Please excuse the lapse in writing, as I’ve spent the last couple of weeks traveling. This was my first trip to Scottsdale, and I am in Las Vegas fairly often. Other than seeing some great sights (the Sonoran Desert, Taliesin West, Sedona), I consumed a lot of food during those days, and I thought it might be interesting to write about a few of my favorite spots. Here is a short list, and if you just happen to find yourself in the desert with nowhere to eat, I would recommend trying any of these.

- Scottsdale, Arizona -

Greene House
A beautiful display of modern, Craftsman architecture, the design and layout of this restaurant are worth checking out for that reason alone. It’s located at Kierland Commons, which is sort of an outdoor mall (similar, but less congested than the Grove, here in Los Angeles). The restaurant is affiliated with Fox Restaurant Concepts, which operates several restaurants in Arizona, though this is off-putting, because so far, there is only one Greene House, and it is hardly chain-like. The menu is straight forward and seasonally market driven, cuisine that fits well to the simple environment. The wine menu is entirely Californian, with a wide range of by the glass selections. From this summer’s menu, the ice cold organic watermelon and tomato salad, with feta, olive oil and mint was a perfect appetizer, and I can also highly recommend the goat cheese ravioli, with fresh white corn, as well as the cleanly prepared chicken under a brick. The space isn’t huge, so it isn’t necessarily a quiet place, though the service was prompt and professional, and the food made up for anything lacked.

Zinc Bistro
Maybe it was just my mood, but despite its newness, location, and pre-conceived notions, this feels surprisingly close to the real thing in Paris. Though the outside surroundings (Kierland Commons/Arizona!) are not conducive to the atmosphere, once you walk through the door, it is like another world. The menu has both authentic and creative options, and the wine list is bistro appropriate. An order of their take on classic frites, with marjoram, paprika and fleur de sel is a great starter. The main dish I tried, “tomato-potato”, a handmade tortellini with baby squash blossom, fontina and potato mousseline, was unusually executed, but the flavor was fantastic. Yes, finish with the crème brûlée.

Arcadia Farms
This restaurant is arranged like a house, and there are several rooms and an expansive back patio. Though it seems to mainly cater to the “ladies who lunch” crowd, the atmosphere is relaxing and not as hectic as you might expect. The food was fresh, the produce perfect, and the broad menu makes it hard to choose. The generous Greek salad, served with hummus and pita chips, was faultless and filling, and the potato salad, a risky choice at a restaurant you haven’t tried, was delicious. They have several desserts, but if cupcakes are your thing, theirs are piled with marshmallowey icing, and one goes a long way. Arcadia Farms also has outposts at the Heard Museum and Phoenix Art Museum.

Crescent Moon (Four Seasons at Troon North)
The Four Seasons is currently undergoing some renovations and this has forced their resident high-end restaurant, Acacia, to temporarily close. This means that Crescent Moon has sort of taken over the duty of its own menu combined with an abbreviated menu from Acacia. I have to admit this seems a little awkward for dinner, as this is the time when they most try to cover for Acacia. The menu is strangely balanced, and there is a weird mix of casual and higher end dishes. The restaurant is meant to be casual, and the idea of changing its profile in the evenings just doesn’t work as smoothly as it should. With this said, breakfast and lunch are fantastic. It is a pleasant place to sit back and enjoy a simple (and affordable) breakfast, or one of the lunch options, that seem more suited to the space. It also makes all the difference that the Four Seasons/Crescent Moon are located a few minutes out of town, at the base of Pinnacle Peak. The natural desert surroundings, and lack of bustle make this a really relaxing destination.

- Las Vegas, Nevada -

Bartolotta (Wynn Las Vegas)
Though Paul Bartolotta’s restaurant in the Wynn is a fish restaurant, fish which is flown in from the Mediterranean on a near daily basis, seafood is not the only option. Upon request, the appetizer pastas can be sized as entrees, a perfect fit with one of their delicious salads. Both the “maccheroni alla chitarra con pomodoro e basilico”, hand rolled spaghetti with tomato and basil, and the “ravioli di ricotta con caciotta Toscano”, sheeps milk ricotta ravioli with Tuscan Pecorino cheese and Marsala wine glaze, were fantastic choices. If you do order fish, it is served family style and filleted and plated on a side cart by your table, an interesting experience if you are a seafood lover and in the mood to splurge.

Bouchon (Venezia Tower at Venetian)
Going to Las Vegas without having at least one meal at Bouchon is like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower (or for that matter, going to Las Vegas and not seeing the Eiffel Tower). You may have heard the hype, and in my opinion, it’s justified. I have been several times, and on the very rare occasion that something was less than perfect, it was promptly corrected. The food is classic, and once you have something at Bouchon, you find yourself comparing similar dishes at other restaurants to that at Bouchon. The servers are professional and serious; it doesn’t feel like actors pretending to be fancy waiters. A lot of Las Vegas restaurants feel like a stage of props, but Bouchon feels like a real established restaurant with authenticity in mind, not forgetting the origin of its name (traditional Lyonnais bistros), on a Las Vegas scale. Its elegant, but still easy going and accessible.

Medici Café (Ritz Carlton Lake Las Vegas)
Many people visiting Las Vegas have no idea that just about 30 minutes from the strip, there is a lake, not Lake Mead, but Lake Las Vegas. Yes, its man made and developed, but if you’re staying in town for a few days, it’s worth a trip just to see, or if you want to do Las Vegas without the typical atmosphere, it is a great place to stay. The Ritz Carlton is located right on the water at Lake Las Vegas, and their Medici Café is the perfect place for a casual, calming, far from Vegas feeling breakfast. The options are generally simple but delicious; my favorite is the asparagus and mushroom frittata with Boursin cheese, roasted tomatoes and arugula. The service is personal and on time, and on weekend mornings, there is the option of a well stocked breakfast buffet that includes an omelet station. Medici is also open for lunch, and changes into an even more sophisticated place for dinner. If you want a view of the lake, Firenze Lobby Lounge, also in the Ritz, offers a Florentine tea service with traditional and specialty fare on weekends.