At the moment my favorite Thai Dish that I’ve come across in North Phoenix is the Spicy Pumpkin Basil from Sala Thai in Peoria. The Pumpkin adds another delicious flavor. It’s sort of sweet, a little creamy and sort of chestnut-like. This dish is basically a Pad Gra Pow with added Thai Pumpkin. It’s your choice of meat hand chopped with extra surface space to soak up flavors. Then it’s stir fried with bell pepper, onion, garlic, Thai Chillies, basil and fish sauce. It’s incredibly delicious. I enjoy that they use a handful of delicious basil that you can taste in this dish. This dish also taste better than from other places because they use Thai Chillies for heat unlike some of the other places that use jalapeƱos and or a granulated powder. Some of the other Thai restaurants in North Phoenix do offer Pumpkin Curry but Sala Thai is one of the few or possibly only Thai Restaurant in North Phoenix that offers Spicy Pumpkin Basil.
Why settle for Pad Gra Pow when you can have Spicy Pumpkin Basil?
Worth a Fork!
www.SalaThaiAZ.com
Every THING is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.
We have really Forking Awesome Pizzas in Glendale and Peoria. All the pizzas are Forking Great and delicious. These are the most delicious ones I’ve tasted so far. Pictured above is the Pizza Milano from Bottega Pizzaria Ristorante in Glendale. This particular one is special because it is ultra thin and is made with San Marzano Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and a little spicy kick from Calabrian Chile Peppers. It’s crisp but does have a soft middle. it’s also the best ultra thin pizza that I know of on the west side. The regular pizzas are delicious as well and are very similar to Pomo Pizzas….(this restaurant used to be a Pomo). Delicious pizzas you can’t go wrong here.
From Fabio on Fire in Peoria is the Bufalina Pizza. This one has all kinds of flavors going on. Rich San Marzano tomatoes, peppery arugula, sweet reduced balsamic, creamy bufala cheese, nutty parmesan on a thin light chewy and crisp crust. The bufalina cheese was partially delicious…..It was creamier and more flavorful than other buffalo cheeses I’ve tasted from other places. This pizza was incredibly delicious! It’s one of the BEST ever!
The Pizzas from La Piazza Al Forno are all delicious but this Bianca Pizza was really extra special. This pizza was made with their insanely delicious house made mozzarella, a high quality ricotta (don’t know if house made but it tasted like house made), extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, Sicilian oregano, and Calabrian chiles. All this was on their very delicate textured certified crust. It was really awesome.
The Forking Truth is that I do really love their Margherita pizzas too but they differ depending on the visit……They both taste good (pictured below) but I prefer the one on the right. The one on the right might be my favorite Margherita anywhere. The house made mozzarella is the most flavorful mozzarella…Their crust is the most delicate and tender and when the sauce is just right is pretty darn amazing.
Also on the west side by the same owner of La Piazza Al Forno is Piazza Romana that is technically in Avondale but is so freaking close to Glendale it just has to be included. This place is basically around the corner from Westgate in Glendale.
Here are Piazza Romana in Avondale is the Metro Phoenix first Roman Style Pizza Shop. Pictured above is the Arrabiatta. It has a delicious chunky thick topping that’s seasoned well with a kick!
Pictured above are the Margherita and the picante (spicy salami ((sopresata))
These pizza slices have a bubbly textured dough that is crisp but also moist in the center and are generously topped with delicious toppings. They aren’t as heavy as they look….and they ARE DELICIOUS!
At The Rec in Peoria they serve Detroit Style Pizza. (pictured above and below)
This pizza has a bubbly thick crust that isn’t doughy with these scrumptious crisp CHEESY edges.
The bottom taste almost like a buttery grilled cheese and this pizza was topped with a rich chunky oregano laced sauce and a delicious melty cheese blend. This pizza is incredibly tasty.
I make pizza too…..One of my favorites that I make is the Heirloom Tomato slices with fresh basil, E.V.O.O. with my cheese blend of mozzarella, provolone, sharp provolone and parmesan.
Those were The FORKING Best Pizzas that I’ve Tasted on the west side …..(mostly) in Glendale and Peoria.
Every FORKING Thing is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
The food is always spectacular from Confluence in Carefree Arizona. Not just great but usually detailed and very complex…..actually astonishing. I’ve been to many better restaurants in several states and I haven’t found one restaurant anywhere that does fish as well as from Confluence. This is the only restaurant where I am able to eat the skin. It’s seasoned just so and is crisp, delicious and stays crisp from first bite to last bite. The arctic char was tender, moist and cooked to perfection. If you like salmon then you will LOVE arctic char because it like a milder creamier salmon. The fish plates I tried from Confluence always “SING” with flavors that harmonize and go together like an orchestra arrangement. Here on this plate was sweetness from golden raisins. Piney, buttery flavor from pine nuts. Touches of bitter and salty from Gaeta Olives. A sort of floral saffron sauce is the glue that ties it all together and clean tasting patty pan squash and couscous complete the plate. It’s a stunning plate. Sweet, piney, buttery, touches of pleasant bitter, salty, floral…it’s delicious and interesting in the mouth.
The Arctic Char from Confluence in Carefree AZ was The Best Thing I ate out this week and was Worth a Fork!
Los Andes is a small casual Peruvian Restaurant located in a strip mall that’s between north and central Phoenix Arizona. It’s not a fancy place but it seems clean.
Things started out great! We were greeted with interesting tasty samples of Peruvian Juices, crispy salted kernels and two tasty dipping sauces. Our server was younger but seemed so sweet and cheerful too!
One juice was passionfruit and the other was a more complex combination of several things that included purple rice and cloves. I enjoyed both of the juice samples but didn’t order juice today. I thought our server seemed disappointed that I didn’t order one of the juices so I explained that I was trying to save room for dessert. (juice has a lot of sugar…so I usually don’t drink juice but prefer my sugar in dessert)
The fried kernels are tasty…..They are even more tasty with the cilantro based sauce and the spicier red sauce but are difficult to dip because the kernels are small.
There were many appetizers that did sound delicious…..Many were made with potatoes and they also offered several ceviches that were interesting to me. Today I thought I’d just get my main because it seemed like a substantial plate and I was hoping to save room for a Peruvian Dessert.
I have to tell THE FORKING TRUTH so here it goes!
I ordered the Pescado Los Andes (fish in picante sauce with yucca, Peruvian corn and asparagus ($19.95 on menu).
But my heart sank when I saw the meal they made me. It wasn’t what I ordered. Actually I would never order this dish for a bunch of reasons. Looking at this dish was as painful as getting clubbed in the knees. I had a bad experience someplace else with ahi Amarillo sauce and I have weird hang ups from my childhood with shrimp and scallops……..They me Picante Los Andes (fish in ahi Amarillo (yellow pepper) shrimp, scallops, yucca, Peruvian corn and rice (on menu $17.95).
I told the server that I didn’t order this. She didn’t say anything. She just had that deer in the headlights kind of look.
I didn’t send it back for multiple reasons. I’m thinking is it possible that I ordered the wrong thing? Another reason I didn’t send it back is because I’ve worked in restaurants and I saw what not all but what some cooks do to people’s food that gets re-made…..Sending back food is maybe the worst thing that you can do to a cook in a restaurant. I also didn’t want my husband to wait to eat because his food would get old and cold if he had to wait.
I removed the shrimp and scallops and saved them for my dogs. I was slightly fearful about the sauce because from a different Peruvian Restaurant I didn’t like aji amarillo but this sauce was edible to me. It tasted almost like a pepper soup with a peppery kick but ran slightly salty. I hate to say this but I must if I tell The Forking Truth….This fish was cooked nicely but came with too much blood line on it (the dark earthy part of the fish). On salmon the blood line isn’t so strong tasting like it is on tilapia. I don’t eat tilapia often and didn’t expect that taste in my mouth and my stomach went a little wonky. The rice was fresh and fluffy. The yucca sticks were crisp and seemed free of oil.
My husband got their other signature dish the Lomo Saltado ($15.95).
The beef was tender and tasted like it was marinated in soy sauce. This plate included onions, tomatoes, fries, rice and cilantro mignonette………We are not certain if the cilantro mignonette made an appearance here.
Anywho-
I was hoping to try a Peruvian dessert……I really thought it would make me feel better from the fish. I saw Peruvian Ice Cream and Peruvian Donuts on the menu….I saw some different and interesting desserts in the local paper from here.
Our server didn’t ask us if we wanted dessert and slapped the check down on the table. I don’t know why but I didn’t feel like having dessert after that.
Andes candies come with the check.
I didn’t study the check till I got home.
I did order the right entree and was over charged too!
I did order the Pescado Los Andes but they gave me the Picante Los Andres ($17.95 on menu) When I look at the bill I know what went wrong. The waitress ordered what I asked for but the owner- cook made the wrong entree. The server could have fixed the situation if she looked at the food that she was serving me.
They over charged me by $3.00 š I don’t know why I was over-charged.
That was my trip to Los Andes in Phoenix AZ
1/2 a Fork…mixed review…..could go either way……..Good Luck!
www.LosAndesPHX.com
Every FORKING Thing is subject to change and YOUR FORKING experience may or may not differ.
There’s no need to hop the Marrakech Express since we have Alzohour Market Bakery and Restaurant in Phoenix. Alzohour Market offers Halal Meats, some Indo-Euro, Moroccan-Middle Eastern Grocery, Islamic Clothing, Books, Baked Goods, A Moroccan/Middle Eastern Restaurant and MORE! This restaurant is in the bottom of the north end of Phoenix and is on the southeast corner of 27th and northern.
It looks like this when you walk in.
From my seat I look into the market.
We decide to share some falafels ($8.00 subject to change).
WOW! What a stunning presentation! WOW finally a very good falafel on this side of town.
It’s crisp, fluffy with good herby flavors and seems free of oil. The pickled cabbage, salad, pickles, lots of warm pita bread, garlic sauce and this INCREDIBLE CRAZY crazY CRazY FORKING GREAT Tzatziki sauce completes the plate. OMG it’s the FORKING BEST Tzatziki sauce in the whole FORKING world…….It’s almost cheesy. We had to ask about about it because it’s so different I thought maybe it was something that I’m unfamiliar with. The secret is that it’s made with house made yogurt. The portions are very generous so I can enjoy the rest another day.
One of the signature plates here is the B’Stilla. Here it is lovingly made with house made phyllo (also spelled filo) dough, CHICKEN, cinnamon and almonds. This is from a prior visit ($20.00 subject to change).
It’s oddly delicious but also very rich. My picture doesn’t show how large this really is. I think 1/4 of it is a serving….This serves four people pretty well.
Also from a prior visit we enjoyed the Cod Tangine ($15.00 subject to change).
The cod is in a tomato based sauce with onions, peppers, preserved lemon and spices. This dish also came with long grain rice.
Today I enjoyed the Frekeh with Chicken, fragrant exotic spices and almonds ($15.00 subject to change).
The frekeh is mixed with many surprises…..tiny noodles and other grains that are very aromatic. The chicken (leg and a thigh) is amazing…….it’s full of flavors and is so tender it just falls off the bones. The almonds are like little treats every now and then. This plate contains a few portions of the frekeh mixture so it’s more than you can eat but the whole plate was incredibly delicious. Our plates also came with salads.
The salad with made with very crisp iceberg lettuce, a little tomato, crisp pita and feta cheese.
My husband had the Traditional Moroccan dish of Couscous with Lamb ($15.00 subject to change).
It comes in mild or spicy…my husband got spicy…..He said it was FORKING AMAZING! He couldn’t tell me what it taste like but it was packed with delicious flavors. He said it was so Forking Great that he has to order it next time too. Today it was packed with many vegetables that include carrots, a red flesh squash that brought sweetness, garbanzo beans, Brussel sprouts and of course couscous. The portion here is also mighty large.
I wasn’t going to order dessert but the owner Zhor told me I had to try the dessert of the day.
Her house made pastry stuffed with cheese, pistachios, almonds and topped with honey. It was a stuffed baklava.
It was insanely good…It looks too sweet but wasn’t and was delicious. I know it was the BEST baklava I’ve ever had.
We washed it down with Tea.
OMG! This was the BEST TEA I EVER HAD in my LIFE! My husband doesn’t ever drink tea but even he said that tea was delicious. WOW!
I peeked into the store but I didn’t shop.
Then we pay.
It was so good my husband said that we can go back next week.
I do note that business hours do differ slightly than what is posted on the internet and the front window. (everyday around 11:30 and Sunday 12:00)
Alzohour Market – WORTH A FORK!
Worth a Fork!
www.www.Alzohour-Market.business.site
Everything is subject to change and your experience may differ.
Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery is located in North Phoenix Arizona. This is a casual order at the counter Vietnamese Restaurant that specializes in serving about a dozen different Banh Mi baguette sandwiches. They also serve most Vietnamese favorites but DON’T SERVE PHO.
Everything I’ve tried at BMBVE is great and at this time (subject to change) EVERY FORKING THING on the menu is under $10.00 but the $4 $5 dollar menus should be mentioned because they are CRAZY GOOD for less than fast food prices.
You order at the counter, pay, grab a drink and seat yourself.
Every choice is a winner.
But this $4.00 and $5.00 Menu is not to be missed.
We tried most of the $4 and $5 dollar items.
Here are the egg rolls ($4.00)
Three crispy egg rolls with fish sauce and lettuce and vegetables to wrap around the egg rolls.
Fire cracker salmon rolls ($4.00).
My favorite on the $4.00 are the potstickers. These potstickers are better here than from most restaurants in the area. They also come in chicken or pork.
I think my husband’s favorite $4.00 are the pork belly bao buns….(he said they were better than the last bao buns he’s tried)
The $5.00 menu is so much better than any fast food I’ve tried anywhere.
One of my favorite $5.00 plates is the lotus root salad.
It light refreshing, crunchy and herby…….It comes with shrimp but I usually skip the shrimp…He’s a better look.
There is a $5.00 Papaya salad too.
The $5.00 chicken cabbage salad is CRAZZZZZZZZZzzzzy good.
This is a pretty Forking BIG salad for $5.00 and it’s DELICIOUS TOO! It’s more like a Vietnamese herbed slaw that’s lightly creamy lots of marinated slices of chicken in it. It’s light but filling and very satisfying. This might be the best deal in North Phoenix!
Everything at Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery is Worth a Fork! ….(but the $4.00 & $5.00 menus are really special!)
Worth a Fork!
www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com
Every THING is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
The Phoenician Tavern is a casual pub kind of restaurant located by the golf course at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale Arizona.
When you get to the gate keeper’s booth and stop…then turn right to get to the Phoenician Tavern. Next walk up the steps or hop on the elevator and you’re here.
Reservation or not the hostess will ask your name and you will be address by your name from your server.
We make are way to the dining room.
There are tv’s on the walls, dark furniture, matching wood trim and neutral colors and big windows around the room.
There’s views of the golf course from most of the windows.
They offer a lot of variety on the menu….There are all kinds of snacks like chips, dips, hot chicken and wings. There is fish and chips, macaroni and cheese, prime rib, burgers, salads, soup and more.
Today I went with the warm citrus salmon sandwich on toasted dill bread. ($17.00 subject to change)
Sandwiches are held together with cute golf tee picks.
The sandwich is STUFFED with LOTS of reasonably fresh tasting salmon that cooked around medium well but is still juicy.
Also in the sandwich is peppery arugula and a sweet heirloom tomato slice. The lightly grilled dill bread is also brushed with a lemon curry mayo. Sides that come with the sandwiches are fries, sweet potato fries and the pub salad that comes with mustard vinaigrette. I picked the pub salad and it’s light, tasty and refreshing. I notice that the cucumbers sure didn’t come from Safeway because these are crisp, sweet tasting and also are de-seeded.
My husband tried the smoked wagu tri tip French dip ($16.00 subject to change).
There is caramelized onions on the sandwich. There is also Camelback IPA mustard that my husband said is especially good. The smoked wagu tri tip is flavorful, tender and also is a generous amount. Au ju for dipping completes the French dip.
Service was efficient and friendly
That was my first taste at The Phoenician Tavern in Scottsdale
www.ThePhoenicanTavern.com/Phoenican.Tavern
Every THING is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
Hush Public House is a small but slightly upscale restaurant located in a strip mall in the north end of Scottsdale Arizona. They offer a full bar and menu of mostly many sharing plates that might be slightly globally inspired but lean slightly towards Italian. They also offer a variety of dinners. On the night of my visit pasta, chicken, seafood and beef were all on the menu.
When you walk in you see a busy and also loud bar.
The music is also kind of loud.
When you are seated you see how this is really a tiny place.
The kitchen is behind half of the bar.
Here’s the other half of the bar.
We decided to start with something salad like but more interesting. We tried the grilled treviso.
It’s covered with finely shredded manchego cheese, cured egg and chives…..I taste some. It’s very bitter…..I knew it would be bitter because treviso is a bitter kind of fancy cabbage…..but this is really bitter. The cheese is very good and gives some relief to the bitterness. This dish is unique and interesting but isn’t for everyone because you have to have a high tolerance for bitterness. ($13.00 subject to change)
For dinner I tried the roasted half chicken.
My half chicken is missing the wing and leg. The skin is notably crisp and is served over Swiss chard, wild mushrooms and is in a rich Madeira laced stock that is stunning and delicious. The Breast is kind if thin for breast and is on the dry side but the thigh is much more flavorful and moist……there just isn’t much of it ($25.00 subject to change).
My dinner might not be typical of what they usually serve…..This dinner has been featured in our local newspaper, other publications and Yelp. I took a photo from Yelp so you can see what I saw from other publications.
www.Yelp.com
Any who-
My husband tried the Italian Beef Sandwich ($28.00 subject to change)
The brioche bun sandwich is served open faced. The slightly over toasted bread is soaking in a pool of rich beefy stock. There’s melted smoked provolone cheese, and a small amount of melty succulent tender beef that is topped with finely chopped giardinara. The plate is almost amazing except for one thing. This $28.00 sandwich only has about 3 ounces of beef on it.
We tried the peach toast for dessert ($16.00 subject to change).
The palisade peaches are especially flavorful and are delicious. House made ricotta is very creamy. There’s hazelnut dukkah, fresh mint and some local honey on a very sturdy toasted grain bread. It’s all delicious here…
That was my trip to Hush Public House in Scottsdale AZ.
www.HushPublicHouse.com
Every Forking THING is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.
Seydi’s Pupuseria and Grill is located in a strip mall in North Phoenix Arizona. This is a casual order at the counter kind of restaurant that specializes in serving Pupusas ……(Salvadorian stuffed flatbreads). They also offer Salvadorian style breakfast such as tamale, rice, beans, plantains and burritos. They offer appetizers, close to a dozen different pupusas, (either meat and cheese or cheese and vegetable) a couple soups, combination entrees and plantain empanadas.
You order at the counter, pay and seat yourself.
We shared two of the combination plates. The first plate we tried was the #12 steak that comes with two pupusas ($9.50 subject to change).
The Pupusas were CRAZY CRAZY GOOD….. (they are under the steak).
The Pupusas are like Salvadorian really great grilled cheeses……..inside of them is LOTS of tasty mild melted cheese. One pupusa has some wild flowers in it that don’t add much flavor but the one with jalapeƱos is incredibly delicious. The pupusas got crisp ends that are tasty…crispy cheesy buttery grilled and really delicious sort of corn masa flavor….They are also big……I don’t think most people would be able to eat two of them because they have a lot of filling. They also gave us this delicious not-too-spicy but flavorful chili sauce to spike things up a bit and a little cup of very sharp spicy slaw. The steak was just ok and a little tough and chewy but it tasted better with the addition of the sauce.
My husband tried a side of Salvadorian Sausage. He enjoyed the flavors but said the texture was dry.
The Fried Tilapia Plate comes with rice, beans, salad and fried jalapeƱo and house made corn tortillas ($11.99 subject to change).
The Fish is fried to perfection. It gets a squirt of fresh lime. It’s so moist and flaky. It falls off the bones. It’s a little hard to eat with plastic silverware but we manage. Beans were well seasoned and almost like in a soup. The rice was fluffy and studded with peas and carrots and seemed like it was laced with chicken broth.
The house made corn tortillas are a nice thoughtful touch!
I would say that Seydi’s Pupuseria and Grill is Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.Seydis-Pupuseria-Grill.business.site
Every THING is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
The English Rose Tearoom is located in beautiful Carefree Arizona. They serve authentic English foods and loose teas seven days a week 11am-4pm. They are very busy and you usually need a reservation to be seated indoors. They offer English Style Patio seating.
They offer seating indoors in the gift shop.
Seating in the main dining room is the picture below.
The small but energetic restaurant is full of bone china, chandeliers, roses and loose tea. There are glass topped table clothes that protect antique photos lace and other things. It’s sort of a magical atmosphere ladies of all ages from two to a hundred and two go dress up with fancy hats and feel like a princess for a day.
We tried a small pot of darjeeling loose leaf black tea.
It’s sort of floral….but there is something strong to it…..not bitter….but something strong. It’s relaxing.
I decided to try the soup and sandwich selection ($14.00 subject to change)
I start with the soup of the day creamy tomato basil. I like the fresh basil flavor in the soup. It’s not too heavy but flavored very nicely. I start with a English cucumber and orange mint butter sandwich. This sandwich is trimmed of crust. It has some texture to it but doesn’t fall apart when you eat it. The cucumber is the main flavor in the sandwich. Next I try the smoked salmon, lemon cream cheese. It’s on a darker bread with trimmed crust. It’s very smooth but with small flecks of fish. Last is the chicken, nutmeg and tarragon on walnut edged bread.
The chicken filling is very smooth and laced with nutmeg and tarragon….The nuts add interest to the bread. The plate also includes a bunch of small sweet seedless red grapes, a strawberry and orange slices.
My husband tries the cottage pie ($16.00 subject to change)
He recived a crock of lean ground beef cooked with vegetables that was topped with piped mashed potatoes with a mixed green salad on the side.
We decided to try a dessert and went for the house specialty…..The scone with jam and cream. ($10.00 subject to change)
The scone is almost like a substantial rich denser cake with less sweetness. The Devonshire Cream is sort of like a milky butter and strawberry jam gives the scone that just right strawberry flavor.
This was fun and different….a little magical…….in a lovely atmosphere.
English Rose Tearoom in Carefree is Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.CarefreeTea.com
Every Forking THING is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.
