Zinqué, Scottsdale, Arizona

We started the day with a hike up and around Pietsowa Peak, the literal high point of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, right in the center of the city..

There was a lot of up and down, and the footing was often less than ideal, especially on the way down. We were rewarded with a view of Phoenix that’s hard to capture with a camera,

and a view of the rare banana cactus.

Then, after a short break, we headed to Zinqué, another great pick by Kit, one of the restaurants in Scottsdale’s Fashion Square.

I chose this view to give a sense of Fashion Square. That’s a McLaren and a Rolls Royce. You don’t see those in Washington, despite all of the money you and others send to us every year. As you can imagine, I fit right in, especially after the heat and dust of the Pietsowa hike. It turns out that Zinqué is the Arizona outpost of a small chain from the Los Angeles area, with spots at various fashionable areas like Malibu. Did you know that people refer to West Hollywood as WEHO?

Zinqué has a sleek look inside, with a long bar flanked by seating and a side room with more seating and, I expect, less noise — not that anyone there would ever speak loudly.

We sat in Zinqué’s courtyard, a cul de sac between Zinqué and a store next door, and shaded by trees for warmer seasons. It really is a pleasant setting.

Our charming server came with all the needful, and took our orders. Nancy ordered a salad, Le Bowl, with salmon, dressing on the side ($26).

The salad itself was a mix of, according to the menu, “Brown & forbidden rice, avocado, tomatoes, arugula, Comté, Parmigiano Reggiano, Sriracha mayo, chicken or frittata.” It as a good mix, and Nancy enjoyed the salad but thought that the salmon was “a little bland.”

Kit ordered a sandwich with a side salad ($15). The sandwich was essentially a caprese with prosciutto. Kit is a huge prosciutto fan, as are we all.

Kit took a bite and commented, “Just look at that bread. It’s perfect!” She then lapsed into silence as she focused on the sandwich until I commented, “That’s a lot of prosciutto! It’s a lot to bite through.” Kit smiled and took another bite. The mozzarella looked fresh, also the tomatoes …. But that prosciutto!

I ordered a pan bagnat with fries on the side ($14). It’s essentially a salad Nicoise on bread.

I asked them to add roasted red peppers to the sandwich, and succeeded mightily as you can see. I also asked that the fries come with Dijon mustard and no ketchup — another win. Respect to our server and the kitchen for that. (Just try avoiding a serving of ketchup with French fries.) The pan bagnat also contained olive oil and capers, and tasted delicious. The bread, focaccia, was just right. I turned the sandwich upside down to eat, always a good idea with a sandwich, especially a pan bagnat.

The photo doesn’t really show the fries, which is a shame. They were nice and crisp with a light interior, and they were lightly salted. They were a treat with the Dijon.

Kit made another fine choice. We all enjoyed our lunches, and as soon as I got back to Washington I started sending up flare after flare in search of a good local version of pan bagnat. Sigh! I guess I’ll have to make one myself. It’s a strange gap in the local cuisine, which otherwise includes very strong French food. I’m not saying it’s worth a trip to Arizona, but if you go there, get one at Zinqué. And one of those capreses with prosciutto.

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