Here is my 2 cents on local restaurants
Key
* = Would never go there again and
I'm angry that I spent money on it.
** = Might as well have been Taco Bell.
*** = Pretty good. Has its place and time. Serves a purpose.
**** = Really good but not elevated and I left happy.
***** = Life changing and magical. Foodgasm.
Geisha A Go Go****
I had the Pikachu. It was quite good. Slightly tart and not overly sweet. We also tried the ShisuHorny which was like a tequila mojoito. It was ok but a little sweet for my taste. They also offer infused sake. There are a variety of flavors. They are sold by the shot ($1) or by the carafe ($8) but that is 1/2 price during happy hour. We tried pineapple (couldn't tell it was pineapple) and the pomegranate which was good. The also had mango, strawberry, coconut, lemongrass, and blood orange, though they did not have all the flavors availible. We decided to stick to the sushi this trip and ordered a california, dragon, and rainbow roll.
Lao Thai ****(Revisited)
I went back to Lao Thai again and managed to get a picture of the food before we gobbled it up. I just had the side dish of Veggie Soup and Egg Roll. This is a picture of the Red Thai Curry with pork. This is the lunch portion combo that is also accompanied by a smaller portion of the soup and and egg roll. It is a fragrant mix of Red Thai curry, coconut milk and lime. Thin sliced pork and assorted vegetables round out the dish, but the star is the broth.
This is the "side dish" portion of the soup and egg roll! $3!
One thing I love about Thai food and Vietnamese food for that matter is that you can make it your own. This is a picture of the wonderful assortment of different chili sauces. There is a chili dry spice mixture, red chili sambal type sauce, fish sauce base with fresh sliced chili peppers, and a deep smokey chili sludge. They are all great and add a little kick to any dish. It needs mentioning again that this is the cleanest restaurants I've ever been to. Go and make sure this restaurant sticks around!
Yard House ****
Yard House is one of my "go to's". The thing I love most is the Ahi Tuna Poke Stack. It has chunks of ahi tuna, julienned carrots and sprouts, thick slices of avocado, soy/wasabi sauce, crispy wanton chips, and topped with radish sprouts and pickled ginger. This is an appetizer at Yard House, but for me its a meal. They have happy hour from 3-6pm and 10pm-close which means 1/2 off this baby! They have many other appetizers that are discounted during happy hour, as well as drink specials. This is one of my favorite meals in town. I go back again and again. Not just for the affordability but the abundance. I was starving when I arrived and very full when I left. This dish was all I had. I must give credit to the slidders as well. We had them the last few times and they were great. I almost don't want to brag on a chain restaurant but the shear fact that they are consistent is a testament to some great policy and procedure. Its not great once and then never again. Its good every time. So this place gets my foodie nod.
Crust *****
Yes, I actually gave Crust 5 *s! I don't want to gush, but this is my favorite pizza place in town and dare I say...better than Pizzaria Bianco. I have tried a few dishes and a couple pizzas. My personal favorite is the Uncle Louis. It is a 20" pizza and its great for 2 people...or 1 women and 1 big eater. The greatest thing about this pizza is that they bake 1/2 at a time. They bring out the first half and when you are almost finished they will bring out the 2nd half so each piece is hot and fresh. It is the most genius idea when it comes to pizza. The best thing about pizza is those first couple bites and with Crust you get to have that experience twice in one meal! The crust is nice, nothing fancy just good crust. The sausage and pepperoni is sliced thin and the real buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil just gives it that out of the garden taste. It is thin and hot and delicious. The service has always been good and attentive. They actually have great bussers too. One time we were there we even sat next to Kurt Warner and his wife. Crust has happy hour and another location. The info is on my Scottsdale happy hour page. Definitely support this local gem.
Crust is a great cozy, neighborhood place. Wonderful food, good service and a nice ambiance. They even put a bowl of lollipops in the bathroom, the kind they used to give you at the bank long ago. The other nice thing is the bathrooms are clean. One thing you can bet with a restaurant, if the bathrooms aren't clean, the kitchen isn't clean. This comes from someone who has been in the front and the back of the house. If a business doesn't care about every facet of the building, staff and food you don't want to eat there. They also have a gellato case so you can get your dessert fix. Crust is really a hidden treasure in Scottsdale.
Lao Thai ****
This is a restaurant I have been to several times. Its always fresh, fast and healthy. The food is never over cooked and they have great curries. Something really struck me this time though...it is literally the cleanest restaurant I've ever ate at or even worked in! From what I could see into the kitchen, that looked emulate too. Credit where credit is due, they really deserve an award for that! Even the bathrooms are squeaky clean.
We went there starving after just hiking Camelback mountain and it seemed the perfect healthy lunch after something like that. I had the lunch special for $7.95 that comes with soup, spring roll, and rice. I choose garden delight with chicken. Rob had the red curry with pork. I would show you the pictures but well, you'll see.
Here's the veggie tofu soup and spring roll.
A nice Thai beer with a great name. Hee hee.
I had really good intentions of taking this picture before I devoured this meal, but it was so hot and fresh that all I had on my mind was digging in. My most humble apologies. Please try this place because it has been great every time we have gone.
The Lodge **
Now to be fair, we only had one thing at the Lodge. The nachos. It was decent bar food. The cheese had a strange color and consistency to it. The toppings were plentiful but nothing very stand out.
The Daily Dose ***
This particular review was on their happy hour. 1/2 off bottles of select wines.
This French Chardonnay was actually really good for the price range.
This was the House Salad. It was not a very good combination. The avocado and croutons were too heavy handed for the baby field greens. The Mexican combo shredded cheese was kind of lame. We ate it anyway for the sake of being a little healthy.
This was their idea of calamari. I think it sat in the window a little too long. It was chewy, rubbery, and dry. The chipotle aioli was an interesting pairing but not very good.
Portobella Mushroom and Brie Fondue
Good in theory. It was pretty tasty, just like Campbells' Cream of Mushroom Soup but Brie Fondue it was not.
Flatbread Pizza
This came with the house salad. It was alright. The side of marinara tasted like ketsup. It was nice to have the side of Parmesan cheese. I don't know what its for but I had it by its self as a snack. It was a good deal if you wanted a light lunch or something.
Overall when I go again, and I will because I have had very good food there, I would try other HH offerings. The turkey burger has always been good. The also have the longest HH in Scottsdale 4-8pm and the selection is large.
