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Craving some comfort food? Then Café ZuZu in the newly remodeled Valley Ho Resort is for you. This historic spot in old Scottsdale has retained its original early ‘60s sleek style. That era is also reflected in the menu with plenty of that stuff we all grew up on back when school drills taught us to duck under our desk in case the Ruskies dropped the big one. No wonder we craved the comfort foods like those served at ZuZu’s, such as Chicken and Dumplings ($15.00) and Tuna Noodle Casserole ($10.25). Now I didn’t say nostalgia was cheap, but this is no greasy spoon. Café ZuZu does serve breakfast, lunch and dinner though. We had neglected to make reservations the night we visited, but took the hostess up on her offer for immediate seating at the long community bar. With comfy, high chairs lining each side of the granite counter, we elected to sit across from each other, while another couple further down sat side by side. Peggy Lee was singing her sultry version of “Fever” when we got there, followed by many more Rat Pack favorites.
My salad loving companion was intrigued by the restaurant’s “creamy Maytag blue cheese” salad dressing (none of that fancy French “bleu” spelling here; this is American food through and through), so he ordered the Iceberg Wedge ($7.00). The order of warm cheese buns ($3.00) we shared were wonderfully yeasty; perfect for soaking up the butter served already softened.
I tried one of the menu’s more modern appetizers, the Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Casserole ($8.75). Baked in a small iron pot, the warm concoction had way too many slices of garlic and not enough of the spinach and olives mentioned on the menu. Crispy herb toast slices served on the side were perfect for smearing though.
The menu features a daily Blue Plate Special and that night’s offering was a moist slice of grilled swordfish resting beside a massive mound of browned onion and zucchini ($26). Not usually a vegetable lover, my companion actually polished off every bit of his sauteed veggies.
I ordered my newly discovered passion, the ever confusing Chicken Fried Steak ($15.50). Unlike the thin pounded versions I have had previously, ZuZu’s was thick and hearty and its perfect crust was covered with a tasty brown gravy almost as good as my grandmother used to make. (Sorry, Nana!) The massive mound of mashed potatoes served alongside were flecked with parsley and tasted homemade, but I wanted to save room for dessert.
Like any traditional diner with a counter, Café ZuZu has an amazing array of soda fountain selections. I was tempted by my childhood favorite, the Root Beer Float ($5.00), but with just a slight chill in the air, decided to go for the Warm Chocolate Decadence ($6.50) instead. Oh my. The hot-from-the-oven thin brownie, topped with ice cream came with an almost unnecessary little pot of hot fudge. It was too much—but in a good way!
We were originally going to split the treat until my dining companion heard the pie that night was cherry. Baked in an individual crock with both a bottom and top flaky crust surrounding a delectable filling made from fresh cherries, he was lucky not to have ordered it a la mode or I might have forced a trade.
So, next time you’re in the mood to put on a starched white shirt and narrow black tie (actually don’t—that is what Café ZuZu’s servers wear, and you’ll just confuse everyone), wheel on over to swingin’ Scottsdale for some Sinatra and Spaghetti ($13.75).