Manna All You Can Eat Korean BBQ opened around September 2018 in the P83 area of Peoria (near the sports complex). They are a Californian Based Korean BBQ Restaurant with two other locations in Metro Phoenix. Now besides the BBQ they offer a Shabu all you can eat.
The shabu tables are set up slightly different from the BBQ tables with soup wells instead of a grill in the middle of the table.
You have several choices for your soup and pick as many meats as you care to start with. You can eat all you want for up to two hours for $24.99.
Then you hit the buffet.
You might want to start with cold shellfish.
Next case over are several kinds of fish cakes and tofu. They are not marked.
Then you got more choices. All kinds of noodles…one is marked cactus..???
Now to get your veg on.
Corn, yams, seafood mushrooms, enoki mushrooms cilantro, jalapeños, something I forgot (didn’t take notes) and Asian Squash.
Asian greens, onions, bok choy, bean sprouts and another pan I can’t make out.
A vanity of green onions, cabbage and spinach.
Various sauces, herbs, condiments, dressings and eggs.
By now your meats and soup you asked for are delivered to your table.Now you put whatever you want in your soup.
I just did my soup and now I have to wait a few minutes for it to get hot and cook.
I really like the seafood mushrooms a lot. They are an amazing flavor in Shabu…The hard squash aren’t done yet and need a few more minutes. I picked the tomato soup because I’m a big fan of tomato flavor with beef….It’s on the weak side….and gets even weaker when you add vegetables and meat to it. The Manna house soup is also on the weak side today. Maybe the other varieties are more flavorful?
I liked the vegetables and all the variety. The meats seemed to be shaved even thinner than last time. Each meat was an extremely small serving that cooked down to very little in the soup so you could try many.
The food seemed fresh and healthy and might be the only Shabu in this part of town.
www.MannaBBQ.com
Worth a try if you are in the area!
Here’s some photos from my last BBQ visit. (it’s more meaty than the shabu)
BBQ tablebanchan (side dishes)
Every THING is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
The Farish House Restaurant is located in downtown Phoenix Arizona. This is a historic tiny bungalow that has been converted to a French/American restaurant. It’s very charming and is like a cross of an antique shop and maybe a grandmother’s house. Most of the food and drink are served on antique china or craved glassware. They serve dinner and Sunday Brunch.
It looks like they use three small rooms, a patio, and a few bar stools for seating.
While you are waiting in the lobby you can read the history of The Farish House if you desire. It was named after the first Phoenix City Manager William A Farish.
This is the biggest dining room. The walls have an almost ultra bright robin egg blue kind of color. I guess it fits in with the bird theme. There is a bird theme in the restaurant. The lobby has a peacock painting. There is a peacock tapestry in this blue room on the back wall and the drapes have a bird pattern on and bird plates grace the wall.
The kitchen is in a small building in the backyard.
For my main I had the smoked salmon Wellington ($18.00)
There is two puff pastries stuffed with smoked salmon, spinach pesto, chèvre cheese with lemony bernaise sauce. It’s sort of like a more complex French Style lox and bagel. It taste delicious! I love how all the flavors go well together. The greens look dry but taste fruity and some fresh fruit is on the side.
My husband went with the sloppy Giovanni ($18.00).
The Noble Brioche bun is topped with Chianti short rib, gravy and poached medium egg. On the side is a generous amount of roasted fingerling potatoes and greens. The rib is tender and developed with flavor. The egg is jammy instead of loose but everything taste great.
Instead of the house desserts we decided to try the gorgonzola spiced walnut stuffed figs for dessert ($7.00)
We both thought the stuffed figs were the perfect sweet ending to a very nice meal out.
The Farish House in Phoenix is Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.FarishHouse.com
Every Thing is subject to change and your experience may or may Not differ.
I came across a Tomato Chutney recipe and thought of it as an Indian flavored tomato sauce that is used like a salsa or condiment. I started researching different recipes for tomato chutney so I would know what ingredients I’d want to use. Of course tomato chutney is vegetarian and wouldn’t be used the way I’m using it here but it is really delicious this way. Tomato chutney is a sweet, sour and spicy tomato sauce. I didn’t add sugar but used golden raisins for sweetness. It’s something different and delicious that you might want to try. I really got the one pot dishes down and they come out Forking GREAT. However the chicken skin in these dishes is not edible but gives off amazing flavors to the dish. The chicken is always moist and flavorful and leftover heat up moist , tender and flavorful too. This recipe will make about 4 dinners with sauce of about 4 oz of chicken each with around 6 ounces of leftover moist flavorful chicken that you can use for maybe two lunches. I would suggest to serve with a salad or maybe some rice or potato.
Ingredients for 4 servings plus around 6 ounces of extra chicken
1 medium sweet onion – diced
13 garlic cloves – fine chopped
25 curry leaves (curry leaves are controversial in cooking. Some chefs pull them out like bay leaves and other chefs chop up…I chopped them up fine and they were very good in the dish) – fine chopped Or whole if you want to remove.
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste…you might want more or less depending on your tolerance for spicy food.
1 teaspoon gram masala
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
4 1/2 los chicken thighs – (with bone and skin)
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large baking dish or buffet half pan add the onion, garlic, curry leaves, cumin, mustard, red Chile, garam masala, ginger, fennel, tomatoes, raisins, vinegar and add the chicken thighs in a single layer on the top skin side up. Sprinkle evenly the salt, pepper, granulated garlic and paprika over the chicken. Cover the pan tightly with foil.
Put in pre-heated 350 degree F oven on the middle rack. Timing may differ but in my oven this was perfect in two and half hours. You must cook till the chicken is at least 165 degrees F to be safe to eat…but I prefer my dark meat chicken cooked at least 180 degrees…..I think that you will too if you try it.
When you take this pan out of the oven be careful not o burn yourself. You should remove the thighs so they will cool some so you can remove the meat from the bones and skin. The fat from the chicken does not mix with the sauce and you need to spill the chicken fat off. Either by letting it cool to room temp and chilling over night in the refrigerator and scrapping the fat off the top….OR you can just tilt the pan and let the fat run out.
Tomato Chutney One Pot Chicken
If you enjoy sweet sour spicy and flavorful then you should enjoy this.
There is always something NEW, Weird, Different, Limited and Special Edition out there in the wonderful world of food. I never know WTFork I’ll come across when I go to a store and here is some of what I’ve come across. Up above is LIMITED EDITION – Kellogg’s Birthday Cake Fruit Loops in Strawberry Birthday Cake Flavor.
LIMITED EDITION- General Mills cinnamon Vanilla Lucky Charms…..Is it my imagination or is there a Forking Mushroom flying out the right side of the bowl?
LIMITED EDITION – General Mills Sugar Cookie Toast Crunch
LIMITED EDITION – Hostess Mint Chocolate Twinkies
DIFFERENT and maybe WEIRD – I’m not exactly sure WTFork these things are……I found them in the refrigerated section.
Here are Clio Greek Yogurt Bars in vanilla and strawberry that are coated in chocolate….Sounds awful…..I think you bite into chocolate and yogurt squirts out.
Different – Yoplait Whips in Dunkin Cinnamon Coffee Roll Flavor. I saw the front of it before I read what it was and I thought it was a picture of something my dog did…….I would never try this yogurt.
Different and maybe Weird? Ox Tongue Shaped Cake…..Below are Pop-tarts…..I know they used to be made with beef fat……always thought that made them weird.
NEW – Value Pack POP-tarts in Cupcake Flavors of Chocolate and Confetti – 360 calories is too much investment for a POP-Tart
EXCLUSIVE FLAVOR – POP-tarts in frosted crisp apple…..200 calories is a better value
DIFFERENT and maybe NEW – Country Crock Plant Butters in Almond Oil, Olive Oil and Avocado Oil…….???
DIFFERENT – CADO Avocado frozen desserts in Mint Chocolate Chip, Simply Lemon and Deep Dark Chocolate. Probably good! …….but don’t know????
WIRED – Peanut BLUBBER frozen concoction……It’s not ice cream and it’s called Peanut Blubber…….WEIRD!
NEW – Marvel Ample Hills Creamery Captain America, Black Panther and Spiderman Ice Cream……?????? They are pretty expensive for a small container. I hope they are good…They are like TWICE as FORKING MUCH as Hagan Dazz…….They better be really great!
WEIRD – Ocean Spray Craisins (dried cranberries) in FORKING WATERMELON FLAVOR….WHY would I want my cranberry to taste like watermelon……whoever thought of this must be on drugs…..just my Forking thoughts…..
Here are ARTIFICIALLY Flavor Bacon Salt Sunflower Seeds….WHY?……I don’t think most people like artificial bacon….maybe real bacon but then it might be greasy?……I think most people like sunflower seeds plain or with salt.
NEW – Reese’s Chocolate Lovers (sorry I accidentally covered up the word LOVERS) Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. These are different. They darkened the milk chocolate some and it’s suppose to be a thicker coating of chocolate. It does taste different. If you aren’t a fan of Reese’s then you will like it better but If you love Reese’s like I do you will prefer the original. They also came out with a Peanut Butter Lovers Peanut Butter Cup with less chocolate and a layer of peanut butter confection but I didn’t find that one yet.
NEW – Baby Bottle Pop Lollipops with POPPING POWDER……might be fun?
DIFFERENT and WEIRD – Frankford Brand Gummy Krabby Patties Candy. Too funny! I wonder What the FORK are they suppose to taste like? A Krabby Patty or a Hamburger pictured on the box. WTFork is this stuff anyway?
NEW and DIFFERENT – Earthly Choice Broccoli Rice and Cauliflower Rice. These aren’t frozen they are packaged for the shelf. I see cauliflower rice everywhere but not too often do I see broccoli rice.
DIFFERENT maybe WEIRD – Brami Italian Snacking Lupini Beans marinated with garlic and rosemary…???? Seems weird to snack on beans….
DIFFERENT and also maybe WEIRD – GAEA Bagged natural Snacks in Gherkin, Carrot and Cauliflower……….I’m thinking weird…..
WEIRD – Heinz Kranch saucy sauce – WTFork is this????? ……ranch and ketchup? WHY?
NEW – Millie’s Delight PHO Vegetable Broth Bags………..???
NEW – Triscuit Whole Grain Wheat Woven Crackers with Poppy Seeds, Garlic and Onion…sounds tasty..might be good?
WEIRD – Maybe NEW – DIFFERENT – Cheetos Flamin’ HOT Flavor Shot! Asteroids
DIFFERENT – Spicy Sriracha Cheese Crisp …sounds tasty.
DIFFERENT – Gerrit’s Top This – Edible cake toppers that look like plastic……..????
DIFFERENT and Maybe WEIRD – Jelly Belly jelly beans in Frozen Icicle Mix and Finding Dory Fin-Tastic Mix…?????? Frozen and Fish Jelly Beans ????
DIFFERENT – Jelly Belly artificially flavored Bubbly Champagne Jelly Beans……???
DIFFERENT – Gustaf’s Dutch Licorice BEAGLES in Black Licorice. Woof!
DIFFERENT – Gustaf’s Gourmet English Style Jelly Babies…..??? Who….Who knows????
DIFFERENT but also cute – Seren Dippity Peanut Butter Stix with Raspberry Jam. I like the name of them.
Maybe NEW – Buddy Valastro white cake mix with cream cheese icing. Might be good?
Limited Edition – Hostess Unicorn Cup Cakes………You can poop a rainbow too eating them.
NEW – Hostess desert kits that make inspired Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Orange Cup Cakes….(ick!)
NEW – No bake York Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patty Desert Bite Kit……????????
WEIRD – Zachary Gourmet Raspberry Lemonade Candy Corn. This candy corn is colored for fourth of July. I thought this was leftover fourth of July Candy.
These days you can find stuffed Marshmallows….Who knew?
Different – Above is Yummallo filled marshmallows in Caramel and Strawberry Jam……?
Different – Yummallo Cinnamon Twist Artificially Flavored Marshmallows….How expensive is it to use FORKING REAL CINNAMON?
DIFFERENT – Campfire Gingerbread flavored marshmallows shaped like gingerbread men…
WEIRD – Reindeer FARTS Cotton candy…but for a good cause….still weird though.
Nothing says Christmas like ……
WEIRD – Warheads, Swedish Fish and Smarties candy canes.
Weird – Life Savers, Oreo and Dum Dum candy canes.
And HO HO HO!!!!!!!!
There are some festive Oreo Cookies Out There.
LIMITED EDITION – Artificially Flavored Peppermint Bark Oreo Cookies
There is a package of Oreo Cookies with 5 cool winter designs.
Oh and here is a NEW Oreo that you will only see here!
The OY! it’s another FORKING Oreo Cookie Oreo Cookies.
Only Forking kidding.
It’s 5 Cool Winter Designs of JOY! Oreo Cookies with red colored cream.
Well that was the NEW, WEIRD, Different, Limited and Special Edition foods out there for December 2019. Hope you and yours had the best of holidays and have a FORKING AWSOME New Year!
A long time ago in a land far away it was said that children were given candy sticks in church to make them shut The Fork Up. It also has been written that a person from Germany got the idea to put a little bit of religion in the candy sticks by making them Shepard hook shape.
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 really wanted child sacrifice on their hands and they stopped adding hyssop flavoring. But maybe the real reason they stopped adding hyssop was because mint was cheaper and tasted better…
The White Stripes were added.
Or was it the Red Stripes symbolizing the blood of Christ?
Maybe you noticed that many candy canes are not flavored with mint anymore.
The following candy canes are from Archie McPhee.com
And there are Forking Oreo Candy Canes.
www.Spangler.comDoesn’t Forking matter what flavor the candy is. The Forking kid will shut the FORK UP!
We hope you have a sweet Christmas or have a Happy Joyful whatever the FORK you are celebrating and Have a Happy Forking New Year!
Here are most of the most memorable dishes that I ate out in Metro Phoenix in 2019 in no particular order. I do note that I haven’t been able to eat everywhere so MANY great gems are not mentioned even if I ate there last year.
The year started out really FORKING great! Every dish I tried at the Barrio Gran Reserva was truly FORKING amazing. We shared this incredible Aguachile. It was light, refreshing, SPICY with flavors and textures that POP and were electrifying.
Barrio Gran Reserva
My dinner had this rose petal mole on it and the best salsa I ever tasted in my life.
Even dessert knocked it out of the park and was a chocolate dome with orange mole and sesame seed crisp that were so delicious, tasty and light as air. Everything was Forking Amazing!
Many most memorable FORKING Amazing plates came from Confluence in Carefree.
The layers of flavors are astounding. Dinner here was a Red Sea bream with gnocchi and green beans. Everything is masterfully prepared. All the flavors and textures go so magically well together. I have no idea what they did to the green beans but they were transformed into something mind boggling.
The cabbage roll special from Cafe Chenar in North Phoenix were the best cabbage rolls I’ve ever tasted anywhere. They were unusually light and tender.
The discontinued Quinoa Ball from Meat The Ball in Phoenix was Forking incredible on my first visit…….Very flavorful and spicy…It was very delicious! The pasta and pasta sauces were also very good on both visits.
The FORKING TRUTH is that memorable can be bad……..I want to forget this but I can’t.
I went to a Chinese Restaurant in Glendale called D&Y Chinese. My first visit there was GOOD so I expected my second visit to be good. I will never know what they did to this fish but somehow they transformed a fish into rubber. We were very upset….Sometimes you get so upset that you don’t have the strength to complain. Then we really were sorry that we didn’t complain because they charged us $89.10 for this piece of rubber. That’s The Forking Truth!
Now for something FANTASTIC!
The food from Singh Meadows in Tempe was Amazing and memorable. This beet plate three ways taste as great as it looks. All the food we tried there was the best. The vegetables taste different and better than you can imagine…..You think you know what a green bean taste like…but then you don’t because a simple green bean never was so tender and sweet before…OH that is what a green bean is suppose to taste like! (same story with most of the vegetables from Singh Meadows) I think the tomatoes I tasted here might have also been the best tomatoes ever.
Another restaurant well known for incredible vegetable and other dishes is FNB in Scottsdale.
Every dish was incredible but it started with this plate of radishes, dates and pumpkin seeds with caper anchovy dressing that night. Every plate was stunning but I picked this plate because it was the prettiest.
The Burmese Fermented Tea Salad from FiGaMi Asian Fresh in Phoenix was refreshing memorable and delicious. (and only priced at $3.00 at the time) I also enjoyed the fish noodle soup there too. You should try it! This food is something special and different that is hard to find. I wish this place was closer to me so I could eat here more often.
The Vegan Tapa Tacos from Casa Terra Vegan Restaurant in Glendale were phenomenal. Off the charts with great flavors. I only wish that they were open for lunch or had a takeout window for these tacos….They were so delicious!
Never had Detroit Style Pizza till I went to The Rec in Peoria. WOW it’s delicious! Crispy cheesy ends topped with rich tomato sauce and a delicious blend of melty cheese. Wow really delicious!
Little Miss BBQ in Sunny Slope serves BBQ that will knock your socks off. Here is the turkey and the brisket…..It’s better than good….GOBBLE GOBBLE! The Turkey was even better than from the original….brisket was better for me because the fatty was less fatty than from the original location. I would go with the fatty Brisket from the the Sunny Slope Location.
The Bourbon Cellar serves me the best burger I ate this year. (I do note that I don’t eat many beef burgers out because I gave up commercial ground beef.) The beef burgers here are fresh prime filet ground in house kind of burgers. In came on an apple cider bun and I added a bourbon pickle and it was topped with a wasabi deviled egg. I’m so GLAD that a second location is opening at 83rd and Happy Valley! WOO HOO!
I must admit that The Hot Chick in Scottsdale makes a great clucking sandwich. I had the sandwich called the Hot Chick. It’s spicy, crispy, flavorful, moist, delicious. It’s among the top better chicken sandwiches that I’ve tasted in metro Phoenix. (the other one is from The Larder and The Delta but I ate something different on my last visit)
From The Larder and The Delta I had The Hopping John Dish…..WOW is it incredibly delicious! It full of flavors and textures. It’s sort of earthy and very tasty….you can’t stop eating it.
The Banana Leaf Platter from Vaigai in Glendale was very good. I especially enjoyed the Indian Beets…They were memorable and I made something similar at home.
The strawberry gelato from Fabio on Fire in Peoria can make angels sing…..I also highly recommend the Bufalina Pizza made with ultra delicious bufala cheese, arugula, reduced balsamic, San Marzano Tomatoes and olive oil. My other favorite are the spinach ravioli in walnut sauce….but I prefer when they make the sauce thin….one time someone made it thick but it was still really good!
Must mention this amazing Hiramasa Fish with Huitlacoche and Tamale from Confluence in Carefree. OMG YUM! It’s like not of this earth good…….It’s sweet, sour, salty, crispy, spicy….It got it all going on. Really really a masterpiece. Then I went back again not too much latter and had this INCREDIBLE Fried chicken dinner….OMG..YUM! One of the best fried chicken that I’ve tasted ever……really amazing! I could go on and on and on and on about dishes I had here The Chicken sandwich……OMG……maybe best of all chicken sandwiches everywhere….I mean EVERYWHERE!
The picture below does not do justice to how delicious…maybe life changing the food really was. The steak was not the star here.
Under the steak are these Forking Incredible Pupusas from Seydi’s Pupuseria in North Phoenix. OMG YUM you have to try them. They are almost like kicked up grill cheese sandwiches made of corn flour and yum! We shared a jalapeno and cheese pupusa and a flower and cheese pupusa…we liked the jalapeno one the best but both were delicious. They make around a dozen different kinds of pupusas. You eat them with this strong spicy slaw. Really delicious! You will be happy that you tried a pupusa here!
Had one of the very best dinners ever at J&G Steakhouse. It’s impossible to pick just one plate.
Black Truffle Cheese Fritters are mind blowing.
Salmon Toast silky and wonderful with the best tasting herbs I ever tasted.
Arctic char so custardy with a perfect seasoned crisp skin, wood sorrel, chanterelles and kohlrabi.
And a Forking Great Dessert too!
Also had an amazing dinner from Zinc Bistro in Scottsdale.
Dinner started with the most amazing French Onion Soup Ever……..I can tell by tasting it that this soup took many hours to prepare……..Never had onion soup that tasted like confit onions before.
It’s also very hard to pick one dish from Alzohour Market and Bakery in Phoenix.
Everything we tried here was delicious! Above is the frekah chicken. It’s fragrant and filled with exotic spices, almonds. It’s just FREKAH DELICIOUS! Again everything was great! and that tea was unbelievably delicious too!
Meat The Ball does it again but this time at the promenade in Scottsdale.
Everything was good but the meatball in the front was FORKING Amazing! It was the cauliflower (meatless) meatball in curry sauce. WOW it’s full of delicious flavors and it is spicy. It’s so delicious that I tried to make my own copy of it at home. I haven’t tried everything there yet so I don’t know what gems I am missing. (hope they kept the recipe the same so it stays just as great!)
Here’s another one I copied and made at home from The Larry in the downtown warehouse district.
It doesn’t look like much but it taste awesome. The Larry calls this Bang Bang Broccoli. It’s just ever so slightly coated and dusted with bonito flakes, Asian Seasoning and sesame seeds. It’s FORKING Delicious!
Desert Island Eatery in North Phoenix serves incredible food. The lentil balls taste like a different flavor falafel and really GREAT! The curry and jerk chicken are the best! Really great food from a tiny hole in the wall kind of place.
The next restaurant doesn’t look special…nor does the food look special but the taste is OFF THE CHARTS!
Another hole in the wall kind of place that serves incredible food is Fe La Cubana in Glendale. On the day of my visit they only served seven items that were either beef or pork. The three items we tried don’t look amazing but really did taste out of this world incredible. The food is full flavored tender and delicious. You won’t go wrong with the oxtail, ropa or the pork and garbanzo soup.
Haru Sushi and Grill from The Upper West Side in Glendale serves the best sushi in this part of town. But they serve more than just sushi. They serve yummy Korean style wings, yummy poppers, delicious unique rolls and other things but cooked fish there is OMG AMAZING too! Up above is a sea bass that just melts in the mouth like no other. It really is amazing. Love the bento boxes especially the one with salmon….best salmon in town. The hamachi collar and other collars are up there among the very best! You can’t get better fish than from Haru Sushi on the upper west side.
Some honorable mentions and local loves need to be added.
The Key West Chop Chop from Little Cay in Phoenix. Delicious layers of salad with chicken rice and beans and more! It really POPS when you add the house vinegar.
From Perseption in Phoenix.
The wood grilled steak with black eyed peas, tostones and chimichurri. Delicious and a great value and MIGHTY delicious.
I’ve been to The Vincent Market Bistro a number of times but I’ve never had the stuffed poblano pepper with goat cheese and mushrooms before. It’s incredible and so perfect. It’s really delicious and you should share it with someone as a really great appetizer to a lovely meal that awaits. Possibly the best value dining restaurant in Metro Phoenix.
Banh Mi Bistro in Phoenix is a favorite. Great fresh tasting banh mi sandwiches, rice plates, curry chicken, yummy dumplings and the very best $5.00 Chicken cabbage salad anywhere. A really great value restaurant with super nice owners.
$8.00 Happy Hour Vegetable Plate from Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante
Another favorite is Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale. They do treat you like family. I love the extra thin Milano pizza they usually offer as a special with Calabrian Peppers. I love the grilled Happy hour vegetable plate. It’s so much better than something fried or something wings that most restaurants offer. The house made pastas are great and I like that this restaurant offers more proteins like chicken…so I can come in for a nutritious salad now and then when I want one. They also come up with interesting specials like pasta-free squash manicottis and always serve very good Neapolitan pizzas. My dogs also enjoy the food here because they are dog friendly.
I go to Cucina Tagliani semi regularly because they are officially dog friendly and because of the food they offer. They try to please everyone and offer the usual American Italian gut busting favorites but they also offer many healthy and vegetable alternatives that I like. They offer noodle cut zucchini and spaghetti squash as a healthy alternative to pasta. Other healthy dishes are the strawberry goat cheese salad, quinoa, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, spaghetti squash, mixed vegetables and the baked spaghetti squash. I don’t think any other American Italian restaurant offers so many healthy vegetable options. I don’t eat it often but the chocolate marscapone cake might be among the best desserts in the west valley. It’s delicious and I usually don’t enjoy chocolate desserts out.
Sala Thai in Peoria deserves some credit. They actually infuse the basil flavor in their dishes. Most Thai Restaurants do not do this in the area or even use nearly enough basil. I LOVE the spicy Thai Basil with pumpkin dish that they offer. I think it might be the best Thai dish of the west side.
The Breaded Chicken Thigh Sandwich from CHZBURGR in Glendale is quite good! It was juicy crispy and flavorful….sauces here are very above average. Actually everything we tried from CHZBURGR was very good….burgers, fries of two kinds and a hot dog.
“We got a no onion CHZBURGR that we loved!”
Even my dogs have tried CHZBURGR! Why haven’t you?
These were the most memorable of what I tried in 2019.
Here’s to 2020…Hoping for a FORKING GREAT YEAR!
Every FORKING THING is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
Vincent Market Bistro is a more casual daily French Style restaurant located behind finer dining Vincent’s on Camelback in Phoenix Arizona. The James Beard Award Wining chef is Vincent Guerithault. The atmosphere is quaint and charming as can be. Old fashioned furniture covered in colorful patterned linens and interesting flower patten china full of warm buttery croissants. That is how it starts.
croissants with sweetened strawberries in syrup
The food served at both restaurants is mainly French with with a nod to the south west. Goat cheese nachos, stuffed poblano peppers and smoked salmon salmon quesadillas share the menu with things like coq au vin, salad nicoise and gratin dauphinois.
Goat cheese nachos Smoked salmon quesadilla
You order off the menu or the chalkboard specials and at dinner time they offer a Prix Fixe 3 course $29.00.
Today we started with stuffed poblano peppers that were filled with mushrooms and goat cheese ($12.00). The kitchen was kind enough to split the pepper on two plates for us.
For my main today I had the lemon sole special ($18.00).
A choice of mixed greens or mixed vegetables and Vincent’s creamy rich gratin dauphins were offered.
My husband went with the pork loin special ($14.00).
We were thrilled with everything….and then……with out asking…they present us with not one but TWO desserts!
tiramisu ala mode and a mixed berry tart ala mode….DELICIOUS!
It should be noted that Vincent Market Bistro is early evening dining.
Lunch is Tuesday – Friday 11-3
Dinner is Tuesday – Saturday 5pm-8pm
Some of the previous dishes that we enjoyed are pictured below.
tenderloin skewerveal loin specialpepper steakstrawberry cobbler Chocolate Mocha Tarttrout speciallambcheese cakePots de Creme trioFlounder with Basil Beurre Blanc SauceMeat Paella SpecialThree Cheese Tartine with tomatoes and Basil PestoStrawberry Cobbler ala Modehouse made mushroom ravioli beet and goat cheese Napoleonlobsterstrawberry tart ala mode
Vincent Market Bistro is ALWAYS – Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.VincentsOnCamelback.com/bistro
Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
Game Day Hot Dog Spaghetti Squash Faux Kraut EmpanadasStuffed baby eggplants with spicy Indian style onion and tomatoesSpicy Vegetarian Cauliflower Meatballs in Spicy Butternut Squash Indian Spiced SauceHealthy Light Vietnamese Inspired Chicken StewCabbage Salad with Balsamic Roasted Strawberries, Apples and Almond Dukkah Game Day Taco Flavored Baked Cauliflower basic cucumber salad with radish sprouts (not published)Blue Cheese Sriracha Butter Hasselback Mini Potatoes with RadishKorean Leek and seafood mushroom pancakesTomato Chutney One Pot Chicken Stuffed Peppers with Greek Style Squash basic fried Brussel sprouts with peppers, onions, hazelnuts and vinegar (not published) Risotto with added spinach Spicy Thai Basil beets and radishSpicy Asian Style Shishito PeppersPeruvian style chickenFlavorful, Moist, Delicious Turkey MeatloafLow Fat Low Sodium FORKING DELICIOUS Turkey MeatballsConfit Style Jammy ShallotsNo Mayonaise Dijon Tarragon Potato SaladTurkish red lentil style one pot chicken Cauliflower & Apples with Dijon Paprika VinaigretteSouthwest Style Individual Turkey Meatloaf Zucchini Bomba Calabrese PeppersSouthwest Style Fried Chicken BreastsLow Fat Healthy Mini Deviled PotatoesLow Fat Low Sugar Mandarinquat Date CakeBaked Ziti a little Forking DifferentPickled vegetables for steak (steak was sous vide at 140 degrees and then seared in pan)Beet Harissa Cambodian Inspired Vegetables with Tapioca, Couscous and PeasCharred Vegetable Corn Masa MuffinsJamaican Jerk Cauliflower based on Michelle Blackwood’s Recipe Forking Delicious Cheesy Cauliflower PureeBraised Leeks with Onions Apple and Carrots in Apple Cider VelouteForking EZ South West Style One Pan Chicken Forking EZ Mediterranean Style One Pan Chicken Forking EZ One Pot Chicken and LentilsForking EZ One Pot Chicken Mushrooms and RiceForking EZ One Pot Chicken with Leeks and PotatoesRefried bean tamale Forking EZ DELICIOUS Korean Style One Pot ChickenFORKING DELICIOUS Southwest seasoned Rice and CornFalafel Flavored Chickpea Side DishLow Fat Low Sodium Beef MeatballsItalian Style Tuna Stuffed PeppersLow Fat Low Sugar Carrot Ginger Topped Acorn Squash Heirloom tomato pizzaForking Easy Eye RoastCrispy Rice lentils and white Sonora berries Potatoes Anna StyleForking Amazing Tomato Rice One Pot Chicken Forking Amazing Fennel Orange Chicken with Rice Forking Amazing Persian Inspired One Pot Chicken Miso eggplant with bonito flakes and crisp enoki mushroomsForking EZ Oven Fried Turkey Wings
Indian style beets
Battered Epazote Leaves and Onion Petals Lima Beans with Tomatoes and Tomato Bomba Vinaigrette Fat Free Sugar Free Forking DELICIOUS Chipotle Blueberry BBQ Black BeansForking Awesome Tomatillo Salsa with Pickled Cascabella PepperNorth African Style Spicy Carrots and Chick Peas Side DishForking Awesome Pickled Cascabella PeppersOne Pot Za’Atar Chicken with FreekehAsian Style Lettuce Wraps with Miso Tahini SauceCook’s Illustrated Hand Rolled Ravioli Fat Free Creamy Polenta Topped With Crispy MushroomsLeek Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette Forking EZ One Pot Southwest Chicken and Corn Horseradish mashed cauliflower Baked Asian Seasoned Broccoli and Cauliflower BitesRoasted Choyote Squash with Golden Raisins Coconut & Almonds in Pomegranate Cocoa Vinaigrette
Huitlacoche and mushroom stuffed corn crepe
Forking BEST ever roast beefBaked Cheesy, Fluffy, Crisp Piped Fries and Huitlacoche Corn Salsa Huitlacoche Stuffed EggsForking Awesome nitrate-Free Pastrami Eye RoastGerman Almond Apple Cake based on Milk Street Magazine Recipe
Dining Out With DOGS is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started when my dog Louie was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. He couldn’t do a lot but he enjoyed going out to eat so I took him out as often as I could. Instead of his 3-6 month diagnoses he made it another seventeen months. Today my current dogs enjoy going out to eat.
There are several things you need to know before you dine out with dogs. Most restaurants in metro Phoenix do have patios but not all patios are dog friendly. You need to see a dog friendly sign on the patio. If you don’t see a dog friendly you need to call the restaurant and ask if it’s ok to dine there with your dog. I highly suggest to dine out with your dogs at off times. You need to avoid as many other people and dogs as possible. Many people don’t share your love for dogs. Other people might be allergic to dogs. You also want to avoid dining with other dogs because dogs like to bark at each other and you might be asked to leave. Save yourself all this possible trouble. Call the restaurant first and ask if it’s ok to dine with your dog and dine at an off time.
There are also rules for dining out with dogs. Dogs are not to sit on restaurant furniture or to eat off restaurant plates. Dogs also must be close to your side at all times.
You need to be aware that much of the food and drink that you consume can be harmful or even TOXIC to your dog. You must get a list from your veterinarian of safe and non-safe foods for dogs. Usually a small lean piece of un-sauced meat is usually safe. You should also bring a water bowl from home for your dog when dining out.
The other thing that you need to be aware of is that your dog is not as heat tolerant as you. All dogs are just like people and do have different heat tolerances. For most but not all younger healthy dogs 90 degrees F and over is too hot to dine out with dogs. Maybe up to 90 degrees but only in full shade. When in doubt it’s always better to leave your dog home.
Now we are ready to dine out with dogs.
I’m turning my blog over to my dogs so they can tell their story.
“We are on our way to Salad and Go in North Phoenix but they removed all the tables that we used to sit at.”
“FORK” “No tables”
“Looks like we are driving by a window where sacks come out”
“This table behind Salad and Go at The Hilton is really nice!”
“There is even a trash can that we will use!”
“We mostly ate chicken off the seasonal Harvest Salad.” Tried a little bit of mozzarella cheese off and antipasto style salad.” “We enjoyed what we ate from Salad and Go!”
www.SaladandGo.com
“We are on our way to Bottega Ristorante Pizzeria in Glendale!” “They serve Italian foods and pizza!”
“Female companion that we depend on for food is getting the half soup and salad….I don’t smell any food in her soup…only vegetables.” “Oh thank goodness she got some chicken added on to her salad!”
“Our male human companion got the half Italian dried beef panino with a cup of pasta fagoli.”
“We always enjoy EVERYTHING we eat at Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante!”
www.BottegaRistorante.com
“We are on our way to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix.” “They are a PHO-FREE Vietnamese Restaurant that specializes in serving around a dozen different banh mi baguette sandwiches and also offer most of your Vietnamese favorites…except for Pho.”
“Today one human companion got a pork rice plate filled with a very generous portion of tasty moist pork.”
“Our other human companion got the curry chicken with rice….and it smells really Forking Good!”
“Ummmm it does smell really intoxicating!”
“We always enjoy everything we eat from Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery!”
www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com
“Well that was dining out with dogs in metro Phoenix for December 2019.” “We hope to see you you next month and for now we hope you have a happy holiday and a really Forking Great New Year!”
I came up with this recipe because I only had potatoes and only had leeks and cabbage in my refrigerator….So I looked up cabbage, leeks and potatoes and I found out it’s a traditional Irish Dish of basically mashed potatoes mixed with kale or cabbage. Everybody makes it different and often colcannon has a big pool of melted butter on the top. Some people boil all the vegetables and other people fry the vegetables. I think cabbage is most delicious roasted so I roasted the cabbage and fried the leeks. I also have a little trick that makes mashed potatoes taste better and I add two medium cooked egg yolks. It came out Forking delicious! I wish I could give you a sample to try. If you make this exactly the way I did you will love it!
Ingredients for around 6 servings
1 smaller cabbage – peel of outer leaves, remove core and dice into about 1/2 inch dices
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (goes on cabbage)
2 leeks – trimmed (root and all the dark green removed, peeled, cut in half long ways and then cut each half long ways again and slice thin. Put in a large bowl of water and wash away any dirt and drain)
5 potatoes – peeled and cut down into about 6 pieces each (mne weighed 1 1/2 pounds)
3 cloves of garlic – chopped (this goes with the potatoes to boil)
2 eggs – (wash eggs and they go in the water last 6 minutes of boiling the potatoes ((you are only using the yolks))
3 oz unsalted butter (goes into potatoes)
2 Tablespoons cream cheese (use a quality brand like Aria that is free of preservatives and stabilizers) ((I almost never have milk or cream in my house so I use aria because it’s basically cream)
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (for potatoes – or to taste….your taste may differ….but this is perfect)
1/4 teaspoon course sea salt (for potatoes – or to taste…your taste may differ but this is perfect…love course sea salt…..it’s my second favorite salt…..Blue Persian is even better)
1 oz unsalted butter (this is to fry leeks)
1/4 teaspoon course sea salt (to season leeks)
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper (to season leeks)
fresh ground sea salt to taste (just a very small amount to season cabbage)
fresh ground black pepper (just a small amount to season cabbage)
Directions
Set oven to 450 degrees F.
Cabbage goes on a baking sheet and gets sprayed well with olive oil. It goes in the oven till soft and charred (This took 30 minutes in my oven on the middle rack….yours may differ)
While the cabbage is roasting boil the potatoes with the chopped garlic and season the water well with course sea salt) the potatoes should be done in around 15- 20 minutes depending on size. In the last 6 minutes add the eggs. Remove the eggs after 6 minutes…(or you can cook longer like 10 minutes if you only like we’ll done eggs…and rinse in cold water and set to the side.) When the potatoes are tender remove them from the water and mash by hand with the butter and cream cheese. Add the egg yolks and 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) of salt and white pepper.By now the cabbage is done and season it lightly with salt and pepper and mix it into the potatoes….set to the side.
Melt the last ounce of butter in the pot and add the drained leeks…..Stir and cover loosely. They will be done very quickly like in three minutes. Add them to the mashed mixture and enjoy!
Leek and Cabbage Colcannon
Everyone will love this!
Leftovers can be fried into patties and can be turned into a dish called Bubble and Squeak
