La Hacienda   

7575 E Princess Dr
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
480-585-4848

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Built a century ago, this rambling, two-tiered Mexican ranch house has so much charm it seems right at home on the grounds of a swank resort. La Hacienda holds its own in prestige, too -- the only gourmet Mexican-style restaurant in North America to be awarded both the Four-Star and AAA Four-Diamond ratings. The authentic dcor includes expensive wood, fine upholstery and heavy furniture. Strolling mariachis and the smoky aroma of mesquite add further sensory enhancement to the cooking specialties of colonial Mexico. The kitchen uses exotic ingredients and innovative new ways to prepare traditional recipes from Mexico's heartland, resulting in distinctive gourmet Mexican cuisine. Start your meal with plantain encrusted crab cake with chipotle oil or the filling appetizer platter, Antojitos Mexicanos. Move on to entrees such as seared tuna with a roasted poblano-caramelized onion cake and charred tomato salsa. Or charbroiled rack of lamb with a pumpkin seed crust and minted chile plum sauce. The signature main dish is Cochinillo Asado -- roast suckling pig carved at your table. For a grand finale, order one of the flaming coffee drinks. -- Cecil Tuck