Meg and I were out on a dinner date in North Scottsdale and on our way home, we decided to stop by ABC for dessert. We had heard all the reviews and watched the KN episode but we cam in with an open mind to give Sammy and Amy an open minded and fair chance.
On our way to the door, Sammy greeted us in a friendly an humorous manner, sporting one of his "I'm the Gangster" t-shirts. He was very pleasant to speak with and even offered to take a picture with us. It was clear from the moment we got there that Sammy was doing his best to make light of the past negativity and continue forward with a good attitude.
We had a hard time choosing between all the delicious looking cakes but we finally decided on the Candy Bar Tart at Sammy's recommendation. It was definitely worth the stop! A very crunchy cookie crust, rich mousse filling, and topped with some chocolate candies was knock out amazing. While it could easily have been split for four, the two of us absolutely destroyed it without a hint of guilt.
While we were there, A few out of town visitors also came in and struck up conversation with Sammy. They admitted that they had never seen the KN episode when Sammy asked what brought them in. This sparked up my only complaint as Sammy an explanation about what happened in the KN episode and their interaction with Chef Ramsay.
The explanation that was given was definitely over exaggerated and you could tell it was still a major sore spot for Sammy and Amy. While I think it is good to make light of the past with the shirts and the Disney style meet and greet outside, the over the top rehash of the KN episode and their perception of negative reviewers (not to be confused with troll reviews) is toxic and best left in the past where it belongs. Were ABC's still around, my best advise would be to leave the stories behind and move forward.
But despite the hiccup with the KN explanation, we had a great time! Sammy's service was great and very friendly. We even came back about a month later to try another tart (I think it was a coffee tart but can't say for sure). Both times we came in it was towards closing so it was only Sammy in the front so I can't speak to any of the servers performance. Nor did we get to meet Amy but could hear she was in the back cleaning the kitchen up for the evening so that's understandable.
I wish we'd gotten a chance to come in and try out a lunch/dinner plate but sadly that wasn't in the cards for us. If Sammy and Amy give the restaurant business another shot, I would definitely come in to try them out again with one condition: They keep putting awesome baking goods on the dessert menu!