Chestnut Lane

This restaurant closed on November 20, 2010

Born and raised in Scottsdale and I’ve always defaulted to LGO or Taylor’s Café for a good brunch spot, but Chestnut Lane has edged both of them!
I’ve been here for both breakfast and lunch many times and it’s always so good! The pancakes are fabulous, the salads are delicious and satisfying, and the drinks and pastries are soooo yummy.
If you don’t want anything too filling for breakfast, go for the Baked Oatmeal, it’s awesome!

The name sounds like it’s straight out of a book filled with a happy storyline, friendly characters and sunny days. And Chestnut Lane, the eatery, lives up to expectations. For the ultimate lady who lunches, this should be # 1 in her book.
I discovered this lunch spot awhile back and immediately made my way there to check it out. From day one, I was hooked and have visited several times. Chestnut Lane is small, quaint and every bit as charming as the house they call home. When I first walked in, I saw gorgeous fresh salads to the left, begging me to take them home. Fresh pastries, cookies and cupcakes lined the counter top and refreshing water made their home in reusable milk-​type jars in the refrigerator. The owner runs the shop and takes great care of the environment and the food they serve. From ladies who lunch, to professionals on the go… this spot is normally packed during lunch hour, so get there early.
My favorite dishes include: the lobster salad (worth every penny), the tuna meld, chopped salad and honey roasted chicken blt. It’s hard to escape without a bag of their delicious cookies or a mini cupcake. If it’s mini, that means zero calories right? :) For those looking for a healthier option, their fresh fruit is full of amazing berries, etc.
Hours: Better hurry and make it during store hours! Chestnut Lane is only open Tuesday-​Friday from 8 – 3 and Saturday from 8 – 1.

Went to have breakfast with mommy here. She ordered the Green Eggs and Ham and and Iced Chai Tea Latte. I chowed down on the fruit cup the entrée was served with. Mmmmm… kiwi, blueberries, strawberries and pineapple! Not the typical cantaloupe and honeydew melon. Mommy said her food was yummy, I tried to have some, but cured meat and undercooked eggs would have done a number on my tummy, according to mom.
They also have a tempting selection of baked goods like brownies, rugelach, and cakes. Mom refused to get me a chocolate chip cookie… boo :(
Mommy said she’d definitely take me back there!

I am always looking for a good «simple» breakfast place. No big menu, small little place, nice people. I think i may have found it. The poached eggs where cooked to perfection.

My wife thinks this is one of the «cutest» little places we go to. As a few people have mentioned this place is small and hours are limited, but trust me when I say it is worth stopping in. The atmosphere is very welcoming and the girls who work there are super nice. There is limited seating with two tables out front and then they have a small seating area inside (maybe 4 or 5 tables and a small tabletop area).
For food they have a good grilled cheese and their salads and daily specials are always changing and worth a look. The egg salad sandwich has a nice fresh flavor. They also have some great breakfast options. They will occasionally add in some seasonal items like pumpkin waffles (yum).
Being that they are also a bakery, as you would expect by the look of the desserts, they have amazing chocolate chip cookies. They are very simple — not too big in size, but big in flavor. They have the perfect balance of chewy and milky chocolate chips — get them especially if they have just come out of the oven.
Another thing I really like is that they serve my favorite tea, Revolution Tea (and it is made here in the Phx Valley).
The only negatives are the limited hours and the parking, but not a big deal to me. If there is not any seating, I get it to go as they have nice take out boxes and it does not compromise the taste like other take outs.

what a neat little place.
it certainly is small — to get to the washrooms you have to walk through the parking lot and follow signs to the back of another building — but it all adds to the character of this homey little cottage.
the menu is charming — breakfast, salads, sandwiches, soup, sweet stuff — all done with an emphasis on small batch, local, organic, sustainable ingredients. (the green eggs & ham is delightful!)
i really love good coffee and unfortunately the iced latte i had here could not compete with the other coffeehouses in central phoenix. oh and then there’s the fact that they aren’t open on sundays :(

I hope this place can stay a secret a little bit longer…
The interiors are very charming and not at all stuffy. The staff was very helpful and even offered tastings on some of the items we were curious about. I ordered the duo, a half chicken salad sandwich and kale salad. The kale salad was amazing. The sandwich was pretty good, but nothing special about the flavors. It’s a small place that seats about 20 people max between a handful of small tables and a small counter near the entry. We found two seats at the little marble countertop. It is mostly a ‘ladies lunch’ place, but I did see a few gentleman enjoying it too. I plan to go back for breakfast and sample the muffins and pecan bars. They also sell local items too, like whole Cartel Coffee and some salt water taffy. This is a great little gem and a refreshing addition to the neighborhood, that is why it gets 5 stars!
Parking can be a bear since it is only a few and spread out over the development. I was lucky to find a spot in the back alley.
Check out Camelback Flowers next door to round out your girlie lunch!

I really do love this place… but it can be slightly annoying… the perfect case of a Love Hate relationship… let’s get the Hate portion out of the way first.
It’s tiny and cute… but that makes it hard to guarantee seating, let alone parking.
The hours are few… they are justified, being a Breakfast/​Lunch/​Bakery shoppe and all… But the slight irritation here is that I think it would be the PERFECT place for a girly Sunday brunch, but it’s only open Weekdays and Saturdays.
Service is a bit, well, wonky. It’s counter service, so you put your order in and then it’s served to you… but they are very attentive to people on the run… which is great, but I prefer the adage first come, first serve. When you’re the customer at the front and the cashier says to another customer in line «Are you in a hurry? – I’m very aware of people’s time – what can I get you?» It could make the first customer feel less tended to. Overall, it’s all in good nature, but sometimes you mean well and the results don’t always go over well. Once you’re order is up, they call your name out for pick up or eventually serve it to you at your table.
Lastly, the mini meringues and cupcakes and cookies that line the dining area window just waiting for you to snatch them is QUITE a tease for customers, making them wrestle with the idea of being bad and performing an act of shoplifting in the name of food. It’s like the apple… or was it a pomegranate that tempted Eve into sin.
Now for the Love: It’s the food that always brings me back. Three items in particular make it hard for me to order anything else: The Lobster Cobb Salad coupled with their Blackberry Lemonade and the Maple Oat Scone as a dessert chaser or a to go snack experience to be savored later. No explanation but trying them for yourself is needed.
The last time I went a special, for the first time, swayed me to order something else. That special was the Lemon Poppy seed Waffle with Blueberry compote… it was so yummy! Alone or dressed up and packed with flavors I have never tasted in any of the waffles I had before… I even delighted in the face that most of the squares were «holed»… I have never seen a waffle with holes before and I was quite smitten at the extra crispness it created (See pic).
Being true to my nature, I couldn’t ONLY eat something sweet for lunch… I needed something savory. Because I came after the lunch crowd, the Lobster Cobb Salad looked quite pillaged and the Farro Salad was just being put in the case… I decided to go with the freshest of the two and tried something new no. 2! But alas, while fresh and dressed with all my favorites atop of it (Snap Peas, Mushrooms, French Fried Onions), the Farro Salad fell bland. Far too subtle in dressing. I packed it up in hopes of flavoring it more for a leftover meal the next day.
After all of the above, I have learned to arrive early or late for better chances at seating and parking. I have learned to let the idea of first come first serve go. I have learned to put myself in staff’s/customer’s shoes. I have learned NOT to sit at the window right next to the mini baked goods that scream while delicately displayed: «Eat me.» All for the LOVE of Chestnut Lane’s AWESOME Salads and Baked Goods.

I tend to get into ruts with restaurants and LGO has been my «go to» spot for all meals for some time so I was happy to remember I wanted to try this little gem the other day when my friend and I wanted to get breakfast.
We waltzed right in on a Saturday mid morning and scored a table (there aren’t more than a ½ dozen tables) in this tiny establishment.
The place is friendly, warm and you begin salivating the moment you get a glimpse of the pastries and the salad case offerings.
We did breakfast but I will be back soon for lunch.
I had the perfect“green eggs and ham” two perfect poached eggs on top of a buttermilk toast with arugula and proscuitto with some sort of delicate pesto. I savored every bite.
My friend had the waffles-​a lemon poppyseed with a blueberry compote. I didn’t try but it looked amazing and by the ay she scarfed it down-​it must have been.
I love that the place uses locally grown/​produced food-​you can taste &see the freshness.
The young ladies sitting next to us were raving about the Kale salad and it looked amazing-​they even started a blog called «kale is my crack»
we wound up swapping kale recipes with the entire room.
There hours all limited-​closed mon & sun-​tues-​fri-​8am-​3pm
sat-​8am-​1pm

It’s been a struggle for me to eat lunch on Camelback where I work. There have been few options quick enough (or tolerable) for on the go, including making my own lunch the night before (not inspired after a long day of work), or not eating lunch at all. Then I found Chestnut Lane: Fine Foods and Provisions.
Entering the restaurant, I sensed a jubilant aroma – that’s one of the first things I do when I enter a place of eating: I try to catch a whiff of the place. I remember looking at the displays of home-​baked pastries, salads, and observing the staff prepare food freshly. What struck me most is its non-​hostile attitude towards food, that in the midst of Fox/​DeMarco restaurant-​empire building and chef-​star chains, there’s a glimmer of light that individuals such as Polly Levine and Chris Bianco bring to Arizona: honesty, humility, and deep-​rooted understanding that good food is simply technique and soulful sourcing.
The food at Chestnut Lane is free of impurity: the lobster cobb salad is drizzled in an excellent vinaigrette and tossed with generous heaps of lobster meat and crispy bacon; the sour cherry scones are lightly sugared, yet sweet and savory enough that you’ll be taking many with you on the go; the Icelandic-​style yogurt with roasted pears makes eating yogurt fun again; or try even the flute-​baguette encrusted with Parma ham or house-​smoked salmon. Most of all, it comes at a fair price – the ingredients at Chestnut Lane come from local farms (from real families) and small sources, cooked and prepared by people who care in a mom’s operation having no other ambition than to prepare food with love.
Everything in this beautiful establishment is healthful, unadulterated, and guilt-​free. A place like this is home-​grown, organic, and honest. A place like this makes you wish times were simpler, that all the while we import mass-​produced goods from China by the shiploads.

Adorable spot for lunch! Its totally a «ladies lunching» kind of spot. It feels like a smaller version of Arcadia Farms. Great food and generous portions. Its tiny so expect to wait for a table but the service is low-​key, the selections are great and the food is all super fresh.

I love this place because Phx is filled with too many chains. To find an original café, especially one this charming is amazing in this town. I fell in love with the doll house vibe and even more in love with the warm and friendly service. A great place for pastry and coffee or lunch. I recommend the oat scone, it just melts in your mouth.

I was in the area yesterday wondering what to have for lunch when I remembered that I wanted to try Chestnut Lane, my first trip here they were closed for vacation, so now was my chance.
The parking lot is home to many businesses so you will be lucky if you can find a spot, I had to park in the back alley.
I couldn’t even enter when I walked up to the door due to the large crowed of people who arrived before me.
This place is TINY but in the cutest homey kind of way.
Finally being able to creep into the doorway I eyed their salad case, which I have to say was the most visually stunning salad case I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Everything was so beautifully displayed and fresh looking. I knew I would have a hard time making up my mind.
The girl at the counter was very friendly and helpful, she even offered me a tasting of one of the new salads they just brought out to see if I liked it.
In the end I decided on the Chestnut Lane Chopped Salad (see pics) which was grilled natural chicken breast, corn, local tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, feta cheese, pumpkin seeds
and chopped greens tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette.
My initial thought was how small it seemed for $ 12 but once I started eating it I was really pleased, it was just Delicious!
Every bite was full of flavor without being too heavily dressed and it even filled me up, although my inner pig would have liked to eat twice as much!
If I ever had my own little café it would be a lot like this, I cant wait to return to try more!

Ya know, I really like this lil’ place. It’s super small and has atrocious parking, but it’s all worth it in the end.
I went here with a coworker recently and I’ll definitely be back. I had the brie and prosciutto on baguette which was long, skinny, and delicious accompanied with a blackberry lemonade. Perfect light lunch for a summer day.
There were so many items I was eyeing — especially some of those salads which are made fresh daily. They have a nice selection of treats and drinks too. The seating is scarce with a few counter seats, one larger table inside, and a few two-​persons outside. Come early or order to go. The prices are a little higher, but the quality is great and the ingredients are fresh — definitely worth the lunchtime splurge now and then.

Tried the corn chowder and it was divine. I especially loved the grated Vermont white cheddar on top!

Wow…
After reading the previous CL reviews and hearing from Joel L that he thinks I would like this place and that I must try it, I finally gave in. I wanted to see if I could really trust Joel’s opinion, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about!
I didn’t realize that Chestnut Lane was a tiny little spot, nor did I realize that it’s the type of place where you order at a counter and then sit down… I must note that they have limited seating. Luckily, my lunch companion and I met on the later side (1:30 on a Thursday), so we had no problem getting a table outside and luckily, it was in the shade.
We walked in and I was blown away by how fresh and delicious all of the salads looked in the case… I was torn between the old fashioned egg salad, lobster cobb, chestnut lane chopped, and asian chicken salad… and the farro looked amazing too. I went with the large version of the lobster cobb and was not disappointed. It consisted of fresh lobster mixed in with butter lettuce and just the right amount of avocado, tomato, bacon, hard boiled eggs, and a light lemon vinaigrette dressing. Served with a fresh baguette — it was the perfect lunch. If it were not so filling, i would’ve gone back in for a side of farro or one of their scrumptious but healthy sounding pastries.
My lunch companion had a turkey BLT sandwich on whole-​grain bread that was stuffed to the gills with turkey, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and mayo… it looked amazing and he ate the entire thing along with a cup of chicken noodle soup.
I am quite sure that I’ll be back again soon to experience some of the other organic goodness that CL has to offer. And kudos to Joel L for insisting that I would enjoy Chestnut Lane… I guess you can get to know someone pretty well from their Unilocal reviews!

oh kohnie’s coffee, i’m so glad you’ve finally gone out of business. i always hated you and your bad service, jerks who didn’t wash their hands after using the bathroom, and the annoyance that you’d somehow managed to stay in business for so long. i drive camelback road nearly daily, and i was pleasantly surprised to see you’d been replaced by a place called chestnut lane. i checked it out online and reviewed the menu before actually making it down there; a little pricey sounding for the food (up to $ 9.50 for a sandwich? just the sandwich?), but definitely the kind of lunch time yuppy gourmet style i enjoy.
anyways, i headed down there earlier today and ordered the chicken salad sandwich, tomato soup, and the blackberry lemonade iced tea. this totaled me around $ 20, which i found to be steep for lunch, but whatevs, i can deal. before ordering though, i asked if they took american express, which they said they didn’t, but when i informed them it was the only card i had on me, they said they’d make an exception. what? i thought companies either took it or they didn’t. strange. anyways, later i realized that they hadn’t made me sign anything for running my card, nor had they given me a receipt.
the interior of the store was quant and rather plain, which i enjoyed. there were salads and various bakery items displayed which i’d like to try at some time in the future as they all looked tasty.
my food was all good, but i wouldn’t say it was anything too outrageously amazing. i definitely prefer the food at other lunch spots like postino or bertha’s, but i’d eat here again.

Yum! I have been eating at Havana Café over the last couple of years and never thought to check out this little place. I actually never noticed it until recently (is it new?)
I got a chocolate cookie. It was fluffy and wonderful.
I saw almost everyone in there drinking a pink drink. I asked what it was, and the gal behind the counter told me it was blackberry lemonade… looked REALLY refreshing. I’ll have to try it next time.
I was impressed with their savory combinations, from the salads to the sweets. Next time I go, I hope they still have tangelo scones. They sound heavenly!

Chestnut Lane Fine Foods & Provisions (Next to Havana Café)
What a great little space, and what a great concept. I stopped in today since I drive by this tiny little «house» almost every day and was a bit curious. Much to my dismay, the place was just closing up.
I did not get to enjoy anything. yet, but I was able to speak with the owner for a few minutes. First of all… there was NOTHING left to eat… most everything was sold out… that says it all. I was told that the focus here is fresh, premium ingredients using organic and local businesses whenever possible. The menu includes Sandwiches, Salads, Home Made Soups and yummy looking sweets!
– update–
I tried the Corn Chowder soup today, SUPER fresh, creamy, delicious… served with fresh grated white cheddar and a nice sourdough roll … yummy…