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| - I have put this one off because in my three visits to this restaurant I have had widely diverse experiences. (See Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort for my hotel review.) The primary differences between my experiences at the restaurant seem to center around the volume of people and the time of year you go. The service AND food were much better during off-peak season. Phoenix is a very seasonal city and the restaurants and hotels are sometimes overwhelmed when peak season hits in February.
First of all, yes, come for the view. And if you want fancy, this is where you go for fancy. So don't get all worked up because they don't have a ribeye or burgers.
You are mostly paying for the view and the ambiance, and both are wonderful. If weather permits, ask for an outside table when you call for a reservation.
Second, prepare for the expense. Dinner is about $29-$45 just for your entree, and the wine, while excellent, is commensurate with the food prices.
I have had the lobster bisque, which is out of this world, and the pan-seared diver scallops, which were average, as appetizers. The lobster bisque is, of course, really super rich and fattening, and even though I wanted to slurp the whole thing down (which would be frowned upon in a place this upscale) I controlled myself, but I still felt like I was going to pop by the time dinner came. Maybe share one with a friend. (It was worth the popping feeling.)
At my first two visits here, the bread came out early and was delicious. At the last visit, I had to ask for it three times and just gave up when it still wasn't there when my entree arrived. The three sauces they bring with it are all yummy (again, fattening).
In my continuing quest to reacquaint myself with my hip bones, have tried three of the four salads, including the hierloom tomato carpaccio (tasty and light but nothing out of this world), the crisp apple and micro herbs (much more interesting and really delicious), and the blood orange and rocket arugula (very tasty and interesting). Salads will run you from $11-$13.
At $43, the filet mignon was probably the tastiest entree I have had there, and it was well prepared and had cooked to my picky little specifications. One time I had the Chef's feature, which was sea bass and was delicious. I tasted friend's plates and the pork tenderloin was really quite good. Another friend has the osso bucco and said it was good, but I really wouldn't know as I don't eat baby lambs.
I have had the scallops as an entree and found them to be mediocre at best. I actually felt pretty ill after eating them for dinner, but again, that was a very busy night and they fell down on all counts that night. I would have given them one or two stars that night, while both other experiences were at least a three or four.
I am not a big dessert eater (again with my missing hip bones) but we did the wine and chocolate sampler one night and it was fun enough and interesting enough to be worth the $16. I shared that one with three friends.
It is worth a visit, especially if you are staying at the resort and have budgeted for an expensive night out. I would, however, suggest you go very early if you go at peak season, and try to avoid a very chaotic rush.
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