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| - This place is getting me to let go somewhat of my perception that Bell Road in Glendale is gastronomically uninspiring. When I think of Bell Road, especially the Glendale stretch, I think of nothing but chain restaurants and steakhouses. I don't know if Le Chalet is an emerging chain, but it's already unique in that they specialize in crepes. Hard to find of great quality in greater Phoenix.
My friends and I went on a weeknight so it wasn't crowded. Decor wise, there is a lot of charm. The chefs wear beret-style hats. The dining area, and even the restrooms, have a cobblestone motif. Reminds me a little bit of an old toy store inside Fantasyland at Disneyland though less cheesy (pardon the pun). All the napkins are even bound in cute little cow theme napkin rings. The servers all sport the suspenders one would see on traditional Swiss outfits.
The menu is a cheese-lover's dream. Instead of ordering off the appetizers section, we had a regular Swiss cheese fondue for an appetizer. Cheese was just the right degree of sharpness. They bring the little fondue and long forks to the table. You can adjust the heat. Wish I had warmed it up a little more after some time had passed. Every table gets a little sliced tartine (crispy cheese bread) to start as well. After all that cheese, we each had a crepe for an entree. The crepes were folded into perfect squares with crisp edges and the filling and sauce visible in the middle. Also comes with 1/4 cup of salad with a garlic-mustard vinegrette. I had a smoked salmon crepe with lemon and dill cream sauce. I really loved the crispy outside of it. I wish I had tried one of the more exotic crepes. Some you might not be able to finish in one meal because they are filled with ingredients like potatoes and bacon.
We split a salted butter caramel crepe for dessert. Heavenly. It's one big, almost paper thin triangle on top of caramel with more caramel drizzled all over. The caramel was a luscious diversion for the palate. It had some almonds that were over-toasted but not a big issue.
The staff was pleasant. Next time, I want to try La Potence--what they call "The Hanging Man." A chef wheels out a cart with pieces of filet mignon hanging on a cylinder with little hooks and flambes it tableside over rice pilaf. A chef was demonstrating it to someone as we were getting ready to leave. He was thoughtful in explaining to us as well what he was doing.
Can't believe I actually want to go back to that part of Bell Road but it's worth the trip. A great place for groups with its reasonable prices. There were people with their kids. But none of the kids were running around wild. Not surprising if the parents are willing to do something like fondue for dinner out with the children. Despite the name fondue, no pretension in the ambience. At the same time, it feels a little classier than say an Applebee's.
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