Leslie Keller Books

As part of my restaurant series, this post is about the vessel you use to consume your juice - the fermented grape juice variety. Personally, I love a beautiful glass from which to drink wine. The more shapely and delicate the more I enjoy the wine - not because it always makes the wine dramatically  better but it adds to the pleasure of the act.  I also tend to break them routinely so I go through lots of different glassware. The first question you may ask is whether to have stemware or stemless (also known as a tumbler).  There was a trend a few years ago to move away from glasses with stems.  I agree that the stemless version is sturdier all around. You are less likely to knock the glass over and unable to snap off the stem when washing. These are easy to load in the dishwasher, but not always advisable for any wine glass depending on the quality of the glass. However, the biggest issue with stemless glasses is that you are holding the glass, and thus the ...

Recently I was fortunate to be included in an event in Napa. We dined at two amazing restaurants which included multiple courses. Some may say that ten courses of small bites isn't much. I'll guarantee you that I was more than full by the end. This made me wonder about why many restaurants in the U.S. serve gigantic portions. I'm not opposed to family style dining. In fact, I find it a great way for everyone to taste different things. Generally, if I dine with certain family members, who will remain anonymous, those persons want to decide for everyone in order to share.  If I know in advance the portions are meant for sharing, I'm fine with ordering less.  However, for those restaurants which don't give you fair warning, there is too much food. I'll admit I'm a nibbler. I enjoy small plates of different things. Even desserts are generally bigger than I can consume. This is a fact which drives my girlfriends crazy because they feel compelled to finish wha...

What is a server Generally, my character Jayne posts her local restaurant reviews, but I decided to usurp her and review the tips and tricks to getting the best service from your server. I broke this post into more than one part when I realized there is so much to review. I'll start with my qualifications. I worked as a server or bartender at establishments which varied from fine dining to cowboy saloon. I opened three new restaurants in the Valley of the Sun and waited on everyone from well-known celebrities (yes, I did wait on Tom Selleck and he is as handsome as you think he is) to first time diners. I've made every kind of cocktail and I have tasted hundreds of wines.  I earned my living exclusively in the restaurant business, so I know how hard servers, bartenders, and bussers work. In most States, servers are considered semi-independent contractors. By that I mean, they earn an hourly wage but because their income is supplemented by tips the wage is very lo...

If you live in middle to southern Arizona you try to escape the extreme summer heat. If you are lucky you drive to the beaches of Mexico or California.  This year, as part of Leslie's research for another book, I spent a few days in Laguna Beach. Tough job but someone had to do it! If you tell almost anyone in Arizona you are going to the beach they will have recommendations. We were loaded with places to eat, where to have cocktails to watch the sunset and great shops. I'm going to discuss the dining options because, after all that is my main focus in life. I made reservations two weeks in advance for Nick's Laguna Beach. We checked it out the day before and I was surprised to find it appeared casual and small. They have a nice patio area which overlooks the street but wasn't too loud. There is a parking garage behind the restaurant but we were fortunate to find a metered spot a block down.  Plan to have a credit card or lots of quarters if you street park. I ord...

Recently I ventured up north to Sedona and was happy to discover a local restaurant called Gerardo's Italian Restaurant.  Located on Rt 89A, this small unassuming restaurant excels in the delicious department. When the owner is originally from my home state of Michigan I knew I must give it a try. We sat on the patio besides some lovely flowers and grape vines. There were many temptations to start with, such as the garlic bread but we went for the entrees and it's a good thing because the portions were sizeable. I debated on whether to get the lobster mac and cheese but I couldn't resist the Liguria pizza. Thinly sliced rosemary potatoes, crispy prosciutto di parma, fossil creek goat cheese, mozzarella cheese and topped with baby argula tossed in lemon oil. Yummy. I don't usually eat the crust but this was irresistible. My friend ordered the special which was shrimp in risotto.  The risotto was perfectly cooked and we weren't able to even put a dent in the dis...

Recently I had the opportunity to dine at Roy's restaurant at the J.W. Marriott at Desert Ridge. It was a birthday party for a friend and there were eight of us.  First, let me say that this hotel is beautiful. The grounds are lovely, the lobby impressive and the staff friendly.  You descend a grand staircase down to the lower restaurant level where there is a bar and outside seating around fire pits. I can't wait for cooler weather to sit under the stars with a toasty fire and an adult beverage.  But I digress - back to the restaurant. We were seated with a view of the open kitchen. Fortunately, it was not so loud that we couldn't have a conversation and we weren't overwhelmed with the clang of pots and pans. Our server was prompt and attentive and fun, without being intrusive. I ordered the grilled Caesar salad starter, my friends had the crispy chicken spring rolls, calamari and Caterpillar roll.  My salad was perfect - not too much garlic or anchovy but the...

I recently dined at Olive & Ivy in old town Scottsdale. I had been here years ago but not had a chance to return.  This restaurant is part of the Fox Restaurant group, known locally for the many successful restaurants they've opened. The restaurant didn't disappoint for the food quality or service but I also don't feel compelled to rush back As I was part of a large group, we dined in a private room, with a lovely circular table that had doors which closed it off from the rest of the dining areas. I started with the garden salad followed by the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. It was delicious. In fact, everything I tasted and my dining companions had was great except for - the most important part of the meal to me - the dessert. I had a dark chocolate cake that I actually didn't even finish. That in itself should tell you a lot. Although the food was good and the service excellent, there was something missing in the experience that I can't nail down. With s...

What would you expect other than a photo of dessert from me? You know how much I love chocolate and this dessert from Kona Grill did not disappoint. A warm brownie, moist and chewy, covered in chocolate sauce with caramel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, oh yes and a few berries, which I picked off - perfection. I didn't eat my vegetables but I did have the BBQ Chicken pizza. It was way too spicy for me, leaving my tongue on fire in its wake. My friends had chicken caesar, Ahi tuna, macadamia nut chicken and lettuce wraps. The one comment I heard was that the price was too high for the chicken but it looked very good. The service was very good and the atmosphere perfect, as we sat on the patio with a lovely breeze blowing through on a spring evening in Arizona. What really is better than that? I've dined at this particular Kona Grill a few times and it is consistent but not really my favorite cuisine. I would absolutely recommend it and its location in City North will ...