Chic and classic, Fred’s at Barneys New York lives up to its name in looks, but the menu leaves much to be desired.

Theoretically, dining at a chic department store restaurant should make one feel like a million bucks – or at least like a member of an exclusive club.

Fred’s, the enclave restaurant on the second floor of fashion mecca Barneys New York, is perplexing. I leave feeling giddy on one occasion, on the fence on another, and rather deflated after a third visit.

The predicament isn’t the setting or service. It’s the food – more specifically the lack of consistency from dish to dish, resulting in wildly fluctuating dining experiences. Lunch seems to be more consistent than dinner, although the two share some of the same menu items.

Like a club, the menu caters to wide-ranging tastes with a mixture of haute cuisine, comfort food and a respectable burger and fries. Some dishes live up to status expectations, like the Emilia Romagna ($18), a chewy, white pizza drizzled with a spiral swirl of 12-year-old Aceto Balsamico.

The setting is elegant, with a curved, wood-slatted wall on one side and sparkling glass windows overlooking Scottsdale Road on the other. Conversation is easy – no screaming over deafening noise levels that seems to be restaurant de rigueur these days.

Understated, polished service is smooth as silk. In fact, everything about Fred’s exudes high class, including the prices on the lipstick-red menus.

Think $16 for one crab cake is expensive? Me, too, but oh-what-a-glorious crab cake it is. Four ounces of onion- and herb-flecked lump crab is precariously held together by a touch of crushed Ritz crackers and sautéed until golden brown. Is it a cliché menu item? Yes, but when done this well, it’s always in fashion.

A plate of crispy zucchini chips ($11), sliced paper thin, lightly battered and fried are addictive – until we notice the bottom layer, sitting in a pool of grease. Estelle’s chicken soup ($7) is a tasteless, dark broth filled with stringy chicken and a carrot shard or two, with nary an herb in sight. Surely this isn’t the famed rendition that put the original Fred’s in New York on the map.

A safe entrée bet is the traditional spaghetti and meatballs ($18) with satisfyingly chewy noodles and five tender, braised meatballs; the dish could reach perfection with just a tad more sauce.

There is no remedy, however, for an overcooked, fishy-tasting halibut special ($32). Minus the promised pancetta-wrap, the tough fillet was buried under the same watery, red pepper-tomato sauce that garnishes the grilled calamari appetizer ($14).

Chicken balsamico ($23) sounds mouthwatering: “all-natural half chicken braised in balsamic.” Dark-as-midnight from the balsamic glaze, it should be bursting with tangy flavor, but it’s remarkably bland. Fortunately, the garlicky sautéed broccoli rabe flecked with pepper flakes and equally garlicky mashed potatoes kick in some flavor.

As far as desserts (all $9) go, the tastiest option is to order the special – a sweet-tart passion fruit mousse on one occasion and a sticky toffee brownie on another.

Until the kitchen consistently matches the setting and the service, Fred’s, for me, is relegated to a quiet, upscale place for drinks and appetizers.
— Gwen Ashley Walters can be reached at
phxmag@citieswestpub.com.


DETAILS
Fred’s
Cuisine: American
Address: 4500 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale (Barneys New York, Scottsdale Fashion Square)
Phone: 602-337-6111
Website: barneys.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday.
Highlights: Crab cake ($16); Emilia Romagna pizza ($18); spaghetti and meatballs ($18).