Tag Archives: #foodie

My Trip To Mexcelente Tacos in Phoenix AZ – Newly Opened

Mexcelente is a small casual family owned and ran taco and more restaurant located in North Phoenix Arizona. It’s a cute little place that looks sparkling clean. They offer tacos, burritos, nachos, bowls, quesadillas, tostadas with around nine topped or protein choices. It’s very casual here. I only noticed soft beverages.

inside

You order at the counter and get what you ordered topped with your choice of toppings and sauces. Then you pay and grab your beverage and seat yourself.

We both tried a variety of tacos. The choices of tacos that they offer are – al pastor, alambres (steak with peppers, onions, and cheese), carne asada, carnitas, cochinito pibil, grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, tinga, and nopales. You can pick corn or flour shell but the default is corn. The tacos are bigger than street tacos and are well packed.

My husband picked alambres, carnitas, carne asada, and shrimp tacos.

The tacos get topped with whatever you pick from their line of toppings and sauces.

I got grilled chicken, chicken tinga, and carne asada. I added pico, lettuce, cilantro onions, two guacamole, and one hot sauce.

Just like most places some days some meats are better than others. Today both of the chicken tacos are the best of the bunch. Both are flavorful and moist. They were overly generous with the hot sauce….I almost can’t eat the taco with the hot sauce…..It’s way too hot….borderline nuclear……The only other issue here are the single shell corn tortillas. They taste good but are very thin and fall apart while you are eating the tacos. The salsas we tried are very flavorful and good but I recommend if you want a spicy salsa to ask for it on the side.

That was my trip to Mexcelente. At this time they are newly opened.

www.MexcelenteTacos.com

4241 W Thunderbird Rd PHX

602-368-1707

Everything is subject to change.

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Bourbon Pub SFO San Francisco Airport CA – Fabulous Airport Food – Worth a Fork!

Bourbon Pub is a global American Pub located in the San Francisco Californian Airport between gates B8-B9 in terminal one by chef Micheal Mina.

I ordered the Korean Barbecue Salmon Sandwich with salad (the other choice was fries).

Korean Barbecue Salmon Sandwich from Bourbon Pub SFO

Gosh it’s a big delicious sloppy sandwich……It’s topped with a very good deli tasting pickle. It made of cut in-house salmon (medium) that is smothered in a gochujang based sauce, and packed with kimchi and topped with mild jalapeƱos and ginger aioli. All that is on a nicely grilled eggy tasting fresh bun. It’s big and very sloppy. I’m a mess eating it but it is very delicious and the fish is prepared well, seems fresh and melts in my mouth. Half I ate as a sandwich and the other half I ate with a knife and fork and avoided the bun so I didn’t get overly stuffed. The salad contents….some lettuce, sweet tomatoes and onions were lightly tossed with mild vinaigrette.

My husband went for the torta camarones (minus the sour cream) with salad instead of fries.

This sandwich was made of wild gulf shrimp, guacamole, (sour cream left off at my husband’s request), pickled jalapeƱos, tomato, red onion, gem lettuce, and salsa verde and a long roll. He had his doubts…but in the end he said that it was a delicious sandwich that was very good. Latter he said it was the best thing he ate that day.

My husband was so thrilled with the food coming home he took out a buffalo chicken sandwich to eat for lunch on the plane ride home.

I tasted the sauce and it was delicious. My husband that this sandwich was really good.

I did ok…….I knew I couldn’t eat a big sloppy sandwich on the plane….A salad would ne better so I took out a 5-spice chicken salad from Bun Mee in terminal one that was good. It tasted like a chicken banh mi sandwich……..it was better than the mass produced take out salads that they have all over the airport….BUT I WOULD HAVE WAITED till I got to Bourbon Pub if I knew that they were offering a whole list of specials besides the menu…..Didn’t notice specials on our first visit coming in.

Bourbon Pub SFO in San Francisco Airport is – Fantabulous Airport Food

Worth a Fork!

Worth Fork!

Bourbon Pub SFO

780 S Airport BLVD San Francisco CA Terminal 1 Between Gates B8-B9

www.MichealMina.net

Everything is subject to change

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La Toque Napa CA – Worth a Fork!

La Toque is a Michelin Star contemporary restaurant located in Napa California in the Westin Verasa Hotel. A Toque is a white chef’s hat. This restaurant has a large Toque outside waving around like a flag.

Inside is modern and classic. Diners in the main dining room can look into the kitchen with the windows in the wall.

The second dining room is decorated different and has tables set with tablecloths and heavy silverware.

It’s a high end place. They give you hot towels to clean your hands to start out with.

We ordered from the a la carte menu.

Then they started us off with this tiny amuse bouche that was so tiny but exploded with so much flavor (pistachio flavored). It was so amazing I could have eaten a bunch of them.

Next we were off with fresh baked crusty bread and butter with sea salt.

Our first appetizer is the koji cured hamachi with grapefruit leech de Tigre, serrano Chile oil, and compressed celtuce.

Compressed celtuce…….A fancy dancy celery without strings goes really well with fish and flavors that melts in your mouth….

Next they split the three cheese agnolotti with ramps, and vin jaune, and morel mushrooms.

All good here too….no complaints.

For my main I got the pan roasted Gulf Red Snapper with FENNEL MARMALADE (game changer) radishes and vermouth.

These flavors go magically well together. The fennel marmalade is amazing here…….(I’m going to steal that idea for my dishes)……..

My husband got the dry aged duck breast with fancy carrots, carrot puree, and this really amazing smoked duck fat confit potato and duck jus.

And of course we had to get one of La Torque;s amazing desserts.

This was an fantabulous chocolate hazelnut dacquoise with chocolate-amaretto ice cream.

I thought we were done and they handed each of us a little box of handmade sweets.

I have to say La Torque in Napa CA is –

Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

La Torque 1314 McKinstry St Napa CA

707-257-5157

www.LaToque.com

Everything is subject to change.

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My 2022 Trip to Gott’s Roadside Napa CA

Gott’s Roadside is a casual restaurant. They have around seven locations around Napa California. They offer burgers, sandwiches, salads, sides, specials, and ice cream. It’s very casual, you order at the counter, pay, pick up beverages, condiments, get a pager and seat yourself inside or outside.

Today I thought the citrus and avocado salad sounded just right. It’s made up of greens, avocado, aside spiced chicken, cilantro pumpkin seed dressing, orange, tomato, black beans, pickled red onions, quinoa, pumpkin seeds and cotija cheese.

The chicken is refrigerated chilled. But it’s tasty. Better than fast food.

Today my husband got a green chile cheese burger.

Today the burger is petrified and the fries are cold. But last time at this location it was hot and delicious. We also enjoyed the food from the Gott’s that is near to the the Oakville Grocery a few years back.

Last time at this location we got a double cheeseburger, an ahi tuna burger, fried cauliflower, and fries.

That means that this location of Gott’s is just like most small chains. You can hit them on a good day or a bad day.

That was my 2022 trip to Gott’s Roadside in Napa CA

644 1ST ST Napa CA

707-224-6900

www.Gotts.com

Everything is subject to change.

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My 2022 Trip to La Calenda Yountville CA

La Calenda is an Oaxacan Style Mexican Restaurant located in Yountville California. This restaurant is part of the Thomas Keller Group of restaurants and is only steps away from Bouchon, Ad Hoc/ Addendum and is a Michelin Guide recommended restaurant.

The last time I was here I was so blown away with how fabulous the food was I ate here twice. That was back in 2019 before the pandemic. The menu has changed since my last visit and La Calenda now also takes reservations now.

Here’s how it looks on the patio.

Here’s the inside.

They set you up with silverware by giving it to you in a crock with your napkins.

The drink menus are different too. Today I tried some sort of Negroni with smoked mushrooms and mezcal.

I think it’s delicious and really different with that smoked mushroom flavor. (and often I don’t care for smoked things…not all but many are too smokey for me)

We started with the mushroom tacos. We had mushroom tacos before here that we REALLY ENJOYED here pictured below.

They differed tonight. Pictured below. (they differ a little)

The habanero salsa is very flavorful and good but these mushroom tacos have less flavors than before……..still good ….same tortilla…..but not Fantabulous.

We also tried the ensalada de sandia (watermelon pepitas, radish, Chile piquin, salsa macha, and mint).

This was nice flavorful and very light……Actually I would enjoy this as a light dessert anywhere…It is savory but also is lightly sweet. We both like it…anyone would like it.

For my main I had something very similar to before. pescado zarandeado (fish of the day (both times branzino) this time grilled adobo marinated with greens.

It was very good. The fish seems so fresh and the adobo marinate taste really great. But that hoya leaf marinated branzino from last time popped more….(pictured below with avocado tomatillo salsa)

My husband also got a dish very similar to a time before. This time he got the enchiladas de mole negro con pollo (chicken enchiladas with mole negro and queso fresco).

I tasted them….The mole is good and flavorful….The white meat chicken is very soft and tender but just taste boiled. I don’t remember how the dish he had last time tasted but he preferred the green mole dish from last time that he got with pork jowl beans.

On another visit we were absolutely CRAZY of the tacos they offered before. (these are old presentations and most are not on current menu)

Fish tacos

Crazy about the sour orange anichote pollo and pollo pibil tacos they used to offer.

Mushroom Tacos (old presentation)
Auguachile (not on current menu)

Well our most recent visit to La Calenda was good so I can’t be unhappy. But my last visits were OUT OF BOUNDS FANTABULOUS. I don’t know if some menus are more delicious than other or if they have had some changes in the kitchen.

That was my 2022 visit to La Calenda in Yountville CA.

www.LaCalendaMex.com

6518 Washington St Yountville CA

1-833-682-TACO (8226)

Everything is subject to change.

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Press Restaurant St Helena CA – Pretty but did I eat?

Press Restaurant is an upscale Michelin Guide modern American restaurant located in St Helena California. The executive chef is chef Philip Tessier. He previously worked for Le Bernadin and most of the Thomas Keller Restaurants that include The French Laundry. I read a few reviews and looked at pictures of some of the dishes from Press on review sites. They differed from what I got……..

It’s on the masculine side looks wise inside.

Lots of wood inside and classic decor.

We tasted a lot of wine today so I went with a cocktail.

Tried a roadrunner. It’s made with mezcal, rum, Campari, amaro, and a brĆ»lĆ©e pineapple. It’s strong but smooth and not too sweet.

They don’t start you out with anything. No amuse, no bread……

We started out with the ricotta gnudi ($24.) Our waiter suggested adding one more gnudi (4 gnudi instead of the normal 3) for sharing ($31).

The gnudi are light and delicious. They are packed into squash blossoms and are in an amazing very flavorful parmesan consommĆ©. This was the one dish that truly was amazing. There wasn’t much of it…..The two gnudi are more than a half order…..Normally you only get One and one half gnudi per person.

My dinner was the yellowtail.

I had three pieces of mild fish topped with some pretty blue flowers, less than a teaspoon of fava bean tapenade, green almonds and in lemongrass nage. It was really good………. but it was more like a tasting. I guess each person would do better ordering two appetizers here or you get hardly anything to eat. There were no side dishes to order so all you can add on are appetizers………..I chalk the problem I had up to the service. I KNOW IF I WAS THE WAITER I would have suggested two appetizers a person. I wouldn’t want my guest to leave unsatisfied….

My husband got a slightly larger plate than me.

He got the Petrel sole.

It looks like this below if you take it apart some.

It’s described as dungeons crab, crisped pumpernickel, cara cara orange, and spring onions. My husband thought that the crab was missing. He told someone and it turns out that the crab is a very slight amount of liquid ( about a teaspoon of liquid foam) that is under the fish……that is also the seasoning but is not enough because the fish just taste plain…….Up top is a very evaporated piece of pumpernickel crisp topped with pretty flowers.

We had plenty of room to try dessert so we tried the one called brown butter maple cremeux.

I like the honey nut squash ice cream and the huckleberries. The little brown disc taste burnt to me so I don’t like them and the white creamy disc ….I’m not sure what it is………something called pain d’ epices (French Spice Bread?) we both really don’t like the taste or texture…….The manager notices that we don’t like some of this and offers to get us something else. We decline and find out latter that they generously took the dessert off the check.

(Maybe?) We would have had a better time if we knew that we should have ordered more appetizers……..(and ordered a different dessert).

Press for us was an expensive tasting of a few dishes and a dessert that was 1/2 good and 1/2 inedible. Your experience may differ.

Press Restaurant St Helena CA

Did I eat?

www.PressNapaValley.com

587 St Helena HWY St Helena CA

707-967-0550

Everything is subject to change.

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My 2022 Trip to Acacia House by chef Chris Cosentino St Helena CA

Chef Chris Cosentino is a Top Chef Master so naturally I’d want to eat at the Acacia House in St. Helena in California. On my last trip to Napa in 2019 this place was FORKING AMAZING! We enjoyed THREE COURSE LUNCHES for only $29 each. On our recent visit the menus have changed and the three course lunches are no more.

It still looks the same inside. It’s a mix of chairs and couches they use for benches.

I pick the tuna NiƧoise salad today for lunch.

It’s a little different from other tuna NiƧoise salads I’ve had. This is the only one that was made with tuna confit. It’s also missing the green beans but has chick peas and olives instead. Under the slow roasted tomatoes is a dip……It’s not in the description on the menu but it might be bagna cauda an Italian garlic anchovy dip? The gem lettuce is unusually crisp. I made little roll ups with the lettuce, fish, and well seasoned jammy eggs. It’s all high quality and painstakingly made.

My husband got the California Burger.

It’s a double flat top type patties with double cheese, lettuce, slow cooked tomato, roasted onions, pickle, mustard, and Acacia House Special Sauce (I asked what was in it and was told that it was like Russian Dressing…it did have an unique taste…) This was a really great burger.

The desserts sounded so good we had to go for one of them.

This was the lemon and pine nut tart with rosemary caramel, meringue, and huckleberry sorbet. Yes, it was VERY good!

This was very good but last time we did hit the jackpot with the three course $29. lunches.

Last time we both started with-

Caesar salads with bagna cauda (Italian garlic anchovy dip) and boquerones (marinated white anchovies)

My main was an avocado toast topped with smoked salmon and salmon caviar.

My husband had the pasta of the day. This pasta was made with 24 hour braised pork sugo.

And we had TWO desserts to share.

chocolate mousse

Lemon meringue

That was my 2022 trip to Acacia House by Chris Cosentino in St Helena CA.

1915 Main St St Helena CA

707-963-9004

www.AcaciaHouseRestaurant.com

Everything is subject to change.

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Loveski Jew-ish (ish = fusion) Deli at Oxbow Market in Napa CA

Loveski Jew-ish deli is located in downtown Napa California. It’s maybe the most unique deli in the country. It’s unique for several reasons. The chef is a James beard award winner and has worked for the impressive THREE MICHELIN Star restaurant The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa that unfortunately burned down in a fire. He also is a farmer and some products in the deli come from his farm. Not all but some of the Jew -…ish deli food has some Thai or Asian flavors added. Those flavors are added to honor the chef’s wife.

Loveski deli is located in the Oxbow Market.

Oxbow Market

Not a lot to see it’s just a small deli.

They offer breakfast, an all day menu, and takeaway. They offer a limited menu but make their own sourdough bagels, and pickled and fermented items. They cure their own meats. They do offer wine, beer, some soft beverages. I’m pretty sure that I saw Dr. Brown’s soda there.

I tried the smoked whitefish sandwich.

It’s unique and delicious!

It’s on shaved white bread with smoked whitefish salad, crispy onions, thai chile, and mild horseradish mayo. We both think that the whitefish sandwich is the winner here. It really is great these flavors are awesome together. It just might be the best whitefish sandwich in the country.

My husband tried the Loveski reuben. (but with the kimchi and gochujang sauce on the side….he latter packed them into the sandwich after tasting them.)

How tasty! What a great twist to a reuben! I guess these flavors work because they used lots of restraint with the kimchi and gochujang…..Just enough so it’s there.

A few of the other offering are

Matzoh ball soup with lemongrass, Thai herbs and chilies.

Chickpea salad with fresh farm grown produce.

Mini potato latkes.

Cheesecake soft serve.

Loveski Deli is located in the Oxbow Market in DT Napa CA

www.LoveskiDeli.com

610 1st ST Napa CA

I haven’t found a phone number for Loveski Deli.

Everything is subject to change.

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My 2022 Trip to Ad Hoc Yountville CA

Ad Hoc is a family style full service restaurant by chef Thomas Keller listed in the Michelin Guide. They usually offer a multi course dinner for a set price. Additional menu items may be offered.

It’s not a fancy place but is always very neat and clean looking. You can sit at the bar or inside.

Tonight they started us off with crusty fresh baked bread and butter.

Next course was spring vegetable salad of snow peas, crisp English peas, fancy radishes, with creamy tarragon dressing.

Our main course tonight was the Famous buttermilk fried chicken.

It was seasoned to perfection…..It was incredibly moist and tender. It also was shattering crisp.

We also added on the additional Black Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese.

Maybe not 100% perfection but very good and better than most macaroni and cheese that you get out at restaurants. It does have a nice truffle flavor but I can taste flour in the sauce but maybe most people can’t.

Side dishes were green beans almandine.

Potato salad.

The potato salad taste like pickle juice..and mustard.

Incase you were wondering………

This was an enormous amount of food. We had to bring at least half back with us.

Not done yet there’s more!

One of the tastiest treats was the next course of Mahon cheese with pretzel epi and hot honey mustard……

Dessert tonight was called strawberries and cream…It was a parfait of pannacotta topped with strawberries that were topped with Chantilly cream.

That was my 2022 trip to Ad Hoc in Yountville CA

Some of the dishes we had here previously were- (pictures either were poor or I couldn’t find)

soda bread with honey butter

endive and watercress salad

corned beef with Guinness gravy (only dish I didn’t care for…it was more like beefy brisket)

cornbread stuffed quail

chicken and sausage Jambalaya

chateau

peanut butter ice cream sandwich

ice cream and Bailey’s laced brownie bites

The Current Ad Hoc Menu can be found on the Thomas Keller Website.

www.ThomasKeller.com

6476 Washington St Yountville CA

707-944-2487

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Newly Opened – Salt Tacos Y Tequila – Norterra Phoenix AZ

Salt Tacos Y Tequila recently opened I The Shops at Norterra in North Phoenix Arizona. Two other locations are in San Tan and Glendale. This is a Mexican style restaurant and bar. It’s LOUD and energetic.

You can sit inside at the bar or a table or outside with really great misters that makes 103 degrees F seem almost cold.

The chairs are specially made for this restaurant.

We started out with margaritas. One house margarita and one Cadillac margarita.

I think they taste watery…….?

We try the taquito appetizer. We got two blue tortilla shredded beef, two yellow corn tortilla shredded chicken that were covered in chipotle cream, lettuce, avocado salsa, pickled onions, pico, and queso fresco.

The flavors are tasty……the meats inside dried out a bit but still tasty.

For dinner I tried the grilled salmon with asparagus, jalapeƱo mashed potatoes, and serrano garlic butter.

It came with a grilled lemon. This is reasonably good….Not fish house quality but better than from some places. They removed the skin and the bloodline. The fish is nicely grilled and is cooked all the way but still has some moisture. It doesn’t taste fishy at all. The portion is large and the flavors are good.

My husband tried the carne asada plate. It was a marinated skirt steak that was sort of burnt and crispy.

They forgot to give him one of the sauces that it comes with but they did give him fajita vegetables, sour cream, guacamole, grilled jalapeƱo, refried beans and tortillas.

He did complain about the steak and they quickly took the plate and replaced the steak with a much better one. They are newly opened at this time. (May – 17 – 2022)

Salt Tacos Y Tequila Newly Opened at The Shops at Norterra in North Phoenix.

2459 W Happy Valley Rd PHX AZ

www.Norterra.SaltTacosYTequila.com

Phone number is not listed on website

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth