text: I am sorry to write this disappointing review as we went to Cafe Monarch with eager anticipation and high expectations After all it was the only restaurant in the Phoenix area that I found that had a perfect five starsnnOur meal started with a large bowl of cold melon soup with a jalapeufo salsa and toast with pesto and prosciutto It was tasty enough but not particularly interesting or innovative For the main course there were three choices Three of our group were enticed by the pork loin in a sauce over polenta The meat was overcooked and the sauce was more like a heavy gravy where the flavors had not developed There was a strange spice that overpowered everything and it simply was just mediocre I had ordered the shrimp cakes which were quite nice and certainly interesting but they unfortunately were served on a bed of partially cooked unadorned spinach which was bland and contributed nothing to the dishnnThe coup de grace of the hapless meal was the dessert The waiter informed us we would be having a chocolate cake with house made vanilla icecream strawberries and chocolate sauce Pretty mundane for a five star restaurant we thought but were hopeful it would be great The waiter returned to the table apologizing that the cake was gone and deposited a dessert plate consisting of a small a dollop of vanilla ice cream a couple of cut strawberries a sluice of chocolate sauce and some kind of cinnamon twists that were dry and uninviting Trust me it was abysmal None of us ate anything but the mouthful of ice cream Then after we had paid the waiter came carrying four takeaway containers and announced jauntily that there was some chocolate cake left after all and we could take it home Very strange and actually kind of alarmingnnOur table disagreed whether to give the meal two or three stars The third star was suggested because the setting was lovely and with the wine we had brought along and good company we still had a great time despite the poor quality of the food Also the other reviews frequently sited how personable the chefhost was and how he added so much character to the experience We did not see him until we were preparing to go and he briefly stopped by our table When we inquired about the spicing in the sauce he was not able to tell us what was in it and was clearly in a hurry to get away It was very bizarrennBottom line in no way was this a five star experience A total disappointment for a much anticipated meal Later two different sets of friends shared similar poor experiences and said they did not review Cafe Monarch as they thought with such high ratings their meal must have been an anomaly I felt it was important to set the record straight