Q: negative

A: The food should get 4 stars, but having a dirty table on 2 visits in a row equals one or two stars in my book. If the table is dirty, you wonder about overall cleanliness, but I do have a theory. My theory is the servers bus their own tables. That happens in a lot of places, but T.C. gets pretty darn busy, and in the quest to turn those tables quickly and get more tip money, I think corners are being cut. On both visits I was greeted with a smile and quickly seated. As I prepared to order the first time I moved my water glass and noticed a big splotch of hot sauce that had dried on the table. I chuckled considering the strategic placement of the glass to hide it. Someone did that on purpose. I ordered the Crack O'Dawn which was a hearty blend of potatoes, ham, onion, shrooms, melted cheese, and eggs. The kind of breakfast our forefathers ate before going out to work the fields. Me, I was just getting sustenance for my drive to Deer Valley. On the second visit I sat down and almost put my book in a big spot of pancake syrup that was on the table. That one pissed me off. Any server worth their salt knows that if any patron had any item at the table that required syrup, they got it on the table. Lazy job of cleaning it between customers. That time I ordered the Farmer's Market Ben E. Dict because I was experiencing carnivore guilt. The toasted English muffin was layered with spinach, tomatoes, eggs, and avocado. Really enjoyed that one as well. Overall the food is good. If you have Midwestern family members or friends visiting, they would most likely love this joint. I am concerned about the cleanliness though. I'm going to have to think about going back a third time. It's not high on my list.

Q: negative

A: Love most of the food but the service is horrible! We went for a very early dinner to use a friends and family coupon and it was apparently shift change because everyone was sitting around. We asked someone for a booster chair, she said let me get your server! The server came back and said oh we don't do boosters. That's a small indication of service, no plates, napkins, silverware until prompted. I do love the buffalo Caesar salad but don't bother getting the large because they just add more lettuce. Kids love their pasta but it doesn't even come with a drink (or she didn't offer) so $6 is steep IMO. We also tried the Firecrackers but be warned, you don't get Happy Hour pricing with any other offer. The steak firecrackers were very greasy, weird to be paired with marinara. Service is better at lunch but not by much, sticking with Nellos!

Q: positive

A: Caffe Daniel is the neighborhood Italian gem that I've been searching for in central Phoenix for years. The food is fabulous, the atmosphere wonderful, and the host/owner/chef personally greets every customer to add to the charm. Daniel, a well known fixture for years in the Phoenix restaurant community, is so proud of his newest venture, and with good reason. We've enjoyed the antipasto, bruschetta, artichoke and provolone appetizers. For our mains, the pork tenderloin, duck confit, and pasta bolognese were exceptional. We have been to the restaurant twice in the past 2 weeks and intend to go back again. We also are now on Daniel's mailing list so that we can take advantage of his special dinners...such as the paella that he will be doing in the coming weeks. My only hesitation in writing this glowing review is that others will soon discover this hidden gem and it quickly will be hard to score a table.

Q: positive

A:
The pancakes are wonderful. They are made with sweet cream instead of buttermilk and are crispy to the bite. My friend and I split the egghead burger on a pretzel roll and had a pancake for dessert. Very tasty!