December 15, 2011 Update: Local Breeze has been reported as closed.
Ask most people about their heritages and they'll cite many different backgrounds. The same can be said for many restaurants. Newcomer Local Breeze combines two distinct origins. First, it follows in the steps of Palatte, the original restaurant to make the historic Cavness House its home. Palatte had a two-year run characterized by a start with a fast-casual service model that did not work well in the house's myriad small rooms, an eventual transition to full service, and an unexpected closing soon after. It was a premature end for a restaurant that showed so much promise with its French-inspired brunch menu. Second, Local Breeze continues the legacy of Chris Pischke, a popular Scottsdale restaurateur whose apparent suicide in 2006 left his Old Town restaurant adrift. It closed after an unsuccessful attempt at a second life under Robert McGrath.
Ask most people about their heritages and they'll cite many different backgrounds. The same can be said for many restaurants. Newcomer Local Breeze combines two distinct origins. First, it follows in the steps of Palatte, the original restaurant to make the historic Cavness House its home. Palatte had a two-year run characterized by a start with a fast-casual service model that did not work well in the house's myriad small rooms, an eventual transition to full service, and an unexpected closing soon after. It was a premature end for a restaurant that showed so much promise with its French-inspired brunch menu. Second, Local Breeze continues the legacy of Chris Pischke, a popular Scottsdale restaurateur whose apparent suicide in 2006 left his Old Town restaurant adrift. It closed after an unsuccessful attempt at a second life under Robert McGrath.
Fortunately, the owners of Local Breeze have seen fit to resurrect Pischke's Islands-themed approach in another venue, even if it is located 15 miles away from Old Town Scottsdale on the edge of Downtown Phoenix. The location lies in the slowly gentrifying northwest quadrant of Phoenix's core. It's a neighborhood of old homes alternating with vacant lots and the occasional high rise. It's closest to Central Station, but the slightly longer walk from the Roosevelt/Central light rail station is a more pleasant one. When Local Breeze replaced Palatte, there were some changes, most notably a removal of some of the frillier French elements and their replacement with contemporary decor emphasizing natural woods and abundant light. Thankfully, some of the best elements were left alone. Among them is the generous patio, which is functional even on hot summer days due to both extensive canopies and mist cooling.
The old Pischke's restaurant in Scottsdale was known for its in-your-face "no sniveling" sign, and Local Breeze features a similar sign in its dining room threatening a $5 fine for whining. Both the old and new restaurants, though, seem to have more bark than bite. There's a continuously staffed host station, something Palatte never had. The staff couldn't be friendlier at Local Breeze, and reasonable requests for ingredient deletions and substitutions are handled graciously. Unfortunately, the restaurant faces the same service challenge as Palatte: a small kitchen paired with a large patio. The result can be long waits for food during peak times. Local Breeze should take the edge off the wait by offering a bread basket or something to nosh on prior to the arrival of their food.
Still, the hits greatly outnumber the misses on the menu. A trio of hummuses (hummi?) makes an excellent starter. A traditional version of the classic dip is paired with arugula pesto and roasted red pepper varieties. All work well with the house-made pita bread wedges. Salads are all entree-sized, but a small house salad not listed on the menu is available on request. Either way, the greens are crisp and the champagne vinaigrette, usually the first dressing offered by the servers, is the best anointment. Entrees rely on familiar ingredients: chicken, shrimp, bacon, beef, and ahi tuna. These are generally solid preparations without a lot of frills or innovation. For the most part, that's just fine. Local Breeze is clearly designed to come across more like an old friend than a glitzy trendsetter. Still, a catch of the day might reinforce the theme of island freshness.
Local Breeze has a full bar and emphasizes tropically themed cocktails. Mojito lemonade, tart and accessorized with fresh mint leaves, is a winner in both rum and non-alcoholic versions. Fountain sodas area available, but bottled Coca-Cola with real cane sugar is a nice alternative. Since opening with an emphasis on lunch and dinner, Local Breeze has begun to offer both weekend brunch and weekday breakfast service. Feel free to bring the kids along at any time; they'll especially appreciate the large patio with its bocce court. At this point, most criticism of Local Breeze seems to focus on the simple fact that it's not Palatte. It's not really Pischke's II either. Instead, the restaurant seems to be forging its own identity from the disparate influences of its ancestors.
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