Artichoke Grill

Love the idea of having dinner made by culinary students. It is easy to find after reading the directions. It was not busy on Friday. They had one large party (whole section), medium size party (maybe 12 people) and our table of two. I was worried that the food will come out slow but they are so fast.The food is tasty. The spinach salad looks so simple but I love the dressing. I never have this dressing before but it is so memorable. The duck soup vide is to die for. The juicy duck meat goes very well with the sweet purple cabbage and potato gratin.At the end we got a big plate of dessert. 3 tiny desserts for each of us. I love the apricot cream puff the most. I felt like it is a bit hard to find cream puff on the restaurant menu in the valley.During the meal, the course instructor came to our table and talked to us. This place is cool and I felt like I help students in some ways.

As many other reviews have outlined: this is Scottsdale Community College's restaurant where the culinary students learn to work the front and back of the house. You definitely want to make a reservation for dinner. Your servers will also be your chef at some point. For dinner, you will have a few choices to make for a 4 course meal that will range about $26-30. The menus are predetermined for the most part and posted online in advance so you can pick which day you want to come. We spent 2 hours enjoying our meal but our pacing was slightly slow. Depending on your pace and your server I am sure this may be shorter or longer. The entrance to the restaurant is on the far side of campus more towards the east. Definitely check out a map upon arrival or online to ensure you find your way. Upon entering you are greeted by a host or hostess who will seat you. The dining room is clearly within a school building but has a nice ambiance for what you are walking into. We were introduced to our server who was super sweet. She first gave us a rundown of the menu and some items available that were not listed. She also took our drink order. They have mocktails as they can not serve alcohol. They do not have soda either. We tried the razzmatazz and the strawberry fauxjito. While the drinks would be great in theory we found them too sweet for or liking so maybe skip them since you can't add any vodka lol!You start with bread and butter which was fantastic. I am not sure if it was indeed rosemary on the butter but it was tasty. For appetizers we tried the Oysters Rockefeller and the Flatbread which had fennel on top and what seemed to be grapefruit or something similar. It was tart. The oysters were amazing. Next was a corn and black bean chowder, also excellent. We both tried the Sonoran chicken with green Chile mole and chicken enchilada. The chicken was outstanding as was the sauce, the enchilada was seemingly burnt. Again, these are students so it was a fun experience. Finally for dessert we had a chocolate cupcake and a cheesecake. The cupcake was delicious but the cheesecake wasn't. Overall for the price you have a fabulous meal, with great menu selections and extremely friendly service. The instructor walks around and introduces himself and explains the operation as you dine. It's great to support these students and also enjoy their creations. After your meal you can fill out a comment card to provide feedback and rate your courses. I'd recommend checking it out!

My husband and I were looking for a different kind of dinner venue so we were excited to check out Desert Oasis! They only offer a 5-course dinner but we were happy to enjoy a relaxing dinner night together. They have their menu posted online and offer different selections on different days. The reservation process was easy as I was able to make one online & had no hassles being seated at the time we walked in!Our server was super friendly. We could tell that she was a little bit nervous but she described all the dishes that were delivered to us & was happy to answer any questions. We essentially ordered all items (with the exception of the entrées) so we could share them!On the evening we went, we selected the following options -Appetizers:Savory Chicken Crepe / Calamari & OctopusSoups:Oxtail Consommé / Cream of AsparagusSalads:Apple, Fig Pureé & Frisée / Arugula, Fennel, & Hearts of PalmEntrées:Dover Sole & Shrimp Mousseline / Duo of PorkDessert:Chef's Dessert SamplerThe entire meal was a lot of food! By the time dessert came around, we were so full that we actually took most of the sweet treats home. Of all the menu items, our favorite was the Savory Chicken Crepe, but overall we really enjoyed the full meal! The price seemed fair for what we got as well. Since they have different 5 course meals, we'd definitely go back!

Better than 3 stars, but not quite a 4.5 Course meal for $24.95 is a great deal. Pros: great value, try new things, quiet restaurant, students are trying to pleaseCons: not the hippest place (old restaurant decor vibe), no alcohol I have been to the Desert Oasis two times. My first time was more of 4 stars. This last visit was nice, but not as good as the first. The food was good, but did not seems as interesting or exciting. There was a lack of passion or love with the meal. I was not wowed like I am at other restaurants. This felt pretty standard and basic, but it is a good deal for the different foods you try.

I enjoy eating at culinary schools which supports the students and provides a really nice meal at a very reasonable price. The Desert Oasis is no different. I came here for dinner in a party of 4. I did plan which week we came based partially on the menu which is posted in advance at Scottsdale Community College's website. My one complaint for the night was that the menu originally had a dessert I was looking forward to having, but the dessert course was changed to a sampler which didn't have much that I liked (personal preference).The food was very good. The service is sometimes rough, but hey, they're students learning their trade. The students are more than willing to explain their course of study to you, let you know where they are in the training, what they do next, and their plans. Some also have parts in making the different courses, and they love feedback to the meal. The host for the night helped with the appetizers, and explained how he was allowed to improvise a few things on the appetizer, which ended up being one of my favorite parts of the meal, so I was happy to tell him he had wonderful ideas for the food.Good job! I will continue to come back when I am in Scottsdale, and the Desert Oasis and Artichoke Grill are open.

Have been wanting to try this place for quite sometime and finally was able to make reservations about a month in advance. Simple place where students of the Scottsdale Community College Culinary School prepares and serves the meal.We started off with an Amuse Buche and then for an appetizer had the quail and salmon, then a salad, next was the soup where we had a tortilla soup and a potato soup, then the entrée was beef Wellington and sea bass with dessert of Beignets and a chocolate mousse. My wife and I tried to select different dishes so we could try as many items as possible. I enjoyed the tortilla soup and the sea bass the most. The Beignets were on the cold side and would have hit the mark if they were at least luke warmQuite a meal for $22 per person. The entire staff from chefs to waiters to receptionist were all student led. I liked how the dessert staff came out to show each d person dining the dessert creations.Good meal overall and well done Scottsdale Culinary School.

Artichoke Grill serves up a mix of more standard type entrees, sandwiches, and desserts, for a very reasonable price. Food preparation varies since they are all students cooking the food, but it provides them an opportunity to show off their cooking education. We went today and had the sea bass with roasted beets, and shared some desserts. Since they are towards the beginning of the semester, there are still some kinks to work out in the service and food department, but with patience, all will turn out all right. It's a good deal, since there aren't many places (if at all) that you will find a sea bass entree meal for less than $7. Unfortunately, my sea bass was still raw on the inside, but it was promptly returned, and they made a whole new entree for me. It was probably a bit ambitious for me to try a harder-to-prepare dish for students just starting out, but like I said, I give them credit for trying!

The Artichoke Grill must be nearly invisible, else why so few reviews. Fortunately, I have special glasses that allow me to see it, and what a revelation it is!This is the sister restaurant to the Desert Oasis at Scottsdale Community College, and is run by the culinary program. This means students do the cooking (under master chef supervision), and the serving (which can sometimes be interesting, but is always pleasant). Artichoke Grill is open only for lunch (Desert Oasis is only dinner).You can order a soup and/or salad (about $3 each), or one of four entrees, usually a couple of sandwiches and a couple of hot dishes (about $7 each). A large dessert sampler is about $4. So you can make this a big meal, or you can go for just a quick lunch entree or salad. Either way the dishes are "dinner quality", approaching fine dining, which is astounding for the price. The ambiance is fine, with views of the campus, and the service is well-paced and "interesting" at times.You could easily eat here every day, except that they are not open every day, generally only Wednesday to Friday, and only when school is in session.Hint: Make reservations. Yes, for lunch.

You will not find a better deal in town in a most unique atmosphere. This student run restaurant is definitely a hidden gem in the desert and we like it that way! The menu changes every week so you can pick when best to go for your preferences. The students are so helpful and their professors ensure that you are having a great experience. We look forward to our semester visits!

Now open for lunch, dinners start next February. Wonderful to be back in dining room with modern looks by school's interior design dept. Fun to meet different students each week and try the rotating menu. Great dishes with quality ingredients and healthy options. The helpful staff is eager to accommodate special requests. Top notch service, beverages and food.