milk+honey espresso bar & eatery — Restaurant in Scottsdale

Milk & Honey is a cafe set up in the lobby of the Ina Levine Jewish Community Center on Scottsdale rd. The cafe is open to the public, but upon entering, you are greeted by Scottsdale police at the security desk and asked for a driver's license to enter. The menu was surprisingly quite extensive for being a small cafe that offers both counter takeaway service and seated service. The menu includes breakfast, sushi, pastas, pizza, salads, burgers, wraps, and dessert. I went at breakfast time, but the reviews I've read for lunch are amazing.

I ordered their signature lavender latte and a potato boureka. I had asked what it was, and the barista explained it was filled with mashed potato. Mashed potatoes in a golden puff pastry? Of course, I had to try it. It was warm and perfect for a light bite on a rainy morning. They also had a mushroom option and a spinach with feta.

Then I Googled to find out what a boureka is. Bourekas or burekas are a popular baked pastry in Sephardic Jewish cuisine and Israeli cuisine. I then went down the rabbit hole to find what Sephardic means. Per Wikipedia, "Sephardi Jews encompass Jews descended from those Jews who left the Iberian Peninsula as Jews by the expiration of the respective decreed deadlines. This group is further divided between those who fled south to North Africa, as opposed to those who fled eastwards to the Balkans, West Asia, and beyond." I love a chance to learn...

Milk + Honey Espresso Bar & Eatery is an absolute hidden gem! Tucked inside a Jewish community campus (which I wasn’t expecting), this place completely blew me away. The vibe is a cool indoor patio feel, and the service was warm and attentive from start to finish.

They have an extensive vegan menu with Impossible meat substitutes, which is a rare find. I ordered the Spaghetti Impossible Bolognese and fresh squeezed orange juice—both were mind blowingly good. The bolognese was honestly the best I’ve ever had. The pasta was perfectly al dente (which I’m picky about) and the sauce was packed with flavor from the carrots, onions, celery, and Impossible meat. Just delicious. And the orange juice was 10/10. So fresh and just perfect.

My boyfriend got the Power Breakfast and said it was amazing too. We couldn’t stop talking about the breakfast potatoes—melt in your mouth, flavorful, and just next level.

You do have to check in with front desk security and give an ID when you arrive, but it was pretty quick and easy. We even found covered parking close to the entrance. I will say it is pricey but worth it for the food and experience. This spot is a total hidden gem—I’ll definitely...

Had no idea this was a cafe in the Jewish Community Center and as such, parking was tough. Identification is needed to get in which is understandable.

Unfortunately, the food was extremely expensive and terrible. Would’ve been worth the money if it was good but this was embarrassingly bad.

The pizza was literally cold, as in it wasn’t even lukewarm. Paid almost $20 for a medium cold plain pizza.

The Israeli platter was a joke. Disappointing lackluster humus with no continuity in consistency, and inedible flat dried out falafels. There was no tabouli but rather diced cucumber and tomato. And a Vlasic flavored pickle sliced. That was $19.

The orange juice was $8 and didn’t taste fresh though I saw pulp.

Not sure if anything was made fresh for my order. Felt like an insult to my wallet...