Sunset Bistro is a small Mediterranean/Greek Restaurant located in Sun City Arizona. They get fill up fast and by 4:30 pm they might be on a wait for tables.
inside
Be sure to arrive early because they close at 8pm like most restaurants in Sun City.
We tried the Greek Sampler Plate.
It was a big platter of Greek salad, hummus, falafels, stuffed grape leaves, flat breads and more. It was very typical of Greek style.
Greek style falafel
For dinner I tried the walleye special.
My photo doesn’t really do this plate justice because you can’t see how meaty and how perfectly prepared the fish really is. I got a very generous portion of perfectly prepared meaty fried mild walleye fish. I also got tartar sauce, fresh crispy cole slaw that is on the sweet side but also is drip free. They also prepared the potato perfect…..(that really doesn’t often happen…often potatoes are served over done). This platter was also around half the price of what most restaurants sell walleye for (around $15.).
My husband tried a gyro platter.
Everything was prepared well and I heard that the rice was extra tasty.
Sunset Bistro – Large Portions, low prices, closes early.
Sunset Bistro 15462 N 99TH AVE Sun City AZ 623-972-1601
Amor A La Mexicana is a small Mexican Restaurant located in Glendale Arizona not too far from the Metro Center area. They specialize in serving tacos with hand made tortillas but also serve popular Mexican entrees at reasonable prices.
order here
It’s a casual restaurant. You order and pay at the counter. You grab your soft beverage from a refrigerator and seat yourself. someone runs out your order when it’s ready.
inside
We started out by sharing three tacos.
beef cheek, chicken, pastor tacos – All are good on delicious hand made corn tortillas but what really was amazing was the salsas.
salsa cart
OH MY GOSH!!! Each and every salsa is such a tidal wave of flavor. Each was so great I don’t really have a favorite. They were all different. This restaurant SHOULD SELL AND BOTTLE THESE SALSAS……..Really unusually GREAT salsas!
We tried the chile colorado – (Mexican beef stew)
and the filete a la plancha.
Both platters came with Mexican rice and refried beans that we were told didn’t contain pork. They also came with tortillas. You have your choice of flour or corn tortillas. We both picked corn and got more of the hand made corn tortillas.
The beef is slightly tougher than we like but is well flavored. Everything is well flavored. Most entrees at this time only cost around $10.99 (subject to change)
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza is a New York Based Pizzeria with less than twenty locations in the country. I went to one of their newest locations in North Phoenix Arizona at Desert Ridge Marketplace by the entertainment center.
The entrance is on the side of the building.
Inside are plenty of tabes and they have a wrap around patio. The bar has 16 beer taps and has indoor and outdoor seating.
bar areainside
They offer starters that are found on many pizza restaurant menus like garlic knots, bruschetta, and salads. They also offer meatball sandwiches, chicken parm sandwich or entree, a few calzones, a few pastas and of course PIZZA!
I read I think on Eater Phoenix that if you are a foodie that you MUST try the artichoke pizza. That is why we went here. Pizzas come in 16inch ($33.) 22inch ($44.) and slices (average price $6.) Prices are subject to change.
Between us we tried four different slices.
pepperoni, Staten Island (deluxe meatball), vodka, artichoke
All the slices are larger servings.
We noticed that the crust differed some. Some crusts were also thicker than others but the crust did taste the same. The crust doesn’t taste very fermented.
I think we hit them on an off day………..Or maybe when someone new was cooking….
The pepperoni and the Staten Island (meatball, red onion, ricotta, mozzerella, grana padano, sauce) Both had a thin cracker like crust.
Staten Island
The Staten Island slice also wasn’t heated up much and was barely warm.
The Artichoke pizza could have been better………
Artichoke pizza
My slice tasted mostly like cream of spinach soup with hardly any artichokes.
It also was burnt on the bottom.
We both thought that the best tasting slice was the vodka pizza.
Vodka slice
The vodka slice did have delicious flavors to it. This slice is made with smooth tomatoes, vodka cream sauce and a blend of Italian cheeses. Unfortunately my slice had a raw center.
Tia Carmen is a high quality contemporary sort of Southwest type of restaurant located in the JW Marriott in Desert Ridge that is in North Phoenix Arizona. The Kitchen is led by Michelin Star Chef, restauranteur, and Bravo Top Chef Master Angelo Sosa.
Chef Sosa on Patio
It’s airy and modern inside.
Not all but many of the dishes we tried at Tia Carmen are pictured below. Some dishes are seasonal and are not currently on the menu and a few were from a special event.
But really everything is amazing. This restaurant offers many FANTABULOUS dishes with bold layers of flavors. Some dishes are spicy but not burn your mouth out spicy. Tia Carmen offers something for every taste. The tuna crudo below is what I would call the best dish I tasted anywhere for 2022 and in 2023 it is just as amazing.
tuna crudo – corn coconut broth, smoked Chile oil dillwagyu kababs *(past menu was 2 kababs…It is three now)
tri tip kababs – sesame leaf, pickled onion, serrano chile, Thai basil
Tomato Salad – corn puree, burnt corn dust, basil, pickled onions, fancy greenery – This is a must get when it returns.Avocado Aquachile – date sesame crumble, persian cucumbers, serrano chile – less spicy than the tuna crudoroasted beet salad – aged tepary bean mole negro, pepita crumble, beet molasses, goat cheeseMon-Fri LUNCH fish torta – crispy white fish, sweet onion jam, spicy mayo, dill, cilantro, turmeric, hay fries – BEST lunch sandwich I’ve tried all year!“Taco Night” Beef and bone marrow toastada – beef and bone marrow, guacamole, yuzu, pickled onions, tomato, cilantro…maybe the tastiest toastada anywhere.Trout – parsley, oregano sauce – really great!12 oz New York Strip – southwest spice blend, bone marrow butter, tepary bean mole negro – really REALLY Great!
Charcoal Grill is a casual Mediterranean Restaurant that recently opened in Glendale Arizona. They differ a bit from other Mediterranean Restaurants in the area.
One thing that’s different is that they have a small bar in the restaurant with a few beers on tap. The menu is also a bit unique and different.
This Mediterranean Restaurant is a FALAFEL FREE Restaurant.
WTFalafel no falafels!
It’s also unusual for a Mediterranean to offer a taco platter so that is on their menu too….
Anyways-
We started out with a mixed appetizer plate.
mixed appetizer plate
It’s a very large platter of fried pita chips, hummus, tabouleh, baba ghannoug (their spelling), and grape leaves.
We also shared the mixed plate.
mixed plate
This also is a very big plate platter that was covered with a pita bread. It is beef tikka, a chicken kabob, a beef kabob, choice of rice or fries, salad, hummus, and garlic or tahini sauce. Tonight the flavors were good but meats were on the dry and chewy side but maybe when you visit they will be better. The one thing that really stood out was the garlic sauce. It really was unlike any other that I have tried. It was garlic-ee but also light and fluffy. My guess is that it was made with egg whites….
The mix shawarma plate was better.
mixed shawarma platemixed shawarma plate
To my surprise none of the meats we tried tasted like they came from a charcoal grill but the marinated beef and chicken from the shawarma plate was tasty and more moist than the kabobs. This very generously sized platter also came with rice or fries, salad, hummus, garlic sauce or tahini sauce and a pita.
International Smoke is a restaurant by chef Michael Mina and author and television host Ayesha Curry. This restaurant had two locations. One location is in San Francisco and the other that I went to is in The MGM Grand Resort and Casino on the strip in Las Vegas Nevada. This restaurant offers a global menu. They say they cook with smoke and use bold flavors.
Inside is sort of dark but not too dark (you can read the menu). The decor is masculine and classic. A large bar is almost half the dining area. As you walk in you are greeted with a delicious aroma of smoke……
inside
We started out by sharing the black truffle mac ‘n’ cheese.
The pasta is nice and firm and isn’t mushy. The cheese sauce taste like it was made with real cheese and it is good. The truffles don’t give off much flavors but it is better that than to taste artificial flavors.
My husband tried the Jamaican braised oxtail.
This dish was good. Good flavors, a little spicy…….It was enhanced with red beans, coconut rice, and Jamaican green seasoning. The only issue here was that it lacked enough sauce to really enjoy.
I tried the Sinaldan Style Mary’s Chicken (achiote salsa mache, sauce pastor, sweet potato, avocado).
On the bright side the flavors really were off the charts amazing……and spicy too……………..But on the dark side this chicken was prepared very uneven, mostly DRY and hard to cut, and with rubbery inedible chicken skin. It was hard to enjoy the amazing flavors here. I was asked by someone (maybe a manager? not my server) on how it was but I just started so I didn’t know how it was yet because she asked as soon as I got it. Didn’t feel like complaining after I was done.
Off of one visit I don’t really know how this restaurant is but I would not recommend getting the chicken. Oh I should mention that I have recently enjoyed the Korean Bbq Salmon Sandwich from Micheal Mina’s Bourbon Pub at San Francisco AIRPORT…(yes at Airport) It was so delicious…and amazing….I wonder if chicken is good there?
Siegal’s Bagelmania is possibly the largest Jewish Delicatessen on the West Coast. They are located in Las Vegas Nevada near the convention center that is near to the Las Vegas Strip. They also have a smaller location in the airport in terminal one.
You either dine in or do take out.
This is the take out line below.
The take out line starts around here with Pink Box Doughnuts.
Next is a couple counters that are oozing with pastries, breads, cookies, cakes, and more.
Then you make it to the bagels.
The worker’s T shirts backs read “Challah at me.”
Here’s more bagels and an everything flagel.
Then you go by the shmears.
I skipped a few cases….because somewhere around here is where you order the deli meats , cheese and fish.
Then you hit knishes, latkes, blintzes and noodle kugel oh my!
We took out a few things.
Plain, rye, and everything bagels – These are the BEST bagels that I have tried since I left Pennsylvania.
belly lox (considered the better lox if you can handle the salt…..) (too salty for me)
nova lox – Both lox appear to be hand sliced
pastrami
pickles
GREAT BAGELS and more!
Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
Siegel’s Bagelmania
252 Convention Center Dr Las Vegas NV 702-369-3322
Rosso Italian is an Italian Restaurant located in downtown Phoenix Arizona. This restaurant is a new addition to the Pomo Restaurant Group. They offer a nice modern atmosphere and indoor-outdoor bar area that is dog friendly.
Either herebar areadining area
The dining area is a mix of traditional tables and booths.
dining area
On the current menu are appetizers like meatball pizzaola, bruschetta trio, creamy polenta short rib. They also offer salads and soup, hand made pastas, Pomo pizzas, and three entrees that were – grilled salmon, roasted chicken, and pork chop Milanese.
We started out by sharing the beet salad.
beet salad
It contained red and gold beets (some red ones are chips), romaine, frisee, little dots of whipped goat cheese, radicchio, pistachios, citrus vinaigrette.
We also shared the spaghetti cacio and pepe.
spaghetti cacio & pepe
It’s made with five varieties of roasted peppercorns and pecorino Romano cheese. Each bite does taste different. Some bites for sensitive people might contain too much pepper.
I tried the grilled wild salmon.
grilled wild salmon
It came with grilled romanesco and fregola sardo. It was slightly over cooked. Both the server and manager offered a replacement.
My husband tried the pork chop Milanese.
pork chop milanese
It was a breaded pounded pork chop with mixed greens, a grilled orange wedge and citrus vinaigrette.
I was too full for dessert but I did want to see the dessert menu.
They probably offer desserts but our server was the type that didn’t want to sell any. Perhaps you will get a different server.
Rosso Italian – Newly Opened
ROSSO ITALIAN – 2 E Jefferson St PHX AZ 602-218-6001
Brera Osteria is a multi-regional Italian restaurant that is an inspiration of the artsy-cool Brera neighborhood in Milan Italy. This restaurant is located in St Mark’s Square in the Grand Canal Shoppes in The Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. Besides many Italian favorites they also offer authentic Neapolitan pizza. All the seating is on the indoor patio.
They don’t post this menu so it is a secret. You have to ask for the 3 course chef’s tasting lunch menu. There is an additional charge for four of the items on the menu.
We both went for the 3 course lunch menu and everything we tried was at least good.
They start you off with complimentary bread with a little oil and balsamic.
First course was the salad called insalata (wild arugula, fennel, orange, olives, grana, chili vinaigrette).
The other first course was meatballs (beef & pork, San Marzano, mozzarella, and grilled bread).
For my main I got the salmon (Umbrian lentils, fennel puree, leeks, beet aioli). and this alone was worth the $28.00 to me. It was prepared just so and also cooked to my request.
My husband got the beef tenderloin ($18. extra charge) (with grilled romaine hearts, roasted potatoes, chimichurri).
My husband asked me to taste the beef but I was busy with my plate and declined…..Then he said that I must try the potatoes so I tried one. It was sort of garlic-ee but tasted like a special potato. Not a regular potato that you get at the supermarket…A special variety.
For dessert we both went with the bread pudding imbedded with fruit, nuts, chocolate, and was enhanced with gelato, caramel, whipped cream, and berries.
If you want this then you have to ASK for the three course chef’s tasting menu from Brera Osteria at the Venetian at St Mark’s Square. I think that it is a great find! Worth a Fork!
Miznon is a seasonal high quality chain of Israeli Street Food Restaurants by chef Eyal Shani. According to www.Miznon.com they have locations in Israel, United States, France, Austria, Australia, Singapore, Canada, and United Kingdom. We went to the newly opened Las Vegas location. (***I’ve also read that a location just opened recently in Canada) The Las Vegas location is located near the Palazzo casino floor that is in the Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada.
This is a very casual food market stall with bar seating. You order and pay at the counter and seat yourself. They call your name as things from your order are ready. At the current time a few tables are scattered across from the stall. This is the spot where Fine Dining Israeli Hasalon Restaurant will be also by chef Eyal Shani.
The signature dish is The Original World Famous Baby Cauliflower. (you can see the Atlantic flake Sea Salt on it)
The cauliflower comes out like this with tahini sauce and a green chili sauce that is called shrug or zhug sauce (many different spellings).
It’s very surprising how great that this very simple cauliflower can taste…..It really is very good and special! It so special that the recipe of this cauliflower is posted at the restaurant.
I couldn’t try everything………so I snapped this picture of the bag of green beans when I saw them come up at the counter (with olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt).
I had to try the plate called “The Best Hummus Plate That You Will Ever Eat with Melting Chickpeas.”
I can sure tell you that it was a very great plate of hummus and also was the most detailed plate of hummus that I have ever tried anywhere. It’s enhanced with melting chickpeas, slices of hard egg, green chili sauce, olive oil, tomato seeds that are like caviar, and tahini. The pita is very fluffy and it’s all really great together.
We were both blown away with both the next two meat dishes. One was the sal de coq (rotisserie chicken, fresh herbs, radish, cucumber, pickles)
The flavors and moisture in the chicken is OFF THE CHARTS GREAT! It must be tasted to be believed. This really blew us away. You can’t really see it in my photo (because I wanted you to see the chicken) but they also gave us this incredibly delicious roasted pepper with it. (lower left corner)
LIGHTNING STRIKES AGAIN!
bag of golden meat
The pita-less entree called “Bag of Golden Meat” is far more incredible than I can ever describe. The depth of flavors and tenderness was so shocking in a great way.
This is some sort of overnight brisket, grilled onions, and a garlic-ee aioli. Honestly this didn’t even seem like brisket because it was so amazing. I really thought it tasted more like the finest shaved prime rib from a very upscale steakhouse.
Oh and I forgot to mention that the meat portions were extra large so it also is a really great value dining here.
RUN !!!!!! Don’t walk. GO to Miznon as soon as you can because it really was that good and Worth a Fork! (and a Great value too!)
Worth a Fork!
Miznon
3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV (Venetian located near to the Palazzo Casino Floor)
www.VenetianLasVegas.com
www.Miznon.com (at the time of my visit the Las Vegas location was not yet listed on this site but is listed on the Venetian site)
