Desert Pony Tavern Bar & Pub recently opened in the NEW North Scottsdale Arizona Hilton at Cavasson. They are a Southwest Style gastropub that also offers breakfast and happy hour. On the all day menu they offer snacks like bacon fat popcorn, appetizers like wings, nachos, and poblano hummus. You can also get salads, sandwiches, kids meals, desserts, and entrees after 5pm.
They offer indoor and outdoor seating with views of McDowell mountains and the pool.
The bar is an indoor/outdoor bar has wide screen TVs.
It looks like the glass walls might open on nice days.
We started out by trying the Four Peaks Beer Fondue.
It’s suppose to come with pears, smoked sausage, and soft pretzels.
The cheese taste very similar to processed American cheese. It might be made with a little splash of beer.
Today the sausage is dry…..The cook forgot the pears and the server didn’t seem trained to know that this dish is suppose to come with pears. We asked for pears and we got some. The pears were really great. Good thing we asked for the pears.
I got the Native Chopped Salad.
This salad contains, achiote salmon, native grains, corn, dried cherries, manchego cheese, arugula, and avocado dressing. I do have to say that this is a really great salad. The salmon is cold but much better than I expected it to be. It’s light moist, and fresh tasting. All of the bloodline was removed too. It’s also enhanced with delicious flavors.
On the other hand burgers don’t seem like a specialty here.
This is the Tavern Stack Burger. It’s suppose to be American Cheese, Aged Swiss Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, grilled onions, slab bacon and either fries or onion rings.
The request for the burger was medium rare and it came out medium well……..
An orange colored sauce was on the burger that wasn’t in the description. Our server thought it might be thousand Island Dressing? My husband sent it back because he doesn’t eat creamy dressings. I tried one onion ring. It was extra heavy with batter. Almost the texture of a cake doughnut that tasted like it was fried in very used oil.
Newly Opened
Desert Pony Tavern – Hilton North Scottsdale at Cavasson
Hummus Republic is a fast growing chain of fast-casual Mediterrean Restaurants. They offer many vegan and vegetarian options and do offer enough meat to please meat eaters. The restaurant is set up “Chipotle Style” and you build your wrap, pita, or bowl going down the line. They also offer extras like a vegan burger, sweet potato fries, and pita chips.
the line
We tried an order of falafels.
We got six falafels. They have shattering crisp exteriors and were moist and slightly herby inside. You have to order tahini sauce if you want that with the falafels.
We both tried bowls and they came out very different.
Base of mixed greens, couscous, garbanzos, lemon chicken, regular hummus, eggplant hummus, harissa hummus, beets, cucumbers, onions, stuffed grape leaves, fried vegetables, hot Moroccan saucecouscous, garbanzos, spinach, pickles, fried vegetables, onions, feta cheese, Moroccan steak, olive hummus, harissa hummus, feta whip, green chili sauce
Both bowls came out tasty. The lemon chicken bowl was only $12. and it filled me up and I couldn’t eat dinner latter. Steak is $1.50 extra. I liked the lemon chicken more than the steak. The steak did have a good flavor to it but was slightly chewy. They also offer many interesting sounding beverages and lemonades.
Worth a TRY!
This chain is doubling their locations this year so they might be somewhere near you soon.
Hummus Republic
16205 North Scottsdale Rd Scottsdale AZ (in the Scottsdale Quarter)
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!
inside
We starting out by sharing a Caesar salad. They were nice enough to split the salad on two plates.
caesar salad
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 sauceMoroccan 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!
Worth a Fork!
Cask 53 Whiskey Bar and American Sports Grill 20751 N Pima Road Scottsdale AZ
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 came down with aggressive cancer. He couldn’t do a lot but always enjoyed going out to eat so I took him out to eat as often as I could. Instead of his 3-6 month diagnosis Louie made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out when I can.
In Phoenix Arizona weather can be an issue. Anything over 90 degrees F is too hot to dine out with dogs as dogs are not as heat tolerant as we are. Other issues are that you have to make sure that the restaurant patio you plan to visit is actually dog friendly. Dogs need to be kept close to your side and you shouldn’t let them sit on restaurant furniture or eat off of restaurant plates. You also should be aware that most food and drink that you consume could be harmful or toxic to your furry friend. Usually a small lean sauceless piece of meat is usually ok.
The beginning of February was mighty chilly (well for Phoenix) so we took the dogs out for a car-ride that they enjoyed and did take out at Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix.
“I got fur..It’s not too cold for ME to dine out!”“I’m hungry…..I smell food”
The dogs get chicken from my curry chicken and beef from my husband’s beef rice plate. (I didn’t even think about photoing the food…sorry I forgot)
“Give me that chicken”“yummmmmmmmmmm!”“My turn”“Oh goodie goodie joy joy!”
We always enjoy going to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery.
2340 W Bell Rd PHX AZ
602-843-3637
www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com
We made it to The Craftsman Cocktails & Kitchen in North Scottsdale. This restaurant offers a nice variety of different foods and are also a distillery. The original chef was well known for working at several finer restaurants in Metro Phoenix. My larger dog always enjoys dining here…..Maybe because it is almost like dining in the restaurant even when you are on the patio…..
Or maybe because of the special patio tables that are shaped underneath almost like caves that dogs enjoy.
Anyways-
Our waiter was nice and served each dog their own bowl of water.
The food soon arrives. Both dogs squish themselves between me and my husband.
My husband got the distiller’s burger (certified black Angus 1/2 lb patty, tomato, bacon jam, dijon aioli. arugula, fontina, brioche bun)
With a side salad instead of fries or house chips.
#I’ll keep slapping you for food!” “Keep it coming”
The dogs enjoyed getting bites of burgers even though it was close to well done instead of medium-rare. The burger was still good and juicy. Dogs never complain they are always happy with cheeseburgers.
I got the pan seared crispy skin Canadian walleye.
Braised fennel (not sure if I got any…if I did it was ultra minimal or maybe they accidentally gave me onions instead of fennel? tomato, whipped potatoes, with tarragon butter.
Te dogs really enjoyed the seared walleye. They also got to enjoy some whipped potatoes.
Craftsman Cocktails & Kitchen
20469 N Hayden Rd Scottsdale AZ 480-401-1102
www.TheCraftsmanAZ.com
We made it to Phila Deli a Cheesesteak Sandwich shop in North Glendale. They offer a variety of cheesesteaks, hot and cold hoagies, a cold cut with pate banh mi sandwich, a variety of fries, and children’s meals.
My husband got a cheesesteak.
I got the southwest chicken steak sandwich (pepper jack cheese left off at my request, grilled onions and peppers, chipotle & hatch peppers)
For me the roll is too squishy and what I call squishy Arizona roll style but I know most people don’t mind this because they are from Arizona. It’s also a bit messy and NOT GOOD for dogs so we got them an order of chicken fingers.
I fed them about 1/2 the chicken fingers and the other half they will get as treats over the next two days.
Phila Deli 20219 N 59th Ave Glendale AZ 623-376-9333
www.PhilaDeliAZ.com
That was Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ for February 2023. We hope that you’ve enjoyed and we hope to see you next month.
The Forking TruthIn Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017
Local Bistro Restaurant is located in North Scottsdale Arizona. They call themselves a rustic Italian Restaurant. They offer dinner and Sunday bottomless Brunch. Their offerings do differ some from other Italian Restaurants. Some of their small plate offerings are tuna tartare, wood fired corn, mussels dijonese. They also offer soup and salads like French Onion soup, and a steak salad. They make wood fired pizzas, house made pastas. Some of the entrees offered are sautéed chicken with artichokes, a fifty day aged prime filet of beef, and Chilean Sea Bass with Spanish Chorizo in a white wine lobster broth. They also offer a children’s menu and desserts.
They have a large semi covered patio with lots of heaters for when it’s chilly.
They have a large bar area with big screen TVs.
Or you can sit in a main dining area.
main dining area
We started with the crispy eggplant and burrata.
crispy eggplant and burrata
It’s like eggplant parmesan but different. Instead of tomato sauce there is a coating of spicy hot Calabrian Chile Marmalade. The cheese is also creamy burrata with mint leaves, olive oil, and maybe nutmeg. Today the Calabrian Chile Marmalade is running very hot or maybe they were just overly generous with it….
The pan seared Faroe Island Salmon was very good.
Pan seared Faroe Island Salmon
It had a nice caramelized sear and was cooked to my request. The carrots and zucchini had the same exact texture. I thought that was impressive. The whipped pesto potatoes are a very generous portion and taste basil forward. Around the edge of the potatoes was a lemon-caper beurre blanc sauce for dipping.
My husband tried the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese.
tagliatelle alla bolognese
It’s house made pasta, twenty-four hour braised beef, pork, veal, San Marzano tomato ragu, and parmesan. My husband said that he really couldn’t taste the twenty-four hour braised beef. Maybe this batch tasted more like pork and veal…..?
We decided to share a vanilla gelato Toschi Cherry Meringata for dessert because you seldom come across Meringatas at restaurants.
vanilla gelato Toschi Cherry Meringata
It’s basically an Italian Meringue ice-cream type cake. A bit generous with the whipped cream but a nice sweet ending.
We found that brunch was more of a mixed bag with live entertainment.
It’s bottomless sort of……Each person can pick two starters and pick as many starters as they want. Then you pick an entree. Then you can add more starters if you can fit them in. They also have a bottomless drink special but you have to stick with one kind of beverage.
They do make the starters in portions for sharing.
I started out with the heirloom tomato and melon gazpacho shooter.
This was really great! Very clean, refreshing and enjoyable. One of my favorites here.
My husband had the sausage lollipops.
They came with honey and Calabrian chili honey. My husband’s favorite thing was the Calabrian chili honey here…He kept saying that it was very good and kept it until the end.
We shared the mini (MINI?) drunk bread.
We noticed that this was a very popular the evening we were here. It seemed that every table had one but us. It’s like cheesy and white wine dunked……We both don’t really like the white wine dunk…But many may disagree here.
One of our other mutual favorites was the patatas bravas. Spanish Romesco, and garlic aioli.
These were just really great potatoes. They just melt in your mouth. They seem like they might have been twice or tripled fried by the incredible creamy texture that they have. But they were extra light with the sauces. Could have used a little more.
Sorry to report that the entrees weren’t as good……. 🙁
The best parts of the Caesar salad was the Padano snow, the parmesan crisp, and the 6 minute egg. Lets just forget about the rest……..
My husband tried the chicken, the egg, the waffle entree.
The breaded chicken was all dried out, and covered in very thick sausage gravy with melted cheddar cheese, and a medium egg. There also was a waffle in there.
Local Bistro – Rustic Italian Cuisine – Like the majority of restaurants out there some great hits and a few misses……..Contemporary in style.
Fratelli La Bufala is an Italian Based Group of Restaurants with over seventy locations in Europe and the Middle East. This new Scottsdale location is the second location in the United States. For the most part they offer Naples style pizzas and house made pastas. They also offer appetizers, salads, two burgers, two entrees, a kids menu, desserts, and bar and cocktail drinks.
It looks like this when you walk in. It mostly traditional tables with a high top community table accented with their namesake…..the bufala cheese. The other logo that you can see all over the restaurant is the buffalo horn. You can’t tell by my photo but the pizza oven looks like a big red buffalo horn.
To the right is an indoor-outdoor bar and patio.
We start out by sharing a Cesare salad even though we were warned that the dressing contained anchovies. We ordered it because we are GLAD the dressing contains anchovies like it is suppose to.
1/2 Caesar
The salad is crisp and fresh and ever so lightly dressed. Almost undressed. The croutons were house made and do taste like good bread. The cheese is good. It’s good but at the table you should add some black pepper to it. (I do know because I used to prepare Caesar Salads table side at a high end restaurant)
For my main I have to try the Margherita Di Bufala DOP.
This is described as Buffalo Mozzarella, San Marzano tomato sauce, DOP Parmesan, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. The stand out best thing to me is the fresh basil. This basil has a nice very strong sweet basil taste. This is unusually great basil. The pizza is good. I can’t say that it isn’t……….It has a nice rich tomato sauce. The cheese seems good but would be better cooked less so you can taste that very special milky Buffalo cheese more…..The crust is extra thin and extra light almost like a flour tortilla.
The crust is just cooked with some char. It’s very fresh tasting. It’s very neutral so you can taste the toppings more.
That pizza was good but maybe the real treat are the meat pizzas.
This one has the same light crust, rich sauce, and exceptional basil. But the hot soppressata really is hot and is different than from what some of the other pizza restaurants serve.
This was a little taste of Fratelli La Bufala-Scottsdale in Scottsdale AZ
******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.
producehard to find mushroomsdry goods – olives, dry pasta, vinegarsmeatscheesescheeses
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.
Wally’s American Gastropub is an American Restaurant and Bar located in Scottsdale Arizona. This restaurant is a “Brother” restaurant of chef Christopher Collins restaurants and Catering group called Common Ground Culinary Group (The Brotherly, Collins Bros. Chophouse, Grassroots Kitchen & Tap, Sweet Provisions ice cream, candy, and dessert shop, The Collins, The Macintosh, Arcadia Catering, and soon to open St Urban).
Wally’s American Gastropub offers appetizers like fresh baked pretzels with asiago cheese sauce, grilled artichokes, and buffalo wings. They also offer soup of the day, salads, sandwiches like a burger, cajun fish, and a French dip. They offer hand made in house pastas and entrees like meatloaf, fish and chips, liver bacon and onions, and a few kinds of ribs. Desserts are butterscotch pecan pie and Ghirardelli brownies with ice cream.
They have a good sized patio.
patio
seating at the bar
bar
Wally’s offers a mix of regular tables, high tops and booths inside for seating.
inside
Besides the menu two specials were offered today. One was a tuna salad sandwich and the other was parmesan crusted trout with spinach and remoulade sauce. Today’s soup was steak chili soup.
steak chili soup
It’s a rich beefy soup with a generous amount of diced steak in it. It also contains beans, cheese, and is sprinkled with raw onions.
Below is the salmon and spring salad.
salmon and spring salad
It might not be the most interesting thing on the menu but it seems light and healthy. Sometimes you just want a light and healthy salad. The Salmon here was prepared well done but wasn’t dry. The skin and complete bloodline were removed and the salmon has nice grill marks. The salad is a basic mixed green salad with some added goat cheese. The green goddess dressing is very thin today but tasty and can pass as a basic vinaigrette.
The S’Mac with andouille sausage and bell peppers might be more interesting.
S’Mac andouille sausage bell peppers
The pasta is made in house and this skillet is very cheesy. It’s accented with andouille sausage, bell peppers, and toasty bread crumbs.
If you do take out they package your food extra carefully.
On the left is their amazing coconut cream pie (My husband hates every coconut cream pie EXCEPT this one…it really is delicious!) Norwegian salmon with caper sauce and spinach, veal & spicy pork meatloaf with horseradish mashed potatoes and asparagus, and to the right are the fresh baked pretzels with asiago cheese sauce.
That was a little taste of Wally’s American Gastropub.
Chula Seafood is a high quality family owned seafood market, casual restaurant and bar with three locations in metro Phoenix Arizona and their original location in San Diego California. They offer sustainable sourced high quality seafood and prepared seafood. From San Diego they hand harpoon swordfish (Their specialty) and bring the best seafood of the pacific coast for us to enjoy.
The new location in North Scottsdale at Greyhawk has the most seating of the Arizona locations. They have a large patio and lots of indoor seating and bar seating.
You order at the counter.
The counter
If you are dining in then you get a number and seat yourself.
bar and main dining area
They seem to offer less fresh seafood than from the two other Arizona locations. This was the fresh seafood offered today at Greyhawk.
Today we shared the hatch chile tuna melt (spiced Oaxaca cheese, hatch chile, Noble bread and chimichurri) with an upgraded side of Caesar salad.
and the tuna confit sandwich (albacore confit, greens, house made giardinia, smoked paprika aioli, avocado on toasted Noble bread with an upgraded side of potato macaroni.
We both like the taste of the tuna confit sandwich more than the tuna melt today. It just taste better…….more clean tasting and delicious today. Here’s what this sandwich looked liked from the Phoenix location.
confit tuna sandwich with side salad
Here’s what the tuna confit sandwich looked like from the uptown Phoenix location.
tuna confit sandwich with Moroccan Carrot salad
Below are a few plates from other Chula Seafood Restaurants that we’ve tried so you can get an idea of what kinds of food you might be able to try (not all but most are specials).
Fish sandwich with potato macaroni saladFriday Hawaiian Lunch Plate Specialoysterslocally made bagel with cream cheese and house smoked loxin house smoked fish plateokonomiyaki fries specialbulgogi tuna burger – specialkale salad with salmon to go – halibut collar for two specialto go – hatch chili tuna melt, chopped salad with salmon, spam macaroni saladto go – bbq fish collar special
Chula Seafood Greyhawk Scottsdale AZ – Newly Opened
Campo Italian Bistro is located in Scottsdale Arizona. They are a full service seasonal Italian Restaurant by Genuine Concepts Group. This group includes Metro Phoenix Bars and restaurants such as The Genuine, The Vig, The Little Woody, The Womack, and McMillon. James Beard Award Wining, Celebrity Chef Alex Stratta and Well Seasoned Chef Jeremy Pachero are partners of The Genuine Concepts Group.
Campo Italian Bistro offers a patio for outside dinning.
patio glass garage doors separate inside from patio
A lot of natural light come in during brunch and early dinner time.
dining and bar areadining room
Menus are seasonal but always include a lot of variety and usually seasonal specials.
Even the brunch menu includes snacks. It also includes some topped toasts, salads (proteins can be added), pizzas, brunch entrees, and panini.
The dinner menu is also seasonal and changes slightly now and then. The dinner menu also includes snacks, antipasto, salads, pastas, pizzas and entrees. Below are some brunch items and dinners that we’ve tried.
Here’s a snack of the day special – Goat cheese mousse with beets, apples, and a cheese crisp.
(not on current menu…darn so yummy) Sttacchino Cheese with Lavosh
crispy parmigiano cauliflower – breaded cauliflower (three colors that are slightly different in the mouth), parmesan, capers, Calabrian Chilies, citrus vinaigrette (dinner menu appetizers)
Salmon Rillettes- snack on current (August 2022) menus Brunch & Dinner
(not on current menu…BIG DARN…..so yummy) Artisan Cheese Plate with grilled Noble Bread
Smoked Salmon Everything Pizza – missing the everything seasoning and the capers differ from menu description (not fried)
Italian Ham & Cheese – Today this was served dried out. Last time it was much better.
Much better and not dried out.
I really loved this salad (below) but it’s not here this season. I am partial to the Salmon from Campo. It’s been fish house quality great every time so far.
Salmon salad from Campo Italian Bistro in Scottsdale was particularly good
This salad was the arugula, marinated fennel, with pistachios, local citrus, pecorino cheese, and a vinaigrette. (salmon was added). I must note that Campo Italian Bistro so far has always done phenomenal salmon. It always has a crispy skin, is seasoned nicely, and is never over cooked.
beet apple pistachio and whipped goat cheese salad with added salmon
special – short rib ganganelli
creste pasta (not on current menu) – locally made pasta, local Schriener’s sausage, broccolini, roasted peppers, feta cheese. Came out very dry without a sauce to hold it together.
chicken al matone with gnocchi and mushrooms – The chicken was very dry this evening and our server didn’t check on us. A busboy took the plate. I didn’t even bring the chicken home for my dogs. I didn’t want to complain after I was done but I didn’t come back for a very long time because of this dry chicken and service. On my recent visit I was going to order the chicken again to give it another try. So I asked my server about it. She said, “It’s a 50/50 shot if it will be dry.” I’m so glad that I had an honest server..So I didn’t take a chance on it again.
Crispy salmon with cannellini beans, kale, and tomato sauce
On my recent visit the salmon looked like this.
It’s a little smaller with less beans but still very good.
Grilled bone-in pork chop – crisp parmesan fingerling potatoes, Brussels sprouts, apple mostarda – This was tender, moist and good.
For dessert we’ve tried –
The semifreddo – (raspberries, pine nuts, yuzu) on a more recent visit it differed.
I didn’t get the yuzu as much…….
oive oil cake
On Opentable the Campo manager noticed my comments about dining there. I mentioned my dinner about the dry chicken and mentioned not being checked on. I said that I waited a long time to go back to Campo and again it wasn’t perfect again. Our two course brunch took 90 minutes. Our smoked salmon pizza was missing the everything seasoning and the capers differed from menu description (latter told they changed recipe). The other problem was my husband’s Italian ham & cheese seemed like it was sitting under a heat lamp for a long time and was served all dried out. The manager noticed my comments on Opentable and invited me back.
Again NOT PERFECT…..The manager was there (next to us comping something for that table because nobody was waiting on them) but ignored us and didn’t comp anything. My husband asked for the manager. After a few minutes the server said that he was no where to be found…………….My husband told the server about the situation and she did take my meal off the bill and THAT’S THE FORKING TRUTH!
Campo Italian Bistro in Scottsdale AZ – Not perfection but mostly very good.
