Radio Cafe

Another successful night at Radio Café. A few friends and I stopped by here late last night and had a great time. I feel like I’m starting to become a regular at this place as some of the other wait staff stopped by our table to say «nice to see you again».
Our waiter was awesome, very attentive and offered some great suggestions. He checked in after each starter, dish, or roll came to the table to make sure we were happy with our selections. The food was really great. I was happy with everything we ordered. Though I do agree, the menu is a little awkward.
Side note, we sat on the patio during this visit. At first I was turned off by it because of the building it backs up to. I quickly changed my mind though and will sit on the patio from here on out.
I love this place!

I was hoping that the revamp would make Radio Café on par with its sibling across the street (LGO). I am sorry to say, NO.
The menu to split between sushi and what they call bar food. The sushi was good but not great and the bar food was not really bar food.
My wife and i split the following:
Bar Food:
EDAMAME — good, this is hard to mess up
RADIO CHOPPED SALAD — the best thing i eat, no protein and expensive
RAISINBREAD GRILLED CHEESE — sounds a bit strange but somehow is all does work together (in a a odd type of way)
Sushi:
SPICY TUNA — good tuna, very dry rice
SWEET POTATO — to sweet and the texture was just all soft

We stopped by Radio Café, formerly Radio Milano, tonight for happy hour on the patio… and it was a happy hour indeed!
With creamy crab and sweet potato sushi, ahi tuna burger sliders, and housemade crafty cocktails including their signature Port Royal Cocktail, this place has it goin’ on!
Valet is complimentary, staff is friendly, and music is «spicy» — all of this creates an awesome vibe!
I can’t wait to return as there is more to the menu that I want to try next time… I am a huge fan of all of the LGO Hospitality Group restaurants, and Radio Café is no exception!

I always enjoyed my meals at Radio Milano but the prices were just high enough to keep it out of my regular rotation. So I was excited about the changes to Radio Café, with hope that it might crack the rotation.
Everything we had was really good. The deviled eggs are awesome. My wife enjoyed the chopped salad, with one complaint — no option to add any protein. I loved the meatloaf, but would like more than just a piece of meat. I suppose thats how they turned the former $ 18 meatloaf into the current $ 14 meatloaf. We also tried several sushi rolls, and they were all excellent.
Despite the quality food, the menu has a disjointed feel to it. Its half sushi and half «american» dishes. The sushi is good, but the place just doesn’t have a sushi vibe. That leaves the other half of the menu, which I feel has limited options. There are only three things I would consider ordering for dinner, and only one option for my slightly picky spouse.
They call it a «bar menu,» which is a mistake, because I don’t think people will be going there for a drink and a quick snack. That puts them into competition with Postino. I would prefer more casual dining options. I think a slight redo of the former menu, with some lower priced options in addition to the entrees, would have been better.
The building is great, all the windows were open, and now the bar opens up to the back patio.
Service was so-​so. I don’t expect someone to fold my napkin everytime I go to the restroom or speak with a french accent, I just appreciate some attentiveness. Check back with the table occasionally and I’m happy.
So, with some quality additions to the menu, I think Radio Café would attract more repeat customers and bump up their Unilocal stars.

In its former life (aka Radio Milano), this restaurant was in my all-​time top 5 in the Valley. A go-​to neighborhood fave, Radio Milano had a pleasant environment, amazing food and best-​of-​all — neighborhood night on Mondays and Tuesdays.
I found the current Radio Café is a big letdown. The menu has been revised to largely comprise of sushi, yet the rest of the items don’t seem to follow the Japanese theme. It’s an awkward concept that I don’t think will satisfy the reputation that Radio Milano had.
Don’t think I’ll be back or recommend it to my friends.

To mine and my friend’s surprise, this past Wednesday was my first visit to Radio Café. I think the chaos of that street corner always turned me away from stopping in.
My initial reaction was pure shock, I had no idea that this place was so big. Even though it mirrors the Chelsea’s, Postino style, I totally appreciate their über chic lighting and spacious design.
My friend was waiting for me on the patio and it was a pleasant surprise; I kept staring back into the restaurant and gawking at the scene, this place is really beautiful. What a perfect pick for a happy hour on a gorgeous day!
We were quickly greeted by a friendly and attentive server who eagerly volunteered their happy hour specials (½ off all drinks!) I am not typically a rum drinker, but the perfect weather and scene begged me to order a mojito. My friend ordered wine and both were delivered quickly, along with requested water.
Mojito was meh and I could barely finish it– but I think I chalk that up to me not really being a sweet drink/​rum person. It seemed perfectly mixed.
We weren’t really going to order anything to eat but just had to try the deviled eggs. Hindsight, we should’ve left the mystery in our head because a place known for sushi really shouldn’t have deviled eggs on their menu. The presentation was a stunner– they looked so inviting with their crispy bacon bits. But their delivery was so much less and oddly warm– which wasn’t expected.
All in all, it was a really pleasant experience that night and the service was top notch– she even gave us a «last call» for happy hour, which is totally appreciated.
However, my first conversation with my friend today started something like this «…so did you have belly issues after you went home last night?» Yeah, turns out maybe those stupid little eggs leave a mark.
I’ll totally be back, just maybe sticking to the drink and staying far, far away from those damn eggs.

Radio Café on a Friday night
2 4 1 happy hour priced just right
Sushi sauce and mayo on the light
Just the way I like
Colors of brown all around
Funky music playn’ dat sound
½ a beer and I’m close 2 the ground
— - -
Full beer and I’m already drunk!
Gettn’ ready to get crunk
With my boo whom I’m molestin’
Under the bar, caressin’
«Don’t act coy with me,
You know you want a piece of me
So let me be
And maybe your meal be free»
Outdoor patio is new
Great for summer and the crew
Sippn’ on sake or some brew
Hate to rat, but girl bartender was wack
Finally got my H2O, after asking 3x, yo!
And the bill closed out s-​l-​o-​w
Spicy tuna and creamy crab were just fab
Even the California roll was far from dull
RC is a great place
for a date, to seek fate,
or to talk about bizsnatch that correlates…
And I’m out.

I adore Radio Milano. Tried to hit it up this last Thursday evening and found it to be closed. I was really depressed by this as I have had my eye on the deviled eggs and the beautiful bartender boy the last couple of times I’ve dined here. (neither of which I’ve been able to try yet… booooo!!)
According to the valet guy across the street at Postino they are scheduled to re-​open in early April. Apparently with somewhat more of a «lounge like» feel or some such nonsense. Works for me! I hope they keep the Tuna Crudo around which is just insanely good. Drown yourself in some chocolate pudding for desert, you won’t regret it. Ahhhhh, now I’m hungry… don’t worry about me, he was too pretty to be straight anyway.

It was by sheer chance that we ended up going to Radio Milano. At the corner of 40^th street and Campbell there are 3 different restaurants to chose from, the famed LGO Market and Pizzeria, Postino Wine Café and of course Radio Milano. We had every intention of eating at Postino Wine Café, but after we were told it was going to be an hour wait, our grumbling tummies knew weren’t about to wait that long. Looking across the street at Radio Milano we scouted ahead to see what they wait was like over there, what luck, we were sat immediately!
Opened in June 2007 by the same folks who own LGO Pizzeria and Postino, LGO Hospitality, its quite the neighborhood dining destination. The only problem here is the lack of parking, though with complimentary valet service this shouldn’t be much of a issue.
The space has a laid back eclectic kind of vibe, barrel ceilings, lots of wood and brick and a funky soundtrack playing in the background, which provided a decent thump without being overbearing. Pretty much any where you sit the you’ll have a view of the open kitchen, which Im a huge fan of. Something about watching the chefs making my meal just gives a place more of a homey kind of groove. I’m not sure how they did it, but the staff at Radio Milano is not only super attractive but friendly and extremely helpful.
Radio is know for their great cocktails, but not one person in our dining party ordered one as we stuck with glass after glass of Peroni ($ 5), a deliciously light Italian beer.
As you might be able to deduce, the food at Radio Milano is definitely inspired Italian with hints of moms kitchen. That mix might sound kind of odd but is most apparent in the starters and salads section of the menu. The appetizers are large enough to share starting with Toni’s Deviled Eggs ($ 5). My mama makes a mean deviled egg so when someone decided to make one, the bar is set extremely high. Shhh, they add bacon to the top of theirs which trumps my mothers creamy delights, it’s everything a deviled egg should be and more.
Shattered Potato Chips ($ 6) are made to order and like most parties, whats a party without chips and dip? Served with a creamy mayo and tomato sauce dip, these spuds were crispy along the edges and tender in the middle, these were woofed down in time flat. Another standout were the crispy bites of the Celery Ceasar ($ 9) which had us all cleaning the plate. The perfectly dressed crunch of the celery was a nice contrast to the creamy shavings of Parmesan cheese. The Tuna Crudo ($ 10) is an ample mound of fresh raw tuna dressed with a light citrus vinaigrette and served with shattered potato chips. I could have easily ordered another one for my dinner, very well balanced.
Main courses include pasta, fish and meat with a surprise or two thrown in, one of those surprises was the Lobster Roll ($ 19). A huge serving of tender lobster salad was spooned inside of a grilled buttery roll then served with shattered potato chips was amazing. Each bite beckoned for another and another though resist and enjoy each and every one. House Made Papardelle ($ 17) incorporated hand made ribbon pasta, sweet corn, tomatoes, seasonal veggies and goat cheese. Fortunately every table is equipped with salt and pepper grinders since notably the dish was under seasoned. A quick turn of the grinder brought out the sweet freshness of the vegetables.
Aqua Pazza ($ 23) is a fish offering which rotates frequently. This particular visit, the selection were 4 plump scallops served with sauteed spinach and roasted cherry tomatoes. While the scallops were decent they were swimming in an oily sauce. I think with the addition of an absorbant like potatoes, these would have improved from decent to great.
With only a few offerings Dolce or desserts were all that and more. You can order a scoop or scoops of different flavors of gelato which are made by the neighboring Grateful Spoon Gelato ($ 3-​$ 5). Or go into a wonderfully sugar induced coma brought on my the Radio Chocolate Pudding ($ 7). Served in a massive glass complete with whipped cream, I’m not sure how you could eat here and not order this as waves of comfort wash over you with each and every spoonful. The citrus spiked Olive Oil Cake ($ 7) had a super moist crumb and finished with the delightful taste of olive oil.
Radio Milano may have been chosen by chance and circumstance but I assure you, when they re-​open, future visits will definitely be on purpose.

I havne’t been into Radio Milano quite as many times as I have been into Postino, but I have to say of those times I have, I was impressed. They have complimentary valet parking which in this neighborhood is a huge plus!
Their menu has many different dishes to choose from along with the daily special that always sounds great. The other night when some friends and I stopped in the special was short rib ravioli, yum right? Well, I wasn’t able to fiund out, as they were sold out for the evening. I instead got the linguini with clams, and I am glad I did. One of the tastiest things I have eaten in awhile. It was with a light cream/​butter sauce with garlice and leeks and clams. If you like clams I would deffinatly recomend this dish, it’s perfect!
They also have some interesting things on the menu you I am excited to try next time I stop in; deviled eggs, olive oil cake, and their mac ‘n cheese.
Their wine list was nice, decently priced as well. Radio Milano has a warm cozy inviting feel, anyone can have a good time. Just be mindfull that it is an open room, and talking to your neighbor as if you were at a football game is not the most polite thing to do. I wish the ladies that were out for a batchlorette party that night could have gotten the memo, «they were loud» is an understatment. None the less, we had a great dinner.

Charming and comfortable restaurant. Excellent filet mignon, nice caprese salad, and VERY accommodating and polite wait staff. On my second visit, I ordered a pasta item that was too spicy for me, and they kindly let me send it back twice, until the chef came out and asked me what I DO like, and made something just for me. Is that amazing or what?
People dress well here, so I feel more comfortable wearing a skirt or something nice. And we were a bit embarrassed about having the valets park my super spicy friend’s work truck (complete with ladders on racks on the roof), but it wasn’t an issue. Downside is that Radio Milano can be very crowded and noisy, almost as extreme as Grande Orange across the street.

Neighborhood Nights on Monday and Tuesday. Must I say more? As a member of the Le Grande L’Orange chain of the best eateries in town, Radio Milano has stepped it up to live up to expectations of those who live for Chelsea’s, Postinos and LGO. The scallops were to die for and I highly suggest trying out the chocolate pudding for dessert. It tastes more like a chocolate malt.
The atmosphere is great and it’s perfect for either a date or a night out with friends or family.
Remember — go on Monday or Tuesday when it’s neighborhood night. For $ 20, you get a salad or dessert and any entrée on the menu. You can’t beat it! Every Phoenix restaurant should follow the Neighborhood Night trend.

3.5 stars really. A group of friends and I had dinner here last night. I called for reservations and got denied but when we arrived we were seated quickly. I didn’t care for the snobby stares by the other customers, but we got over it quickly.
The atmosphere is what really makes for this place. Its contemporary but still comfortable with a lot of hustle and bustle. I love noisy restaurants and this certainly fills the bill.
A round of drinks later and I still believe that the Pom 40 is the best drink on the menu. The Blood Orange Bellini was TERRIBLE! I thought my friend should’ve sent it back.
We started our meal with the Gnocchi which was so yummy! The only issue was that it was almost doughy in the center but besides that — it was incredible. :) We devoured it. Our meals were good — around the table was the Grilled Salmon, which was deliciously charred and juicy (his words not mine! lol) and well seasoned. The clams and linguine which was described as the clams were good and the linguine was good — however it was too spicy. If it didn’t have the spices, it would have been perfect. My paradelle pasta was good, but not wonderful, It had corn, thick pasta with broccoli and other yummy stuff. There was also a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. It was the spiciest thing on the table and we had to cut the night short because my friend got major heartburn from it.
For dessert we had chocolate pudding which was so rich and creamy, way better than the stuff found in those Lil plastic cups. The best way to finish the evening :) Overall, everything was good and fresh but a Lil too spicy to handle. I say, if you’re wanting to really spice it up in a bustling and contemporary environment this is the place for you.

Mondays and Tuesdays at Radio Milano are «neighborhood nights,» meaning you can get a salad and an entrée, or a dessert and an entrée for $ 20.
Last night was my second experience at RM. Not only was the food superb, but I can’t think of a single other place in this region or elsewhere where you can get a chopped salad and filet mignon for $ 20. Everything was top-​quality, including the service.
Great food, great wine, cool ambiance — perhaps my new favorite neighborhood restaurant.

My friends and I intended upon Happy Hour at Chelsea’s but when we arrived, we were very disappointed to see that the [very small] bar was full. The Host suggested RadioMilano, as it is within the same family of restaurants. He was so kind as to call ahead and order an appetizer platter… ON THE HOUSE! Where do you find service like that anymore?!
When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by the Hostess… even more enthusiastic was the Bartender! He was extremely attentive to ensure that we had a bottomless glass of water (another touch that did not go unnoticed) in addition to our wine. (Incidentally, the Plungerhead red zinfandel is a good glass of wine.) Our first plate of appetizers was good but our second plate… the artichokes… was to die for. The artichokes were cooked and seasoned just perfectly!
All of us mentioned how pleased we were with the food and the service and are definitely going to recommend this to others.

Not so much. great drinks. great service… but the food and the vibe. better across the way at Postino… Bread a bit stale. so we got a different batch. then the same. My friends spaghetti. he liked. but again, better elsewhere… my artchichoke, which I ordered off the appetizer menu was burned yet the heart undercooked… how does that happen… hmmm
Great décor… great date place maybe… but then head over to Postino. better vibe. better wines!

Again, Great drinks, great service, great happy hours, and great style but I never have any luck with the food here.
This time the bread was not crunchy, it was stale. Appetizer FAIL. Then tried the special of the day, some ravioli dish. It pissed me off, $ 17 bucks for THREE medium raviolis with a little bit of spinach, pine nuts in a brown butter sauce. Way to small for the price.
I repeat for emphasis, great drinks and happy hours, but the food is and has always been a huge let down with me.

I really wanted to try Radio Milano again and give it another chance. The first time I was there, it was for the Unilocal event, and it was not impressed with the food.
I met my friends last night for a dinner party… company was fabulous :) I was the 4^th person to show up and noticed that my other 3 friends got a table for 4. I was like NO!!! 3 more people are going to show up. Radio Milano was very accommodating with the table arrangements. (Which is to say that the service from beginning to end was phenomenal.
We all ordered 2 bottles of sangiovese~merlo wine (which was amazing) and we also some of us split our meals, which gave us a chance to try different things. I split the house-​made papardelle (which came with vegetables that I would have never thought of putting in pasta — Brussels sprouts, squash, and artichokes) which was extremely tasty… though a little too buttery. They hand made their pasta, which gives it an extra plus. I also tried the chopped salad which was AMAZING!!! Yes people, a salad can be that good! For dessert I had the Chocolate Budino… very rich and you definitely need to share that with others…
This was such a great place to have a mini dinner party… very easy to talk to your friends and the server doesn’t hound you every moment… she really came by at the «right» times. She was also very accommodating with the bill when we had to split it 8 million different ways. (ok, just 5… but still)
I loved loved loved it! So happy I came back!

I’m probably going to get hated on for this review but, I’m going to be honest.
The atmosphere and staff where great. I only had the meatballs.
The meatballs were very very dry, I tied 2 plates to see if maybe I got a bad one. The other one was very dry as well. The flavor was very bland, nothing special.
I will say in there defense they were cooking a large batch of meatballs for everyone so it is hard to stay consistent in larger batches.
But on the flip side, they chose this one to be the dish that is judged and represents their restaurant. I wouldn’t probably go back based on the meatballs.
I did see some other people eating something that looked very good, I might be open to trying something else.
I was pretty disappointed.
The service was good thought and for that they got 3 stars. It would have been less mainly because they chose this dish to be at a Unilocal event knowing they are with critics and it was extremely mediocre. I can only wonder how the food would be on an average day.
Sorry, they were just soo dry.

My steak was barely warm and yet it was still the best I’ve had in years! Drenched in it’s own juices, my mouth is watering just thinking about it (and this was four days ago now!).
And I can not say enough about the vibe of this place! It’ s seriously more energetic than most nightclubs. Hell, if your a complete bore your date will probably think you’re vibrant just for sitting across from you while you’re in this place.
Also worthy to note, while I was waiting for my drink, I was standing near the wait station and a waiter, just out of the blue, goes «How are you doing?» … To which I thought, Hold it! Are you being nice to me and NOT fishing for a tip?! How DARE you!!!
So they seem to treat their employee’s well and it shows!
I’m in Love.