Judi Friedman and Jerry Lankin
We’re two SaddleBrooke foodies forever seeking great places to eat! We’ll review two restaurants each month for taste and presentation, service, price, value, and ambiance. If you have a favorite eatery and would like to spread the word, please send us an email at [email protected].
Happy Hour Edition
Bottega Michelangelo
420 W. Magee Road, 520-297-5775
What could be bad? Start drinking early and eat yourself silly with great, delicious appetizers! We thought you’d enjoy our take on a couple of tasty places to go for an early bacchanal. Bottega Michelangelo, one of our favorite restaurants for Italian food, starts the evening early with its happy hour at 4 p.m. You had better get there early, as the ample bar area fills up quickly. The happy hour menu gives you lots of choices for both food and drink, and the place is hopping by 4:30 p.m. Judi started with a White Negroni (gin, vermouth, and limoncello), while Jerry imbibed an Italian Margarita (Amarena cherry, tequila, lime juice, and amaretto). Wow to both drinks! Our appetizers were equally spectacular. The Fritto Misto was a large plate of perfectly breaded and fried calamari, shrimp, broccoli, and peppers served with wonderful Calabrian chili aioli. Our next dish was the meatball sliders—superb-tasting Italian meatballs with sauce and cheese on a delightfully soft roll. The showstopper is the popsicle lamb chops—three marinated rib chops, done to a turn, with a prickly pear reduction and lemon and mint pesto. It is a steal at $10, and you could make a meal just eating them over and over. One suggestion we’ve found at all happy hours is not having all of your choices delivered to the table at one time. You need time to savor each item, and when they all come at once, the last ones get cold before you can enjoy them. When arriving, take a look at the cold case that houses an impressive selection of layer cakes. We took home a piece of the Italian wedding cake and relished it for a week.
As would be expected, Bottega Michelangelo is the best way to spend 4 to 7 p.m.
Taste & Presentation *****
Service *****
Price Range $$$$
Value *****
Ambiance *****
Bottega Michelangelo is highly recommended.
The Keg
12005 N. Oracle Road, 520-219-9500
As your Cooks wanted to continue exploring happy hours, we chose The Keg in the Oro Valley Marketplace. Wow! What a treat this was. The bar is to the left of the entrance in a darkened area. Happily, the tables have lighted spots that made reading the menu easy. Our server Jasmine came over quickly with menus and silverware and offered water. She was prompt, friendly, and attentive. Judi ordered the orange slice martini made with Absolute mandarin vodka, triple sec, orange, lemon, and soda water. It was a very refreshing, not-too-sweet offering on the happy hour menu. Jerry ordered a Cosmo from the regular menu. (Note: The regular menu cocktails are not as well priced as those on the happy hour menu.) It wasn’t as sweet as he would have liked, but he didn’t leave a drop! We ordered three different dishes: ahi tuna tartare, scallops and bacon, and prime rib sliders. The very fresh ahi tuna was dressed with light soy sauce and ginger and served over a bed of cut avocado. It was served with a light, crunchy “cracker,” which was the perfect accompaniment to the tartare. This was one of the best tuna tartare your Cooks have ever had! The sea scallops and bacon were served on a skewer, perfectly prepared and delicious. Our last choice was an order of two prime rib sliders, cooked medium rare, sliced thinly, and served on a delightful warmed roll. Also on the dish were slivered, crunchy onions and a generous cup of au jus, which captured the flavors perfectly. The Keg is definitely on your Cooks’ list to revisit! Happy hour is daily from 3 to 6 p.m.
Taste & Presentation *****
Service *****
Price Range $$$$
Value *****
Ambiance *****
The Keg is highly recommended.