The Landmark Restaurant
Located in downtown Mesa, although it would be just as at home in downtown Des Moines, Omaha or Columbus, sits The Landmark Restaurant. This church building-turned school-turned restaurant serves some of the finest Midwestern home cooking that any “from back East” Phoenix transplant could hope to find.
The Landmark is decorated elegantly traditional, yet is not stuffy. The waitstaff is courteous and doesn’t hover. White linens, antique furniture and huge windows complete the inviting surroundings.
The crown jewel of The Landmark is the “Salad Room.” This room consists of a bevy of soups, salads, sides and baked goods to complement (or possibly comprise) your main course. Each day there are three soups – two standards and one “soup of the moment.” We were lucky enough to snag the broccoli cheese soup that night and it is the epitome of comfort food! Other hot dishes can include meatballs, chicken wings, and a scrumptious German potato salad.
The “salads” just go on and on! It is rumored to have more than 100 items! Seafood salad, brunch salad, three-bean salad, tossed salad with every topping imaginable (hominy, blue cheese, baby corn, beets), macaroni salad, carrot raisin salad, and then a host of other unique items – pickled okra, pickled watermelon, herring, shrimp with cocktail sauce. Oh, the list is so long, we just can’t go on!
Main courses include the many trips to the Salad Room you‘ll be taking. On our visit, we selected the chicken Cordon Bleu, which was juicy and flavorful, and one of the evening specials, the filet medallions with a rosemary cream sauce. The medallions came with mashed potatoes and gravy so good my dining companion and I were fighting over them!
Desserts are homemade and range from cheesecake to carrot cake to an immense brownie covered in vanilla ice cream and fudge.
The Landmark’s location may once have been known as a church or a school, but today, it truly is a signpost for great food; a Landmark in its own right.
good to know: Wednesday night wine by the bottle is ½ off.
what to wear: it’s all dressed up for you, so something other than typical Phoenix casual would be nice.
must haves: the homemade pecan swirls, the soups and the beef.Landmark Restaurant
809 W. Main St., Mesa (480) 962-4652