Francine Restaurant — Restaurant in Scottsdale

Saturday August 31, 2024 was my birthday. We ended our day at this magnificently charming restaurant Francine.

My beautiful Wife led me to believe that we would be going to an entirely different restaurant. But instead, she instructed me to follow her directions and led me straight to the valet for Francine. I must say that up until this point my favorite restaurant was Tia Carmen's. But after last night that has changed. Francine is now my top spot because it has EVERYTHING anyone could want in a dining experience.

First, I must say the treatment by the staff namely the General Manager Douglas Pocius was totally impressive. The constant beaming smile, stopping by our table to bid us a goodnight, and just before we were set to leave I needed to relieve myself and he literally directed me to the mens room in such a hospitable manner; He partially walked me to the aisle that led to the bathroom. With one arm neatly tucked to his side and the other arm extended as if pointing to the aisle floor beckoning for me to walk down a runway. I thought he was the most professional Maitre'd and it was an escort straight from a scene of the movie Titanic. Turns out he is the General Manager! He was just as humble, hospitable and polite as could be!

On top of this we landed the most professional, kind and well informed Waitress Teresa. She is so good at what she does, we almost thought she was someone we knew for years. She was very personable, very attentive, helped us better understand the meals we desired from the menu and explained every section of the menu to us melliflously. The best part is she wasn't acting, she was genuine. She was truly a kind person who showed she has a responsibility to her patrons. She was protective of our ascent to having a "good experience". She deserves a $5.00 raise!!! You simply cannot purchase that level of character.

Chef Remy stopped by our table and he was very delightful and beaming with kindness as well. Some of his words struck me as very thoughtful and caring. He said "my job is to give you the best experience that you can have when dining...."

The entire set up is magnificent and classy. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous and the outside seating area is very relaxing, dreamy, VERY CLEAN, and beautifully situated for patrons to enjoy the scenery. The food was very tasty and bursting with flavor. I had the 10oz New York strip and my lovely, beautiful Wife Mocha Choca had the pressed chicken with potatoes.

This is now my number 1 restaurant!

All in all I will be...

My wife surprised me with a Father’s Day treat! Francine! OMG! Vive le south of France! There is excellent reason for restaurateur Laurent Halasz’s outstanding success – Francine is unique in its flavors, presentation, service and atmosphere! I will not say this was the best French Cuisine I’ve ever had (across the country), but best in the way it stands out from the rest of the few legitimate and very, very good establishments of this genre in the Valley of the Sun. Francine’s dishes bring out the essence of Provencal cookery through not offering typical, average or more familiar dishes, but by taking further steps in their enhancing the style essence through their presentation, style and flavors in keeping with the core tradition and ingredients of what basic yet extraordinary French Gastronomy is all about. We started with and shared to appetizers, the Whipped Goat Cheese that was a fabulous offering of the creamiest and delectable goat cheese preparation ever! And, their Calamari Frito Mixto with just the right amount of, and perfectly lightly seasoned breading – very tender, and delightful. Meanwhile, we’re enjoying sipping on our Cosmo Blanche and Grey Goose Martinis. When our mains arrived, we were astounded by the presentation of both our dishes. By the way, our dishes came out simultaneously, which is happening less, and less across Valley restos. My Wife’s Faroe Salmon was perfectly prepared, tender, moist with the exacting layering of arugula, avocado, vinaigrette, and basil. As for my dish, the Fruits de Mer was one of the best seafood pasta arrangements I have experienced in a very long time. This unique and delicious rendition which included tender and scrumptious lobster, octopus, and clams was topped by a terrific crème de gallo on a squid ink infused pasta like no other experienced. The textures alone made the dish mouthwatering, and the seasoning combinations seemed to be exact. By the way the interior design is a wonderful blend of modern French Polynesian and sophisticated Tropical. My only observed drawback is the acoustics. The cavernous ceilings play into to din so that you can actually hear conversation from two or three tables away. But I can live with that. Francine is bona fide must try in my category of Modern French Cuisine. You’re not taking a chance when visiting....

Taylor R was our server and when you look up consummate professional in the dictionary, I swear you’ll find a picture of her. Our first time in, and she was our tour guide on this amazing journey. She started by giving us a brief but thorough background on the cuisine and its origins. Then, she found some amazing cocktails for us that were right up our alley, a delicious and refreshing grapefruit vodka drink and a really amazing rendition of a French 75. We started with the Ahi Tartare. The fish was fresh and had amazing flavor. We also tried the scallops with with a carrot purée and they were so tender. The star of the night was definitely the duck though. If you can only order one thing for your visit…GET THE DUCK. The duck had a parsnip purée and was cooked to a perfect medium with Lebanese spices that tantalized my taste buds. The only issue I had was I couldn’t get enough! We ordered a side of olive oil whipped mashed potatoes, and it was just a little too different for us than a good old fashioned butter and cream whipped mashed potatoes. We gave it a shot, but ultimately sent it back. Hey we tried, right? If they would have taken it off our bill, I would have been more than happy. Instead, Taylor went above and beyond and sent us a complimentary dessert to make up for the mashed potatoes along with taking the potatoes off! Absolutely amazing! We didn’t need it, but that gesture was extremely appreciated and really resonated with us. The dessert was a pot de crème with a hazelnut crumble. Every spoonful transported me to another place entirely. The depth of flavor in that glass was just truly awesome. Taylor’s service was on point and elite. She never missed a step, and I walked away from the experience incredibly impressed by her passion for hospitality and her diligence to deliver an elevated experience. Taylor hand-delivered an elevated dining experience that will stay with us for a long time and takes its place in the top dining experiences we’ve ever had. In this day and age, servers like Taylor are few and far between, so a total package like Taylor is to be treasured. So when you go to Francine, ask for Taylor. Sit back, and enjoy as she will dazzle you with flawless execution of what you will find to be an unparalleled dining experience just like she...