Up coming reviews- Carefree Station, Flo's and Jade Palace. I am also askingfor reguests of restaurants you would like reviewed. As always happy eating Arizona.

Zest- Spirited Dinning

Zest- Spirited Dinning
WHERE:
4117 N. 16th St.
Phoenix, 85016
CUISINES:
Contemporary American
PRICE:
$20 - $40
MORE INFO:
Phone: (602) 274-7442


Date Visited-- 8/15/06
Zest is located in an older part of Phoenix. Please don’t let this dissuade you for giving it a try. It will be in the running for the coveted Bairdy’s Best award for dining and food preparation for 2006.
"The better half" as she has been referring to herself gave it a try before we took in a movie. As I said, from the outside you may not be impressed, but the inside is another story. Very art orientate and romantic, this is a perfect date place. The wine list was well match and offered many selections by the glass. The high light of the starters was the Eggplant Cheesecake, it was recommended by the waiter. I am not a huge fan of the vegetable, but I know that the better half is and we gave it a shot. I now have a new found taste for the eggplant when prepare like this a definite must try.
There were at least ten entrées offered covering all areas of fish, fowl, beef and vegetarian. The meal starts with a nice table side salad. For the entrees I choose the pork chop again, at the recommendation of the waiter. It was huge, covering the plate, cooked just right and coated in panko bread crumbs. This chop was outstanding, I could only power down half of it. The side dish, smashed potatoes, and the chop were covered in cranberry orange chutney. Shana had the sea bass and raved about. The fish was cooked to her liking and was served with mango rice, which was interesting~ her exact words.
We finished with Banana’s Foster but we where too full to complete enjoy it and took most of it to go. This was an extremely enjoyable evening with delicious food, great service and over all a great dining experience. Keep an eye out for the end of the year awards; I am sure Zest will be walking away with a few. Give Zest a try for a romantic evening and as always Happy Eating Arizona.

Medizona

Medizona

7217 E. Fourth Ave.
Scottsdale, 85251

CUISINES:Mediterranean/SouthwesternPRICE:$20 - $40MORE INFO:Phone: (480) 947-9500

Date visited 10/06/2006

Located in old town Scottsdale, this restaurant has a strong reputation. It did not live up to the hype. As a party of four we all agreed that the setting (a remodeled house) was quaint. The service was adequate. The wine list was very average, but it did offer many half bottles of quality wine.

Now to the important part, the food, which should be more accurately titled American bistro. The bread basket was plentiful and contained two dips. The hummus was very bland, but the eggplant spread was enjoyed by everyone in the party. With a limited menu, 7 entrée choices and two salads, everyone selected a different meal. The filet was by far the best presentation and tasting, the sides where well matched. The lamb was a bit over done and the side dishes where very bland. The pork chop (stick with Zest for a great pork chop!! -see future post) was over done, but the sweet potatoes casserole that accompanied it was delicious. Finally, the bouillabaisse was extremely fishy and the shrimp cooked beyond tough.
Over all the food was a let down especial at those prices. Again for similar dining experience give Zest in Phoenix a try (check back soon for a full review on Zest). And as always happy eating Arizona.

Where to eat when in the valley of the sun.

In the future this will be the site for honest and informative restaurant reviews.