The Little Pickle is a Jewish Type Deli Located in Phoenix Arizona across from the Biltmore Fashion Mall in the Esplanade (they validate parking). It’s a small casual place with only a few tables and a small counter by the window.
Currently they are open for breakfast and weekday lunch till 2pm (subject to change). We made it there just before they closed.
You order at the counter.
They call your name when your order is ready.
Here’s an everything a bagel with scallion cream cheese.
I thought that this was a West Coast Style Bagel but someone from The Little Pickle contacted me and told me that their bagels are from New York. The bagel I tried is a different style than east coast bagels that I was used to when I lived there. I was used to the ones with a shiny crust that were chewy inside. Anyone remember Abe’s or Miller’s Deli? Also Scotts Generations serves the chewy style bagels that were and also are from New York. The style of these New York bagels are different.They are good…just different.
Sandwiches come wrapped up like this.
Your sandwich comes with a wrapped Little Pickle to the side.
Our first sandwich that we tried was the corned beef.
Corned Beef
The corned beef is a little different than what I’m used to. It’s good but milder with the spices.
We also tried the turkey.
The turkey is nice, tender and moist. It’s good but……………….
Brisket Sandwich
I think that the brisket might be the *****BEST FORKING BRISKET***** that I have ever tried anywhere. The Flavors and texture is BOMB! It has this incredible burnt sweet onion taste and the beef just melts in your mouth……..They melt cheese on the bread so that is great for some people but other people might want to order the brisket without cheese.
The Pastrami is also *******FORKING GREAT**************!
It’s so flavorful and unusually juicy just melts in your mouth. It’s fatty but not too fatty. It just might be the best pastrami sandwich out there!
You’d be nuts not to try the pastrami or the brisket. Your Welcome!
The Black Sheep Restaurant is located in Las Vegas around fifteen minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. This is a casual, modern, Vietnamese/American restaurant that is ran and owned by seasoned former Top Chef contestant chef Jamie Tran. She also was awarded by Eater as Chef of the year in 2017.
Inside is casual.
You will probably see chef Tran running around the place.
The majority of the menu is interesting and different. Our waiter said that the starters are very small and to try several. We tried the salmon skin tacos.
They are crispy salmon skin stuffed with salmon belly, salmon tartare, tobiko, smoked shishito peppers, micro cilantro, and jalapeño aioli. They are very tasty, not too spicy, and full of flavors.
My husband has a little more room to enjoy more and really enjoyed the bao slider special.
These mini bao sliders were stuffed with house made pork sausage, pork belly, quail egg, crispy shallots, greens, and jalapeño aioli. It also came with shrimp crackers. My husband kept saying that these were VERY GOOD…..over and over.
We also shared the hamachi crudo.
I thought that this was FORKING Amazing. This was an explosion of all kinds of flavors and textures. Sweet, heat, citrus, clean fish, pickle, crunch, This was made with rayu sauce (Japanese citrus sauce), dragon fruit, pickled pearl onions, bubu arare (Asian crackers), and a few other goodies.
For dinner I tried the boneless fried whole trout.
I never had fish like this before…….All the bones were removed before they fried it. You just cut though and enjoy. This came with rainbow Swiss Chard, Chinese Broccoli, sesame seed crumble, in a garlic chili oil sauce with steamed rice. Very Good!
My husband tried the braised pork jowl….(it’s the cheek….tender like beef or halibut cheek)
It came with turmeric flat noodles, Chinese Broccoli and was in a spicy garlic chili oil. This was very good too! Another Hit!
Somehow we managed to squeeze in a dessert to try. We went with the citrus meringue with ube (purple yam) crust.
The crust might be thick for some but the flavors are a nice sweet ending to a FORKING Amazing meal.
Lola’s is a Louisiana Creole Restaurant located in the Summerlin part of Las Vegas Nevada. They offer an all day menu and Sunday Brunch. On the all day menu a few of the offerings are things like Louisiana style crab cakes, cajun hot wings, crawfish puppies, salads, po boys, burgers, and platters like crawfish étouffée, shrimp and grits, and shrimp creole. On the brunch menu Are things like chicken and waffles, andouille sausage benedict, and an egg and bacon grits bowl.
This restaurant was featured on Diners Drive Inns and Dive on Food Network TV.
It’s casual inside. You can sit in the bar area, at the bar, on the patio, or in the main dining area.
main dining area
I went with the signature orange bowl salad with added bronzed salmon. (bronzed is like 1/2 blackened…less seasoning and cooked lighter)
I have to say that this was an unusually good salad…..But it does run very spicy…It’s almost too spicy for me. It’s romaine lettuce, mandarine oranges, cranberry-raisins, scallions, celery, almonds, and this SPICY sweet and spicy vinaigrette. The salmon seems extra fresh and is really prepared to perfection. They didn’t even ask how I wanted it done they just prepared it perfect……medium-ish- medium/rare.
My husband was thrilled with the loaded jambalaya.
He just kept saying that it was really good. (chicken, sausage, rice, bronzed shrimp, kielbasa sausage.
The Stove is an all day brunch and comfort food sort of restaurant that also offers bottomless drink specials. This restaurant is located in Henderson Nevada a short drive away from “The Strip.” They offer things like burgers, burritos, chicken and waffles, omelettes, other egg dishes, and a few vegan dishes. This restaurant is located on the second floor so you need to walk up and down steps that may be hard to do when partaking in bottomless drink specials. They do have an elevator but there for handicapped only.
It’s energetic and festive inside. The servers seem quick, friendly, and efficient.
I tried the Nashville Spicy Chicken Stack.
It’s a good chicken sandwich but a far cry from a Nashville Style Chicken Sandwich.
It’s not even spicy…..(The FORKING Truth)
Anyways…….It’s made with slaw, house pickles, and really good toasted brioche bun, house fries that are really good and you have an option to add on an egg. I asked for hot sauce so I could add some needed heat to this sandwich. Like I said it was a good chicken sandwich. It just wasn’t anything even close to a Nashville Style.
My husband ordered the juicy Lucy.
It’s flat patties stuffed with some cheese sauce that is topped with a chori-queso bacon wrapped onion ring and sits on house pickles, roasted tomatoes, thousand island dressing (left off on request), toasted brioche bun, and house fries.
I heard that the bacon wrapped onion ring was pretty good. Because it’s not a big burger there wasn’t much room to fill with much cheese. Some people might want more cheese.
Ono Hawaiian BBQ is a Californian chain of casual Hawaiian restaurants with around three locations in Phoenix Arizona. The popular entree at Hawaiian BBQ restaurants is called the Hawaiian Plate Lunch. Maybe you are not familiar with the Hawaiian plate lunch? The Hawaiian plate lunch is usually a large Styrofoam container filled with two scoops of steamed rice, a scoop of creamy macaroni salad, some steamed vegetables and a generous serving of a protein or two. I finally tried the newer Ono Hawaiian BBQ Glendale Arizona location.
It’s casual. You order and pay at the counter.
insideinside
Seat yourself.
Our name was called and we picked it up.
Here’s the white fish and BBQ chicken.
whitefish and BBQ chicken
Two scoops of steamed white rice, macaroni salad that is on the dry side today. The fish is very greasy…and taste like grease. The chicken really is nicely caramelized and is tender……It’s also a very generous portion but it taste like soy sauce. Under the fish and chicken is mostly what they call steamed cabbage and some broccoli. I tried to eat the cabbage but it is very oily and too tough to cut with a plastic knife. The broccoli drips with oil but is next to raw. I can’t eat the vegetables or much of this.
Here’s the BBQ Combo (short rib, BBQ chicken, BBQ beef)
BBQ Combo
All the beef is tender but oddly leathery…….And it all taste like soy sauce. Vegetables, macaroni salad, and rice are same as above.
Ono in Hawaiian usually means good or delicious…….Tonight Ono at the Glendale AZ location means Oh No!
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.
I had sweet potatoes, cabbage, chestnuts, one homemade turkey chorizo link and chimayo chili powder that needed to be used so this is what it became. It did come out delicious……I’m so glad I thought of using the chimayo chili powder…..It has a unique delicious taste. It’s almost raisin-ee and also almost chocolate-ee.It is also smoky, and has a mild delicious heat. Chimayo chili powder is hard to find. You have to look it up on-line and find it. Serving size is always difficult to judge. I’d say that this makes either 4 small side orders or two meals…..so I’ll round it to three servings.
Ingredients for around three servings
1 lb sweet potatoes – peeled, diced (around 3/4 inch I used two different types of sweet potatoes but it doesn’t matter)
1/2 medium cabbage – core removed, diced (around 1 inch)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt – to taste
fresh ground black pepper – to taste
2 1/2 oz chorizo
3.5 oz packaged cooked peeled chestnuts – slightly chopped
1 lemon – just the fresh squeezed juice
1 Tablespoon chimayo chili powder
Directions
Set oven to 400 degrees F.
Sweet potato cubes and cabbage cubes go on sheet pans. Spray or sprinkle generously with olive oil. Then salt and pepper them to taste.
This goes on the middle rack of your pre-heated 400F oven until the cabbage is crispy and the sweet potatoes start to brown. In my oven this took around 25 minutes but all ovens differ.
While the vegetables are roasting heat up your chorizo in a fry pan on medium-high heat. If yours has casing squeeze it out of the casing and cook it up. Then toss in the chestnuts. Take off heat and set to the side.
In a small mixing bowl combine the lemon juice, honey, and chimayo chili powder.
In a large bowl toss the cooked sweet potatoes, cabbage, with the chorizo, chestnuts, and small bowl of lemon hot honey with chimayo chili.
Serve and ENJOY!!!!!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cabbage, Chorizo, Chestnuts, and Chimayo Chili Hot Honey SauceThe Forking Truth
Van Leeuwen makes some really FORKING amazing ice creams. They are super rich with egg yolks, and other fattening things. Some flavors are all natural with only basic minimal ingredients. Our local Sprouts Grocery sells the Leeuwen normal flavors that are very good. Our Walmarts sell the limited and special edition flavors of Van Leeuwen French Ice Cream. I picked up this container of Van Leeuwen Caramel Sticky Bun Ice Cream. Everyone likes sticky buns…..This flavor should be ok???????? I open it up.
It looks good. It’s the perfect eating temperature. It’s just getting all melted. I taste some melted around the ends…..Eh it’s a little cinnamon-ee…….but there is this strong (ick) toffy taste….that I don’t care for….
Well maybe the lumps in it taste good?….Maybe they will taste like sticky buns?
YUK! The lumps I’m not sure what they are?….They are like animal crackers that were thrown up……..YUK!
Some Van Leeuwen ice creams are better than others but this is the first one that taste awful to me.
To me this one taste like Toffy lace with a little bit of cinnamon with mushed up animal crackers. I won’t be getting fat from this one.
Those were my FORKING Thoughts on Limited Edition Van Leeuwen Caramel Sticky Bun French Ice Cream.
This recipe method was adapted from Food Network Magazine. I cut out the coffee, cut back a little on the sugar, and added more chocolate, rounded some things. This was my latest spin on this recipe. This is a recipe that is not to skip. It’s one of the biggest crowd pleasers ever.
In case you didn’t know….Pots de Creme is the ultimate chocolate pudding. If you like chocolate pudding then you will LOVE chocolate pots de creme. I tried this dessert for the first time at a small French Bistro Restaurant that used to be in business called Amuse Bouche. As soon as I tasted it I had to learn how to make this dessert. Most methods require a hot water bath in your oven that can be dangerous. The Food Network method is brilliant. On the stovetop you thicken your milk, cream and yolk mixture and then add your chocolate and blend till smooth. This is best done with a stick blender. You pour into cups. Chill over night and you have incredibly rich, smooth, chocolaty, FORKING AMAZING pots de creme. You can top with a little whipped cream if you desire. I do very small servings for this because it is very rich and satisfying……but you might want larger servings. For me this made 20 small servings. For you this might make 10 servings if you do them in coffee cups like they are normally done…..so I will round the servings to 15. This freezes perfect. When you thaw from frozen it still seems fresh made.
Ingredients for around 15 servings
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
12 oz 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips
4 oz milk chocolate chips
3 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
12 egg yolks – beaten
10 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
In a sauce pot on medium-ish heat (just slightly more than medium) add the milk, cream, beaten yolks, sugar, and sea salt. Whisk or blend. Occasionally whisk until thickened and then take off the heat and add the chocolate. Blend till smooth and pour in cups. When they cool down to room temperature refrigerate over night.
You might want to serve with a dab of whipped cream. (1/2 cup heavy cream blended with 1 Tablespoon 10x sugar is very good for whipped cream but I find that for a crowd people enjoy playing with the canned stuff more)
pots de creme
It’s so rich and so smooth and so CHOCOLATEY!
A Special THANKS!! to Food Network Magazine so I could come up with what I got here.
Salad World recently opened in Peoria Arizona not too far from P83. They are a casual not fancy “Chipotle Style” build-your-own salad type of restaurant.
inside
You start by picking one of the two size bowls for your salad. Then you go down the line and pick what you want. The person behind a clear sneeze guard wall builds the salad for you. You start out by picking the lettuce bend. Then you can add some fruits like grapes or dried cranberries and around four other things. Then you have all kinds of vegetables to pick from. There are vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, and jicama. Protein choices cost extra and are chicken, ham, plant based chicken, steak, and tofu. Other items to add to the salad are cheese, toppings like nuts, croutons, or bacon and salad dressing.
You can build your own salad of around 60 items or pick a suggested salad from a menu that they will make for you.
We each tried a salad. One regular sized and one large. You can’t tell by my picture but the large really is much larger than the medium.
Large is on top and on the bottom is the regular sized
I do have to say that the chicken breast is much better than what you would get from most places for salads. It can pass as sous vide chicken. Everything seems fresh. I got mixed greens and iceberg lettuce, radishes, broccoli, carrots, chick peas, onions, cranberries, sliced almonds, sesame sticks, and some sort of Asian Ginger dressing that seems tasty. Too bad I can’t go back for cucumbers……I think they’d go well here. I was surprised to be offered my choice of roll. (regular or whole wheat).
My husband got the large salad. He also tried the chicken and also added the steak. I didn’t taste the steak but it did look good…….But I can smell it and it is very smokey. He also got bacon, egg, and cheese and several of the vegetables. The large is a real bargain here….It’s so big that people can share.
They do offer a variety of soft beverages here, a children’s menu, and maybe a few other things such as a packaged cookie. I read on their website that they offer soup? Maybe they do but I didn’t notice it today.
I’d say well worth a try for a fast/casual healthy food option in Peoria.
