Tag Archives: #Phoenix

King’s Mini Pancakes, Good Eats Only Mexican Kitchen, Coney Shack Grill Food Trucks All Worth a Fork! Phoenix AZ

Food Truck Friday West is a weekly gathering of Food Trucks from all over the Valley. This happens Friday nights 5pm-9pm at 18551 83rd Avenue in Glendale Arizona. See www.GetLocalArizonaEvents.com for current Food Truck Lineup.

We tried King’s Mini Pancakes because the chicken bites with mini pancakes did sound like a tasty treat. They offer several varieties of mini pancakes and also offered several different flavors of sauces for the chicken.

Mr. King himself suggested the hot honey sauce so that’s what we went with.

We got chunks WHoOops! I mean BITES of tender breaded chicken breast covered in a tasty spicy/sweet sauce with a little kick to it. They are good but what is really great really are the MINI PANCAKES. The pancakes seem light as air and just melt in your mouth! They really are GREAT!

Kings Mini Pancakes – 480-529-1485

You can find them on Facebook and Instagram

We had to go to Good Eats Only Mexican Kitchen because last time I was super impressed with the chicken taco I tried. It really was among the best chicken tacos I’ve tried in Phoenix. They offered a limited menu of Mexican Foods like tacos, burritos, plates, and fries.

Today I had another chicken taco and a carne asada taco.

The tortillas are delicious and are fresh hand made! Both the chicken and steak are tender, charred yummy, and infused with flavors. The taco also came embellished with grilled onions, cilantro, and a scoop of guacamole and a side of hot sauce. VERY GOOD TACOS! Among the better ones out there!

My husband tried a quesobirria and a side order of beans ……not photoed…..next to the quesobirria is consommé.

All Good Eats here!

Good Eats Only Mexican Kitchen – 623-521-8473

You can find them on Facebook.

I had enough but my husband can eat a little more so he tried Coney Shack Grill. They offer Coney Island Style food but with a Midwest Twist. They offer things like wings, sliders, pitas, and Coney dogs.

He said it was a very good hotdog!

Coney Shack Grill – 12325 W McDowell Rd Avondale AZ – 602-882-6032

www.ConeyShackGrill.com

At Food Truck Friday West they also offered many activities for children.

Children’s Train Ride.

A bounce house.

A bounce car ride

And a child’s petting zoo. I also saw some novelty children’s balloons being sold there.

Food Truck Friday West

18551 83rd Avenue Glendale AZ (between Sam’s Club and Walmart)

Friday nights 5pm-9pm

See www.GetLocalArizonaEvents.com for current food truck line up

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ March 2023 Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, Cucina Tagliani, Salad and Go, Twisted Italian

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Dining out with DOGS in Metro Phoenix is just a “FLUFF” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started with my dog Louie. He was elderly and he was diagnosed with aggressive cancer and was expected to only be around for another three months or 6 months at the most. Louie couldn’t do a lot at that time but he always enjoyed going out to eat. So I took Louie out to eat as often as I could. Louie made it another 17 months instead of the 3-6 month diagnoses.Today I take my current dogs out to eat when the weather is right and when I can.

You need to know a little bit about dining out with dogs. Do you know that just because a restaurant has a patio doesn’t necessarily mean that you can bring your dog to dine there with you. You need to see a dog friendly sign or call the restaurant and ask first. Weather is also a factor. Dogs are not as heat tolerant as people (remember that they wear fur coats) 90 degrees F and above is too hot to dine out with dogs. Also much of the food and drink that you enjoy can be harmful or even TOXIC to dogs. It’s best to educate yourself about safe and non-safe foods for your dog from your veterinarian.

We regularly go to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They are a Pho-Free Vietnamese Restaurant that offers around a dozen different Banh Mi Baguette sandwiches, rice plates, salad noodle bowls, and more! Portions are always large and prices are very reasonable.

Today my husband got a grilled pork rice plate.

The dogs also got to enjoy some of the pork.

Look how happy she is!

He is also happy to eat.

I got the small lotus root salad and the chicken potstickers.

I don’t eat shrimp so the dogs get all of the shrimp.

The dogs always LOVE going to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery.

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery

602-843-3637

2340 W Bell Rd PHX AZ

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

We also made it to Cucina Tagliani in North Glendale. They are an American Italian Style Restaurant that has been in business for over thirty years.

They are usually extra nice to dogs here. They served my dogs a bowl of water to start out with.

Today I got the strawberry and goat cheese salad with chicken. Our server said that it came with soup. I didn’t want soup today so my husband volunteered to get the minestrone soup.

Then the nice waitress offered a plate of cheese for the dogs.

My smaller dog inhaled the cheese so fast that you can’t see anything. I think his favorite food might be cheese……

Next they get chicken from my strawberry and goat cheese salad.

Both dogs enjoyed the chicken.

My husband had a Stromboli today. He gave some sausage to the dogs and they enjoyed that too!

Not one but TWO other dogs dined out on Cucina Tagliani’s Patio today….My dogs kept eating and stayed quiet.

We did OK at Cucina Tagliani

17045 N 59TH Ave Glendale AZ

602-547-2782

www.CucinaTagliani.com

We were off to Twisted Italian…..We got there just as they were opening and BOTH of their two outdoor tables were already taken….So we had to go somewhere else…..We drove threw a Salad and Go and went to eat it in a nearby park.

Both dogs enjoyed the chicken and most of the chewy steak.

Salad and Go

2006 W Pinnacle Peak Rd PHX AZ

(no phone# listed)

www.SaladandGo.com

This week we made it to Twisted Italian in North Peoria. They offer their spin on Italian Foods that is a little different. They offer things like pierogis and Italian rellenos. Whatever you get they start you off with warm bread and olive oil embellished with balsamic.

The dogs are always excited to try some bread.

But when the meals come out they get more excited.

My husband got the Italian Relleno (stuffed poblano pepper with house made Italian sausage, provolone, mozzarella, sauce, peppers, onions, with jumbo fried ravioli covered in tomato cream sauce)

The dogs got to eat some ravioli and a little bit of sausage here.

I got one of the lunch specials…The salmon with grilled vegetables and a side of angel hair pasta.

It’s really too much food for lunch but my dogs don’t mind helping me with this plate.

This dog is smiling. The dogs got to eat some of the salmon and all of the zucchini.

We did well at Twisted Italian

9940 W Happy Valley RD Peoria AZ

623-537-4000

www.EatTwisted.com

That was Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix for March 2023. We hope that you’ve enjoyed and we hope to see you next month!

My Trip to Carolina’s Mexican Food in Glendale AZ

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Carolina’s is a family owned group of four Mexican Restaurants that are considered to be a staple of Phoenix. The original location has been in business since 1968. This restaurant might be most famous for their daily made fresh flour tortillas.

Some of the other offerings are breakfast burritos, 16 combo platters, burros, chimi’s, tacos, tostados, tamales, a children’s menu, soft beverages, and more.

This is a casual restaurant.

You order and pay at the counter, grab a number, and seat yourself.

We started out by sharing a cheese quesadilla.

The flour tortilla is really great. It’s light and thin and melts in your mouth. The cheese adds a little something to it…….I think I should have ordered a fried jalapeño because that would have been tasty here.

I tried three different tacos. They came wrapped up like this.

Potato taco, shredded chicken taco, and a shredded beef taco with sides of guacamole, green salsa, and hot sauce.

The meats are both finely shredded and are tender. The taco shells are good and tasty and were fresh fried to order…….I don’t know if my visit is typical or maybe I hit them on an off day but the potato taco and the beef taco are both flavorless. Only the chicken taco today is infused with flavors. The beef taco and the potato taco are better when you add the green salsa to them. The green salsa is actually very good and full of flavors. I thought that the hot sauce had a taste that is similar to tabasco sauce.

My husband tried the burro 3 way combo platter.

The burro is 3 way because in the middle are beans and on one end is stewed beef in a red chili sauce and on the other end is beef in green chili sauce. The platter comes with Mexican style rice and refried beans. He said that the beef in red sauce was very good……but the green chili side was next to meatless.

Summing things up….From the Glendale location

Get the shredded chicken

Get the beef red chili

Get the green salsa

Take out some flour tortillas

That was my trip to Carolina’s Greenway Location in Glendale AZ

5920 W Greenway RD Glendale AZ

623-878-6277

www.CarolinasMexicanFood,com

Every THING is subject to change.

Cask 53 Whiskey Bar Scottsdale AZ – Worth a Fork!

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Cask 53 Whiskey Bar and American Sports Grill has recently opened in DC Ranch in North Scottsdale Arizona. They offer over 600 whiskeys from all over the world, lots of big screen TVs and food menus with lots of variety. They offer lunch, happy hour, and dinner. The lunch and dinner menus are very similar.Not all but some of the appetizers offered at lunch and for dinner are several flavors of chicken wing dishes, crab cakes, sliders, and Buffalo chicken stuffed potato skins. They also offer 9 kinds of salads with add on options like grilled chicken, verlasso salmon, shrimp, and prime flat iron steak. Also on the menus are burgers, sandwiches, side dishes, and entrees like Moroccan style salmon, Idaho trout, pork tenderloin, baby back ribs, pasta dishes, desserts, and more!

We starting out by sharing a Caesar salad. They were nice enough to split the salad on two plates.

It’s a little different. It’s topped with some crispy kale and toasted lightly seasoned croutons. The dressing was house made and they added shaved parmesan.

For mains we shared the Moroccan Salmon and The Idaho Red Trout.

Idaho Red Trout with seasonal vegetables lemon butter basil sauce

Moroccan Verlasso Salmon with quinoa salad, local heirloom tomatoes, avocado, organic baby spinach, sherry vinaigrette

Both dishes were prepared reasonably well. Both fish ad crispy skin. The Trout was good but the salmon was well done but melted in your mouth with very nice flavors. It really didn’t seem Moroccan to me ……like preserved lemon, olives,…… but it was delicious anyway. The Moroccan Salmon ate more like a salad than an entree. The vegetables were very nice that went with the Idaho Trout.

All Good so far and reasonable prices too.

I’d say-

Cask 53 Whiskey Bar and Sports Grill is

Worth a Fork!

Cask 53 Whiskey Bar and American Sports Grill 20751 N Pima Road Scottsdale AZ

480-868-2702

www.Cask53WhiskeyBar.com

Every THING is subject to change.

Sunset Bistro Sun City AZ – Large Portions, Low Prices, Closes Early

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Sunset Bistro is a small Mediterranean/Greek Restaurant located in Sun City Arizona. They get fill up fast and by 4:30 pm they might be on a wait for tables.

Be sure to arrive early because they close at 8pm like most restaurants in Sun City.

We tried the Greek Sampler Plate.

It was a big platter of Greek salad, hummus, falafels, stuffed grape leaves, flat breads and more. It was very typical of Greek style.

For dinner I tried the walleye special.

My photo doesn’t really do this plate justice because you can’t see how meaty and how perfectly prepared the fish really is. I got a very generous portion of perfectly prepared meaty fried mild walleye fish. I also got tartar sauce, fresh crispy cole slaw that is on the sweet side but also is drip free. They also prepared the potato perfect…..(that really doesn’t often happen…often potatoes are served over done). This platter was also around half the price of what most restaurants sell walleye for (around $15.).

My husband tried a gyro platter.

Everything was prepared well and I heard that the rice was extra tasty.

Sunset Bistro – Large Portions, low prices, closes early.

Sunset Bistro 15462 N 99TH AVE Sun City AZ 623-972-1601

www.SunsetBistro.Food-places.com

Every THING is subject to change.

Amor A La Mexicana Restaurant Glendale AZ – Worth a Fork!

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Amor A La Mexicana is a small Mexican Restaurant located in Glendale Arizona not too far from the Metro Center area. They specialize in serving tacos with hand made tortillas but also serve popular Mexican entrees at reasonable prices.

It’s a casual restaurant. You order and pay at the counter. You grab your soft beverage from a refrigerator and seat yourself. someone runs out your order when it’s ready.

We started out by sharing three tacos.

beef cheek, chicken, pastor tacos – All are good on delicious hand made corn tortillas but what really was amazing was the salsas.

OH MY GOSH!!! Each and every salsa is such a tidal wave of flavor. Each was so great I don’t really have a favorite. They were all different. This restaurant SHOULD SELL AND BOTTLE THESE SALSAS……..Really unusually GREAT salsas!

We tried the chile colorado – (Mexican beef stew)

and the filete a la plancha.

Both platters came with Mexican rice and refried beans that we were told didn’t contain pork. They also came with tortillas. You have your choice of flour or corn tortillas. We both picked corn and got more of the hand made corn tortillas.

The beef is slightly tougher than we like but is well flavored. Everything is well flavored. Most entrees at this time only cost around $10.99 (subject to change)

Amor A La Mexicana Restaurant is –

Worth a Fork!

Amor A La Mexicana Restaurant

8806 N 43RD Ave Glendale AZ

623-248-4859

www.AmorALaMexicana.Negocio.Site

Every THING is subject to change.

My Trip to Artichoke Basille’s Pizza Phoenix AZ

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Artichoke Basille’s Pizza is a New York Based Pizzeria with less than twenty locations in the country. I went to one of their newest locations in North Phoenix Arizona at Desert Ridge Marketplace by the entertainment center.

The entrance is on the side of the building.

Inside are plenty of tabes and they have a wrap around patio. The bar has 16 beer taps and has indoor and outdoor seating.

They offer starters that are found on many pizza restaurant menus like garlic knots, bruschetta, and salads. They also offer meatball sandwiches, chicken parm sandwich or entree, a few calzones, a few pastas and of course PIZZA!

I read I think on Eater Phoenix that if you are a foodie that you MUST try the artichoke pizza. That is why we went here. Pizzas come in 16inch ($33.) 22inch ($44.) and slices (average price $6.) Prices are subject to change.

Between us we tried four different slices.

pepperoni, Staten Island (deluxe meatball), vodka, artichoke

All the slices are larger servings.

We noticed that the crust differed some. Some crusts were also thicker than others but the crust did taste the same. The crust doesn’t taste very fermented.

I think we hit them on an off day………..Or maybe when someone new was cooking….

The pepperoni and the Staten Island (meatball, red onion, ricotta, mozzerella, grana padano, sauce) Both had a thin cracker like crust.

The Staten Island slice also wasn’t heated up much and was barely warm.

The Artichoke pizza could have been better………

My slice tasted mostly like cream of spinach soup with hardly any artichokes.

It also was burnt on the bottom.

We both thought that the best tasting slice was the vodka pizza.

The vodka slice did have delicious flavors to it. This slice is made with smooth tomatoes, vodka cream sauce and a blend of Italian cheeses. Unfortunately my slice had a raw center.

That was my trip to Artichoke Basille’s Pizza

21001 N Tatum BLVD PHX AZ

www.artichokepizza.com

A phone number is not listed on their website.

Every THING is subject to change.

ASTONISHING FOOD at Tia Carmen at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Phoenix AZ – Worth a Fork!

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Tia Carmen is a high quality contemporary sort of Southwest type of restaurant located in the JW Marriott in Desert Ridge that is in North Phoenix Arizona. The Kitchen is led by Michelin Star Chef, restauranteur, and Bravo Top Chef Master Angelo Sosa.

It’s airy and modern inside.

Not all but many of the dishes we tried at Tia Carmen are pictured below. Some dishes are seasonal and are not currently on the menu and a few were from a special event.

But really everything is amazing. This restaurant offers many FANTABULOUS dishes with bold layers of flavors. Some dishes are spicy but not burn your mouth out spicy. Tia Carmen offers something for every taste. The tuna crudo below is what I would call the best dish I tasted anywhere for 2022 and in 2023 it is just as amazing.

tuna crudo – corn coconut broth, smoked Chile oil dill

wagyu kababs *(past menu was 2 kababs…It is three now)

tri tip kababs – sesame leaf, pickled onion, serrano chile, Thai basil

Tomato Salad – corn puree, burnt corn dust, basil, pickled onions, fancy greenery – This is a must get when it returns.

Avocado Aquachile – date sesame crumble, persian cucumbers, serrano chile – less spicy than the tuna crudo

roasted beet salad – aged tepary bean mole negro, pepita crumble, beet molasses, goat cheese

Mon-Fri LUNCH fish torta – crispy white fish, sweet onion jam, spicy mayo, dill, cilantro, turmeric, hay fries – BEST lunch sandwich I’ve tried all year!

“Taco Night” Beef and bone marrow toastada – beef and bone marrow, guacamole, yuzu, pickled onions, tomato, cilantro…maybe the tastiest toastada anywhere.

Trout – parsley, oregano sauce – really great!

12 oz New York Strip – southwest spice blend, bone marrow butter, tepary bean mole negro – really REALLY Great!

fingerlings -bone marrow, manchego cheese, garlic aioli – Really great!

Lamb Ragu – mesquite noodles, pork, heirloom carrots, sichuan peppercorns – Really Great!

brussels sprouts – manchego cheese, juniper berry crumble -YUM!

Yucca Brûlée – yucca, cream garlic, manchego cheese – YUM!

Mushroom menudo – cordycep and cauliflower mushrooms, Chile de arbol, chimayo chile, epazote – Really Great!

Ember roasted purple yams – queso sauce, aged tepany bean mole negro (This is listed as a dinner but I feel it’s more of a sharing dish) – Really Great and YUM!

Native Grain Fried Rice – lingica sausage, bacon, serrano Chile, ginger, turmeric, garlic oil, sunny egg, soy sauce – Very good but maybe a tad soy forward.

Special event – Squash – kabacha squash and shiitake mushroom custard, squash caramel, shaved black truffle – Amazing!

Baja Striped Bass -Thai basil, mole verde, dried shrimp, almond, pistachio, hoja santa, tomatillo – I had the opening version that might not be made with shrimp….The one I had was amazing!

Tia Carmen’s Chicken Guisado – chicken thigh, castalvetrani olive, chimayo Chile, garlic, turmeric rice – A very good chicken stew.

Special event – Denver Steak – tepary bean aged mole negra, bone marrow croquettes, manchego cheese, shaved black truffle – WOW! FANTABULOUS

Coriander tart – A very well made tart. VERY GOOD

Special event Dessert – beet macarons FORKING FANTABULOUS!

Astonishing Foods!

Worth a Fork!

Some of the FORKING ASTONISHING Food from

Tia Carmen at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Phoenix AZ

5350 E Marriott Dr PHX AZ

480-293-3636

www.TiaCarmenDesertRidge.com

Everything is subject to change.

NEWLY OPENED – Charcoal Grill Glendale AZ – Different Mediterranean Restaurant

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Charcoal Grill is a casual Mediterranean Restaurant that recently opened in Glendale Arizona. They differ a bit from other Mediterranean Restaurants in the area.

One thing that’s different is that they have a small bar in the restaurant with a few beers on tap. The menu is also a bit unique and different.

This Mediterranean Restaurant is a FALAFEL FREE Restaurant.

WTFalafel no falafels!

It’s also unusual for a Mediterranean to offer a taco platter so that is on their menu too….

Anyways-

We started out with a mixed appetizer plate.

It’s a very large platter of fried pita chips, hummus, tabouleh, baba ghannoug (their spelling), and grape leaves.

We also shared the mixed plate.

This also is a very big plate platter that was covered with a pita bread. It is beef tikka, a chicken kabob, a beef kabob, choice of rice or fries, salad, hummus, and garlic or tahini sauce. Tonight the flavors were good but meats were on the dry and chewy side but maybe when you visit they will be better. The one thing that really stood out was the garlic sauce. It really was unlike any other that I have tried. It was garlic-ee but also light and fluffy. My guess is that it was made with egg whites….

The mix shawarma plate was better.

To my surprise none of the meats we tried tasted like they came from a charcoal grill but the marinated beef and chicken from the shawarma plate was tasty and more moist than the kabobs. This very generously sized platter also came with rice or fries, salad, hummus, garlic sauce or tahini sauce and a pita.

Charcoal Grill – NEWLY OPENED

5830 W Thunderbird Rd Glendale AZ

602-612-3186

www.CharcoalGrillGlendale.com

Every THING is subject to change.

A Little Taste of Phoenix Magazine’s 2023 Dish Fest at The Clayton House Scottsdale AZ

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Phoenix Magazine’s 2023 Dish Fest was held at The Clayton House in Scottsdale Arizona Sunday March 5th from 12-4pm. VIP ticket holders got in one hour earlier. This is an all you can eat type of festival of best dishes in the valley that Phoenix Magazine featured. Dish Fest also includes a beer garden, wine, spirit tasting and food trucks. Chef Jennifer Caraway also is expected to do a food demonstration. Also a portion of the proceeds benefit The Joy Bus Charity.