By Molly Cerreta Smith, Guest Blogger, Foodies Like Us

Enjoy the chef’s three-course tasting menu for $39 per person.

• First Course (choice of):
  • tortilla soup: roasted chicken, avocado, crisp tortilla
  • hermosa salad: baby greens, candied pecans, maytag blue cheese, mixed berries, berry vinaigrette
  • crisp calamari : red onion, baby squash, citrus aioli

• Second Course (choice of):
  • scallops: quinoa pilaf, baby vegetables, garden herbs
  • roasted jidori chicken: basil mashed potatoes, glazed baby carrots, tomato confit, sweet onion jus
  • brandt farm natural flatiron steak: roasted red potatoes, summer squash, san joaquin cheddar, red wine bearnaise

• Third Course (choice of):
  • peach cobbler: vanilla bean ice cream
  • “almond roca”: crisp toffee, almond cake, marcona almond ice cream

A stunning setting

Highlights of meal:

The glory of Executive Chef Jeremy Pacheco’s menu is that many of the item’s ingredients were grown right on property in the Hermosa inn’s one-acre organic garden… located just steps from the restaurant’s kitchen. You can’t get much closer than that when it comes to garden to plate dining.

The Hermosa salad – a bed of baby greens tossed with candied pecans, Maytag blue cheese crumbles, mixed berries and berry vinaigrette – is delicious complexity bite after bite. The mild berries are a sharp contrast to the bold cheese.

I also love the added surprises in the traditional calamari appetizer. Red onion and baby squash are mixed among the tentacles and ringlets, and the citrus aioli will make your taste buds tingle.

The best part of my entree – the roasted jidori chicken – was the basil mashed potatoes. I had never considered this combination, but the powerful flavor of basil brought the starchy sidekick to a whole new level of sophistication and taste.

Though not included in our tasting menu options, I highly suggest you order a side of the truffle scented macaroni and cheese. This rich and earthy side dish is worth every calorie.

Carnivorous Hubby ordered the Brandt Farm natural flatiron steak, and while this cut can be easily overdone, especially for a red-in-the-middle kind of guy like Hubby, it was juicy, tender and cooked exactly to our request.

Far be it for me to ever pass up dessert, and I’d have been gravely disappointed had I done so at LON’s. The almond roca – an almond cake topped with macrona almond ice cream – is a dynamic duo of salty and sweet flavors.

An Arizona original

Any disappointments?

Though the basil mashed potatoes were a flavor powerhouse, there were many other conflicting flavors on the plate that all seemed to be fighting for my attention. While I loved the glazed baby carrots, I felt that the sweet onion jus and tomato confit (each delicious in their own right) were competing a bit much with the mashed potatoes.

Best part of the value?

The value is clear when you consider the high level of service and personal attention you receive at LON’s, not to mention the masterfully created and perfectly presented dishes that come straight from the hearts of LON’s innovative chefs.

Additional thoughts on service and ambiance:

LON’s, of course, pays homage to Lon Megargee who once called this ranch-house-turned-boutique-hotel home, and the trip back in time in and of itself is worth a visit to this hidden treasure. It is hard to be disappointed by anything here, and your next visit will remind you why LON’s a Valley favorite.

LON’s at the hermosa

Hours of Operation:

Breakfast: Daily, 7:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Lunch: Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Dinner: Nightly, 5:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

Brunch: Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

http://www.hermosainn.com/lons/

5532 North Palo Cristi Road

Paradise Valley, AZ 85253

602-955-8614