Tag Archives: #Phoenix

The Rec Pizza & Detroit Eats is NEW Again! with New Owners Peoria AZ

The Rec Pizza & Detroit Eats Offers Detroit Style Pizzas, other eats, canned adult drinks, and more now. This restaurant has gone threw a lot of changes in the past few years with recipes and ownership. The new owners are from Michigan and lets see what they are offering now.

They got rid of the outdoor tables. Inside still has Detroit memorabilia but it does look different and they have some large screen TVS playing sports and have added a few arcade games.

Order and pay here

Some of the appetizers that they offer are tempura pickles, fried dough balls stuffed with mozzarella cheese, wings, and chili. They also offer something like slider burgers called slim shadys. They offer Coney dogs, salads, and of course PIZZAS.

Slim Shaddys……Pickles are very good but the burgers are kinda dried out today

Besides offering a variety of sizes pizzas …..personal, medium, and large….in cheese or meat and cheese varieties.

They also offer cauliflower crust and vegan options.

I went for the plain personal sized pizza.

It really is a nice personal size. I didn’t have a ruler on me but it might be less than a 6 across and long. It has nice crispy cheese edges. A rich tomato oregano laced sauce, and a good quality melty cheese.

But it’s a soft fluffy dough.

Here’s the same pizza but with pepperoni and sausage.

That was a little taste of The Rec Pizza and Detroit Eats in Peoria AZ.

The Rec Pizza & Detroit Eats

20340 North Lake Pleasant Rd Peoria AZ

623-328-9131

www.TheRecPizzeria.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ – Phila-Deli, Angry Chickz, Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, The Craftsman Cocktails & Kitchen October 2022

Dining out with dogs 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 was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. He couldn’t do a lot but he always enjoyed going out to eat so I took him out to eat as much as possible. Instead of his 3-6 month diagnosis he made it another 17 months.

Today I take my current dogs out to eat when the weather is 90 degrees (with shade) and lower temps. I also know that not all outdoor restaurant patios are dog friendly. I either look for a “dog friendly” sign posted or I call and ask the restaurant if it’s ok to bring dogs. I am also aware that most of the food and drink that I consume can be harmful or even toxic to dogs. (It’s always best to get a list of safe foods and foods to avoid from your veterinarian.) I also know to keep my dogs close to me when dining out and not to let them eat off of restaurant plates.

It’s starting to cool off in Phoenix and I’m being to take the dogs out again. The temperature was just under 90 degrees and Phila-Deli in North Glendale opens early and they have a shaded patio so I can take the dogs there.

I got a tuna hoagie there.

tuna hoagie

My husband got a cheesesteak with extra cheese.

cheesesteak with extra cheese

We also shared some bulgogi fries.

bulgogi fries

The dogs were both very happy to eat some cheese steak with the onions carefully removed. (Onions are very harmful to dogs).

I love Phila-Deli
Oh come to my mouth cheese steak

Phila-Deli changed ownership a few months back and added some new items to the menu. I noticed a new sign on the door that said “service dogs only.” So we inquired about that. It turns out that the original owner loved dogs so much that she used to let them dine inside with people. She also used to run bowls of water and offer lunch meat to her dog customers. The new owners said that dogs are still allowed on the patio. They only allow service dogs inside.

Phila-Deli

20219 N 59TH Ave Glendale AZ

623-376-9333

Our next dining adventure was food from Angry Chickz (a Nashville Style Chicken Tender Fast Food Chain). They don’t have patio dining but we have a nice little park nearby to enjoy the food at.

We got way more food than we needed-

Combo #3, Combo #4 side order medium tender, side order hot tender, side order country tender, and we got some free fries instead of the macaroni and cheese we asked for

but we also got an unseasoned tender just for the dogs.

side order chicken tender in “Country” no heat

Both dogs enjoyed the country tender very much……It was very juicy and very tender with a crispy exterior.

The medium and hot chicken tenders had a wet exterior. The medium was very HOTT! We both thought that the hot was not edible…It was painfully nuclear HOTTTTTTTT! I can’t even imagine how hot the x hot and angry hot can be………..I will add that the Cole slaw was unusually good. It was fresh and crisp, didn’t drip and really was flavored just so.

My bigger dog enjoyed the chicken tender that she kept slapping me for her next bite.

The smaller dog just had this happy look on his face all the way home.

Angry Chickz

5130 W Bell Rd Glendale AZ

800 – 498 – 9836

www.AngryChickz.com

We also made it to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They are a Pho-Free Vietnamese Eatery that specializes in Banh Mi Baguette sandwiches. They also offer most of your Vietnamese favorites like rice plates and noodle bowls.

Today I went with the lotus root salad and chicken pot stickers.

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

lotus root salad

This salad is light and very refreshing.

My dogs both think the chicken potstickers smell very appetizing.

BTW- These potstickers are especially good. They are WAY BETTER than others I’ve tried in the area. More flavors, more filling and they aren’t deep fried like what I get at most places. I give the dogs ends of the potstickers. They enjoy that too!

But they leave me in a hurry for some grilled pork.

grilled pork rice plate

The rice plates are very large and are two meals for some people. The meats are always fresh and prepared carefully. The beef is unusually good for this kind of place and is always very tender. I know it’s really ribeye but is as tender as filet mignon.

dogs come back for shrimp and some little ends of the potstickers.

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery is always a great choice!

2340 W Bell Rd PHX AZ

602-843-3637

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

We also made it to The Craftsman Cocktails & Kitchen in North Scottsdale. They have a really nice patio with garage doors that opens up into the restaurant. I think it might be my bigger dog’s favorite restaurant because she feels like we brought her into a restaurant. She always gets extra excited when we come here.

They offer a slightly upscale menu that seems mostly new American. The menu changed a little since our last visit but then again the menu always changes a little now and then. The servers are very nice and brought each dog their own bowl of water.

Today I ordered the shipwright ahi salad.

It is different today…….I think someone confused smoked paprika with togarashi seasoning.. The fish and salad are different too……..Someone new might be in the kitchen today?…..I’ll come back but I don’t think I’ll ever order this salad again. This salad isn’t very dog friendly but I do cut out some fish centers without seasoning for the dogs.

The dogs are much more interested in my husband’s distiller’s burger.

Look at that smile!

The burger is very good. 1/2 pound angus beef with tomato bacon jam, fontina cheese, dijon aioli, and a brioche bun.

Both dogs are very happy getting some cheeseburger.

The Craftsman Cocktails & Kitchen Scottsdale AZ

20469 N Hayden Rd Scottsdale AZ

480-401-1102

wwwTheCraftsmanAZ.com

That was dining out with DOGS for October 2022.

We hope to see you next month!

The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

My Trip to Angry Chickz Glendale AZ – Not Bad for Fast Food but there are some warnings.

Angry Chickz is a Nashville Style Chicken fast food chain from California that just opened their first Arizonian location in North Glendale Arizona also known as the upper west side of Metro Phoenix.

They use chicken tenders and they come in SIX different varieties of heat from – no heat up to – sign a waver.

Then after you decide what heat…. Then you might go for one of the combos.

Combo #1 – 2 sliders, slaw, pickles, fries

Combo #2 – 2 tenders on white bread, pickles, fries

Combo #3 – 1 slider, one tender on white bread, pickles, fries

Combo #4 – 2 tenders, buttery rice, slaw, pickles

They also offer separate sides and three bowls…

One bowl is called Angry French Fry Bowl, another is Angry Mac Bowl, and the last one was called Hangry Bowl.

You can dine in or go threw the drive thru.

inside

We did take out and dined at a local park nearby with the dogs.

We tried a variety of things and different heats. We ordered way more than we needed. The portions and size of the tenders were bigger than I guessed that they would be.

We ordered (top left) one side order tender in “country” no heat …(bought for the dogs)

(top right) was two side order tenders. One in medium heat and one in hot (not marked but easy to figure out that the redder one was “hot.”)

Our order came out slightly different from what we ordered….(slight opening hiccup)

We were suppose to get a side order of macaroni and cheese but that didn’t come and got an extra order of fries for free instead. (cashier read back macaroni and cheese but didn’t ring it up)

Bottom left is the Combo #4 two medium heat tenders with lots of buttery rice and slaw.

Bottom right is Combo #3 one slider, one tender on bread, fries, pickles.

We’ll start with the tender in country (no spice or heat) It came on a slice of white bread that is lightly toasted.

side order in country

This one has the BEST texture of all the tenders. This one is the only tender with a crunchy exterior.

“Dogs somehow WIN all the time!”

The chicken inside is very moist and very tender. I took a tiny taste…It really is pretty good. It doesn’t taste boring. I fed the rest to the dogs.

We tried the medium slider

Combo #3

It’s pretty tasty………But when I taste the chicken alone I am very surprised on how very hot it really is……Medium is PRETTY DARN HOTTTTT!………Again the chicken is very moist and very tender…The exterior of this chicken looks crunchy but is moist and kind of soggy……..I like the flavors but I don’t like how this feels powdery in my mouth….The fries are crisp, well seasoned, and have fluffy interiors.

We also tried one tender in hot……

two side tenders and it was suppose to be macaroni and cheese but we got free fries

The tender on the right is the hot…………….I take a bite and it is too FORKING HOTTTTTT! for me………..It’s FORKING PAINFUL….. Same for my husband and we LOVE hot food. But if hot is too hot for us then I think hot is too hot for most people….We had to throw it out. So glad I read reviews warning that medium is to hot for some people…Otherwise I would have ordered mostly hot and would have been very upset.

I can’t believe that they make two levels hotter than hot…

After hot they offer X hot – call 911

and Angry – sign a waver

The “Hot” is so painfully hot……… I think that it is a danger to offer the “X Hot” and the “Angry.” Even the “Hot” is a danger and the “Medium” runs very hot and would be too hot for a lot of people.

We also tried the Combo #4 in medium.

Combo #4

The buttery rice is fresh and perfect. The slaw is also fresh and seasoned very well and isn’t drippy. Again the chicken is very moist, tender and the flavors are good but I don’t like the outer texture. It’s moist and powdery at the same time. Only the tender with no heat (“country”) was the only tender that had a crunchy coating. Maybe the soggy texture on the medium and hot was a packaging issue???????

Not bad for fast food. The chicken seems to be equal quality compared to what supermarkets sell.

I think my favorite was the slider in medium. With the bun, slaw, and pickle the flavors did taste the best and I didn’t really notice the exterior textures that I didn’t like…..But a close second was the no head country tender. It just tasted like a good tender that anyone would like.

I also note that I did Take Out and might have tasted different results than dining in.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND any chicken ordered in HOT, XHOT, or ANGRY.

That was my trip to Angry Chickz in Glendale AZ.

5130 W Bell Rd Glendale AZ

www.AngryChickz.com

800 – 498 – 9836

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

FORKING AMAZING Food of the Week – Alzohour Market, Bro Bro’s BBQ Food Truck, Tia Carmen – Phoenix AZ

I got lucky and tried some FORKING AMAZING food this week. FORKING AMAZING is not just very good…….It’s FORKING AMAZING! So here they are.

Alzohour Market is a HIDDEN GEM with SEVERAL FORKING amazing dishes. You can taste some of the very best Moroccan and Middle Eastern food in the Valley. This is not a fancy place and the service and the cooking is usually done by one woman so it is slow but it’s worth waiting for. The Moroccan tea is the best that you can taste anywhere. Tea doesn’t sound so special but here it is something different that you probably have never tried before…..GET IT…..It is really special!!!! ………Grape leaves usually aren’t anything special….But here at Alzohour Market they are by far the best that you’ve ever tasted anywhere. These stuffed grape leaves are like FIFTY TIMES BETTER than any other grape leaf that I’ve ever tried anywhere………..They are extra special. I didn’t have this today but I have had the b’stilla (house made sweet pastry with chicken) and it should be mentioned because it is extra special and is painstakingly made. The house made baklava is also the very best that I have ever tasted.

baklava

It’s not too sweet or too gooey. It’s delicious! When I have more room I usually get the house made spaghetti type cheese stuffed pastry…OMG it for certain is one of the best baked goods in Phoenix. Alzohour Market is worth driving across town for. I usually but not always get the fish tagine that is very good.

Alzohour Market 7814 N27TH AVE PHX AZ

602-433-5191

www.Alzohour-Market.Business.site

From Food Truck Friday West in Glendale I hit a few ok food trucks and we shared the FORKING AMAZING Brisket Sandwich from the Bro Bro’s BBQ Food Truck.

BBQ Brisket Sandwich with added corn and fire roasted poblano pepper from Bro Bro’s BBQ Food Truck

OMG it’s overflowing with goodness. You can’t pick it up and you have to eat it with a knife and fork. I wish you could smell it………..It smells like the most delicious BBQ that you can imagine…I wasn’t planning on eating here because I’m not a beef or pork person……but it smelled so amazing I had to make a stop here. This sandwich is on an extra flavorful tasty roll that is embellished with cheddar cheese and jalapeños. Inside is GOLD……..Really tender flavorful smoky brisket chunks and pulled….ad it’s a really perfect mix of lean and fatty….(but not TOO fatty). We added the corn option that is another tasty treat and another perfect accent is that fire roasted poblano pepper that adds another special layer of delicious! This sandwich was FORKING AMAZING!

Bro Bro’s BBQ Food Truck

www.BroBrosBBQ.com

Tia Carmen is a high quality contemporary (mostly South-West) type of restaurant. It’s located in North Phoenix in the JW Desert Ridge Marriott. The kitchen is led by Michelin Star Chef, Restauranteur, Bravo Top Chef, and Cookbook Author Angelo Sosa. I already written about Tia Carmen’s FANTABULOUS Dish (the Tuna Crudo) and I’ve also written about several of their stunning dishes. Tia Carmen has recently opened for lunch Monday-Friday. They offer several of the lighter dishes from their dinner menu and a few tortas and some additional desserts.

It’s hard to imagine a salad as a FORKING Amazing dish but this one truly stands out.

baby greens salad from Tia Carmen

The baby greens salad is a bit spicy and so full of so many flavors. Who knew a salad could be so complex? This salad contains fennel, Persian cucumber, epazote, pickled onions corn puree, serrano chile, and green olive dressing. It sure doesn’t compare to most salads out there and you can add chicken, crispy white fish, or grilled shrimp to turn it into a meal.

We also shared two of the tortas…….The fish torta stood out flavor wise as a FORKING AMAZING FANTABULOUS Dish. It EXPLODES like fireworks in your mouth. THIS IS SOOOOOO FORKING GREAT!!!!!

fish torta with hay fries from Tia Carmen

WOW! One of the great sandwiches in Metro Phoenix. This is a great surprise and also unexpected from this restaurant because it taste like the best Cha Cha La Vong (National Dish of Hanoi) that I’ve ever had. This sandwich is a crispy sea bass with sweet onion jam, spicy mayo, fresh dill, fresh cilantro, turmeric, and other FRESH HERBS that make it POP! It’s the combination and all the FRESH HERBS that make it taste so special. It also comes with fries that they call hay fries…..that are like a cross between fries and crispy potato sticks.

Tia Carmen at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Phoenix AZ

5350 E Marriott Dr PHX AZ

480-293-3636

www.JWDesertRidge.com

*****Honorable Mention****

I didn’t eat the Shish Kafta but my husband said that the shish kofta from Alzohour Market is the very best that he has ever tried anywhere because it was juicy and full of delicious flavors.

Mixed Grill Plate from Alzohour Market

The Mixed Grill Plate from Alzohour Market contains a chicken kabob, shish kafta, gyro, with rice and whatever she feels like putting on the plate. Even the green pepper salad is AMAZING!

Alzohour Market 7814 N 27TH Ave Phoenix AZ

602-433-5191

www.Alzohour-Market.Business.site

Got lucky this week and really tried some of the very best plates that Metro Phoenix offers. These were a collection of the FORKING AMAZING Foods that I tried this week. I also got to eat out more than I normally do.

The Forking Truth

Biryani Pot Phoenix AZ – Hyderabadi Indian Cuisine – Really Great Biryani – Worth a Fork!

Their are two Biryani Pot Restaurants in Metro Phoenix. One is located in Chandler and the one we visited is the one in the Paradise Valley area of Phoenix Arizona. Biryani Pot (PHX) offers almost a dozen Hyderabadi dum biryani dishes, they offer North and South Indian dishes, vegetarian and non-vegetarian appetizers, entrees, tandoor, Indo-Chinese, breads, soups, desserts and more.

You might be wondering what is Hyderabadi cuisine? It’s usually spicy and is rich and aromatic. The dishes usually contain lots of exotic spices, ghee, nuts, and sometimes dried fruit. These dishes are influenced by Muslims who have lived in Andhra for centuries.

It’s very casual inside.

inside

It’s not a fancy place but it seems clean. (there’s a game on today and everyone we saw that came in did take out)

We ordered a variety of plates.

We tried the chilly fish appetizer.

chilly fish

It’s battered stir fried tilapia with bell pepper, onions, and green chilies with a red sauce. This one is tasty and not too spicy.

We also tried the mirchi bajji.

mirchi bajji

Today the green chilies were nuclear with heat…….I don’t think even most heat lovers could eat them………..and they are battered with a tasty chick pea coating. They are described as being stuffed with onion masala?

mirchi bajji cut open

Stuffed with onion masala? ************Don’t know but….Maybe they received the wrong peppers and couldn’t stuff them? I noticed just this week that TWO different supermarkets had different peppers marked incorrectly. This happened to me twice in one week.

But the chicken 65 biryani is amazing and is one of the very best biryani dishes that I have ever tried.

chicken 65 biryani

This is Hyderabadi Dum Biryani rice layered with onions, flavorful sauce, and tender flavorful, spicy delicious chunks of chicken. This might be the most flavorful aromatic biryani that I have ever tried.

We also shared the House Special fish curry.

fish curry house special

Boneless white fish cooked in traditional Andhra tangy style curry. The fish curry here runs more spiced than any of the others that I have tried. It seems mostly onion based with some tomato, ginger, curry leaves, star anise, and probably a bunch of other things.

Really Great Biryani!

Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

Biryani Pot

4030 E Bell Rd PHX AZ

1-602-675-0673

www.BiryaniPotPhoenix.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

My Trip to The Gastrome Market – Scottsdale AZ****UPDATE NOW CLOSED FOR BUSINESS

******UPDATE NOW CLOSED FOR BUSINESS*****The Gastrome Market has opened in the Gainey Ranch part of North Scottsdale Arizona. The Gastrome Market is many things……A specialty food market, a wine store, a restaurant, an event center, a classroom.

inside by entrance

To the right of the entrance is the wine area.

wine area

Mainly Arizona and Californian Wines are sold here.

To the left is the bar area.

bar

There are also tables in this room.

dining area

Next we go back in and pass the baked goods area.

baked goods

On my second visit there was a smaller selection of baked goods.

baked goods

The deli area had salads, soup, wagyu beef fat, wagyu beef Bolognese, dry aged ribeye, Iberico pork rack, Two Wash Ranch chicken.

After that are dry goods, spices, produce, flowers, meats, and deli items with hard to find cheeses.

produce
hard to find mushrooms
dry goods – olives, dry pasta, vinegars
meats
cheeses
cheeses

We tried some lunch today.

I had the olive oil poached tuna salad.

It was made of chicory, endive, AZ citrus, pickled celery, soft egg, and tarragon vinaigrette. It was suppose to contain crunchy shallots but they didn’t make it to the plate. The salad is good but not perfect……..This salad is for people who love bitter and sour………..The grapefruit, endive, chicory, pickled celery are all bitter or sour……. The pickled celery are BOMBS of very strong vinegar and should be shaved or cut into much smaller pieces.

You will do better with the Cuban sandwich.

Between the toasted baguette bread is Iberico pork shoulder, rosemary ham, Emmenthal Swiss, pickle, and deli mustard and was served with BBQ potato chips.

That was my trip to Gastrome Market in Scottsdale.

******UPDATE NOW CLOSED FOR BUSINESS*********

Gastrome Market

7704 E Doubletree Ranch Rd Scottsdale AZ

602-909-3445

www.GastromeMarket.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

A Little Taste of The Gladly – Phoenix AZ

The Gladly is a casual full service Camelback Corridor type neighborhood restaurant and whiskey bar located in Phoenix Arizona near the Biltmore Fashion Park.

inside

It sure didn’t look empty for long and filled up fast…..But crowded my photo didn’t look so great……All you could see were the two large people in the first both. The restaurant is bigger than my photo shows. They have at least two more dining areas. They also have an outdoor patio for dining outside when the weather is nice.

They offer a mostly all day menu of a variety of starters like local Little Miss BBQ smoked sausage and pretzel bun,

Little Miss BBQ Smoked Sausage, White Cheddar, Spicy Mustard, Pretzel Bun

crab cakes, and a vegetarian Brussels sprouts dish. Starting at 3pm they offer some raw seafood. The Gladly also offers a few salads, a couple sandwiches, and seven entrees scallops, chimichurri chicken (that was moist and developed with flavors…..the potatoes were also flavorful and a little spicy).

chimichurri chicken with spicy potato casserole, smoked Chile chimichurri, and micro greens

They also offer- filet mignon, salmon, poke, short ribs, and a vegetarian dish of roasted mushrooms, acorn squash, vegetables, rice and quinoa.

In case you didn’t know their most famous dish is the chef’s original chopped salad that has it’s own Facebook page. It’s also served at the older sister restaurant called Citizens Public House in Old Town Scottsdale and at Cowboy Ciao at the Phoenix Airport.

Original Chopped Salad with added Avocado

The salad is made of smoked salmon, Israeli couscous, currants, pepitas, dried sweet corn, marinated tomatoes and buttermilk herb dressing. (Avocado is an add on option)

They offer to toss the salad table side.

The salad is seems unusually light but also is filling…..It’s full of textures, sweetness from the currents, smoke and salt from the salmon, airy crunchy dried corn, tomatoes with more flavors than regular tomatoes, and the right amount of bitter from the arugula, yummy from the pepitas. It’s an outstanding salad….No wonder why it has it’s own Facebook Page.

That was a little taste of The Gladly.

2201 E Camelback Rd PHX AZ

602-759-8132

www.TheGladly.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Food Truck Friday West – Glendale AZ – Worth a Try!

October 7th 2022 was the first Food Truck Friday West in Glendale Arizona. They are held every Friday Night 5pm-9pm at 18551 83rd Ave. in Glendale (between Sam’s Club & Walmart). It was free admission. There were around eighteen food trucks to pick from. They also had seating, music, a children’s bouncy blow up, and a children’s train ride.

train ride

The first Food Truck we tried was Red Ginger. They serve a menu that’s Asian Pacific and sometimes Baja Mexican.

We shared the Korean Bulgogi Tacos topped with Asian slaw and sriracha aioli.

Bulgogi tacos from Red Ginger

OMG they are delicious! The beef is tender like butter and is infused with delicious flavors. WOW what a great start.

We came across Mel N Libby’s Soul Food Truck.

Mel N Libby’s

We shared the fish and shrimp combo with macaroni and cheese.

fish shrimp mac ‘n’ cheese

The shrimp are ok but seem unseasoned. My husband asked (Libby?) for cocktail sauce but she didn’t give him any……..maybe she was out? The fish are very fishy tasting and chewy……(ick!) The macaroni and cheese is all dried up and not good…..

mac ‘n’ cheese from Mel N Libby’s

I would say that the fish and macaroni and cheese was very substandard. I am surprised that they are in the food truck and catering business. It’s a crime to make food like this. They should cook for our local jail. (of course most of this $23.50 was thrown out)

So we still had room to try another food truck.

We tried the tartufata pizza from Re Di Roma Wood Fired Food Truck.

Re Di Roma Food Truck
tartufata – fior di latte mozzarella, garlic, mushrooms, black truffle oil

I thought that this pizza sounded great……..It’s ok but a little off. The crust is extra thin and I do like that. But the cheese is rubbery and not the best. The mushrooms are very spongy. It’s also oily and lacks truffle taste. Maybe I would have liked a different flavor pizza better?

We finish with a trip to Mr. Softea.

Mr Softea Food Truck

I got a small cup of vanilla soft serve with rainbow sprinkles.

It was only $2. and pretty good.

The large chocolate with chocolate sprinkles was only $3.

Today we tried a very good food truck (Red Ginger) and OK Food Truck (Re Di Roma) and a not so good food truck (Mel N Libby’s)

I will certainly try Red Ginger again and there were lots of other food trucks that I was interested in trying.

I’d say that the Food Truck Friday in Glendale AZ is Worth a Try!

18551 83rd Ave Glendale AZ (Between the Sam’s Club and Walmart) Fridays 5pm-9pm

www.GetLocalArizonaEvents.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Some FANTABULOUS Dishes from Fabio On Fire Peoria AZ – Worth a Fork!

Fabio On Fire is an Italian Restaurant and MORE in Peoria Arizona. Fabio On Fire besides being an Italian Restaurant also happens to be a pizzeria, bakery, gelateria and a mobile catering service. The restaurant offers, Neapolitan pizzas, seasonal specials, hand made pastas, house made baked goods, house made gelato, bar drinks and wine too.

Fabio at work
inside

This is an award winning restaurant.

The porchetta dish is officially one of the best dishes of the valley according to Phoenix Magazine and was featured on the cover (Feb. 2022)

My picture of it isn’t as good but it certainly was a Fantabulous dish.

Porchetta – wood fired pork belly, chickpea hummus, rosemary focaccia

Whatever you choose you are going to start with the complimentary FANTABULOUS ciabatta puglese bread…possibly the tastiest most delicious bread in the valley…

ciabatta puglese

All the pizzas are very good but maybe the very best bufalina pizza in the valley is this one. It goes a few steps further than others that you can find.

bufalina pizza

The cheese is the best bufalina from Italy….But unlike most bufalina pizzas out there the high quality imported cheese gently melts on the pizza instead of being baked like at most places so you can taste it more and is enhanced with the best flavors that bounce all over……balsamic, bitter arugula, sweet tomatoes, and a rich certified San Marzano tomato sauce.

Certain times of the year spinach raviolis are a special on the menu. These raviolis are layered with flavors…..

The spinach raviolis are in a delicious slightly creamy walnut sauce. The pasta has an extra taste and maybe it was cooked in a little vegetable stock that adds another layer of taste. They might be the tastiest ravioli anywhere.

I’ve tasted vodka sauce at a few different Italian restaurants but none of them where as delicious as the vodka sauce dishes I’ve tried from Fabio On Fire. They do offer a lobster ravioli in vodka sauce on the regular menu but I was lucky to try a few specials with that delicious vodka sauce.

One special was smoked salmon pasta in vodka sauce.

Another was –

Arugula and sweet tomatoes with pasta and vodka sauce.

Off the regular menu you can get these incredible butternut squash stuffed purse shaped ravioli in an amaretto laced rich sage cream sauce……vegetarian or with crispy prosciutto di parma. These are really a treat to eat!

butternut squash ravioli

My husband loves the orecchiette with broccoli and sausage. He said that it is very good.

I don’t have a good picture of the halibut special that was offered several times but I can tell you that the halibut seemed as fresh as from a fish house and was prepared as well as from a fish house and came with extra fancy vegetables…..It was very good and maybe was the best fish dish offered on the west side of the valley.

Often wood roasted lamb is a special of the evening.

wood roasted lamb

The most delicious desserts and BEST gelato can be found here.

The baked goods do change up now and then.

strawberry rum cake

But this strawberry rum cake was amazing.

Fabio makes the best gelatos. Some of the flavors I’ve tried were blood orange, pistachio, brownie, passionfruit, peach, cherry, and STRAWBERRY.

All the gelato was amazing and delicious but the strawberry for sure gotta be the BEST strawberry gelato in the country. If you taste it then you WILL agree!

These were a few of the FANTABULOUS Dishes from

Fabio On Fire

Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

Fabio On Fire

8275 W Lake Pleasant PKWY Peoria AZ

623-680-5385

www.FabioOnFire.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

A Little Taste of Zuzu Restaurant Scottsdale AZ

Zuzu Restaurant is located in the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale near to Old Town Scottsdale in Arizona. This restaurant is named after the Hotel Valley Ho’s Matriarch of the family known as Zuzu who they say was an amazing cook with great hospitality.

Zuzu

Zuzu the restaurant offers brunch, happy hour, dinners, cocktails and more!

Zuzu has a sort of club-like or lounge type of atmosphere.

inside
inside

They also offer patio seating for when the weather is nice.

A few items offered for early bites are things like avocado toast, for sweet eaters they have breakfast cinnamon buns, Moroccan style hummus, and garlic stuffed pretzel bombs with mascarpone.

They also offer salads, and brunchier foods like eggs Benedict, huevos rancheros, breakfast fried rice, half chicken and waffles.

They offer a few southwest style plates like fish tacos.

grilled fish tacos – red snapper, pineapple slaw, spiced crema, avocado, cilantro, flour tortillas

If you are a burger or sandwich person they also offer that too on the brunch menu.

2.0 burger – 8oz. patty, griddled onions, roasted garlic, pickles, fry sauce, American & provolone cheese

Happy Hours are 4-6pm and all five offering only cost $6-$7 each. (subject to change)

Happy Hour offerings are……..Moroccan Hummus, Whole roasted cauliflower, garlic stuffed pretzel bomb, Brussels sprouts, and chicken chicharrones.

For dinner some of the offerings are grilled Portuguese octopus, salt roasted beets, scallops, sea bass, pork shank, beef filet, and a SURPRISE dinner called, “Zuzu Take The Wheel.”

That was a Little Taste of Zuzu

Zuzu – located in the Hotel Valley Ho Scottsdale AZ

6850 East Main Street Scottsdale Arizona

480-376-2600

www.HotelValleyHo.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth