Being a restaurant reviewer means I get to eat at some of the Valley’s finest restaurants on the Tribune’s dime. On my own time, however, you’ll rarely find me at those places; I’m sure you wouldn’t be surprised to learn a journalist’s salary doesn’t go very far when meals can run $200 to $300.

Summer is an exception. For these few weeks when triple-digit temperatures scare way many visitors, some the Valley’s top resorts lower prices or offer special meal deals. Here are five resorts where you can enjoy some of the Valley’s best cuisine in spectacular atmospheres:

T. Cook’s: “Iron Chef America” competitor Lee Hillson (pictured above) heads the kitchen of the Royal Palms Resort & Spa’s centerpiece, which melds Spanish Colonial architecture with a Mediterranean-influenced menu. Through Sept. 13, you can design your own three-course meal off the menu for $40 Sundays through Thursdays. Entrée suggestion: Pecan-roasted “Poulet Rouge” chicken, a French heirloom breed considered by some the world’s finest. 5200 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, (602) 808-0766.

Kai: The only Valley restaurant to earn Mobil’s five-star rating and AAA’s five-diamond rating, this Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa restaurant spotlights ingredients produced by the Gila River Indian Community. Kai currently is offering a $59 prix-fixe menu of three of chef Michael O’Dowd’s signature items; hand-picked baby lettuces, grilled buffalo tenderloin and traditional fry bread. (Note: Kai closes from Aug. 9-Sept. 9 each summer.) 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler, (602) 385-5726.

J&G Steakhouse: The Phoenician Resort shuttered its venerable Mary Elaine’s last year, but has replaced it with an upscale steakhouse from celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. This summer, J&G is offering a $19 burger-and-beer special: a fresh-ground patty topped with made-from-scratch Russian dressing, house-pickled cucumbers and lightly battered Vidalia sweet onions, hand-cut French fries and a premium microbrew. 6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, (480) 214-8000.

Talavera: Prime cuts of free-raised meats and seafood are the building blocks of chef Mel Mecinas’s contemporary American cuisine — not cutting edge but expertly executed — at this classy-casual Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale restaurant. Talavera offers a weekly two-course tasting menu for $34, or $45 with wine pairings. Through Sept. 1, all bottles on house wine list are half-price Sundays through Wednesdays. 10600 E. Crescent Moon Drive, Scottsdale, (480) 515-5700.

Lon’s: The Hermosa Inn celebrates the spirit of the Old West, and it’s reflected in chef Michael Rusconi’s “artful American” cuisine at this hacienda-style dining room. A new summer menu includes pan-roasted foie gras with dried
cherry tamale; butternut squash ravioli with organic spinach; heirloom
tomato salad with cucumbers, red onion, San Joaquin Gold cheese and basil
sorbet; and Colorado lamb loin with goat cheese gnocchi and
fava beans. 5532 N. Palo Cristi Road, Paradise Valley, (602) 955-7878.