By Michele Laudig
When Palatte first opened its doors, it was all about quirky brunches -- egg "mishmashes," sweet potato pancakes, tarts, and frittatas du jour.
But did you know they're now part of the downtown dinner lineup? That's right, from 5 to 10 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, you can chill on the homey patio and dig into such things as pork chops with slow-roasted apples, honey-sage cream, green beans, and mashed Yukon potatoes, or spice-rubbed rack of lamb with Parmesan polenta, sauteed spinach, and roasted baby carrots. They also serve several kinds of imported chi-chi beers, plus wines by the glass or bottle.
Meanwhile, up in north Scottsdale, Roka Akor opened its doors earlier this year as a chic dinner destination that doubles as an upscale watering hole, where you can dig into Japanese robatayaki (grilled goodies), sashimi, and kamameshi (hot pots), and wash it all down with some shochu.
Now you can go there for lunch, too (11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday). The midday menu is much more streamlined than the dinner version, and includes donburi (rice bowls with various toppings) and soba noodles. But don't worry. If you're really craving a giant grilled Madagascar prawn, they have those, too.
