22 Sept 21St–Sept 27th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | Eggs at The Eleanor Meet The Eleanor, Scottsdale’s new neighborhood brunch restaurant. BY NIKKI MICHELLE CHARNSTROM H omemade pancakes, freshly brewed coffee and friendly staff are essential characteristics of a neighborhood breakfast joint. It’s that sense of community and familiarity paired with the traditional comforts of the first meal of the day that create a welcoming atmosphere at south Scottsdale’s newest brunch spot, The Eleanor. “The overall vibe is a place that you can trust to bring your first date, your hundredth date, your family — we just want to make sure we do the small things right,” says Steve Ellefson, part-owner of The Eleanor. “We’re flexible, we’re here for the neighborhood.” Ellefson brings knowledge of running welcoming, community-focused spaces from his role as part-owner and director of operations at Fate Brewing Co. In contrast to many of Scottsdale’s popular party brunch spots, The Eleanor, located at Hayden and Osborn roads, is intended to be more intimate and family- focused — giving the community a clean, comfortable dining option compared to the overly loud, club-like brunch scene typi- cally found in the area. “We are family-oriented people that want to care as much about your family as we do about ours,” Ellefson says. A unique spin on homemade recipes With convenience and accessibility in mind, The Eleanor team designed its food and drink menu for two types of customers: those who crave a sit-down meal and those who need something quick when they’re on the go. Head chef and partner Kent Macaulay hopes the restaurant will become an inte- gral part of the community’s daily routines, whether that means grabbing a coffee and breakfast burrito on the way to work or picking up a freshly packaged deli sand- wich or pint of egg salad for lunch. The Eleanor will offer a grab-and-go section at the front of the restaurant, complete with designated pick-up parking spots. “That’s going to be something I feel like we’re going to continually change and push whatever’s seasonal or whatever we feel like creating at the time. You can’t just go somewhere and get an egg salad,” Macaulay says. “Memories of home, that’s what we’re trying to create.” After years of experience working in the Valley restaurant scene, Macaulay is excited to develop his own menu that’s inspired by dishes he makes at home for his family. The new mid-century-inspired restaurant will offer classic breakfast and lunch items with a fresh twist, including Eggs Blackstone, Breakfast Hash, Stacked BLT, Chicken Salad Sandwich, Buddha Bowl and pancakes served with maple butter made in-house. The drinks menu will include craft cocktails, mimosas, wine and beer. The Eleanor will also feature specialty coffee and espresso-based beverages crafted from beans roasted by James Coffee Co. out of San Diego, California. “We tried to keep (the menu) traditional just done with a lot of care. Execution is super key when it comes to breakfast,” Macaulay says. “I mean for me, going out to eat with my family was a big deal when I was a kid — we didn’t do it much… espe- cially, nowadays where things are so expensive, you want to make sure you’re giving people what they came here for.” And that means offering flexibility as well. “We have the menu built out,” Ellefson says. “(But) if someone comes in and they just want an egg on a plate, we’re going to make them an egg on a plate… you can have whatever it is that you want here.” More to come Transforming the former Scottsdale Dry Cleaners building into an upscale but approachable brunch restaurant is just the first phase of a larger hospitality project led by part-owner Tom Frenkel of Clayton Companies and the design team at ALINE Architecture Concepts. The duo is respon- sible for other generational reuse projects in the Valley like Fate Brewing Co. and The Clayton House. The Eleanor is just one of the concepts the team is executing in the same plaza — its neighboring building, the iconic Polynesian Dairy Queen that was disman- tled in 2019, is set to open next spring as a lunch and dinner restaurant. Originally built in 1964 near McDowell Road and 68th Street and owned by Eleanor (the brunch spot’s namesake) and Don Drake, the reconstructed A-frame will serve as the plaza’s focal point and overall inspiration for the Polynesian-themed design. Clayton Companies and ALINE Architecture Concepts aim to revamp the entire plaza by creating a bustling shop- ping and dining area for the neighborhood to gather regularly. “It’s the first project in a center that we’re hoping the neighborhood is going to love. Once you realize how much you love (The Eleanor) it’s going to carry over into how much you’re going to love the next one and the next one,” Ellefson says. The Eleanor opened on Monday and is now serving customers seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The new restaurant’s grand opening celebration is scheduled for Saturday. The Eleanor 3207 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale Steve Ellefson and Kent Macaulay worked together to create The Eleanor, Scottsdale’s newest brunch spot. (Photos by Nikki Michelle Charnstrom) The Eleanor is now serving breakfast and brunch in Scottsdale. (Photos by Nikki Michelle Charnstrom) ▼ Chow
