TRENDS IN DINING
Coup des Tarts By Laurie Florence If you drive down Sixteenth Street just south of Highland you will notice a quaint little house that has been there for 17 years and is always packed. I have often driven by this little place wanting to try it and hearing so much about it. But as always, time got away from me and with so many restaurants in the Valley I didn’t make it there until recently. Boy, have I been missing out! It was once voted the most romantic restaurant in the Valley. Many anniversaries, birthdays and graduations have been enjoyed there. The ambiance is truly charming. It is a very romantic French farmhouse bistro and in fact is the oldest BYOB (bring your own beer, wine, or champagne) restaurant in Phoenix. It is warmly lit with hardwood floors and candlelit rooms. The sad part of this story is that it is being forced out of its current location to make way for a parking lot for a car dealership! The owner, Ron Pacioni, was not there the evening we dined, but we were told by the very attentive wait staff that “It breaks their heart,” but the new home of Coup des Tartes will be at 1725 E. Osborn Road in a just-as-quaint 1922 red brick duplex with high-vaulted ceilings and a fireplace on a 1 acre lot complete with a new Rendezvous Room for private parties. There might even be an addition of a full-service bar that will extend out onto a large tree-covered patio. If that happens I am not quite sure if it could still be considered a BYOB establishment. I guess that remains to be determined. Their menu is limited but everything is cooked to perfection with an emphasis on the freshest ingredients. For an appetizer we had the Brie Brulee, a wedge of warm brie topped with caramelized apples and served with toast points and seasonal fruit. It was excellent and hard to choose between that and the Three Onion Tarte, a sweet crust filled with caramelized shallots, leeks, and onions, a bit of bacon and Gruyere cheese. We had the signature salad, the Roquefort with organic greens, roasted apples, warm toasted hazelnuts, dried figs and Premier Cru Roquefort. They also have a Fresh Salmon Nicoise Salad as well as a Taleggio salad with sugared pecans, fresh raspberries and prickly pear vinaigrette. For the entrees our waitress said they usually have the Chilean Sea Bass, but that night they had the Halibut, which I ordered. Unfortunately, it came out overcooked and tough but she was extremely accommodating and said she could bring me something else, so for a complete switch I ordered the Filet Mignon. The 100 percent grass fed beef was topped with bacon herbed butter and served with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. It was delectable. The Lamb Shank was the other entrée we ordered. It was served with couscous but we substituted for the mashed potatoes. We were told there is some kind of cheese used in the mashed potatoes and a very generous amount of butter. That explained how absolutely delicious they were! Along with the sauce that accompanied the Lamb Shank, I could have made a meal just out of the potatoes alone! The Lamb Shank melted in your mouth with a dark, rich glaze. It was off-the-charts delicious and fall-offthe-bone tender. It was utterly unforgettable and the best part of the meal. If you go, order the Lamb Shank! Their lunch menu is worth noting, too. They have some amazing sandwiches such as a Brie and Ham Sandwich served on a freshly baked baguette as well as Filet Mignon or Salmon Tacos! So stop by Coup des Tartes. Oui. Oui. Coup des Tartes is located at 4626 N 16th St., Phoenix. 602.212.1082.
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