Visited t-cooks last night for a private party. Â Started in the lounge with a cocktail til our party arrived. Service in lounge was great even though the server was very busy. Â As we moved our way into the party room, it took longer than expected for water, we actually had to ask for it. Â I started with the mussels and they were very good, small though. Â My husband started with the antipasti which was good. Â My husbands grandpa tried the lobster bisque which he said was very good. He also had the fois gras (sp?) liver. Â First time trying it and I thought it was very good actually. Â As my entree I ordered the lamb which looked amazing on the plate, however lacked any sort of flavor. Â It was very bland so I was a bit disappointed. Â My husband had the filet and he also said he's had better, also bland. Â The wine pairing was great, my husband was left without a drink or water for a long time, even though the server had been in the room a few times. Â Overall, (8 people), nobody was raving about the food. Â It was a bit of a let down, even the dessert. Â 3/3 people said it was too rich. Â I would come back for the lounge and apps but probably not for the full dining experience. Â The grounds are amazing and very pretty but there is better food out there especially for the price range.
Review Source:We have eaten at T.Cook's several times and have never been dissappointed. This time the food was not up to par. The sweetbreads were little hard nuggets and the ribeye, which was ordered medium rare was either well done or medium. On the plus side the servers were pleasant and explained the menu well. It's not their fault that the food did not live up to the description
Review Source:We took my mother-in-law and father-in-law here to celebrate Mother's Day. Â We had a lovely dinner. Â I had the mussels as an appetizer and they were just as good as the first time I had them. Â The rest of the party had the heirloom tomato salad with fennel which was yummy. Â I ordered the halibut for my entree and it was awesome. Â My mother-in-law got the scallops and enjoyed them. Â My husband and father-in-law both had the lamb and said it was delicious. Â For dessert we had the Royal Bar, Banana's Foster Upsidedown Cake, Creme Brulee and gelato. Â They were delicious. Â My only complaint is that they keep sitting us by the door to the patio - next time I will request a different table. Â The hostess was very pleasant this time though.
Review Source:It was my father-in-law's birthday, one of those big milestone birthdays, and he chose to have the family take him to dinner at T Cook's.
T Cook's is recommended a lot in the foodie blogs, often along with Kai and Binkley's. Â I haven't had dinner there in probably 10 years or more so was looking forward to trying their current menu.
The wine list is awfully good and as you would expect, the prices reflect it, though I was able to get a very good reasonably priced bottle of Cab which would go well with the lamb I and a few others planned to order...which turned into 2 bottles.
Here's where the experience started going off the rails. Â T Cook's has a pretty short entree menu. Â They ran out of the lamb, leaving only 8 other entrees to choose from. Â There were no specials. Â
I asked the waitress for a recommendation and she suggested the pappardelle. Â What arrived looked nothing like the menu's description. Â Where were the morels? Â What are these peas doing in here? Â And I'm just an ignorant Phoenician, but this thick doughy slab bears no resemblance to any pappardelle I've ever had...or even pasta. Â The person sitting to my left, a cultured gentleman with impeccable manners, ordered it too saying it looked to be a dish that would say a lot about the chef. Â He politely dubbed it "interesting".
The Birthday Boy deemed the cod watery. Â Being a fish, watery could be a virtue, but I don't think he meant it that way. Â The other meals were deemed good, but at these prices I would have expected at least one person at the table to be rolling their eyes in their head and moaning.
Dessert was the point where I figured I may as well take out every dollar in my wallet and set them afire. Â At least I get some entertainment and warmth from the fire; not disappointment then embarrassment. Â The waitress eavesdropped on us to find out just how old our guest of honor was turning that day, a number I deliberately had not shared with the restaurant out of respect for the Birthday Boy who really didn't want to hear it. Â When it came time to sing Happy Birthday, there was a complimentary dessert placed in front of him with his age piped in large chocolate numbers on the plate for all to see. Â Ugh. Â Cringe. Â What other words can I insert here to convey the utter embarrassment?
I am a dessert eater. Scratch that - I will eat my dessert and most of everyone else's at the table. Â No kidding. Â Not tonight. Â These desserts were the kind that are little bits of something I can't recognize all over the plate, but none of them satisfy my sweet tooth. Â Can't remember the last time I didn't like my dessert. Â Kind of made me want to cry.
We and the Birthday Boy forced ourselves to have a good time in spite of everything. Â Then we forced ourselves to pay the $700 bill, along with the tip they forced onto it.
Tucked away inside the Royal Palms Resort, this restaurant is a favorite place of mine for lunch. Â I meet clients here often because it offers a high quality experience in an upscale setting, perfect for getting business done.
I usually valet park at the front drive and it's a short walk to the restaurant. Â My go to item on the lunch menu is the T-Cook's Burger, $14. Â The Burger is tasty and filling....large portion. Â Most impressive though is the service. Â They really take good care of you here....lunch service feels like dinner service, top notch.
As long as my clients continue to enjoy this place, I will keep coming back.
Return Factor - 100%
We just visited here for our 5th anniversary and we are impressed. I had the cod and my husband had steak. He said his steak was cooked perfectly but a little cold. My fish and mashed potatoes were perfect. The wine was excellent and we enjoyed the banana dessert we had. The server was EXCELLENT and my husband commented that she was the BEST server he's ever had. She was friendly, courteous, and timely in meeting our needs. She even even gave us a candle and Happy Anniversary message on dessert. It was an excellent dining experience. Worth the hefty price you're pay.
Next time we'll have to stay and visit the lounge.
John S, I appreciate your interest in making people think T Cooks is a great place, and I also appreciate your attempt to get me back in to waste money. Â However, I just explained that your waiter was trying to run up the bill and your food was salty. Â And your response was "sorry...hope you come back.". Well sorry John S, not good enough. I am actively encouraging others to avoid your restaurant. Â At your prices, you should know better.
Review Source:Beau and I Indulged a Friday evening here with a nicely paced meal of cod and duck/ pork belly. The latter was the chef's special and the tasty dish had nice presentation and a generous serving of duck. My order of the cod was ok; the white asparagus was too a la dente for my liking but the fish was cooked perfectly. We enjoyed a moderately priced bottle of red. Â Service was excellent.
THEN we went to the lounge and swung to 3 sets of sassy jazz with Renee Patrick. Lounge is always great people watching and folks may have mused as we slowly, totally unwound to the music and jive.
Thank you T Cooks for a musical evening, that is a routine offering with their weekend dining. Thank you Ms Patrick for the enormous set of lungs.
What an average dinner.
T Cooks is in a beautiful hotel and has a great atmosphere. Not much else to offer.
As a disclaimer, I had fairly high expectations considering the caliber of restaurant.
The salads were mediocre at best. For the meal, I had the filet which had to be one of the worst filets I've ever had. My coworkers had the bison ribeye, and said it was good, probably would recommend that if you do go to the restaurant. One bright spot - the marscapone mashed potatoes, some of the best mashed potatoes I have ever had.
The dessert was seriously lacking. I had a layer cake with peanut butter in it, I seriously thought that it came out of a Hostess box (no offense to Twinkies), it was the most bland and uninspiring dessert I have had in a long time. One coworker had a banana dessert that looked great, but no guarantees....
Lastly, they just redid their wine list, eliminating many of the upper end wines. Not that I'm a frequenter of the Reserve List, but if you're going for a special occasion or on a business dinner, you'll be out of luck.
If you are staying at the Royal Palms, it is convenient. But I wouldn't venture more than a mile to eat here.
Had dinner here on valentines 1 year ago, this restaurant is very fancy but being that it was valentines , we had a fixed price menu which we really didn't like, overall it was very nice and ambience is romantic , however my sea bass was undercooked and it took too long to get service, maybe because it was a busy day and they were understaffed. Highlight of the night was definitely the dessert , their caramel crime brûlée is like nothing I've tried before, it was the best I ever had, and typically I'm not a big fan of crime brûlée, but I just couldn't resist!!! It was pricy but I could see why, the place was very nice but I wasn't too impressed with dinner so i probably will not be returning to this restaurant!
Review Source:There's been a long search far and wide for a Phoenix area breakfast brunch, and this was one of the places we've been eyeing for awhile. We figured anything that includes crab and shrimp on their menu had to be a pretty legit buffet, especially when you just dropped $500 to stay the night at Royal Palms Resort.
There are several options for the buffet. It starts at 10am. The website said that for $33 a person you get the buffet which included the seafood, omelet station, assorted pastas, salads, and desserts. I honestly thought there would be a meat carving station, but Alas! There was not.
If you get Buffet Option 2, you can have the buffet for $23 PLUS the price of a regular entree item. The waiter explained this to me 3 times. Possibly even 4 times...Almost to the point, where I wanted to say, "OKAY! OKAY! I GET IT!!!" He sensed my frustration and said that there had been misunderstandings before and he just wanted to make it clear. I understand too... my hubby were wearing workout type clothes since we had stayed the night on a whim and should've brought nicer attire for this brunch I guess... Regardless, my hubby did Option 1, the regular buffet, while I did Option 2 that was the buffet PLUS an entree.
The item that made Option 2 worth it to me was the Red Velvet French Toast. I absolutely adored this dish. Of course, it was sweet as sweet can be. The chocolate and maple syrup that came with this French Toast just made it "all the more decadent." Had I known that I'd love this dish so much, I would've gotten Breakfast Option #3... Entree only.
The buffet itself was okay.
Things I thoroughly enjoyed:
Mini flatbread pizza margheritta type slices drizzled with a Balsamic? vinegarette.
Buffalo chicken, blue cheese, and celery salad. Very clever take on football appetizer on the day of the Superbowl, the morning we ate there!
Omelet Station - overall pretty good. But even though the menu bragged Prosciutto as one of the omelet items - it was not available, so I went for ham...
Panna Cotta dessert - rich and perfect texture
Tiramisu - good stuff
Pistachio dessert - it wasn't a cake but it wasn't a mousse either. It was hard to explain but perfection in every way!
We did not like the crab and shrimp station. The crab and shrimp had no flavor whatsoever, not even a seafood one. I might as well have been eating lumpy ice. Maybe that was the flavor? Freezer burn perhaps? I didn't even eat the shrimp ceviche either, because it seemed like the same crab and shrimp served plain. Usually I love crab and shrimp. There's a crab and seafood buffet in Portland, Oregon called Salty's that practically killed me because I swear I've eaten nearly 4-5lbs in crab alone, so trust me! I am not that picky about crab and shrimp. We were just so sad that it was so plain, especially at a 4 1/2-5 star resort.
If you are staying here at the Royal Palms, this is the most convenient dining option. I'm here for business , so for breakfast I don't have time to be traveling all over town searching out breakfast, so here I am! The restaurant opens for all meals, so if you are going to be here for awhile and can't leave, this might work for you. The restaurant itself is very elegant and service is friendly and most professional. No big up sells or anything.
I'm here for breakfast this time, and maybe here for other meals as well. For my breakfast I just went with the normal 2 egg breakfast served with toast, potatoes and sausage. ($12). The food was tasty and no complaints here. I may up to 5 stars if dinner sweeps me off my feet, but will update later. I expect to be eating here a few times during my stay.
This is only for the bar. Â I have been here twice now while visiting, and service is superb. Â The bottled beer list has some unique options; if they had a couple of these on tap, I would give five stars. Â In talking to Joe the bartender, we learned that the majority of their employees havebeen working at T. Cooks for years. . .like 5, 8, 13 years??!!! Â This speaks really well for the place. Â It is a romantic spot for a drink or a snack. Â The venue is lovely. Â If I lived here, I would probably try out HH and love it.
Review Source:My wife and I had lunch at T Cooks twice this weekend. Â We visited the second time simply to confirm that it was as good as the first time. Â Beautiful ambience, excellent food and service, this place has it all. I had the winter pear salad and the crispy salmon. Â My lovely bride ordered the lobster bisque and the chicken salad sandwich. Â We each ordered a flight of wines, which is a bargain at $25 and highly recommended. Â We shared the dessert tasting (your choice of three small desserts for $8). Â They also have a cozy little chef's table for two. T Cook's was the highlight of our weekend in Phoenix!
Review Source:It was that time of year again, and I have to say that I'm still somewhat unimpressed. This place has such great potential, but its face just seems to keep writing a check that your stomach can't check.
The devil is in the details, and for some reason, the details all fall short here. Its not that the food is bad...its quite good, actually. But for the price you pay, it should be perfect, not "quite good". Specifically, every bit of cooked meat that was offered was over-cooked and dry. Homemade chicken sausage looked delicious, but was nearly flavorless and seriously, I think I could get a more moist piece of chicken cooking it in the microwave. The fresh grill was lamb, which I love. Again, very very dry. That just sucks.
And again, as with my last review from a year ago, if I'm spending the extra money on an entree, don't then give me an item on my plate that is readily available on the buffet that is included in the price. That makes me feel ripped off, and that your chefs are just plain lazy.
So, for not fixing anything in the last year, I'm demoting this place by a star. I did, however like the new buffet and menu items. And, as always, the staff was friendly and attentive, professional and unobtrusive. Keep that up, but fix the stupid shit please! See you in a year.
T Cooks is my favorite Happy Hour in the area. For reals. I want to go there right now. My boyfriend and I somewhat arrived on accident one night, only to realize that I have been missing the best happy hour ever! We have been back many times since, and I try to recommend it to all my girlfriends.
Its part of the Palm Hotel, so obviously its beautiful, elegant, comfortable and more. Â They have a lovely inside bar and live music sometimes too. Â But my favorite spot to sit is the beautiful outside patio, especially now, as the weather here is amazing.
So they have super fancy smancy cocktail list, which is all 50% off  during happy hour.  They also have awesome discounted appetizers. We had the pretzel bites with cheese and grilled brie.  But the best night to go is Monday night for Mustache Monday.  They have even more discounted cocktails with names like "The Ron Burgundy and Fu-Manchu".  Also - fake mustaches. So fun!
Connie is awesome, she is super cute and has been our server a few times now. Always spot on with recommendations and even comped us a few drinks when the service was slow. Little did she know that I love T Cooks despite anything!
I continue to be impressed by T Cook's happy hour. Â The key is to have Connie as your server so that you can avoid the service problem mentioned in my previous review. Â I'm moving up to 5 stars because of her. Â Here are my 3 favorite happy hour appitizers:
Tuna Putanesca - Seared tuna served chilled over a classic warm Italian olive & caper
Grilled brie served with Como Batard bread & jalapeño
Za'atar spiced edamame
Impeccable, memorable,  5 star service  was our experience from every employee.
Staff  were  warm and attentive;  you imagine your at a friend's Estate and all the staff have been instructed to treat you royally, and we were.
Food at T. Cook's  honestly was for the price and everything considered  a 3.5 which ends at  a 4 star average because of the service.
We did the $99 summer 3 course meal:
I ordered a Cherry blossom cocktail  $12. I was imagining this to come out in some hip glassware with  some kind of cool cherry blossom fruit/flower flair,,um, no, just a normal glass kind of like you would get any ol place. Wow the description of the cocktail had me thinking up something divine. ok,,,carrying on.
Bread:  Served Warm, toasty (it better be, this is one of  my pet-peeves, it must always be W/T. It was.
Served with delicious pesto.
I ordered the crab cake for my 1st course and it was good,,but hey it's contending with Crab cakes I've had in Maui at Mama's Fish house and it just cannot contend. Â
Beach Vs Desert,,, Desert crabcake contender cannot match  Maui  contender but he put on a tasty show regardless. I've still got my Cheshire cat happy face going  so no  worries..
2nd course : Neiman Ranch Pork CHop with balsamic glaze.
Excellent cut of meat ,tasted like steak, but for me the glaze was a little salty.
This was accompanied by baby carrots & Potatoes Anna, my carrots were kind of hard I really had to pin them down to get a bite prepared.
I was wishing I had Lorraine not Anna on the potato front; mine were kind of  bland.
Dessert : HOME RUN, Chocolate truffle ganache cake,,,OUTSTANDING!!!!!
Total Bill w tip included $175 Â Summary,,,I would love to come back for dessert anytime.
The grounds are pristine!! Its still a gem of a resort. Period.
I had the best experience with breakfast.
The ambiance- excellent- the reason I am coming back and can have a 5 hour dinner.
The service- pretty good
The food- from "ok" to "really good" Â (but not the best)
I recently had an over saltet paella.
Great for happy hour, not sure about the quality.. if you want something light - there are not many options. Not good if you are on gluten free, grain free diet.
Dinner/ full menu  has more options for something light.
Secluded and luxurious - a great hideaway from a crazy, busy world  :)
We went here this week to celebrate our first anniversary and were totally impressed with the food, service and experience. This was such an overall fantastic dining experience, that exceeded my expectations.
We arrive to a table covered in rose petals with custom printed anniversary menus. We had absolutely delicious food and drinks and a customized anniversary dessert. Service was perfect as well.
The property is beautiful and quiet and doesn't have a 'big resort feel' which was nice.
I fully back my 5-star rating!
Have been here both for dinner and lunch. Â Spendy, but worth it for dinner. Â The lunch crowd is very much the "ladies who lunch" set. Â You'll be hard pressed to find a guy in the place, but for dinner you will find larger corporate groups as well as couples wanting some romance in Scottsdale. Â Go while the weather holds and you can sit on the patio. Â They have some of the best fois gras around. Â (Possibly even better than Lon's if you happen to like fois that is). Â You'll also see some intimate wedding parties, baby and bridal showers etc in the back rooms. Â My favorite is the "library" room.
Their desserts are wonderful and I should note that they will also customize cakes for special occasions, and the cakes will rival any bakeries in town.
Try not to fill up on the bread, although I always do due to the pesto that is served with it.
You've got be kidding me. Possibly the worst upscale dining experience I've ever had. I don't mind paying a lot for food when it's good, but this just felt like complete robbery. So many things wrong from start to finish.
My brother asked for his ribeye black and blue (very rare) and it came out medium. Â For a $50 steak you gotta get it right. On top of that, four out of our five entrees sat outside getting cold (we were eating outside in January) while waiting several minutes for the fifth to arrive. When it finally did come, it was excruciating to watch the backserver study the ticket at length before placing each dish at the table. Â When the food is that much at risk of getting cold, you should have more than one person serving.
Another thing I cannot forgive is the lobster. From the description and the $44 price, you assume it is a whole lobster. In fact it is a claw and half a tail, the same thing they have as a side dish for $20. The preparation and side dishes were very minimalist, so I'm not sure what that extra twenty four bucks is for. Like I said I expect a certain markup for good food, but you don't have to gouge people quite so egregiously.
I started with the lobster bisque, a "house specialty." Not really remarkable, basically what you expect. For entree I had the scallops with chorizo and basquaise sauce. I like each of those things individually, but together they were just fighting in my mouth. Desserts were nothing worth writing about.
Food and service are below average for this price level, period. The only thing you can say is that the hotel surroundings are attractive. With so many good restaurants in the area, there's No Excuse for going here. Go to Tarbell's down the street and enjoy a superior experience.
The food, the atmoshere, the service... it was all just top notch. Â
Everything was excellent, but I especially enjoyed the paella. Â It was outstanding, the best paella I've had. Â Just be aware, it's a little different (in a great way) than most paellas in that the rice is fully cooked, but remains just very slightly al dente. Â Too many paellas have soggy rice, but the texture of the rice here really brings the dish to a higher level.
Everything was excellent.
No reason NOT to give FIVE stars.
Excellent atmosphere,service and most important excellent food.
We shared the antipasto platter that included house cured meats, house made cheeses,humus and pickled vegetables (one was brussels sprouts)
I had Scottish Salmon that came with crispy onions, asparagus, and a cheese supreme lemon tomato tart. Everything was seasoned and prepared perfect. The tart was so unique and unusual, it looked like a slice of pizza and I was tempted to pick it up with my hands to eat.
My dish was great but my husbands dish might be the dish T Cooks is most proud of, it was the Paella. Some of the ingredients that were in the Paella were cockles, calamari, pork belly, chicken, perfect prepared shrimp , sausage and mussels. Not only a delicious dish but also over generous in size to be enjoyed again.
The inside out ice-cream sandwich tasted almost like a gourmet milky way bar it had those flavors but it was made of chocolate sponge cake and frozen milk chocolate mousse.
I did not have a problem with them adding a 18% gratuity to our bill for two people since I usually tip 20% and added on the rest. I am not sure if they normally do this or only since I was using my preferred restaurant card that gives me one meal for free.
I liked the Menu that they had it seemed that they offered something for everyone including vegetarians and vegans.
Our waiter was very professional, knowledgeable and welcoming.
Great for Special occasions or High End Dining!
If this is one of the hallmarks of fine dining in Phoenix, I feel sorry for your city.
We were in Phoenix for a weekend to enjoy what the city has to offer. Apparently, not much!
Yes, this place is pretty, classy, rich, etc etc.... what it lacks is good food and a decent crowd. If your idea of a date night is eating below mediocre food while being sneered by ignorant old people, this is the place for you. I prefer some place where I do not have to worry about such things.
The menu is quite disturbing - a lot of sea food and no game (isn't this a high end restaurant?). It makes me uncomfortable to eat sea food in land locked places like Phoenix (and all of midwest), it just ain't right. Anyway, that's my issue, not a judge of the quality of food at any restaurant... moving on...
The food: partner's duck is probably the worst duck I've ever tasted. His salad was laughable - spring greens and pears. Really? I ordered escargot - the snails were already shelled and served with mushroom ravioli and watercress salad. Passable at best. My lamb was quite bland and flavorless. Lamb is one of the, if not the most, tastiest red meats. I am (un)impressed that the chef made lamb taste flavorless. Unforgivable.
You know it is bad when the saving grace of a meal is the wine. The Sancerre saved the evening. Yes, there was dessert. Something dark chocolatey. It was so unmemorable that I don't even remember what I ate for dessert.
Let's get to the crowd: wtf is wrong with you people in Phoenix? Â Have you never seen an impeccably dressed interracial gay couple before? We got the stares everywhere we went, not just at this restaurant. Granted the restaurant set up a table with rose petals and gave us menus with the words "happy anniversary" printed on them, but I would trade all that for decent food and a nicer crowd. The kicker is that our meal cost over $300 including wine and tip. I almost never quote prices at restaurants, but T.Cook's below mediocre food needs to be upgraded to abominable when you consider the price range.
I wanted to give T. Cook's one star, but then I remembered their Mediterranean benedict we ordered for room service breakfast. That alone deserves an additional star. A very well made item. Capers, chives, petite diced tomatoes on eggs benedict added a great flavor. It was so good I ordered it three mornings in a row (yes, we stayed at the Royal Palms for the weekend).
Thanks for ruining our anniversary weekend, T. Cook's. I am now taking the man to Key West and Koln to make up for the damage you have done.
I am just going to leave at this: this is phoenix: people don't know better.
When our server introduced us by saying the chef was on the iron chef program - I knew right then we were going to have a less then adequate meal.....
When there was a plethora of shellfish and no game on the menu I knew we were going to have a less then adequate meal (this is ARIZONA in the winter y'all!) Escargot - really? in Arizona?
Though menu items usually have spare descriptions I am used to elegant presentations with many components (a la Iruna). Especially all the "hype" around T.Cooks - alas my salad was mixed greens and sliced pears - yes mixed greens and sliced pears - made me giggle (then I remembered this was phoenix).
So ordering the duck breast - I was thinking this will be okay - sigh - why was my duck breast rubbery? I am guessing after they seared the breast the chef/cook sliced it too fast neglecting to wait the minute for the meat to rest - forcing my duck breast to be inedible...
Then I looked around the room (gasp) white haired old people abound - these folks are from Phoenix - ha! They are having a grand ol time - ok I won't dog them but how about the mousy haired frumpy chick next to us with the beaded top
Dessert - we may have had dessert - I think we did - it was that memorable.
Service was lovely - our server was proper - that's nice - but I will trade bad service for excellent food any day of the week.
So yea - this is not the place for good food-
Wow, great experience! Â T. Cook's restaurant located in the royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix is a beautiful place to wine and dine. Their colonial Spanish architecture with a Mediterranean flair is both elegant and romantic. Â The Resort and Restaurant are both decorated with hardwoods and cherry woods everywhere with and hand-painted Italian frescoes and beautiful floral arrangements throughout. Â The unfortunate thing about my visit, I was there for a business dinner... lol
The service from start to finish was outstanding. Â The bar was fairly busy mixed with Resort guest and people like us just their to dine. Â The servers were very attentive and we got our food fairly fast considering the type of restaurant. Â The Sommelier was knowledgeable and eager to help us find the right wines to go with our meals. Excellent service all around.
I started my dinning experience with a glass of Chardonnay and Pear and organic mixed green salad. Â It was good but I was expecting the pear to be grilled. Â For the entree I had a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon recommended by the Sommelier, to go with my New York Strip. I added a side of roasted brussel sprouts with duck confit which was outstanding! Â My steak was cooked extremely well and delicious. Â I did not have room for desert, but made room for a cup of coffee, which was very good as well.
My next visit to T. Cooks I plan to bring my lovely bride and have the pan roasted halibut with herb potatoes and local veggies cooked in a red wine butter sauce, YUM!! Â It looked really good from across the table : )
I recommend T. Cooks the next time you are planning a nice dinner for two or with some good friends wanting to have a great evening together. Â Their wine selection is good and they have an Oktoberfest menu for you German Food fanatics.
Romance. T. Cook's has it in spades, so much so that the Royal Palms, the hotel that it is located in, has a "Director or Romance". Now how great a job would that be . . . . and guys- no more wondering what to do to impress- just call up and they will take care of it all.
Want rose petals scattered about your table? No problem. How about a poem reader? Got it. Or a private violinist? Again- they will make it happen. They will even put together a private dinner out in the garden for you. "Ahh. Romance", she says wistfully while thinking about her evening.
But I digress . . .all this talk of romance has overshadowed why I always choose T Cooks for dinner every time I head to the Scottsdale area. It's the food, the bar, the service and of course the ambiance.
Enter this historic Mediterranean villa and you know you are in for a special evening. To the right, the restaurant, to the left, the bar. And not just any bar. Live music is always playing and the bartenders (Jason and Jeremy) are terrific. You can eat at the bar (they have a separate bar menu) but my advice is to wait and eat in the main restaurant.
Usually I ask to sit outdoors- either in the front courtyard around the trickling fountain, or in the back, Tuscan styled gardens. On this night- it was a little cool so we compromised and took a seat by the windows looking out.
Warm, fresh bread is placed on the table with a garlicky pesto sauce. Try not to eat too much as you'll want room for their wide variety of appetizers and entrees.
We went with the charcuterie plate, plenty of meats and cheeses to start. As for our entree's the sliced ribeye was the pick of the night. But there are plenty of choices from chops, to fish to lamb.
Service was spot on (friendly, accommodating, and attentive) and we even got to meet the "Director of Romance", Robert, who made me wish I had known about this service before. Robert asked if we were staying in the hotel (we weren't) for if we were- he said he could work his magic on our room while we ate. It made me want to change hotels, if only for the night!
Our evening ended back where it began at the bar listening to old Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra tunes being crooned out by an amazing duo, while sipping a tawny port and reflecting on the dinner we had just experienced.
This is not a cheap date. Â Dinner for two was around $200 but worth every penny. Â Go ahead, splurge. Â It's worth it.
Ahh. Romance. If you were wondering where it went in your life- check out T. Cooks at the Royal Palms Hotel. It's there, waiting for you.
I dream of the day I have enough riches that I can hang out in places like Royal Palms regularly. I mean the night I showed up, well it was night, but it was also pouring down rain, and even through all of that Royal Palms was pretty enough to make me stop and look around before rushing in out of the weather. I headed into the bar to meet up with a few folks and the interior is just a beautiful space - warm and welcoming, and very classy. Bring people here that you want to impress.
I, of course, had to order a glass of champagne and the lovely server brought it right to me. Perhaps she sensed I had been delayed at the airport that day before arriving to Phoenix for 7 hours? Or more likely they are just very good at what they do here. We immediately ordered since it was so late and I started with a pear, pecan, and blue cheese salad. For my main course I choose a seared Irish salmon that was served with leeks, tomato gratin, and a pea puree. It was all fantastic, but the tomato gratin made me want to invite the chef to move to LA with me. I mean no way could I afford that now, but a girl can dream!
We finished by sharing a couple of desserts and the one I chose was the Florale. It was made with lychee mousse and was quite light and just a bit tart. All in all a delicious ending to a delicious meal.
I met a friend for here for cocktails a couple of weeks ago.
When I got home and answered the query "where did you go for drinks?", I was reminded by the Beautiful Carin just exactly how long it had been since we had been to T Cook's for dinner...apparently a very long time:(
Because, while I did remember having dinner there, I couldn't have told you the year or the time of year...luckily, I have the Beautiful Carin to remember these things for me:)
You know, I don't why we haven't made it back to T Cook's a little more often!
T Cook's is one of those rare places that can genuinely say "everything is good" when you ask for their recommendations:)
Maybe it's just me, but the atmosphere, ambiance, service and food combine in subtle (but effective) ways to create a meal experience that you really don't find very often...T Cook's is a jewel:)
I have heard that they went through a bit of rough patch, service and consistency-wise, but if our dinner last week is an indicator, they have solved any problems that they might have had:)
I was lucky enough to miss any rough spots...3 years between visits will do that for you:)
We had a 7:30 reservation, and by 7:38 we were drinking perfectly made, ice cold Ketel One martinis at the table, and enjoying our conversation (Carin is one of the most delightful conversationalists you could ever hope to meet...she still keeps me entertained and enchanted...we still have so much to talk about after all this time:)
Onion soup, Lobster Bisque and pate started our meal (and could have completed it...it was so good...fortunately, I'm a big eater:)
Carin had Poulet Rouge (Red Chicken? Seriously, the menu nomenclature people need to re-think that one...When I think of red chicken, I think of salmonella, but that's not what they mean:)
I know, I know... they mean the chicken is red with pecan wood smoke, and it is and it's a terrific dish, but still...the name:)
I had braised short ribs...perfectly done with a marvelous horseradish infused risotto cake:)...Inspired:)
They also have some very pleasant and tasty sides:)
We had brussel sprouts (that were nearly as good as the sprouts I make at home:)...and potato puree...and seared Foie Gras...decadent and wonderful:)
I tried to get Carin to have the foie gras with me, but we differ in our opinions about foie gras, and so, I had to take the bullet and eat it all myself:)...That should make my cardiologist buddies happy:)
Time really can stand still when you're having an evening like this...by the time we finished our shared Chocolate Napoleon and coffee, it was 10:30 and way past our bed time:)
But such a pleasant evening...never any rush from the servers, never a wait for the next course...everything perfectly timed, completely unobtrusive (no, our conversation was never interrupted to inquire "do you love everything?":)
It was worth staying up late for an evening as pleasant as this...and almost worth waiting three years for, too!
But we won't wait three more years to swing by T Cook's again...they are just too good and right in the hood:)
T. Cook's is my favorite restaurant in AZ thus far. I really enjoy the spanish colonial architecture, gardens, water fountains, patio, and charming walk-ways and courtyard. The ambiance is extremely romantic and puts me in a calming, reflective mood. I can seriously see myself getting married @ the Royal Palms.
I've read some of the reviews and I've always had great service here. I remembered one of my dates had asked for a romantic corner to seat at and not only did they give us a romantic corner, but the hostess came with a basket of fresh rose petals and placed them all over our table. My date must have seriously thought he was going to get laid that night by just that gesture alone, but was mistaken, lol. Anyways, I love the lobster bisque-not too salty and just creamy enough. I've enjoyed the Asian pear salad, too which is flavorful and has great texture. But if you're looking for one appetizer to try, definitely get the sauteed shrimp & calamari in an organic yellow tomato sauce Fra Diablo. My mouth just started watering. It's not breaded calamari so it's healthier and also tastes better (5 stars).
As for the main course:
-Pan roasted duck breast with spiced confit pave, sage gnocchi & roasted butternut squash is 3 stars. I'm not much of a duck person, but the roasted butternut squash was to die for and the duck was tender.
-Wood roasted "Pulet Rouge" checkan with a rosemary polenta cake, asparagus and Swiss chard is 4 stars. Any meat prepared wood roasted gives it a twist in flavor, which I appreciate. I usually ask for asparagus steamed so I'm not sure how the Swiss chard is (gotta watch my figure).
-I've tried their fish (they change their menus from time to time), nibbled on my date's plates and everything has been really good.
I want to try one of their pasta dishes next time when I'm not dieting. The bar area is also super sexy, sleek and mysterious. They usually have a live piano player at night. I seriously could come here weekly for just the calamari and architecture-it's like you're in another world besides the AZ desert. It's become my escape to mini paradise.
Jared M (who some of you may know by Gabi K's fiance): I've gotta take you to my favorite restaurant tonight at The Royal Palms Resort. They have this amazing $50 tortellini deal
Me: $50 for tortellini? That is so not a deal!
I later found out that the tortellini is stuffed with lobster AND the $50 includes an appetizer and dessert...so I guess it is a deal! Â
Jared and Gabi apparently come here often because they knew all the bartenders by name. We made ourselves at home at the bar and got ready for my 20th meal in Phoenix...and I had only been in town for 2 days at this point. Â And this would be why I went on weightwatchers the second I returned to chicago.
While I was tempted to try this "tortellini deal" I decided to go with the scallops instead, which came with shrimp mac and cheese. Shrimp! Mac & cheese! My 2 favorites...lovely combo!! No appetizer for me, but I did a pretty good job of eating the loaf of bread they put in front of us. Â Jared was nice enough to share a bite of his crabcake with me...delicious!
I ate up all my mac & cheese first (of course) and then it was time for the scallops. Â By this point I was pretty full, but they were too good not to eat so managed to eat 2 of the 3 perfectly cooked scallops. Â And then I also managed to make room for creme brulee cheesecake for dessert...mmmmm. This is so worth breaking any diet for.
All this delicious food while enjoying the lovely tunes coming from the piano next to the bar. Â I can see why Gabi and Jared are regulars!
Seeing that my last review was in August 2007, it's time for an update. Â I've been back to the T. Cooks bar/lounge at the Royal Palms more times than I can count on my hands. Â I even had a surprise party for my fiance there a while back...
Keep in mind that every single time I've been there, I've eaten and/or drank in the bar - not in the restaurant... it's always fun and entertaining, and Jason, Jeremy, and Salso take great care of us. Â
T. Cooks recently changed their menu, and wow... I had an amazing entree last night of beef short rib served with a carrot risotto cake. Â The beef was fall off the bone amazing and I finished off my meal with very little help from an eager fiance. Â I did also enjoyed a bite of his lobster ravioli... buttery and just the right texture, it melted in my mouth as well.
Great wine, food, and ambiance - you cannot go wrong at T Cooks / Royal Palms!
T Cook's used to be our "old faithful" when we had someone in from out of town and wanted to show them that Phoenix wasn't just about golf, corporate resorts and chain restaurants. The Royal Palms is still our go-to recommendation for visitors with a hefty budget. T Cooks, not so much.
4-7 years ago, it was a 5-star review in my book. Although T Cook's is still usually a good meal, it's not a great meal, especially for the price. The menu has stopped going anywhere and the execution is spotty. On last visit, my ravioli appetizer even came out sans sauce on accident. And when you have things like Paella from a wood-fired oven on the menu, you'd expect them to taste inspired and authentic, but I'm usually let down. Their pesto and bread is still out of this world though. A meal in itself.
My wife and I got engaged at the Royal Palms. For awhile, we made T Cook's our anniversary dinner. So we'll keep going back to TRP for the fireplaces and cocktails, but I think we'll hold off on T Cook's until we hear that things have changed for the better.
As a rule, I avoid hotel restaurants. Â However, I am pleased to break my rule for T. Cook's at the Royal Palms Resort. Â
Look no further than T. Cook's for the best place in Phoenix for a romantic dinner with your sweetie. Â This place is tops in terms of atmosphere. Â The grounds of the Royal Palms Resort are impeccable and the whole place has the vibe of a genteel estate you wish was handed down from generation to generation in your own family. Â This place oozes Old World/Spanish Colonial charm in a good way.
Arrive a few minutes early and stroll the grounds before your dinner. Â Check out the courtyard and the reflecting pool. Â It's amazing to think that before this place underwent a multi-million dollar renovation, there was a pink heart-shaped pool on the grounds. Â The kitsch is gone and this grand dame has been returned to her 1920s grace. Â
Given the spectacular setting, T. Cook's doesn't have to be as good as it is. Â The BF and I have enjoyed several fine meals at this restaurant. Â The decor of the restaurant is lovely, of course. Â Check out the palm tree that grows up through the roof. Â The room features colonial Spanish architecture, a vaulted ceiling and ubiquitous Old World elegance. Â The service is also graceful and relaxed. Â
As for the food, the real surprise is the seafood is at T. Cook's. Â In fact, the very best seafood I have eaten in Phoenix has been at T. Cook's. Â I am always a sucker for lobster bisque and the version at T. Cook's is top notch. Â It's lush and silky and every bit as indulgent as lobster bisque should be. Â The scallops are also outstanding and perfectly prepared. Â I'm not one to order fish as my entree very often, but the BF and I have done that at T. Cook's with wonderful results. Â Try the seafood here, it's truly spectacular.
T. Cook's is very proud of its fire-roasted specialties and the fireplace is gorgeous and really adds to the atmosphere.  One time our waiter suggested we try the Mediterranean paella with the optional  lobster tail and claw.  This was the one main dish we would not order again.  The paella tasted like it sat around partially cooked and then they just warmed it over the fire when we ordered it.  I'd never order this dish again, but I would not let this stand in my way of coming back to T. Cook's, either.
One time we tried the Cream Cheese Brulee because it's T. Cook's signature dessert. Â It's a caramel cheesecake and vanilla creme brulee served with fresh berries and guava sauce. Â Unfortunately, it was sickly, sickly sweet. Â I'm not a huge fan of creme brulee in general and this one didn't alter my opinion. Â However, other desserts were much better.
Stop by the Lounge at T. Cook's for an after-dinner aperitif. Â The atmosphere is very cozy and this place is hopping many nights.
T. Cook's also has the Delos Room for private dining. Â This would be a fabulous place for an intimate dinner with up to 12 friends. Â What a great place for a milestone birthday or anniversary celebration.
I've been for an anniversary and for a rare "all the sisters are together" dinner - and both times the cost was utterly ridiculous, and I didn't regret a single penny.
My recommendation is to recognize that the menu shifts in order to offer seasonal selections; and call ahead to find out what's on the chef's tasting menu. Â Get that, and if you don't like the sound of what's on it, wait a couple months and call back. Â Everything we've ever had here has been perfectly prepared, professionally presented in appropriate time frames, and utterly delicious. Â Â The tasting menu consistently offers a variety of tastes so that it's difficult to be at all disappointed.
It's not someplace I would *ever* consider not planning for; it's a lot of money and it's not just dinner; it's a commitment to an evening where you just concentrate on the food and the company you keep.
Before you freak out at the 2 star rating, let me explain myself. Â My scale usually goes like this - 3 stars is average (duh), a place I wouldn't necessarily put effort into going to but I wouldn't be totally disappointed if somehow I wound up there. Â 2 stars would be somewhere I likely wouldn't return and wouldn't recommend to others. Â For what T Cooks is trying to be, it is not worth a return trip for me. Â Not that the food, decor, service, or anything was that terrible, but for the price there are far better fine dining establishments. Â There is absolutely no reason to choose T Cooks or allow others to choose it.
Ok - so this review is based solely on my experience at the wine bar/lounge area and not the actual restaurant. Â I was meeting a group of friends here for a cozy cocktail before we all took off to our various locations of origin for the holidays. Â On a Tuesday night at 7, the lounge area was PACKED. Â I couldn't believe it. Â I arrived with my husband and there was only one other person from our party at the bar. Â So I scouted the place out and swooped in like a hawk when I saw a party vacate a nice plush couch in the back corner. Â
The decor is very cozy - wood fireplaces going, low lighting, oak tables, plush couches, beautiful patio - very Spanish villa. Â But I guess that this place used to be a Spanish-villa influenced private estate, so no surprise there.
So after being seated, we waited for a server. Â And waited. Â We noticed only one server in the entire lounge, and people were literally lining up to talk to her, either to get her attention or to simply put in orders. Â It turned out she was the only server for the whole lounge! Â That's not her fault, but that is definitely some poor management right there.
We ordered some food off the lounge menu and some drinks and proceeded to enjoy ourselves with our friends over the course of the next 3 hours. Â I started with the Pinot Grigio and my husband had the 007 martini (or the James Bond martini? Â something like that). Â Both were good. Â For food, we selected the calamari in aioli, the charcuterie plate, and the tenderloin burger. Â The calamari was interesting to say the least - the aioli was very watery and almost mayo-y, kind of like cole slaw. Â Um, ok? Â The tenderloin burger was very plain. Â The boursin cheese was creative but it didn't do much to help. Â The applewood smoked bacon could best be described as stale - it was extremely brittle, almost hurt to bite into. Â It wasn't even that it was "crispy" because even when bacon is properly prepared crispy it's still a little chewy.
The charcuterie plate never came.
Over the 3 hours, the crowd died down and we were able to enjoy a little more relaxing atmosphere. Â But the service never improved. Â Rarely did the server return to our table to check on us. Â One of our friends ordered a tenderloin burger much later in the night, and it took almost 45 minutes to get to him. Â After our first drinks, I ordered the Sauvingon Blanc and my husband the Russian Valley Pinot Noir. Â The SB tasted like pickle juice and my husband exclaimed that it was potentially the worst PN he had ever had. Â Â
At the end of the night we got the check. Â $117. Â For a mediocre burger, strangely prepared calamari, a cocktail, a beer, and 4 glasses of wine between my husband and I (two of which were terrible).
Not worth it.
Worse, out of curiosity I took a look at the regular restaurant menu. Â 3 entrees with mushrooms (I hate mushrooms), 1 with duck (to which I'm allergic), and 2 were seafood (based on the calamari, I wouldn't go for the seafood). Â
So there is absolutely nothing here I would eat. Â No reason to return, whatsoever.
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