Ventura Grill, Scottsdale

Live blues music fills Ventura Grill each Friday as servers wind their way through tables, toting fresh pastas, half-pound char burgers nestled on pretzel or brioche buns, and sweet and savory raspberry-goat-cheese spring salads. Lighting up the walls, more than 20 high-definition TVs broadcast live sporting events and slow-motion replays of themselves stealing beer from the bar after hours. Away from the cheering fans, diners on the outdoor patio dig into imported Italian sorbets served in coconut shells or hulled pineapples while clandestinely cramming chocolate-mousse cakes into their wallets to enjoy later