If you’re from Arizona, you can’t wait for the beginning of February when you shop at Fry’s grocery and see the Renaissance Festival signs start to pop up. I have been wanting to go back to the Festival for years, but as an adult, there are less excuses to go. My husband, being the good husband he is, finally made the want a reality when he said, “Let’s go!”

Walking in you are overwhelmed by amount of people and the directions to start walking, so we made an easy decision. Food.

After a day of medieval trinket shopping, some singing nuns, jousting and too many over-exposed chests, we headed out.

Part two of husband making this day date awesome. “Want to go to that restaurant you said we need to try, Henry?”

Why of course I do, best husband ever!

We get to The Henry, which might I add has bountiful amounts of parking, and right away I feel like I’m at a Napa restaurant. The patio that is visible from the parking lot has a Modern Steak vibe (A previous FRC restaurant blogged about last year), but definitely updated in style.  The inside is perfect for a “work-out-of-the-office” day, a bar to the watch the game and grab a bite spot, or a laid back “let’s get a quick drink on their couch” date. The inside was already packed at 6 pm, so we opted for the beautiful patio since we were blessed with a perfect day of AZ weather.

After a day of royal indulgences, I wasn’t starving, but was definitely parched. I opted for a cocktail – the White Cranberry Rum Punch to be exact. It was packed with rum and had a bittersweet punch that will be perfect for The Henry’s summer diners.

Next on the list was getting some veggies in me after all of the savory foods at the festival. Pretty much every restaurant that touts seasonal dishes has Brussels Sprouts on their menu right now. This has made me learn that I actually don’t mind the ball of green. The Henry has incorporated the cholesterol-lowering veggie into a Caesar salad on the menu. Caesar dressings can be either a hit or miss with me, but I wanted to give it a try. The dressing was creamy, yet light and the Brussels Sprouts were roasted and chopped to blend in with the romaine. The dark green mixed with the Chartreuse made this salad so fresh looking. There were thick slices of Parmesan Cheese to top it off.

I wasn’t satisfied with only some Parmesan, so ordered a side of the Mac and Cheese that I spotted in the picnic side options for the roasted half chicken dish.

This side was the perfect size to help me quiet my urge. The Parmesan, White Cheddar and Asiago were all blended to create a thick coat for the rotini pasta. The mix of cheese was a great hit, but as we all know, I am a sucker for super creamy mac and cheeses. But, with all the fresh and seasonal veggies that they had on this menu (Vegetarians, this menu would be heaven for you), I could see this dish being brought to the main menu with some colorful additions such as Brussels Sprouts, Kale or Artichoke Hearts.

Full stomachs or not, we had to end the meal with the home made Peanut Butter Bars and Chocolate Ice Cream dessert that The Henry’s Coffee Shop, XV had on the menu that day. The pastries are always changing; so don’t fall too in love with only one dessert!

My next visit I will be sure to come on an empty stomach because the Brie Toast (roasted pear, pomegranate & hazelnut), Heirloom Quinoa Tacos, and Long Bone Short Rib dishes caught my eye!