a 1 hour massage.  I was somewhat disappointed in the spa itself; no locker room, no steam room or hot tub...The massage room, however, was in itself lovely.  Though I was by myself, my husband was on the links, I was escorted the couples massage room....a warm serene large room with two tables.  The massage itself, lovely.  I walked away refreshed and with some cards offerring 10% off anything in the boutique and 25% off my next visit (which the woman actually applied to this visit...bonus)

Overall we loved the resort and hope we could get as great a rate as we had for our NYE weekend.

Not the best, by far.  Great hopes with little follow-through.  We ordered our meal; it came out piece-meal; a dish, then a few minutes later another, etc....how about bringing ALL the food out at one time!  Especially since the first dish was shrimp w/ broccoli; no rice or noodles yet!  Then three minutes later: the orange chicken (still no rice).  Eventually, it all made it; and I kinda wish it handn't...over $100 later, very much over priced, we were happy to get out of there.  
Bottom line: overpriced, not even close to being chinese food, and not the best service.

The only people I trust when it comes to repairs AND purchases!  And you know how hard it is to find a trustworthy mechanic!

I moved to Belmont Shore over 5 years ago and have come to La Strada  at least a few times each year...and sadly, I think last night was our last....

We arrived at 7 on a Friday night, and oddly, there were tables open...we thought this to be a good sign.  We were seated after a very brief wait and perused the menu.  My husband was happy to see that they had some new additions.  He decided on the tride and true Lobster Bisque and wondered why I didn't follow suit; it IS one of my favorite types of soups...well, the lobster bisque shall be had, just not in appetizer soup form.  The soup that they tout as lobster bisque is the same sauce they use in more than half their dishes....and more specifically in the Linguini Imperialli Rossa which I was orderring that night for dinner.  He decided on the new to the menu Gnocci and our daughter ordered her favorite, Fettecine Au Gratin (gooey melty cheese, pasta and chicken....what more could a 10 year old ask for.)

The bread arrived warm, which is always nice, and having the balsamic, olive oil, grated cheese and crushed red pepper at the table allowed me to make my special dipping sauce for that warm goodness.  We ordered our meal, with only 2 special requests...no mushrooms in my daughter's Au Gratin and add mushrooms to my Linguini and Scallops...no problem, according to our server.  

The soup came on cue and a little sub-par from their regular flavors....it seemed to be lacking any depth and somewhat watered or "creamed" down.  When our entrees came, I was disappointed to say the least.  I looked down at my plate to see not only that they had forgotten to add the mushrooms, but also a quick glance at the Au Gratin informed me they had left them in her dish (good thing she's not allergic).  We told the waitress we would just pull them out of her entree and put them in mine...no biggie.  After every speck of mushroom was removed from her dish (she can't stand them) I began to toss them in my pasta and sadly discovered that Linguini and Scallops was really Linguini and Scallop (one scallop cut up into four or five pieces)...really, one scallop?  and chopped up to lose its essence, flavor and juices....and the sauce...again the lack luster Lobster Bisque.  

I looked over at my husband's pillowy pile of Gnocci drowing in sauce and dug a fork in...I was deflated with disgust.  From the cardboardy, grainey  flavor, these were clearly store bought, but what made it even worse was that there was a complete lack of salt used in the cooking process...it tasted like nothing!  "We have to send that back!" I proclaimed immediately....but he didn't want to be "that person" so he continued to eat the tasteless pile of supposed pasta, sprinkling it with all the seasonnings at the table he could get his hands on.

Our daughter's Au Gratin: I took a small bite, I found it to be a little floury and gluey...the chicken, again lacking texture and flavor.  But she didn't care as long as there was a ton of cheese on it.

I'm sad that La Strada has fallen off our 'places to go' list.  I love small family owned businesses and make a point to frequent local vendors...personally I wish the owner much success in her venture and hope to one day visit again to find that this was just a bad night for the kitchen.

It was New Year's Eve, and we were sort of unexpectedly in AZ...My husband and I decided that we would go out for an early dinner , go back to the hotel and chill and then check out the 10pm comedy show nearby.  We had passed 5th and Wine earlier that day as we explored the area and thought it would be a cute, sexy place we should check out later, and here came our window of opportunity.

We arrived about 5...which was great b/c it was happy hour: $5 glasses and special prices on some of their appetizers.  We were seated immediately, not at the best table (near the kitchen door and exit to the outdoor patio area) considering the place was relatively empty except  for a table of ten sitting right next to us.

We sat for a few minutes deciding on what to order and wondered why no one was coming over to us.  Eventually, we flagged down a person who happily took our order...I think we were in between shifts, and with NYE...things were probably just ramping up, so we'll cut them some slack on the timing of the service and food.

We started with wine, obviously, as well as some appetizers:  Smoked Salmon Bruschetta, Brie, fig and apples bruschetta and the roasted pepper, goat cheese Bruschetta.  They were all SO very good.  The bread crisped, but not overly so.  I enjoyed the flavor combinations of all the choices, though I have to say the goat cheese and salmon were my favorites.  I found the roasted peppers fresh and bursting with bright flavors; not muddled.

We decided that since we hadn't eaten all day, and probably wouldn't later, we'd also order soup; he the chicken tortilla and I the butternut squash.  His soup, at first bite, was hearty, warm and rich in flavor; much better than the tortilla soup he had had the night before at The Greene House.  There were nice chunks of chicken swimming in a thick, luscious pool of deep Mexican flavors and a haystack of tortilla chips piled high just the way he likes it.  My butternut squash soup was WAY too sweet.   However, the flavor of the fresh roasted squash fought it's way through the sickly sweet brown sugar and kept me going back for more; though I did have to add the crackers to add aspects of texture and salt.

Our entrees arrived after requesting that they slow down; we wanted to enjoy the evening and a small band was beginning to set up.  He order the House Roasted Turkey Panini with a fried egg on top and seasoned fries on the side.  It looked great, though I declined a bite...I had a whole plate of little egg noodles drenched in picatta sauce sitting right in front of me.  As an avid cook, I found it overly comforting when I looked down at my plate and  saw what almost looked like something I had made!  The chicken was pounded to perfection...not too thin at all and evenly cooked.  Typically when I do this dish at home, i would toss in some fresh spinach, however, the fresh green beans they used added a nice textural crunch to the dish; and the fried capers scattered atop the chicken was a nice twist, though I would have liked more capers in the actual sauce.  Speaking of which, the sauce was light, lemony and brothy; not thickened or mounted with butter; which was a refreshing interpretation of picatta.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the great flavors of the food, the sexy ambiance and funky paintings and friendly service...we'd definitely go again when we return to Scottsdale.

We came upon this place accidentally through yelp....and are sooo happy we did.

While there seems to always be a long wait....20-30 minutes both mornings we came, it is worth it.  Though I'd have to say that our first experience was WAY BETTER than our second, though it was extraordinarily busy that second time.

As a first timer I was overwhelmed with my delicious choices.... though my husband quickly narrowed my options claiming that one of us was going to get the french toast and the other the omelet.  Being that I'm more of a savory than sweet person, I picked an omelet--within his "no red meat or pork limitations" in mind.  I opted for the Bird:  turkey, mushroom, and boursin cheese with sliced avocado on top.  

When breakfast came, we were beyond drooling and ready for our feast.  I immediately smeared a little cream cheese on my everything toasted bagel and took a bite...not a new york bagel, but this is az.  Then I turned my attention to the omelet....overfilled with freshly shaved thick cuts of moist turkey!!! I almost didn't want to share, but luckily it was big enough, and with the bagel and all ;)   Next to the omelet were their O'Brien potatoes...omg, the tri-colored roasted peppers sauteed with the potatoes were full of fresh bright flavors; these I refused to share!  There were also three or four big hunks of fruit on the plate, though I never got to the healthy stuff.

My husband, as promised, ordered the Cinnamon Challah French toast.  He enjoyed it, though I found the thickness of the bread to be lacking completely.  Being a Jew from New York, I have partaken in many a Challah french toasts and the thickness is of vital importance...1 1/2 to 2" thick is perfect...you get the soft, eggy fluffiness of the center and the crispy buttery crunch on the outside....with a thin cut peice of challah...your missing the eggy fluffiness, and it sometimes just gets limp under the syrup; which it did.  The candied nuts and fruit, however, make up a little bit for that limpness, as it added texture!

Overall, we felt we would return, and even did the next day.  And while the service and food were not as good as the first time; ~~when is it ever?  We'd still return!