After some of the reviews, we were expecting the food here to be bizarre or off-the-wall, but nothing is further from the truth... the food is contemporary and -- dare I say it -- whimsical, but it's accessible for everyone. No need to fear for eensy portions that will make you wanna stop at In-N-Out on your way home or unrecognizable food sculpture... we went away stuffed and satisfied -- no room for dessert.
As noted by many, the decor is fresh and fun and modern. The art was cool, and the artfully displayed bikes are a unique touch -- basically, this is pretty forward-thinking for Arizona, but not for most major cities. It could easily be dropped into New York (where we moved from). We went at 9pm on a Saturday, so we were able to enjoy a nice bluesy combo playing by the bar -- it would be worth it to stop by just for a drink and to listen.
The service a tad slow, but thoughtful and attentive -- our waiter brought a glass of hot water with lemon and mint -- unprompted -- when he noticed my wife had a cough. (It hit the spot.)
We enjoyed the food -- for apps, we had the venison lollipops and the mushroom dish, which were both tasty (and filling), with a variety of ingredients contributing to the whole. For entrees, the scallops were a hearty plate, cooked just right, with a fun and tasty churro and yummy sauce -- one of the more unique combos we've had in a while, definitely worth a try. The fish sticks were very tasty on their own, but I didn't love either of the provided sauces, though the slaw and mac-n-cheese were both very good. And yes, you get an actual sealed tube of "toothpaste" - very clever. We didn't leave feeling like we'd had a bargain, but we did like the food.
NOTE: a prior reviewers commented on a steak salad -- there isn't one on the menu. The dish he refers is called "Reimagined Panzenella Combination" and the first ingredient is "black and blue" steak -- ie. RARE. Sounds like it was delivered as advertised... at least on the menu. Our waiter still had not tried a lot of the dishes, so it might be a case of the waitstaff needing some more education.
We're gonna be back, if for no other reason than, as noted in the press lately, Scottsdale has a tendency to let anything other than prosaic food wither and die. We'd hate to lose another one.
Note to the Guys - This could be your date-night spot if you want to look like a renaissance kind of guy. Good food, good tunes, fun atmosphere.