Night & Day: Dakota for Lunch

The scene after 9 p.m. in the Old Town Scottsdale entertainment district is reminiscent of the Vegas Strip. However, in the daytime, these few blocks just off of Camelback east of Scottsdale Road is a quaint community of restaurants, architecture, the latest in design and a great place for lunch.

Topping the charts in the area is Dakota, which opened at the tail end of last year. This chic, modern version of a California bistro-influenced restaurant and bar is loaded with personality and is a true destination for lunch.

The menu will entice even groups with diverse tastes to come back again as it is fairly wide-ranging, from great salads to hot Paninis and soups. The Steak Salad is a favorite and is made with prime-aged sirloin on a bed of organic baby field greens, Roma tomatoes, carrots, cucumber and blue cheese tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. The Quinoa Salad is made with quinoa tabbouleh, local greens, cucumber, tomato, feta cheese, mint, basil and radishes drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette. Sandwiches include the Turkey Meatloaf Sandwich, which is the Dakota’s signature meatloaf, arugula, tomatoes, red onion relish and mayonnaise on a rustic ciabatta roll served with an organic salad.

There are several specialty items on the menu as well. A clear favorite is the Natural Grass-Fed Ground Chuck Burger, which is cooked to order and served with house-made pickled red onion, iceberg lettuce and roasted red pepper goat cheese spread on a brioche bun. It comes with a house salad of baby field greens tossed in a red wine vinaigrette.

Also serving breakfast and dinner, this hot spot has quickly become a destination for any meal or for great drinks. The décor is rustic contemporary, with light woods and mild industrial lighting to add a true ambiance inside and a great lush patio on the street outside. The Comoncy Coffee Bar is a to-go coffee and café-style offshoot that serves prepackaged salads and makes gourmet coffees and pastries for the quick lunch or meal. Service is fast and the servers are attentive and very knowledgeable of the menu items and quick to interject opinions on what to order, making lunch a true experience that any client or colleague would be happy to partake in.

Dakota
7301 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale
(480) 361-1030