Cafe Monarch

Friday, June 19, 2015

To celebrate our move to Arizona we decided to start hitting up the plethora of restaurant options there are in the area.

Cafe Monarch is located in Old Town Scottsdale and offers a set menu that changes every week. They post their menu online so you may take a glance over before you go.


We made our way to the charming outdoor courtyard. Now, the weather in Arizona has been extremely hot. I am talking 117 degrees hot. 

So when I told my husband that we were going to sit outside he looked at me sideways. But when we walked into the courtyard and were surrounded by lush vines, candlelight and the misting system in full force, all was well. 


We ordered our drinks and waited for our first of four courses. 

Talking about what all the uproar was about on social media regarding the Game of Thrones' finale. We picked the worst time to be without a TV.



There were two options for the first course so we each got something different. The deal was that we would each get a bite of the others. 

He ordered the tempura fried shrimp with green papaya salad. Once it was placed in front of him he looked at me and said "You can have some of my salad stuff...it's really good" as he continued to place the whole shrimp in his mouth.  The "salad stuff" was really good and it had a bit of a kick from the chili aioli. Unfortunately,I can't tell you much about the shrimp.  


I ordered the roasted summer squash soup. I was not originally planning on ordering this but since we made a "deal" I begrudgingly gave in. And thank goodness I did. 

You know the feeling when you take a taste of something so decadent; your shoulders relax, your head goes up, your eyes close, and you leave out the longest MMMMMMM. That was me with this soup. Sweet, savory, and a whole lot of goodness.  




The second course was a summer salad that made me rethink my strong dislike of red beets. My husband was also writing down the ingredients list so I could recreate it for him at home. 

Third course he chose the sweet corn crusted "Copper River" salmon with jasmine rice black lentil pilaf. This my friends is how salmon should be done. 



For me, carrot-yukon potato-ricotta gnocchi in a rich parmesan sauce with sautéed baby spinach, crispy black kale, toasted hazelnuts, and shaved Pecorino. I am a lover of gnocchi and this dish surpassed any that I have ever had. 


Raspberry cheesecake or peach crepe foster? Can't decide take both and split.



Cafe Monarch is a must if you are ever in the Scottsdale area. Every dish was better than the last and the ambiance just makes it all the more special. I couldn't think of a better place to celebrate a special occasion. 

If only I could say the same thing about the Game of Thrones finale. At the end, my hands went up and I was like WTF!!?!?

3 comments:

  1. Arizona can get really hot, I remember last time I was there I hung out by hotel pool most of the time. Love the decor of the restaurant, everything looks tasty too!

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  2. Genial!!!

    Kisses

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  3. The Arizona heat is something we will have to get used to since it is not going anywhere for at least three to four months. Thanks for reading!

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