rev:text
| - Got the royal newcomer treatment at Region's new Tempe location, which opened yesterday. We were some of the first ones in for lunch today, and the owners and every server in the place stopped by to see how we were doing, make sure we had what we needed, etc.
Three stars are only because they are on a limited menu until Monday when their full menu, which is still fairly brief, will be available.
We started with the decadent-sounding fries with crumbled Gorgonzola and bacon. Served with a Gorgonzola dressing for dipping, the fries were perfect - made in house with the skin on, crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside. The Gorgonzola dipping sauce probably did more than the crumbled gorg & bacon because crumbled bits do not stick to fries, and instead accumulate in the bottom of the basket. We resorted to forks to retrieve some. Tasty, but needs some process engineering for optimization.
Both the husband and I ordered the prime rib sliders with crispy onions. The crispy onions come ON the sandwich, not on the side, which id not make me happy until I tried them - a nice crunchy contrast to the rich and silky shaved prime rib. We recommend to the owner that some grated horseradish we be the perfect finishing touch instead of the bland creamy horseradish sauce with which it was served, and the fresh stuff was delivered to our table moments later. Ask for the fresh stuff, it turned "pretty good" sliders into "mmmmmm...".
I personally loved the decor - combo modern with a just a dash of the 60's Polynesian retro. Air and cool, with a bit of warmth from the dark wood accents and greenery. Try to not sit by the kitchen door, it has a nails-on-the-chalkboard squeak whenever it's opened. There are white tablecloths and styrofoam cups for the dipping sauce. The hubby found that odd, but I like the combination of formal and casual touches - wards off pretentiousness.
The bar opens to the outdoors. I did not have time to sit for a drink, but they have a selection of fancy and tasty sounding concoctions (like the "Peach Smash") from 2 until 6 for $6.00.
Service was great. In fact we felt as if we were being watched by everyone who worked there - and we probably were because not too many people were in at 11:00 am on their second day. We'll be back so they can earn another star....
|