Alo Cafe is delightfully quirky and delicious, and the two things (very slight exaggeration) Berdena's does, they do very well. But on the whole, breakfast fare in Old Town Scottsdale sucks, and I want to cry every time I see a crowd waiting outside The Breakfast Club.
Anyway, The Eleanor isn't Old Town Scottsdale precisely, but it's a quick five minute drive away, located right next to The Local Donut (incidentally, another great spot that should get more love). My family and I have dropped by for brunch/lunch a couple of times now, and while i don't want to oversell it, I've been pleasantly surprised by how solid of a joint it is.
This is still definitely a Scottsdale joint. New construction, light and airy, and I feel like it has kind of a Miami vibe. So long as the bachelorette parties don't mind the location, this'll fit the bill nicely.
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Sweet bready breakfast like French toast and pancakes has been solid. Nothing fancy, nothing exceptional, but straightforward and nicely done. They seem to be stronger with savory breakfast.
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This is their signature Benedict-esque dish, the "Eggs Blackstone," and I'd happily demolish this any Sunday morning. The muffin is a little dense, but that aside, perfect eggs, nice crispy bacon, a decent slab of tomato and a nice and light meyer lemon hollandaise applied liberally.
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I think I dig the ricotta scramble toast even more, though. Those eggs aren't quite as loose as I prefer mine, but I also know that a restaurant would have to be *very* brave to make their eggs as loose as I prefer mine. Anyway, they're loaded with butter and ricotta, dusted with Parmesan, and there's a little bit of chile crisp for kick. Gently applied. Perfect.
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The steak and eggs breakfast burrito was also pretty solid. Best part, a little surprisingly, was the steak. Quality stuff, very nicely cooked. This isn't back of the flattop carne asada.
I'm less impressed by lunch so far. The couple of sandwiches I've tried (turkey, BLT) are fine, but... fine. I can't find a compelling reason to get them when they do breakfast at lunch. Though I'd be happy and unsurprised to discover that some of the others are more exciting.
But, bottom line, I feel pretty comfortable saying that if I want typical American brunch (Alo still has my heart in the atypical category) near OT Scottsdale, this is my new spot. I'm looking forward to digging a little deeper.
The Eleanor
theeleanoraz.com
480-685-2525
3207 N. Hayden Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
