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Estate House
7134 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale | 480-970-4099

     This new foodie joint along the Scottsdale canal (aka Southbridge) has already established itself as “the” place. Estate House is a many-layered restaurant with an impressive interior that broadcasts several different experiences, all in one
place.
     Estate House has a champagne bar, two plush rooftop patios, a vibrant Manhattan-like lounge with a baby grand piano and leather chairs, and a private dining room for parties of up to 14.
     We were seated in the downstairs mansion-inspired main room; an impressive interior with its rustic beamed ceiling and classic charcoal-striped drapes. The room is open yet has intimate nooks holding a table for two here and there. Big brass chandeliers and flickering candles on each table provide just the right amount of illumination.
     Executive chef Ron Dimas, previously ensconced at the Wigwam Resort and Valley Ho, says the menu at Estate House is French country inspired.
     My bone-on Grilled Beef Ribeye ($39) was full of flavor and served alongside an interesting array of sliced mushrooms and perfectly browned Cipollini onions, small, flat specimens that were a perfect compliment to the au jus gravy.
     There is no skimping on staff here. Besides the charming host who checked several times to make sure we were enjoying our meal and also thanking us for our patronage, servers circulate with fresh bread choices and constant water glass refills. The fresh bleu cheese infused rolls were my favorite and my dining partner was just as enthusiastic over the chewy sourdough.
     His entrée choice of the Wild Striped Bass ($32) consisted of two moist filets with a golden sprinkling of delicate seasonings served over fennel and small carrots. The accompanying covered bowl of potato puree was the finest example of mashed potatoes to ever grace a dinner table, creamy and buttery with the same beefy au jus gravy as my beef.
     Each area of Estate House was put together by a different designer and each separate room offers some variances on the main menu. The champagne bar has several delectable champagne cocktails along with caviar choices; there is also a small plates menu which such choices as Pulled Duck on Brioche with Orange Horseradish and Dried Cherries ($16) and Moroccan Marinated Olives with Citrus Scented Cumin and Crusty Bread ($6).
     The only off note of the night was our dessert choice. We decided to split an order of the Chocolate Pavlova ($10). A sliced strawberry topped a circular slab of softened pistachio ice cream atop a thin square of chocolate balanced on a hard meringue cookie with an overcooked chocolate filling.
     Needless to say when we tried to push a fork through the thing, hard pieces of cookie exploded all over the linen tablecloth. Still, we managed to polish off the tasty ice cream that was made even better with a bit of strawberry. Overall, I would say Estate House is the perfect place for a special celebration for two or sixteen. The Web site offers on-line reservations and I noticed the online menu the next day offered a completely different dessert selection, so I suppose I will have to give Estate House’s sweets a second sampling some day soon.