Any FChat meets planned? Other than Hertz Prestige, any good rentals near the airport?
They'll be gatherings of some sort, but I haven't heard of anything planned yet. As far as rentals go: http://www.exoticcarrentalsphoenix.com/index.html http://www.bhrentacar.com/ I have no experience with either, but don't worry about near the airport. The airport is in the center of the city and you can get anywhere in the Valley FAST. Except for 4-6PM.
We"ll be planning a meet at the Scottsdale Auto Salon www.scottsdaleautosalon.com (it's next to the auction at Westworld) in conjunction with the Scottsdale Exotic Car Club. Details to follow.
Hey Nicksta, I have used bh in cali, not sure if they are together with Budget now. The best I have found is an Audi Q7, A4 Cab or an INF M35. Nice avatar, I had more fun in the SST than anything else on 4 wheels
thanks for the info One week in a Hertz Q7 or M35 is about 6-800 dollars. Not bad as the mileage to the grand canyon will be up there. Your fleet is nice silver Conti is slick
Could someone provide a list of restaraunts in Scottsdale (no chains)? Is insider-scottsdale.com an updated website? I know a few: Trader Vic's Sanctuary Phoenician I just want to get a hit list together and review before the trip. Thanks in advance. Kevin S. Orchard Park, NY
Sapporo's is also excellent if you like Te pan food. The atmosphere there is killer. It's a meat market though.
Of course, this is all a matter of personal taste: Atlas Bistro is some of the best food in the valley. Its BYOB and inside the largest wine store in Phoenix - AZ Wine. http://www.azeats.com/atlasbistro/ Mosaic - http://www.azeats.com/mosaic/ Coup des Tartes - Another BYOB with fantastic food. Not Scottsdale, but just West of the the 51 - http://www.nicetartes.com/ Kai - A long haul from Scottsdale, but a great Southwest food experience and the Executive Chef (Michael O'Dowd) has the fastest Cadillac in the valley. http://www.wildhorsepassresort.com/dining-wild-horse-pass.html
Work is sending me out there on the 15th, do we have any other details on the meet Joe? I'd love to come check the place out.
Flame away if you care, but the BEST restaurant in the Greater Phoenix area is T. Cooks at the Royal Palm on Camelback. Marcellinos on Northern at 13th street is the best pasta in Phoenix and Tarbells at the South East corner of Camelback and 32nd is always a consistently good place for eclectic American fare. Delux on the opposite corner (North west) is by far and away the best burger and beer joint anywhere on the planet, and The G Spot (for Gelato), in the same parking lot, is the best way to end an evening out. Any of the Fox Group restaurants - Bloom, North, Greene House, Olive & Ivy - are excellent choices if food quality and service is important to you. Other than these personal favorites, there are literally thousands of places to eat and you should pick up a copy of the local free weekly newspaper, Phoenix New Times, for comprehensive lists of restaurants by type and location.
No flaming...but maybe a little ranting..... I'm still disappointed that in a metropolitan area of approximately 3 million, we don't have a single world-class restaurant on the order of Trotter's, Babo, French Laundry, etc. We have a few which are on the right path, including Kai, but none deliver truly phenomenal food and superb service. For those who wander as far south as Tucson, Janos is also another near miss. End of rant......
Mary Elaine's at the Phoenician when Alex Stratta was there was over the top. Now he is at the Wynn with Alex with a stop at Renior at The Mirage. I do agree, with all the Phoenix culture it is lacking world class restaurants. In Vegas we went from $5.99 steak and lobster to having a 3 Star Michelin within 15 years. The new Palazzo tower at the Venetian will have restaurants from Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck and Charlie Trotter (returing after being booted from the MGM Grand).
Agree completely on Delux and Fox Group spots, especially Green House and Bloom. Have you tried Vincents at 40th and Camelback?? Definitely waaaaaay up there (IMHO) with the likes of Trotter's and French Laundry.
Agreed, the food is excellent....in fact my wife and I were discussing Vincent's last week. The atmosphere and service is circa 1965.....sound in every respect, but a bit of a throwback. Off topic, one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco is La Folie run by a good friend of Vincent's. http://www.lafolie.com/
It's at Frank Lloyd Wright and Scottsdale Rd. A typical large chain's idea of what Italian food is. They should serve Pepcid AC with every entree. My taste for Italian food runs to family owned and operated establishments, of which there are many in the Valley, that are so much better than corporate kitchen food.
Maggianos is part of the Lettuce Entertain You Group. I'm not a fan, but it is good for large groups. La Fontonella is exceptional. I highly recommend it. It's located on Indian School and 42nd. My wife and I got engaged there 3 years ago.
Some of my favorite family owned Italian restaurants are: Marcellinos (Northern and 13th St), Veneto Trattoria for great Venetian cuisine, (in the Hilton Village Center on Scottsdale Road), La Locanda (Scottsdale and Gold Dust). Tomaso's (32nd and Camelback), Grazie for simply the best Pizza anywhere (Main St, just west of Goldwater, old Town Scottsdale). Lecabaffi at Hayden and Mountainview and Il Tiramisu, a real family business where mom & pop cook and their daughter runs the front, on Shea just east of Scottsdale. One chain that does a decent job is Pasta Pomodoro. We like the one at Tatum and Cactus I personally think that places like Bucca di Beppo, Maggianos, Olive Garden etc should come with a warning that their food is dangerous to your digestive tract.