House of Tricks is located near ASU, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the college town and the famous Mill Ave. You'd never expect to find a quaint and classy restaurant in the midst of crazy college life. It has a garden-like patio space which also houses a fire place to keep its guests warm during some of the chilly Arizona nights. The restaurant serves a mixture of Euro and Asian cuisine with obvious French preparation techniques. With all the influence, I guess that's why it's labeled "American", because it's a melting pot. The menu changes every season based on availability of fresh ingredients. Supplement your meal with a wide selection of wine.
During our visit in the summer, they had an Ahi-Tuna, its wrapped in bacon and dressed in a miso based glazed. This probability will raise some eyebrows at first, until that first bite. The combination works really well. The tender texture of the Ahi-Tuna complimented the smoky and salty flavor of the bacon. The miso horseradish glazes is just what the dished needed to bring the flavors together. Also on the summer menu was the tenderloin, cooked medium rare with a bacon-fig gastrique. The steak was cooked spot on. The bacon-fig gastrique was just a perfect balance of sweet and sour taste, complementing the meat.
All of the ingredient was fresh; the servers are friendly and for the most part knowledgeable of the food. The price is on the higher side with an average entre costing over $30. However they do serve an amazing lunch menu at a very reasonable price, a perfect spot to enjoy lunch and the AZ sun under the garden patio.
Come out the quaint French influence restaurant and try all their seasonal dishes, you won't be disappointed. I went back a few times afterwards and was able to get great results.