Do you remember Richardson’s, probably the best known Southwestern restaurant in Phoenix? It closed a while ago without our ever having been there - the wait was always too long, and I was leery because I had heard that the food, while good, was very, very spicy hot. So I was pleased when Ken informed me that Secreto, a new restaurant in Ahwatukee Foothills, had been opened by Barbara Brown, co-owner of Richardson’s.
I’m going to start by telling you how outstanding the food is, because you really should give it a try. Then I’ll move on to what I didn’t like.
We met foodie friends Leon, Sena and their granddaughter Julie for Sunday lunch. The breakfast menu was also being served. I ordered a stuffed poblano pepper from the appetizer menu (prices ranging from $4-$12). This had been roasted, unlike chile rellenos which are deep fried. It was filled with oozy Mexican cheeses and chorizo, and topped with creme fraiche. The heat level was perfect for me, my lips tingled, but only for a moment. For an appetizer, the serving was good sized. Sena also ordered from the appetizer menu. Her crab cakes, two atop some salad greens, drizzled with chipotle aioli, were on the hot side for her, but she seemed to enjoy them anyway. When I tasted them, I again felt the seasoning and heat level were perfect, but I thought they had an odd texture. Although they were quite crabby, no pieces of crab were detectable, perhaps they had been too thoroughly mixed with the filler. At any rate, they were delicious.
Ken had intended to order from the breakfast menu because he wanted the carne adovada to come with a fried egg and potatoes, rather than eggless, with rice and beans from the lunch menu. When his food arrived on a dangerously hot metal plate, it was cross-dressed. The egg was there, but served with rice and beans rather than potatoes. We both loved the meat, it had a deep smokey taste with slightly charred edges and was served with just the right amount of red chile sauce. The portion was quite generous - Ken kept passing chunks of meat over to me. There was no liquid on the beans, and they didn’t stick together at all. I’ve never seen them served with rice this way and I didn’t care for it, but Ken did. Leon ordered a chicken sandwich. It was huge and looked really good, but was a little hot for him. I really have to remember to stay away from places where the heat level can’t be requested for each dish when we’re dining together. The mound of curly fries that came with his sandwich were perfectly crispy.
We had flan for dessert. It was delightful in its simplicity, light yet rich and creamy. Thank goodness no one felt compelled to spray phony whipped cream on top or add spices to it. This seemed to be the only dessert offered, but when Julie, Leon and Sena’s granddaughter, didn’t like it, she was offered Haagen Daaz with chocolate sauce.
Now for the negatives. You can see that a lot of money was spent on the interior, with its attractive copper bar, raised banquettes, and shades made of saguaro spines, but to me it felt dark, heavy and depressing. Because my scooter couldn’t be accommodated in the main dining room, we were put in an unpleasant room used for business meetings and large parties. It’s a long narrow room and feels like an after thought, only half decorated. Second, there’s a charge for chips and salsa. But our real complaint was with the service. It was very slow yet chaotic. Ice teas went unfilled, dishes were given to the wrong people - and this was in an almost empty restaurant. The owner came over a few times, and although she’s a lovely lady her presence didn’t make the service any more smooth. Since Secreto has been open only since June, perhaps this is a glitch that will disappear over time.
I know we’ll go back to try it again. The dinner menu has some interesting items on it that demand our attention.
Secreto
4232 E. Chandler Blvd. Ahwatukee Foothills
(480) 706-2200
11AM - midnite daily (food served til 10PM). Brunch starts at 9AM Sunday.
no website that I could find
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