The House at Secret Garden

 Sticking with fun and adventure, I needed to try a restaurant that had something I had not tried before.  It is getting harder and harder and my list of untried foods is getting shorter and shorter.  But here at "The House at Secret Garden" I found a very intriguing menu.  For a bit of historic charm, the house was built in 1929 at 24th Street and Baseline and only had three owners.  One of which made it a hippie commune and hosted "woodstock"-like music festivals.  But now it has been turned into an upscale restaurant worthy of any special occasion.  Our special occasion was the 41st week of Fun Frank Friday.  It is a well known fact that the fresher the ingredients the richer the flavor of any meal.  All of the food on the menu is either grown on site or purchased from local farmers or vendors.  This greatly influences the menu due to changing seasons and availability of certain food options.
I was intrigued by the menu option for appetizer called "Roasted Bone Marrow Luge".  This is a large bone, sliced in half with the marrow exposed, seasoned and roasted.  For those who have never tried bone marrow, the best way to describe it is a piece of fat that so gentle it melts in your mouth.  Upon the plate is also toasted bread and an apricot-cherry mostarda with a side of seasoned arugula and radish salad.  To get the full flavor and texture effect, I took a small fork, pulled the marrow from the bone placed it on the bread and then with a small spread of the mostarda, I placed it in my mouth.  The contrasts danced on my taste buds like nothing before.  This should be near the top of your list for a must try experience.  Each of these ingredients can also be eaten alone but I highly recommend eating the salad to cleanse your palate between bites which then allows you to experience the flavors enhanced.

Our second option for an appetizer was the "Pork “Tender Belly” Bacon".  This is Seared Pork Belly topped with almonds, portabella mushroom pieces and dried figs.  This is then served with a small dollop of Rainbow Valley Maple Mascarpone and mint on the side.  Gastrique is almost like a drizzle of carmel on the plate which adds a slight sweet flavor.  There is an old expression of living "high on the hog" which means that only the rich were able to afford the top cuts of the pig.  These would leave the lower cuts and pork belly for the poor.  But when a pork belly is prepared in this manner, you feel as if you are living high on the hog.  The best way to describe it is a melty bacon goodness and how can you go wrong with bacon.

The evening's menu also include a tasting option for people like Patti who have a more difficult time choosing.  For a fixed price you can choose one of two appetizers, one of two entrees and a dessert.  Patti chose the Grilled Calamari Semi Salad which included slices of shaved Zucchini topped with grilled but not breaded calamari, red onion and a spiced lemon herb dressing.  On the side were small pickled Shitake mushrooms with a sliver of red onion and cilantro batons next to a dollop of Corno di Toro Jam.  Beautiful grilled flavor with excellent texture but be prepared that this one has quite a kick to it.  Our server warned us that the jam was spicy but there was more kick coming from the lemon dressing than from the jam.

For the entree, I chose "Hand Made Pappardelle"  which included wild boar sausage, cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, Pecorino cheese, caramelized onions, garden basil and pork demi sauce all over the pappardelle pasta.  This is the perfect example of fresh ingredients making a perfect dish.  Even the corn tasted as if it had been harvested off the cob just prior to my arrival.  The large noodles were obviously hand made with care.  The wild boar sausage with a strong Italian influence in the seasonings was paired well with the smooth mild noodle pasta.  Don't be scared of the name of "wild boar", this sausage would be something you would enjoy even on your pizza.

Patti opted for the "Hand Made Potato Gnocchi".  This small gnocchi was served in a sauce consisting of Rainbow Valley Mascarpone Cream, Portabella mushroom pieces, diced zucchini, and seasoned with thyme and squash blossoms.  I kept trying to get more bites of this dish but Patti kept threatening me that if I touched her gnocchi she would put a fork in me!  The gnocchi was a soft potato ball but the cream sauce was smooth and surprisingly sweet.  The mushrooms and zucchini provided an interesting contrast to the potato without taking away any flavor from the cream sauce.  This is definitely worth ordering again...and again.

Patti's dessert choice from the tasting menu was the bread pudding.  This is a dried berry bread pudding made with tart cherry, cranberries, raisins, bananas & almonds.  This was then topped with Crow’s Dairy Goat Milk Pecan Gelato and accented with Bourbon Maple Anglaise on the side.  The bread pudding itself tasted very much like fresh homemade banana bread with a contrast of tart berries inside.  The gelato reminded her of homemade ice cream with a sweet creamy flavor that balanced well with the bread.  The anglaise on the side really didn't add much for the flavor as the bread and gelato was all that was needed.  Lucky for her, I can't have anything with raisins so couldn't even try a single taste.
 Not wanting to be left out when it comes to dessert, I ordered the "House Cannolis".  These were traditional Italian cannolis filled with Chocolate ganache and cream cheese frosting.  It sat upon a garnish glaze of Balsamic vinegar reduction and garden basil.  It was accompanied by strawberries with chocolate ganache, cookies and biscotti.  The biscotti was fresh and unlike the kind I have had in the past which could break a tooth, these were light and easy to eat.  The cookies I also expected to be hard but they were surprisingly flaky.  And how can you go wrong when you put chocolate ganache inside of sliced strawberry?  But the true surprising flavor and texture came from the cannolis.  The pastry was tender and flaky with a strong rich chocolate sweetness.   Imagine my surprise when I realized the tart of the balsamic vinegar paired so well with this sweet richness.

Don't let this restaurant stay a secret.  You should come visit and tell your friends there is fine dining outside of Scottsdale.  And if you haven't tried roasted bone marrow, try it now.