The Arcadia News features restaurant reviews each month.
If you have a question or comment, please see our
contact page.

If you’re like me, you’ve driven past The Phoenician with its lushly flowered entrance a billion times and only imagined what lies beyond. Well, with Mother’s Day this month, why not consider picking up Mom this May 14th to accompany you on a trip up that magical driveway for a spectacular Sunday brunch.
First piece of advice—make reservations! The $59 brunch at The Phoenician is the Valley’s #1 rated choice on several ‘Best Of” lists. We reserved a spot for the 11 a.m. seating rather than the second at 1 p.m.
Our fellow diners were dressed in everything from shorts to dress slacks, but I was still glad that I had made the effort to wear something a bit above casual. Our server immediately offered us champagne, O.J. and coffee. We wandered over to the buffet tables; the first held an amazing array of cheeses, which I passed up on my way to the big bowls of blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries alongside the obligatory pineapple, watermelon and cantaloupe. Another table held perfectly arranged platters of crab claws, shelled prawns, oysters and mussels. We loaded up on those delicacies of the sea, leaving, alas, no room on our plates for the made to order omelets at the next station because nothing beats eating crab when it’s already cracked by someone else.
Next, we headed to the serving area located outside on the patio overlooking the pool. There, two chefs were serving up succulent scallops with an interesting curry sauce and slices from a tender, perfectly cooked prime rib with horseradish sauce. “Whattaya think that is?” I asked my dining companion as I pointed to a rather large animal with four outstretched legs turning on a large spit behind the two chefs.
“Kind of looks like a coyote,” he laughed.
An older man with a plate of pasta salad overheard us as he walked past and joined in our joking. “I thought it might be a greyhound,” he laughed. “Gotta do something with ‘em if they keep losing.” Happy with our booty of prime rib, we did not even bother asking about the rotating mystery meat and headed back to our table.
As any experienced buffet diner knows, one makes sure to arrive absolutely starving for such occasions, so happily we had room for dessert. Together we went to worship at the throne of sugar situated in the restaurant’s bar area.
A miniature eclair, tiny lemon tart, an individual creamy cheesecake and a small square of carrot cake somehow leapt onto my plate. Even my companion, who usually shuns sugar, snagged not only a martini glass filled with white chocolate pudding, but a plate brimming with an apple-filled pastry, chocolate chip cookies and two servings of crème brulee.
I only wished my chocolate-holic Nana were still alive to see the table that was filled with plates brimming with different chocolate candies, surrounded by what looked like huge pieces of coral from some tropical lagoon, only the delicate pieces were made from chocolate.
With barely enough room in our bellies to breathe, we still managed to roll out of the restaurant for a stroll through the lavish grounds. Make sure to walk toward the back of the resort to see the cactus garden that backs up to the mountain. Walking the serene paths to look at the variety of labeled Arizona plants is a perfect way to end a perfect morning.
And best of all, being a morning brunch, there is barely a vegetable in sight for Mom to make you try.