Avalon

My husband and I had dinner at the Avalon last night, it was horrible. The bartender was very unprofessionally dressed (wearing spandex when she should not). The waiter was on his first shift was friendly but the food was horrible. Their selection of wine was the worst I’ve ever seen. The décor was cool but they have a very long way to go. It was so bad we told the couple behind us to have a snack and go somewhere else.
If I could pick no stars that is what I would have chosen.

Horrible!
We had an 830 reservation on a Saturday night. We arrived at 820 n were told it would be about 20min.
At 845 I asked the hostess how much longer it would be and was told another 15 min.
I asked her why and she replied that they only had 3 servers and no busboy.
My gf and I had been waiting patiently but how can u be so short staffed on a Saturday night during Arizona restaurant week???
The couple next to us had been waiting since 8 for their table and were finally seated at 850!
We left and headed to Roaring Fork and a GREAT meal and friendly service!!!

A beautiful, sexy little place. I can’t believe this little restaurant across from a Fry’s shopping center looks like this.
The food is decent but you can tell they try to be creative with it. They were a bit understaffed the two times we did go there.
My only issue is that we were given a dining credit from our hotel and the waiter tried to tell us it was only good for $ 20.00 even though it was worth much more, I felt like I was in a bait and switch and had to go back and forth with him before he finally brought the chef (and owner I’m assuming), out to adjust it.
I would go back again, just without any credits.

I loved the presentation of the food here. The look of every meal was perfect. Unfortunately, the flavors were a letdown. My husband and I came here for our «date night» with a Groupon and open minds on a Monday. The waiter was very knowledgeable and kind. We ordered some crab cakes as our starter and the husband mentioned how interested he was in the lobster bisque, but wasn’t keen on getting a whole bowl’s worth. The waiter smiled and came back later with the crab cakes and two espresso cups of the bisque! Husband was thrilled. The crab cakes were lovely, yet dry and lacked in flavor. The bisque, however, was so very tasty! It made us forget about the oddly flavored butter that came with the grainy bread, which I (don’t judge me!) dipped in the tiny cup for the final drops of the bisque.
When it came to the actual meal, I’m a little on edge about it, but only because of a mix up. I ordered the special of some sort of seafood bowl (shrimp, clams, sausage, scallops, etc. in a red sauce) made because it was Chef Brandon’s birthday. What they brought me out was some sort of marinated pork dish on what appeared to be potato pilaf. It was REALLY good, but it wasn’t what I wanted. The waiter was very apologetic and blamed a «new button» on their screens for the mix up. Later, he brought out my true meal, but I had had a few bites of the pork dish and wasn’t as hungry as I should have been for it. :(I ended up eating as much as I could, despite the seafood (especially the scallops) being a overcooked. It was okay. At least I got to take home the leftovers from the pork dish.
Overall the meal was okay, but very underwhelming. And I don’t know what happened, but when we got our bill, it showed everything we ordered, so we gave him our card and reminded him of the Groupon. Then when he put the balance on our card, it showed not only what we’d ordered but also the pork dish. It was a mess trying to get everything handled properly so we weren’t charged an extra $ 50, then the extra $ 25. Probably won’t be heading back.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooo!
Not another beauty and no brains personality. Those completely disgust me! But alas, it’s true. So true, I’m not sure anyone can hype this enough for me to try it again.
People said it was fantastic. The menu looked amazing. I had decided it was dessert for lunch day. And I was anticipating the banana bread pudding and doing all I could not to think about it until lunch time arrived.
Let me tell you this place has all the beauty. The décor and feel is sexy and sophisticated. The end.
Upon arriving some of the items we anticipated were not available, including the wine I wanted and the dessert I had chosen as sacrifice for Friday lunch.
To be quite honest, I don’t even remember what I had, just that it was a terrible salad that is easy to forget. What I do remember though, is our food taking forever to arrive, dirty silverware, a haphazard server, the wrong dessert being served when we did order some to share, no banana bread pudding and a french onion soup that looked like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for three days before it was served.
At least there was an entertaining table of hungover college teenie boppers to entertain us. That and most of it was covered with a groupon.

Have eaten here for dinner, decided to try their brunch. Again, I love the décor: clean lines, crisp, contemporary. Brunch menu looked creative and promising. I ordered the egg sliders, my man got the blueberry pancakes and we shared the fruit side dish. The food was delicious and the coffee divine.
The consistently weird thing about this place is the lack of staff… it’s eerie. The host is also the waiter, and also the bartender. The food took a little long, for breakfast sake-​and considering we were the 2^nd couple in there that morning. However, he was very attentive with refilling our coffee and water-​a big plus in my book.

I’m giving this place 1 stars based on my experience only, not our overall experience.
My husband and I made a reservation for Avalon while vacationing in Scottsdale. I had picked up a groupon earlier in the month, anticipating our upcoming trip.
This was our «second» try at dinner for the evening and if you follow my reviews, it’s obvious that I certainly give credit when it is due.
Arrived at Avalon and thought… looks like a cool place, host was nice (was also the bartender and waiter). He seated us outside, as we requested, and immediately brought us a wine list. I am quite picky about my wine, so I had a few questions regarding the list. He was very nice and accommodating.
After choosing our wine, we ordered. I ordered a salad (maybe arugula) (and my husband ordered a soup (lobster bisq (I think). Soup and salad was fine… nothing out of the ordinary. For an entrée, I ordered the Snapper and my husband ordered the Filet.
Our entrees were served and my husband’s was so over cooked. He usually doesn’t say anything or send anything back, but he said it was terrible. My snapper was ok, but a bit overcooked as well. It wasn’t flaky, but was a bit tough.
When we spoke to our server regarding my husband’s meal, he was a bit aloof (as compared to his super friendly attitude initially). My husband told him that the filet was completely over cooked and he offered an alternative. At this point, I was partially done (I’m a fast eater), but I convinced my husband to get something else. He ordered the pork and in the meantime, a soup was brought which was a very nice gesture, but kind of funny bc my husband had a soup initially.
Well the pork was brought out and it was completely raw in the middle, not pink, but raw. I know they were trying to hurry to get something out, but this obviously, didn’t work.
I would guess this place will be out of biz in 6 months, if not sooner. Don’t waste your time or money.

I should have written a review of Avalon a long time ago as we’ve been going for more than a year. If I had written it with my original experiences I would have found a way to give it 6 stars. Now not so much.
Some things haven’t changed. I still like the fun modern décor. The waitstaff are still super friendly and helpful.
The problem is the food. With the previous chef the food was beyond fantastic. My fiancée and I loved it. He is a seriously picky eater and he would even eat the carrots that came with his favorite pan roasted chicken dish. Carrots! You have no idea how hard it is to get him to even look at his vegetables. I loved everything. The Duck, duck goose and the buttered lobster were personal favorites. We were wowed every time.
Then they changed chefs. Don’t get me wrong the food is still good. However, it is no longer OMG My mouth is in love! The food is just decent restaurant good. The portions also seem to be somewhat smaller than they used to be. The desserts were now kind of disappointing.
I probably won’t be going back not because there is anything really wrong with the place but just because it’s disappointing that it is no longer so phenomenally awesome.
I need to find out where the previous chef went and start going to wherever he works now.

had a deal chicken coupon for avalon. used it on v-​day (i know… but with 3 mortgages, pennies have to be pinched even if it’s v-​day).
we both loved the décor… modern AND retro.
me: portabello mushroom app, lobster bisque, scallops
she: shrimp app, i forget the rest of her meal
i loved mine. the bisque was rich and creamy and the scallops barely seared… soft and juicy and tasty. i really did like my girls dishes, but i was so impressed with mine, it’s all i remember. give me a day or two and i’ll remember. a bit pricey for us, but with the coupon, dinner and a glass of wine for 2 came to just over 80 bucks (with tip).
speaking of tip, we weren’t all that impressed with our waiter. a bit (slightly) inattentive and seemed preoccupied. and it was chilly in there. wish they would turn up the heat when it’s cold out.
overall, very good food and excellent décor (the background music was pretty good too… down tempo grooves). i looked up their brunch menu and it looks fabulous… can’t wait to check that out too!

Went here tonight with the BF for early Hallmark day and we had a living social so that worked out. The place has a lack of good signage and by the time we saw the sign, we had passed the only entrance to this place. Anyways, so we we got inside and the place looks nice, but is really dimly lit. Like really really dark. The furniture and whatnot looks modern though, and I liked the feel of the restaurant (wish there was a little more light though). We started with the pork belly. This was the best thing we had here. Oooo it was sooo good. Now, it was pork belly, so it’s hard to mess it up, but this was especially good. I just wish it were bigger. They also gave us a small loaf of warm bread with butter, balsamic, and some pesto –y stuff that kind of tasted like parsley. The butter was good, the parsley pesto was kind of weird. For dinner I had the chicken and the BF had the short rib (oh, like other reviewers said, the menu online is not the same menu that they actually have… sad for the BF who really wanted bacon wrapped pork tenderloin). The chicken was meh. It was a big portion, but the chicken was on the bone (I prefer off the bone… easier to cut and whatnot) and it was kind of dry. The sauce was nothing special. It came with mashed potatoes which were ok and some greens that tasted like… parsley. The short ribs were fine, again short ribs are something that pretty much have to be pretty good due to their overwhelming fat content, but the sauce that they were braised in was kind of weird and tasted like… parsley. This restaurant really likes parsley… a lot. Maybe it was on sale or something this week, but man… kind of weird. The short ribs came with some really good polenta… I usually don’t like polenta, but this was really good… extremely creamy. Anyway, so we were really hoping to get dessert being hallmark day and all, but when the time came, we found that the dessert menu on their website is also not the real menu. The one on the website has like 6 choices, but there were only two choices tonight: A brownie and Beignets. Neither sounded all that awesome… who wants donuts or brownies from a nice restaurant? I wanted the chocolate overload… but nope. So we skipped dessert *tear*
Overall this place wasn’t bad, but if I hadn’t had the living social deal, I would have felt ripped off.

The vibe of this place sticks out like a very modern, stylish thumb. There are very few places in the Valley that could comfortably house this urban vision and South Scottsdale is definitely not one of them. Strange location aside, it was a great time.
Highlights:
— Very attentive and friendly staff
— Perfectly executed design and interior
— Varied menu that offers something for most diners.
— Incredible Corn Chowder and Lobster Bisque.
— Very inventive polenta
The prices are on the high end for what you get but the atmosphere compensates for the difference. Also, don’t go off the menu online. You’ll encounter a different one at the restaurant.

Avalon, though it has the potential, failed to live up to expectations. It’s sad to see a fine chef undermined by a poor front-​of-​house operation, but that’s what happened to us tonight. The food and the atmosphere were first rate, but everything else dragged the experience down.
Things started off poorly when Open Table wasn’t able to make a reservation for a party of six though there were plenty of openings when I called. The service, though courteous, was unbearably slow despite a nearly empty house on a Tuesday night. Requested items such as a dessert menu weren’t brought to us. No bread was brought to the table till we requested it after entrees were served. The coffee was cold the first time around. I’m aware that in some circles it’s considered proper for a check to be presented only after it is requested, but it took 20 minutes to get a server’s attention to request it. The restroom was out of towels. For this they didn’t deserve the 20% tip which was automatically added to our bill.
Nevertheless, the food was first rate. Be warned that for better or worse the menu may bear no resemblance to the one on their web site. We enjoyed a bottle of Red Dirt Red wine. All the salads were great, though the promised goat cheese had to be substituted due to a shortage. The crab cake was unique and wonderful. The rack of lamb was wonderful, if small. The couscous was delightfully flavorful. The short rib was perfect. The barramundi was a pleasant surprise. Regrettably, the only dessert we tried was the brownie with roasted marshmallow which was merely ordinary, with no hint of mint in the mint chip ice cream.
Our experience says it’s a good, though expensive, place for a quality meal, but too risky to bring guests.

I just wanted to share with you what a great experience my boyfriend and I had on Friday night at Avalon. It was our first time going there and we had high hopes based on rave reviews and boy, were we not disappointed!
The décor and mood makes you feel as though you are in NYC or Chicago, not South Old Town. Also, service was very efficient and friendly. Our server was a friendly redhead who chatted quite a bit with us and recommended her favorites on the menu which I always appreciate when I’m a first timer.
We had a bottle of Riesling and the scallop appetizer to start. Both were amazing. I ordered the butterfish and he had the duck breast. Again, AMAZING. I loved the butterfish, but man, that duck breast was out of this world!!! I kept trying to steal bites of the duck breast from my boyfriend. We also loved the bread with the pesto and balsamic butter that they give you as a complimentary starter. Delish.
The band they had playing, Smooth Grooves, was unbelievable. I am normally not a sap but the singer made me shed a few tears during a couple songs. (She played «At Last» — gets me every time!) Her voice was beautiful. (I wasn’t the only guest that had that experience… a couple other women at other tables were weepy as well!) We finished up our dinner and went onto the patio to listen. Several other tables did the same. Everyone was raving about the band. The band was very fun and interactive, chatting with us and smiling as they crooned tunes like the Isley Brothers and some other familiar tunes.
Overall, awesome experience and I can’t wait to come back again with friends who haven’t gotten to try Avalon out yet.
Thanks again and compliments to you and your staff!

The décor is simple modern, not pretentious but very nice. Service was attentive and friendly. I found the tortilla soup to be absolutely excellent, and others in my party said the same about the Ricotta Dumplings. I had the Truffle Glazed Top Sirloin with Bleu Cheese Potato Gratin. Unfortunately my steak was quite over-​cooked (I ordered rare, got medium or more). I didn’t address this issue with them, as I hate waiting for something to be done over again. The others who ordered their steak medium got what they wanted. Disappointing but not awful. The sauce was excellent as were the potatoes, with a good, strong cheese bite. The Crème Brule was very good, and while not the best I’ve had, it’s near the top.
There is a reasonable wine selection and they did a good job on my martini.

I went to @avalonscttsdle with @PHXtastecasting.
We were served a tasting menu, courtesy of Chef Charles Stotts.
We started with an ahi with ponzu. It was amazing, and had a wonderfully distinct sesame flavor!
We also had carpaccio, very soft and tender.
Next up, three soups; Lobster Bisque, Bacon Vichyssoise, and Creamy Tomato
The bisque was velvety smooth, powerful, but with a subtle lobster essence. Creamy, warm, and delicious!
The vichyssoise had a hint of bacon, very creamy and smooth. A perfect cold-​day soup!
The tomato soup. I’m not a tomato soup fan, but I would spend my last few dollars for this soup. Slightly peppery, but not too bold, great consistency. With grilled cheese, you’d never need anything else!
Next up were the entrees and sides.
Polenta; subtle flavor, creamy texture.
Pork; bacon wrapped, served with apple sauce. Reminded me of the leaves changing color.
Bone marrow bread pudding; let me just say, I would kill for this. I don’t mean that abstractly. I would murder you for yours if you had some. Twice. It’s that good. It is the epitome of comfort food.
Lobster tails; eh. Kinda tough, but good flavor.
Ricotta gnocchi; nice flavor, perfect consistency.
New York Strip; perfect temperature and color, really good flavor. It would be a crime to put any kind of sauce or seasoning on this steak.
Spinach; delicious!
Dessert was a red velvet cheesecake ensemble;
2 oz scoop of cheesecake on a medallion of red velvet cake, with a cream cheese frosting.
SOOOO GOOOOD!!!
Avalon was a great time. Nice décor, good lighting, but they lose a star because I didn’t like the way there were nothing but extremely high-​end cars parked right in front by the door.
I may return, but the cost dictates it won’t be soon, or often.

I invited my darling man here for a night out, having read the excellent reviews, and hoping for a new culinary adventure.
I hear the name Avalon, and I think of two things: Merlin. And Frankie Avalon. Ancient wizard and former teen idol from the 50s. The décor has that same magical yet contemporary feel. White twisting branches that snake up the walls, illuminated by the soft pink glow of lights in the wall. Clean contemporary furnishings, combined with wood and tiles. Black chandeliers line the banquette bar and entry. A family style table sits at the center of the restaurant, surrounded by retro beaded curtains.
We snuggled up comfortably in a corner booth, and immediatey we were greeted by our friendly server. She was very knowledgeable about the menu items, and was patient and friendly in helping us make our decisions.
The menu was the standard contemporary American cuisine, dreamed up by chef Travis Watson — who has been a driving force behind Fox Restaurant concepts (Bloom, Olive and Ivy, North, Greene House…)
One thing I absolutely had to try was the Lobster bisque, which was not on the menu but is «always available.» I love bisque, I love lobster bisque, and this was certainly a deliciously creamy way to begin the meal. Downsides to this: delivered in a coffee cup and saucer, with a creamy froth on top — I thought I was getting a cappuccino, not bisque. The consistency was much too thin for a bisque, I prefer the recipes that actually have a little texture.
This was followed with a dreamy loaf of warm, supple, sourdough bread paired with a delectable cranberry herb butter — which is served to all patrons. I loved the flavor combination of sour and sweet, the bread was gone within minutes.
I decided to splurge on this visit and order the grilled prime filet mignon. The selling point was the savory foie gras that came as a garnish on the perfectly prepared meat, paired with glazed root vegetables that did not overstuff my already aching belly.
Overall impression: Ambiance is sultry, sexy, and hip. The menu items are classic coastal american cuisine, prepared with love and inventive ingredients — but I could have enjoyed more drama. Servings are ideal for one person. Expect to spend at least $ 100 for a meal for two. If dining on the cheap, try them for happy hour when you can sample Shrimp and roasted garlic fondue for $ 7, or the polenta stuffed jumbo prawns for $ 8.
Sample listing of appetizers ranging from $ 10-​$ 12:
Warm brie in pastry, crispy calamri frittes, house made maine lobster ravioli
Sample salads and soups ranging from $ 8-​$ 12:
French sweet onion soup, avalon ceasar salad, grilled flat iron steak salad
Sample Entrees from $ 19-​$ 34:
Shephard’s pie, Colorado lamb osso bucco, bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, butter poached maine lobster

HOT.
All I can say is, my obsessions with duck fat (Bourbon Steak) and pork belly (The Mission) might be over. They’ve now been trumped by Avalons use of Porcini Foam and «Dust» atop of the lobster bisque. By far, hands down, best lobster bisque EVER. And I now have new obsessions… foam and «dust».
Handmade Lobster Ravioli, Beet and Fig Salad, Poached Lobster with Ricotta Gnocchi… it was all fantastic and fresh.
We tried two desserts, both AMAZING and choc full of flavor — banana bread pudding and apple tart.
I’ve been to a lot of new (and old) restaurants this year, and Avalon definitely has my attention!!!

Holyyyyyyyyyy cow.
This place knocked my socks off.
Started with the brie baked in bread with a balsamic reduction glaze… OMG
Went onto the lobster porcini soup… I would rather drink this than water everyday.
For an entrée I had the butter poached lobster and ricotta gnocchi entrée. SO GOOD!
The table bread and butter… (it’s rosemary cranberry herb butter)… mmmmmmmm
The chocolate decadence dessert, great.
Service, fantastic.
Décor, awesome.
I love this place, and would highly recommend it.
(btw, I went here with a $ 50
gc, worked beautifully)
YAY Avalon!

I enjoyed my visit to Avalon this weekend. The restaurant itself is beautiful Walking up you are greeted by a very unique spiral fountain. This place looked very trendy, but not like they were trying too hard. The staff here was friendly and we were seated right away on a Friday night, so that is always a plus. We started with a bottle of wine and an order of the calamari. I was slightly let down by the seasoning of the calamari. It needed a bit more salt. The sauce was very well done. I must say that the fresh baked bread here is pretty damn amazing. I really hate filling up on bread before dinner but I couldn’t help myself. It was crusty and yet soft inside. The cranberry/​rosemary butter was fantastic.
As for the main course, I ordered the lamb two ways. It came with rack of lamb and a lamb T bone. Both lambs were cooked perfectly and the green peppercorn demi was very fitting. I really enjoyed the goat cheese tart. I also sampled the scallop plate. They were seared perfectly, I just think the plate was a little small for an entrée dish.
We also order a side of the potato gratin with lardons. Both of us are huge bacon fans, and this dish was a let down. The potatoes were not cooked all the way through and we were searching for the lardons. However when we mentioned this to our server he quickly took care of it and it was removed from our bill.
This was a cute restaurant and I think that if you are in Scottsdale you should stop by.

HURRY. GET OVER TO THIS PLACE! AN ARCHITECTURAL CELEBRATION OF THE CIRCLE AND A WONDERFUL MINGLING OF AMERICAN CUISINE WITH MEDITERRANEAN STYLE. Great value in the Summer Prix Fix at $ 30 pp++.
THE INTRODUCTION
–hidden from the street (you have to know you’re going there), its entrance is a grand circular plaza swathed with inlaid stone and a fantastic layered fountain…
–perfect turning radius for a 15-​passenger limousine;
–entryway fit for royalty is framed with columns and features two gigantic entry doors in case you arrived in a servant-​borne carriage;
–once inside the atrium, the swank really kicks in…
–across another cavernous circular space, the host podium awaits you afront a fabulous white bead curtain;
–off left is the bar with plush paisley-​shaped seating (the yin-​and-​yang being the best way to split a circle);
–lighting and furniture design is a wonderful fusion of 50’s and contemporary.
BUT THE BEST PART: THE CUISINE
–great martini preparation; all it needs is a glassware upgrade…
–speaking of, server coyly replaced ours when he noticed it was spotty — kudos, man!
–fabulous Sacred Stone cab had someone Googling for the winery’s contact info.
–fried calamari over cantaloupe butter, garnished with cantaloupe caviar.
–pan roasted free-​range chicken breast is soft pillowy perfection
–salmon was a bit firm for my taste, but the orzo was excellent
–aged prime rib eye with fingerling potato pancetta hash just the right blend of flavors, a tasty reduction accompanies and ascended several levels of heaven with the Sacred Stone.
BUT…
–dessert was a disappointment. crème brûlée was uninspired and the «freshly baked cookies» were far from. No fruit anywhere.
Opened at the beginning of the Arizona summer (test-​your-​resolve-​and-​your-​bank-​account-​balance season for restaurants). Maybe they wanted several months to prepare for season. The garage-​doored wall will open to some fun outdoor seating once it cools down.
I really hope this one survives. Make your reservation today!