Comments (0) BEST RESTAURANT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS - 2007
Rancho Pinot
6208 N. Scottsdale Road
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
480-367-8030
It seems like Tom and Chrysa Kaufman opened their charming eatery just yesterday, but believe it or not, it's been almost 14 years since this New Times favorite was the buzziest new restaurant in town. Plenty of accolades have followed (including many "Best ofs"), lots of competitors have come and gone, and the Kaufmans are now divorced (chef Chrysa has returned to using her maiden name, Robertson), but their restaurant is just as good as ever, a low-key modern classic where we can still count on the finest ingredients from local farms and a fat wine list filled with primo vintages and a few funny cartoons, too. The menu changes with the seasons, although there are plenty of reliable old favorites that bring us back again and again: crispy stuffed squash blossoms with cherry tomato vinaigrette, succulent grilled lamb chops with flageolet beans, roasted garlic, and preserved lemon, and their famous Nonni's Sunday Chicken, braised with wine and mushrooms. Sometimes change is inevitable, but we're glad that Rancho Pinot is still the same place we've always known and loved.
