Category Archives: Forking Thoughts

Random Forking Items of Interest

A FANTABULOUS Dish the Gianduja Chocolate Mousse from Confluence Restaurant in Carefree AZ – Worth a Fork!

FANTABULOUS means – Top of the line, marvelously great, peachy keen, and DYNAMITE! The Gianduja Chocolate Mousse from Confluence is all that! I usually don’t pick desserts for the FANTABULOUS Dish but this one is exceptional. All the food I had that evening was truly amazing. Everything was creative and masterfully prepared like from the best restaurant anywhere but….a really FORKING FABULOUS dessert sure doesn’t happen at most places (even the most expensive of places)……. really is The Forking Truth….just saying.

Gianduja Chocolate Mousse from Confluence in Carefree AZ

Gosh it’s tragic that you can’t taste it because it’s more FORKING FANTABULOUS than I can describe…..They don’t have a pastry chef here……The chef here does it all (bakes delicious breads, prepares all the dishes….probably washes all the dishes and pans)…and creates the desserts too! ………….and It’s like this Gianduju chocolate mousse came from the finest restaurant…..anywhere.

We got Gianduja Chocolate (that’s a sweet chocolate spread with 30% hazelnut) mousse. On top of the mousse is something that looks like a cheese curl but it taste just like orange zest!!!! I don’t know WTFork it is but it’s crunchy and orange zest-e. Maybe it’s some sort of concentrated dehydrated orange segment?…….The yellow sauce on thee plate is caracara orange curd that has the perfect amount of sweet and tartness to it with a lot of orange flavor it’s so YUM! To the right is caramelized white chocolate ganache that’s also is wonderfully flavorful with a rich mouth feel. The the left is a chocolatey Florentine cookie and there are other crunchy yumminess that make things more interesting. It’s just FANTABULOUS! It’s a very rare that you get desserts this jaw dropping astonishingly delicious!

The Gianduja Chocolate Mousse from Confluence in Carefree is a FANTABULOUS Dish!

Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

The menus at Confluence do change often. You might have already missed it? (but they are sure to have something else that is also amazing)

www.RestaurantConfluence.com

36889 Tom Darington Dr Carefree AZ

480-488-9796

Everything is subject to change. Remember thee menus do often change!

The Forking Truth

The Most Memorable Dishes from Metro Phoenix Restaurants 2021

These are the most memorable dishes from metro Phoenix Restaurants from 2021 (in no particular order) I do note that I haven’t been everywhere and certainly can’t taste everything…But I have tried a lot! It’s also possible that I have missed some good ones because it is hard for me to see the postage sized photos that I have to pick from on my computer. I picked what I remember that stood out.

The Wagyu Beef Cheek from Confluence in Carefree They also made another dish with beef cheeks and miso that was just as FANTABULOUS pictured below. OMG both these beef cheeks dishes were maybe the #1 best beef dishes that I have ever tasted anywhere.
Get any beef cheek plate that Confluence offers
Strawberry gelato from Fabio on Fire in Peoria Probably the BEST Strawberry gelato in the whole country!

This next one is memorable…..

I ordered a take out fish dish from a certain Thai Restaurant in Peoria (I already wrote about it so I won’t mention their name…or go there again) They packaged me fish with most of the flesh removed……There is NOTHING for me to eat. I will NEVER FORGET this one. It sure was memorable.
Goat cheese creme brûlée from Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale was sublimely smooth and cheesy.
The chicken from Valentine in Phoenix was sensational! So many flavors……
The macaroni and cheese from The Americano in Scottsdale might have been the best macaroni and cheese I’ve tried from a restaurant. The Italian truffles were just ok.
The doughnuts for Daily Donuts and Wings in Phoenix are the best that I have ever tried anywhere. (lemon filled, blueberry filled, sprinkles, Boston cream (hubs loved the cinnamon and chocolate iced)
Corn soup from SWB SouthWest Bistro in Scottsdale was unusually very good!
The Wagyu Brisket from Renata’a Hearth in Phoenix was to die for. (went back and wasn’t the same)
Memorable but in a bad way. This fish (smoked trout) tasted like ammonia, deep funk, smoke & extreme fishiness ..served with bitter fizzy lettuce and bitter oranges……..YUK! I already wrote about it..If you read my blog then you know where it came from….
Burrata pizza from Fabio On Fire in Peoria was either the best or one of the best pizzas I ate this year.
Combo with Jerk Chicken and Curry Chicken from Desert Island Eatery in North Phoenix was really delicious!
The ground in house Prime Beef ground filet burger from The Bourbon Cellar in Scottsdale was the best burger I ate this year. I didn’t try the next burger yet but……..
Arrowhead Grill in Glendale The A.G. Burger ( ground in house Prime tenderloin topped with a slice of prime rib) According to my husband This was also a phenomenal burger. He said that I have to try it.
Tis Chula Salmon Salad was as great as a salmon salad can possibly be from Pomo Pizzeria in Scottsdale
From Little Cay in Phoenix I got the Kokomo Chop Bowl the flavors are great but you must add the special Puerto Rican hot sauce on the table to it to get the whole experience and all the flavors.
sea bass with Fresno chili and fregola from PA’LA wood fired Downtown Phoenix was really great and had unique flavor combinations.
Had a few fish dishes from Twist Bistro and Gallery (North Scottsdale) that were particularly good. This one is the salmon croustade. Also had their filet one night…..It was far more flavorful and did cost much less than one I tasted from Ruth’s Chris.
This seems like a very pedestrian dish called cheesy corn from Urban Margarita in Glendale but it taste amazing.
All the fish dishes from Confluence in Carefree are amazing and are prepared more masterful than from most places. This is the only restaurant that serves fish with crisp skin that tastes good and stays crisp and never turns soggy.
This came from a very good restaurant around downtown Phoenix. It was an African seasoned fish. This dish was flavored so great that it would have made my Fantabulous Dish list but it was only cooked on the edges and the whole middle was raw………(we did let the owner know and he did try to make things right with me)
Seasonal Harvest Salad from Lure Seafood House in Scottsdale. The Seasonal salads, bowls, and sand dabs are always really great from Lure.
Also memorable but in a bad way. This one I also already wrote about (a place in Mesa). It’s like they took bulgogi and blended it with cream cheese. It was like vomit on a skillet.
These Seaweed shell sushi tacos from Headquarters in Peoria were pretty darn tasty
Salmon salad from Campo Italian Bistro in Scottsdale was particularly good. Really great flavors and nicely prepared salmon. Their dinner salmon is just as great…
This one looks good but tasted so terrible that I couldn’t eat it. The fish had a house made balsamic rub that might have been made with spoiled wine and only God knows what else, Candied cabbage under the green beans was on the side that was awful. The jalapeno creamed corn was more sugary than taffy…ICK. The complimentary red sangria they served me was made with old spoiled wine….I felt sick to my stomach from this place. I already wrote about them. Some place in Phoenix.
The Fish Collar from Vecina in Phoenix was Amazing!
Gelato from Pomo Pizzeria in Scottsdale was really great! I had a different one on a different visit with mostly hazelnut that was also amazing!
I didn’t eat this one but my husband really loved the osso buco from the Italian Daughter in Scottsdale.
This salad made with tuna from The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen in Scottsdale was delicious and incredible.. Great flavors, fresh fish, and fancy pristine farm fresh produce.
Lunch – Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Confluence in Carefree is not like any other and is SCRUMPTIOUS!
Miang Kham from Chada Thai AZ in Scottsdale. Really great flavors that POP!
Pickled Fish – Water boiled fish with pickles and chilies from Shaanxi Gardens in Mesa

These were most of the most memorable dishes from Metro Phoenix Restaurants from 2021. It’s always a joy to eat eat something so well made and delicious.

The Forking Truth

Some of the 2021 Recipes on The Forking Truth www.TheForkingTruth.com

These are not all but some of the 2021 recipes that you can find on The Forking Truth. Enjoy! No calories just looking. Up above is Butternut squash fondue pie with pickled peppers.

Game Day Potato String Wrapped HOT DOG Chile Relleno
Butternut Squash with Orange Vinaigrette Pistachios Pomegranate and Herbs
Chili Crisp
Wine Braised Beets Mushroom Leek Duxelles in Pastry
Fat Free Indian Inspired Cucumber Salad
Roasted Grey Squash with Hazelnuts, Urfa Peppered Feta, Harissa and Charred Squash Anchovy Tahini Sauce
Eggplant Caponata
Brussels sprouts with cashews, tarragon and lemon miso vinaigrette
Smoked Beets with Goat Cheese Musse, Orange, Almonds, Mint, and Orange Champagne Vinaigrette
Butternut Squash Apricots, Walnuts with Lemon Anchovy Pesto
Jamaican Jerk Inspired Parsley Salad
Beet Chutney
Tabbouleh Style Rice
Parsley Pesto
Chipotle Lime Chimichurri
Shallot Anise Turmeric Marinated White Fish with Mango Nam Prik
Hasselback Beets with Lime Leaf Butter and Crispy Fried Beet Leaves
Cabbage and Chilli Crisp Dumplings
Roasted Carrots with Apricot Harissa Feta Cheese and Pistachios
Low Fat Za’atar Potato Salad with Pickled Red Onions, Artichokes, Olives and Feta Cheese
Bok Choy in Black Bean Sauce with Ginger Soy Meringue
Sunflower Seed Crusted Zucchini with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Butter Honey Mustard Horseradish Braised Bok Choy and Radishes with Crispy Radishes and Pickled
Mustard Seeds
Brussels Sprouts with Black Garlic Date BBQ Sauce and Seasoned Feta Cheese
Giardiniera
Peruvian Inspired Purple Potato Salad with Onion Salsa and Cilantro Sauce
Asparagus with Hazelnuts, Dijon Vinaigrette and breaded fried egg
Textures Of Corn – Corn Chalaquita, charred corn parfait, corn crisps with peanut pesto
Fiddlehead Ferns & Black Trumpet Mushrooms with Tahini Verde & Miso Aioli
Kashmiri Masala Spiced Butternut Squash,Walnuts, Pomegranate, stuffed Peppers with Green Coconut Chutney and Yogurt-Miso-Mayo
Asian Style Tuna Patties with Yuzu Kosho and Quick Kimchi style Slaw
Vegetarian Eggplant Pibil with Habanero Salsa and Citrus Pickled Onions
Chocolaty Beet Brownies with Beet Caramel, Beet Meringues and Chocolate Drizzle
Broccoli Three Ways with Confit Egg, Onion Jam, Blue Cheese, Crispy Cabbage and Tempura Radish
Sazon Spiced Acorn Squash with Cilantro Chimichurri
Spiced Cabbage with Ginger Crisp and Chili Oil
Anaheim Romesco Sauce
Gochugaru Cauliflower with Chive Cauliflower Core and Pickles
Anaheim Romesco Sauce
Chipotle Cilantro Lime Beef & Rice Stuffed Peppers with Avocado Cream
Spanish Style Stewed Turkey Leg Quarters
Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Thighs with Yuzu and Sesame
Taco with home made blue tortilla, lime pickled onions, creamy jalapeño salsa, habanero salsa and dried chili salsa
Tea-Brined and Double Fried Hot Chicken
Yotam Ottolenghi Style Oven Fries with Tahini Yogurt and Smoky Sweet Nuts
Paccheri Pie
Forking Amazing Smoked Pastrami with my Easy Rye Rolls and my Spicy Beer Mustard
Bok Choy Garlic Stems & Chestnuts in Asian Sauce
Not Robuchon Beet/Apple with herbs, jalapeño cream. and mustard seed pink peppercorn tuille
Smoky Aleppo Pepper Cauliflower Vegetable Bowl or Side Dish
Yuzu Honey Ginger Beets with Melon, Sweet Basil, and Pistachios
Carrot Parsnip Lime Soup with Cilantro
Roast Cauliflower with Smoked Cheddar Sauce, Pickled Leeks, Nuts and Seeds
radish, blue cheese, sriracha, bonito flakes
Picked and Roasted Cauliflower & Cabbage with Tarragon Oil and Onion Jam Puree
Easy Mackerel Pate with Pickled Cucumber and Mustard Seed Pink Peppercorn Tuile
Cucumber Gazpacho with Parmesan Custard and Cilantro Chive Oil
Marinated Mushrooms with Walnuts and Tahini Yogurt
turkey breast teriyaki
Watermelon Salad with Miso Honey Dressing
Cauliflower Sformato
Jodhpuri Tawa Chicken with Tomato Chutney and Cumin Cabbage
Ramen Egg Ramen Tostadas with Gochujang Vinaigrette
beef osso buco
Tarragon & Artichoke Tuna Salad with Chopped Lemon and Capers
Korean Inspired Butternut Squash
eye roast
eye roast with braised cabbage, carrot puree, gremolata,and orange pickled turmeric onions
Roasted Carrots with Yaji Spice Relish
Cauliflower Piccata
Sichuan Style Cucumber & Noodle Salad
Roasted Parsnips, Sprout Leaves, Olives, Sage, Bonito Flakes, Lemon
FORKING DELICIOUS Kimchi Slaw, milk buns, pickled beets, horseradish miso hollandaise and parsnips with sprout leaves and bonito flakes
Seasoned mackerel sandwich on Milk Bun with horseradish miso hollandaise, kimchi slaw, pickled beets
Smoky Carrots with Mole Dust and Sour Cream with Lime
Chicken Rollatini with peppers, onions, hazelnut anchovy pesto
Braised Leeks with Stracchino Parmesan Pine Nuts Lemon and Crispy Leeks
Chorizo Hash Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Cucumber Salad with Butter Beans and Tarragon
Five-Spice Butternut Squash in Cheesy Custard
Dhokla with Apple and Beetroot
Apple Remoulade with Sous Vide Chicken Breast and Fennel Seed Pickled Cucumbers

Some of the 2021 recipes on www.TheForkingTruth.com

The Forking Truth

Some FORKING Thoughts on The Christmas Candy Cane

A long time ago in a land far far away someone invented candy sticks to make kids shut the FORK up for when they were in church. It was also written that someone from Germany got the idea to put a little religion into the candy sticks by adding on a Shepard’s hook shape to the candy.

Some time has passed….and someone got the idea to add hyssop flavoring to the candy because hyssop was used in the Old Testament for purification and sacrifice. Maybe nobody wanted child sacrifice on their hands so they stopped adding hyssop flavor. But maybe the real reason that they stopped adding hyssop is because they found that mint flavoring was cheaper (and tasted better).

Next change was that they added The White Stripes.

Or was it the Red Stripes symbolizing the blood of Christ?

Maybe you have noticed that many candy canes still have stripes but are no longer are mint flavored?

Pizza Flavored
Kale Flavored
Mac & Cheese flavored
Warhead, Swedish Fish, Smarties flavored
Life Savers, OREO, Dum Dum flavored
Bacon flavored
Rotisserie Chicken flavored
Pickle flavored
Coal flavored
“It doesn’t FORKING matter how the candy cane is flavored. When the kid eats it they will shut the FORK up”.

That was Some FORKING Thoughts on The Christmas Candy Cane.

Wishing you and yours a Merry and Safe Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

The Forking Truth

References

www.Wikkipedia.com

www.WhyChristmas.com

www.NoelNoel.com

www.FoodNetwork.com

The FANTABULOUS Dish! The Miang Kham from Chada Thai AZ Restaurant in Scottsdale AZ – Worth a Fork!

Chada Thai AZ is a Thai Restaurant located in Scottsdale Arizona. They were well known for many years as Cha Da Thai at their original location about ten minutes away in Scottsdale. They advertise that they serve authentic Thai Food. You can find dishes here that aren’t on many menus in Thai restaurants like boat noodle soups and the miang kham (tasty leaf wrap salad bites).

The FANTABULOUS Dish means – top of the line, marvelously good, peachy keen and DYNAMITE!

The miang kham from Chada Thai AZ is a FANTABULOUS Dish!

one of six miang kham

I read on the menu that the miang kham is the original snack in Thailand. It starts with a leaf that is either a green butter leaf or a wild pepper leaf depending on the time of year. The leaf is stuffed with roasted shredded coconut, peanuts, unpeeled lime cubes, fresh ginger cubes, onions, oranges and a sauce made with tamarind and bird’s eye chilies. It’s a combination of sweet, spicy, savory, tart and tangy. This sets off all kinds of delicious sensations in your mouth. It’s just delicious and is a must get dish.

The Miang Kham from Chada Thai AZ in Scottsdale is a FANTABULOUS Dish!

Worth A Fork!
Miang Kham from Chada Thai AZ

www.ChadaThaiAZ.com

The Forking Truth

FANTABULOUS Donuts in Phoenix from Daily Donuts & Wings Phoenix AZ – Worth a Fork!

Fantabulous means – Top of the line, marvelously good, peachy keen and dynamite.

Daily Donuts & Wings recently opened in a strip mall on Bell Road in North Phoenix Arizona and the donuts on every visit have been FANTABULOUS! I read that they also have other locations in Mesa, Tempe and in Glendale (*****UPDATE haven’t been able to find the other locations…..maybe they plan to expand?). Besides FANTABULOUS Donuts they also offer breakfast, wings, chicken tenders, fries, smoothies and a few snacks.

They have some indoor seating across the front and a table to the side.

OOOOOOOOH! It’s that sweet doughnut aroma………….Doughnuts!

Oh my what will we try?

Today I tried a blueberry filled donut and my husband tried a chocolate iced. I was so excited that I forgot to photo them. But WOW!!!! were they FANTABULOUS! The blueberry filled donut was one of the best donuts that I have ever had in my life. The donut really just melted in my mouth. It had the perfect sweetness and was so tender and seemed light as air. I didn’t get to try any of the chocolate iced doughnut but my husband said that it was better than other chocolate doughnuts that he has tried.

Then we went back the next week and tried two more donuts.

Today I got a lemon filled doughnut. (the blueberry looked identical) It’s this just right lightly iced doughnut that seems light are air and it just melts in my mouth. I don’t get lemon in the first few bites because the filling is squeezed into the center. BUT WOW! It’s the best lemon filling that I ever had in a doughnut. It’s very lemony and tart but not too tart….It’s just right.

My husband picked one of the cinnamon doughnuts (they make a few different kinds).

Went back the following week and tried a Boston Cream.

I think this is the best Boston Cream doughnut that I ever had. The cream is so smooth and delicious. The doughnut is so fresh and so light as air. The chocolate icing is has the right amount of chocolate and sweetness. (my husband had the same cinnamon doughnut again)

On my most recent trip back I got a doughnut with sprinkles and my husband got the cinnamon doughnut again.

This is the FORKING BEST doughnut with sprinkles that I have ever had. Even the frosting is better than from other places. It’s not too sweet and actually taste good. The doughnut is so light and so fresh….It’s FANTABULOUS!

FANTABULOUS Doughnuts from Daily Donuts and Wings. So light and so fresh….these doughnuts are easy to inhale.

Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

You can find Daily Donuts & Wings on Facebook and the North Phoenix location has a website and lists the other locations.

www.DailyDonutsandWings.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

The SKINNY on Thinnest Dough Pizzas and Such in Metro Phoenix AZ – Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante, Pane Bianco, Pomo Pizzeria, Mora Italian, PA’LA Downtown

Here is the SKINNY on the thinnest dough pizzas and such in Metro Phoenix Arizona. If you are a fan of the extra thin doughs and are around Phoenix this might be of interest to you.

Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in north Glendale offers all of their pizzas (around 16 varieties Milano Style……….. that means EXTRA thin…much thinner than their normal thin Neapolitan pizzas. Thin pizzas never weigh you down. You can enjoy more pizza when you go for the extra thin. Up above is the vegetariana pizza made of D.O.P. tomato sauce, flor di latte, red bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.

Next is a spinach calzone from Pane Bianco in Phoenix.

It looks like a normal doughy calzone.

But look!

This dough is paper thin…This is super thin calzone dough….gives you more belly room for that rich creamy cheesus filling. BTW- The cheeses are incredible here. For my taste it is a little light on the spinach but it does taste great.

Pomo Pizzeria offers quite a few extra thins. One is the Pizza Rimini in 4 varieties.

It gets baked for a very short time at around 900 degrees in a certified Italian wood oven.

Pomo also offers the Focaccia di Recco in three varieties. (below is the formaggio)

This focaccia gets rolled even thinner than the Rimini pizza because it gets stuffed with stracchino cheese and you can add on local honey to enjoy it even more.

Focaccia di Recco from Pomo Pizzeria

Here is the focaccia di recco in the pesto variety from Pomo.

focaccia di recco pesto

LOOK how paper thin it really is.

I loved the Focaccia di Recco so much from Pomo Pizzeria that I had to try it when I saw it on the menu at Mora Italian in Phoenix.

The Mora Italian Focaccia di Recco was very different from the Pomo Pizzeria. Mora’s wasn’t as crisp and the cheese didn’t come out all melty.

I was told by the manager that Mora Italian uses a different oven so the results do differ.

The thinnest non-extra thin pizza that we have received was the mushroom with mozzarella and salamette picante from PA’LA Downtown.

It was a very chewy very thin pizza.

This was the SKINNY on the thinnest dough pizzas and such in Metro Phoenix AZ.

Every FORKING thing is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

I was BAMBOOZLED by a review site. Dirty Tables, Bad Chips & Salsa, Soapy Silverware, Stringy dry meat, 3% Processing Charge and MORE!

I recently went to one restaurant in Phoenix Arizona and had a most unpleasant experience. I doubt whoever just opened this restaurant knows anything about the hospitality business. My gut told me that I should leave as soon as I got here….It was my bad for staying…….Note to self listen to your gut. This is the only restaurant (so far) that I am not mentioning by name. This restaurant has so many problems I doubt they will be around for long anyway unless they bring someone in to help. The only reason I wanted to eat here is because I was BAMBOOZLED on Yelp. I read mostly all 5 star reviews and looked at mouth watering photos of food……I can only figure that the reviews must have been done by friends and family…..I have no idea where they got the photos from……….I sure didn’t get anything that resembled the food I looked at…….This is the only way that I can write about this restaurant.

We walked in early just twenty minutes after they opened. Every table in the restaurant was left dirty from the night before with crumbs and smudges.

crumbs and smudges on every table “actual table”

I thought our waitress was dressed like a slut.

not actual waitress but similar

Since every table was filthy I thought our server would wipe the table off that she sat us at…. but she didn’t…. so we wiped off the table ourselves………………….. They obviously don’t even concern themselves about sanitation.

Then she introduces another slut…I mean waitress that she is training who is even sluttier.

Not actual waitress …ours had even more cut outs

We order and soon complimentary chips and salsa come out.

actual complimentary chips and salsa

Oh my they don’t know how to make chips and salsa. These chips taste like the ones that Costco sells (that aren’t good). They tried to heat the chips up but didn’t do that right because they taste burnt….. The sauce taste just like crushed canned tomatoes with too much added dry oregano and doctored up slightly with a little hot sauce. Wow it’s like a child made the salsa.

We needed silverware for our meals that arrived. We were the only table on the restaurant and our server was unaware that we needed silverware…….So we asked for silverware……Then we got some and I unrolled my silverware and they were covered in soap residue. I used my glass of water to soak off the soap from the silverware.

All the food that we received was mediocre….meats were like dry stringy pot roast. Flavors weren’t so good. I ordered a grilled fish taco and the cook made me a breaded fish taco that seemed like it was already reheated a few times. It was similar to bad buffet food.

Finally we asked for the bill. They have some sort of new electronic paying system where you don’t see the bill until you see it in your email on the computer.

They added on without telling us an extra 3% called processing tech charge.

Dirty Tables, Bad Chips and Bad Salsa, Soupy Silverware, Dry stingy meats, Undisclosed 3% processing tech fees, and some peoples daughters dressed like sluts from some restaurant in Metro Phoenix Arizona.

Everything is subject to change….This restaurant will probably close and re-open soon as another restaurant.

I only went here because of the glowing reviews and amazing looking pictures of food from a certain review site. It turns out that I was bamboozled by a review site.

The Forking Truth

Some of the Destination Lunch Places in Metro Phoenix AZ

There are several different kinds of restaurants out there. Most go under the categories of neighborhood restaurants….and neighborhood restaurants also are very good restaurants. We LOVE neighborhood restaurants……….but…… Some restaurants out there are destination restaurants. Destination restaurants serve the FANTABULOUS dishes. These are the restaurants that you drive across town for. We lost some of our destination lunch restaurants like Tarbell’s Tavern, Christopher’s and Vincent Market Bistro possibly due to the pandemic. Some restaurants have cut back lunch service to limited days. It is important that we still have some destination lunch restaurants. These restaurants are great for a special lunch out. Some only offer lunch on the weekends. Maybe you want to impress a friend or a relative. Maybe you want a special lunch for an anniversary or a birthday. Or maybe it’s for just because…….

Here they are in no particular order.

The Craftsman (lunch Fri, Sat. Sun.) in North Scottsdale offers some expectational cuisine. When you taste just even a salad you know that it isn’t ordinary. It’s the highest freshest quality.

crunchy quinoa salad with chicken
Craftsman muffuletta with fries
shipwright ahi salad
tomato and melon burrata

www.TheCraftsmanAZ.com

We have Elements at Sanctuary (lunch Mon., Tue., Wed., Thurs., Fri.) in Paradise Valley with celebrity chef Beau Macmillan. The menu is ever changing and seasonal. But you are sure to find a variety of appetizers a special of the day, bento boxes, a very good exceptional chicken dish, and pastry chef quality desserts.

bento box
house made cavatelli with duck confit
seasonal chicken thigh dish
five spice beef tenderloin
chef crafted dessert

www.SantuuaryCamelback.com/dining/Elements

Ocotillo (lunch Sat., Sun. subject to change) is a restaurant and more. It is technically also a coffee bar, cocktail lounge, wine bar, event space and park. They offer a mostly American menu laced with global cuisine. The menu offered is a large brunch menu of mostly sharing plates of salads, vegetable plates, sweets (breakfast), light plates, savory plates. I counted over 20 different plates to choose from. The menus are seasonal and do change. Also the hours change. Before the pandemic Ocotillo offered a great lunch everyday. Currently brunch is offered on the weekends of mostly lunch sharing plates.

house smoked salmon plate
crispy chicken meatballs
tandoori chicken salad pita with tomato watermelon salad
vanilia roasted pear with goat cheese and bitter chocolate with mint
smoked brisket on parmesan polenta, fried egg, crispy onions, brisket jus
Japanese fish and chips

It’s easy to see why Ocotillo is a destination restaurant.

www.OcotilloPHX.com

Superstition Downtown Meadery (lunch 7 days a week) in Phoenix offers chef crafted food and award winning meadery (ancient honey wine). They offer sharing boards, small sharing plates and large sharing plates and food and mead pairings.

12 mead sampler $24.
piri piri chicken & warm cannelli bean salad
gorgonzola. & herb butter skirt steak
blondies with cocoa nibs and Marion berry mead sauce whipped cream

www.SuperstitionMeadery.com

Another one of the top destinations for a special lunch would be the small restaurant in Carefree called Confluence (lunch Wed. Thurs., Fri., Sat.) They serve ever changing seasonal menus of elevated modern cuisine….You can order appetizers, lunch, and don’t miss dessert….because the desserts are equally amazing as the food.

Some of the amazing detailed and delicious lunches from Confluence that we tried were- –

kampachi crudo appetizer
miso braised beef cheek (don’t miss out on any beef cheek you ever come across from Confluence) (this was only on the lunch menu maybe one week)
Wagyu pastrami sandwich
cubano sandwich
BBQ chicken sandwich, celery root, spicy pickle, beet greens, smoked onion mayo, on a house made fontina roll (This might have been the most delicious sandwich that I have ever eaten anywhere)
buttermilk fried chicken with broccolini, grits and chili tepin honey mustard
mixed fruit granite
spiced plum with black pepper oat crumble, sake poached cherry, candied manderanquat, mint, matcha creme anglaise
chocolate mousse
smoked toffee risotto, spiced pear, cocoa nibs, hazelnut, mint

www.RestaurantConfluence.com

These are some of the destination restaurants of metro Phoenix for lunch.

In no particular order-

The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen – (Fri-Sun.) North Scottsdale

Elements at Sanctuary – (Mon-Fri) Paradise Valley

Ocotillo – (Sat-Sun) Phoenix

Superstition Downtown Meadery – (7 Days) Downtown Phoenix

Confluence – (Wed-Sat) Carefree

Some Honorable Mentions

PA’LA – Downtown (Tue-Sat Lunch)

Twist Bistro – North Scottsdale (Tue-Sat Lunch)

Campo Italian Bistro – Scottsdale (Sat-Sun Brunch with Lunch plates)

Chula Seafood Uptown – Phoenix (7 days)

Pane Bianco – Phoenix (Mon-Sat)

Pomo Pizzeria – Scottsdale (7 days)

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

My FORKING Thoughts on Deep River Snacks Chinese Mustard Kettle Potato Chips – Worth a Fork!

I found this bag of Deep River Snacks Chinese Mustard Kettle Potato Chips at Marshall’s. I thought this flavor seemed different and fun so I gave them a try. The bag is different.

The top of the bag reads, “Because we give a chip.” What it means is that they donate from their sales to a charity to feed children.

Then I look at the ingredients.

Seems safe to eat.

I open the bag and it smells like mustard.

Spill some chips out.

These are very small chips. They look fingerling sized??? They are extra crisp, very thin and slightly powdered.

I eat a few.

They really taste like Chinese mustard with that slight horseradish flavor.

Now I go to eat one real slow…………can’t………..the flavors are too strong that way….These you just have to eat.

I have to say these Select Edition Chinese Mustard Kettle Potato Chips from Deep River Snacks are Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

If you are a fan of Chinese Mustard and Crispy Potato chips you might want to give this bag of potato chips a try.

The Forking Truth