Pizzeria Bianco is nationally well known for pizza. The owner is the James Beard Award winning chef Chris Bianco. Pizzeria Bianco has earned a positive recognition from various celebrities, Food Network TV, various magazines and by food critics.
I most often go to the Town and Country location in Phoenix.
The atmosphere looks like it’s been here forever. I’ve heard that many of the paintings inside where done by the chef’s father.
There is another dining room behind this one.
Today we will sit on the patio.
They start us up with shattering crisp bread and high quality olive oil.
We share the market salad.
It’s made of radicchio lettuce, sliced Asian pears, gorgonzola cheese and pecans. It’s very balanced. The bold cheese, the nuts and the sweet pears counter the bitter radicchio just so.
My husband had the pappardelle with bolognese sauce.
I had the chicken cacciatore with risotto.
Everything was flavored nicely and the chicken is cooked to perfection but The FORKING Truth is that the risotto is dry and not creamy. I know that it is very rare to get correctly made risotto out so we let this go.
Here are some of the previous dishes we had here.
chicken salad plattermeatball sandwichnutmeg & chocolate Italian iceSwiss Chard LasagnaMarket SaladAranciniGrilled Mortadella SandwichPasta E Fagioli
I’ve had many of the pizzas but as of today I still haven’t had a pizza from this location. I want to include the famous pizza so here is a page I saved from a 2012 Food & Wine Magazine.
A NEW Thai restaurant just opened in North Peoria called Tom Yum Thai. At this time (Dec/2020) there is another location of Tom Yum Thai in Surprise Arizona. The Peoria location is very tiny with less than ten indoor tables. But it seems clean and is bright and cozy inside. It’s tiny restaurant but they offer a very large menu. of many appetizers, soups, salads, chef’s specials, wok entrees, curries, noodles, pho and more.
They differ from some of the other Thai Restaurants by offering made in house hand rolled and other appetizers. One of the unique appetizers that I haven’t tried (yet) is the Thai Style Fried Sweet Potato dipped in coconut milk then tempura fried and served with tangy peanut sauce.
They offer NINE different salads that they say are packed with flavor and are not ordinary (It says that on the menu). They are filled with an abundance of herbs and spices.
There are many choices of seafood here. They offer a fresh catch of the day, mixed seafood with crispy noodles, scrambled egg with mixed seafood, a plate with one fried fish and one steamed with spicy lime dressing, a deep fried whole fish with spicy chili, and a few shrimp dishes.
Tom Yum Thai offers a bigger variety of protein for your wok entrees, curry and noodle dishes. They offer tofu or vegetables, tofu and vegetables, chicken, pork, bbq pork, beef, vegan shrimp, vegan chicken, shrimp, calamari, combination (chicken, pork, beef), duck, salmon, mixed seafood (calamari, shrimp, mussels, fish)
Wow that’s a lot!
Tonight we tried the green curry with salmon….We were told our choices were hot and Thai Hot. I picked hot.
The first thing I notice is that the curry isn’t green……Usually different peppers are used in the different curries and that is part of why the color of the curries differ. But it is different and does have delicious exotic spices and herby basil in it…There is eggplant green beans and bamboo in the creamy, slightly sweet coconut based sauce and then it builds quick with heat…..It is pretty darn hot. It close to the edge of nuclear in heat. The salmon is over cooked but I thought it would be. I’ll get chicken here next time for this sort of dish.
My husband got the spicy basil with chicken at Thai Hot with an added on fried egg.
It’s hot….and is a different hot than the green curry. We both think the green curry is hotter??????? We like the spicy Thai Basil….It’s hand chopped with lots of surface space for all the flavors to cling on to. There’s vegetables. It’s a big portion…..I think it could use a tad more basil but it really is pretty good.
Ocotillo is a one mile square compound restaurant, coffee bar, cocktail lounge, wine bar and park located in near downtown Phoenix Arizona. Ocotillo offers a wonderfully varied ever changing menu of astonishing variety. They are farm to table goodness mixed with global fusion. The dinner menu usually is something like several small salads, vegetable plates, small plates, house made pasta plates and large plates. The restaurant is modern and has multiple outdoor dining areas with an outdoor cocktail bar and an outdoor coffee shop.
Tonight we dined outside.
The Ocotillo resident “Mittens” said, “Hi” and rubbed against my leg.
We started out by sharing the eggplant meatless balls.
They had crisp exteriors with little bits of crisp cheese. The eggplant balls were topped with pesto and were served over cheesy, herby polenta.
My husband had the pork shank.
It was very meaty and succulent and was served with a porky corn stew and crispy smoky potatoes. My husband said that this was really GREAT!
I went with the market fish that was Atlantic Salmon today.
All the fresh vegetables, herbs and lemongrass sauce made the plate special.
Here are some of the previous plate that we had at Ocotillo.
*****Ofrenda Latin Restaurant recently opened in the beautiful little town of Cave Creek Arizona. At the moment (subject to change) they are currently open for dinner and bar starting at 3pm and weekend brunch. This is a unique restaurant that is two stories with two stories of wrap around patios. Inside is full of hand crafted things. Lots of warm wood and bright lively colored accents.
They also have an open kitchen.
We took advantage of dining outside.
We shared an appetizer called al carbon board. We received a very generously sized board. Nobody brought us silverware or napkins so we got up and got our own.
There are lots of grilled vegetables (carrots, yellow squash, asparagus), a soft cheese, pepita hummus, guacamole, fried hominy and fresh tortillas. I didn’t notice crispy pork skins on the menu so they were a surprise. (pork should never be a surprise on a menu …………certain people don’t eat pork) Anywho- The tortillas, cheese and some of the vegetables are very good.
I tell The Forking Truth so here it is……….This restaurant is newly opened so some of the execution is off.
You can see in the above picture one carrot is shriveled and very chewy and the one next to it is raw. The carrots were either raw or chewy. The hummus is unusually thick…..It should be a creamy dip and not crazy thick….like modeling clay.
The fried hominy is hard and chewy and is next to inedible. Our waitress did stop by to ask how things were but she came before I dug into the plate. I do have to note again that some things really were very good. The tortillas were fresh and delicious! The squash and asparagus were excellent. The cheese was very tasty. It also was a very large platter and I took a lot home.
Dinner was better. (but the staff left us mostly alone and we had to pour our own wine.)
Both of us had the trout tamal.
This dish is made of trout, fresh masa tamal with smoked trout seasoned with hoja Santa leaf and wrapped in a banana leaf with pea tendrils, water cress and apple mole. The fish was prepared reasonably well. We both really loved the apple mole….that really made everything special. The apple mole was really delicious! I think the tamal would have been even better without the smoked trout because the trout turned dry in it when it was cooked. But other than that it was a good dish.
It was nice that this wasn’t a heavy meal so we could share dessert. We tried the key lime pie.
The nut crust was PHENOMENAL…WOW I never had anything like this before. Trust me it was really great! It has this incredible light texture. It’s like a mouthful of snow that taste really great! I could eat a bowl of it…It’s just so light and delicious! Now we get to the curd…….
OMG….It must be a kitchen error. It seems like an accidental slip with lots of corn starch. The curd has a pleasant flavor but it’s so thick and heavy I can’t eat it.
Well that was my trip to Ofrenda Restaurant in Cave Creek AZ.
*****This restaurant closed for business briefly and re-opened May 28 2022
Parma Italian Roots is a California coastal style Italian restaurant located in North Scottsdale Arizona. They offer high quality ingredients and a wood burning oven. The opening chef wrote the menu and worked under Brian Malarky, he also worked in Michelin restaurants and The French Laundry.
The seating is a mix of modern and blue velvet chairs, metal chairs, benches, booths, an indoor/outdoor bar and dog friendly patio tables with misters for cooling and heat lamps and personal heat lamps for those few chilly days.
Patio seating wraps around the building.
Lunch choices are sharing plates, sandwiches, pastas and salads and Pick two of either – 1/2 soup, 1/2 salad, 1/2 sandwich or 1/2 pasta.
Today I went with the 1/2 soup of of the day (tomato) and 1/2 strawberry balsamic salad with added chicken.
The soup is rich and thick with a generous amount of an Italian cheese (taste similar to pecorino to me). The 1/2 salad is a good size. I appreciate the stronger than usual balsamic flavor in the salad and the pecans were just right..and not too sweet.
My husband went with something a little more Italian.
Hot short rib 1/2 sandwich with 1/2 pappardelle bolognese made with more short rib. He kept saying that the sandwich was very good….he really enjoyed that. He also enjoyed the pasta. He said it was well made but stuck together slightly.
Here are some of the previous plates that we have enjoyed at Parma Italian Roots.
Ora King SalmonGnocchiMushroom Toast1/2 campanella truffle pesto pistachio and ricotta pasta 1/2 veal meatball sandwich1/2 panzanella salad with 1/2 salmon sandwichLemoncello dessert
That was a little taste of Parma Italian Roots in North Scottsdale Arizona.
Fabio On Fire is an Italian Restaurant, Bakery and Pizzeria located in North Peoria Arizona. Fabio On Fire is also well known for selling his delicious baked goods and fresh baked pizzas via his mobile pizza oven at food festivals, farmers markets and catering.
I did mention that Fabio On Fire is well known for his delicious Italian Food. Don’t hesitate making a reservation because usually by 4:30 the restaurant is already on a wait and you might not be able to get in.
(This photo was taken before the pandemic…many tables have been removed for distancing)
Fabio is often seen making pizzas….He also chats with guest when he can.
A year or so back the restaurant was expanded with a second dining room behind the pizza oven. Fabio’s portrait is painted on the back dining room wall.
Fabio’s fresh baked goods are featured in a case
The restaurant has a NEW out front patio in addition to the side patio that they already have.
Below is the side patio.
No matter where you are seated they also start you out with Fabio’s amazing crusty bread and olive oil dotted with balsamic.
I don’t really like to eat bread when I’m ordering pizza but it would be a horrible mistake not to eat Fabio’s delicious bread. We have to eat one piece and take the rest home for breakfast tomorrow.
Tonight I’m having the bufalina pizza.
It’s made of San Marzano tomato sauce, imported buffalo mozzarella, oregano, garlic, arugula, balsamic reduction and extra virgin olive oil. It’s a mix of all kinds of wonderful flavors. The buffalo cheese here isn’t watery and is firm like the way I prefer.
The crust is nice and thin…This kind of pizza is light and easy to eat. Mine is very crisp today.
My husband got the salciccia (San Marzano Tomato sauce, mozzarella, sausage, mushrooms and extra virgin olive oil).
If we get dessert usually but not all the time we often get the house made gelato because it is truly FABULOUS and possibly might be the best gelato in the country. Fabio should bring his gelato to Shark Tank and have them invest in him. So today we took a leap of faith and went with the cannoli.
It’s a good cannoli. I am usually disappointed with cannoli that I get out at restaurants because I make my own from scratch. I even make the cheese. If I say that this is good then it is good!
Here are some of the food items we tried previously from Fabio On Fire.
pear saladstrawberry spinach saladbeet goat cheese and arugula saladgnocchi pestoveal tortelloni specialspinach ravioli with walnut sauce special. This one was really amazing!!!! Both me and my husband loved this one…This one is extra special.eggplant parm specialshort rib ravioli specialsausage ravioli specialnapoletano (anchovy) pizzatake out- halibut special, meatballs, orecchiettetakeout – funghi porcini ravioli special, strawberry gorgonzola salad, gnocchi sorrentina limoncello tiramisublood orange gelato (we’ve also had passionfruit, chocolate and the strawberry. They are all amazing.
Bandolero Cocina de Mexico recently opened in Scottsdale Arizona. The owner and chef specializes in Mexican and Spanish cuisine and also owns a tapas restaurant (I was told by my waiter). The restaurant has an unmarked entrance (subject to change). It’s between a juice shop and Pomo Pizzeria. (***update the sign will be installed 12-8-20)
The atmosphere is rich and stunning.
They also offer a dog friendly patio.
Bandolero means bandit or outlaw from Spain or Mexico but they offer a comfortable well spaced patio equipped with misters for cooling and portable heaters for those few chilly days.
They serve cocktails and specialized margaritas but (at the moment) are without a menu (soon to change). (****update cocktail menu will be out 12-9-20)
I had several questions about certain food items…My waiter was unable to answer my questions and neglected to ask for answers….
Anywho-
They started us off with complimentary chips and salsa.
The salsa and chips are very unique and unlike any I ever had anywhere before.
The chips are light and very thin but crisp. I suspect that they are perhaps made with different flours. Usually corn chips are made with nixtamalzation (lime water soaked corn) so they have that special corn chip taste. These taste different….like mixed with something sort of like rice flour. The salsa is different too. It’s a blended tomato sauce that is very mild and delicate and is mint forward. (******update I was told that the chips are indeed corn made from thin corn tortillas)
We share the huitlacoche (Mexican Truffle Corn Smut) as out appetizer and took home the rice and beans.
The huitlacoche inside the enchiladas is mixed with a lot of mushrooms. It’s less flavorful or maybe more delicate than most huitllacoche that I have tried. The chili glaze over the enchiladas is also very mild and delicate. The corn kernels are very soft…….
For my main I ordered the lubina a la sal (salt crusted whole stripe bass) served table side.
I asked what the green was…….I wasn’t told what it was but I was told not to eat it….so I didn’t. The fish really was amazing. It was as if it was just caught and was prepared to perfection. It was seasoned just so I have to add. It almost tasted like it was still swimming in the ocean. I was told that this fish was just caught and flown in today.
I tell The Forking Truth so…….I have to say that the menu reads that I am suppose to get rice with my meal…For whatever reason someone served me mashed potatoes. (cool I like that better anyway) They are seasoned nice but are lumpy. (I don’t mind) I also was served two sauces with the fish. I asked what they were and my waiter didn’t know. The top sauce tasted like a buttery white sauce and went really great with the fish (this sauce was actually mojo de ago and was made with fish stock and tequila). The bottom sauce tasted like chipotle mayo and would be really delicious on a burger but was too overpowering for this fish…….(did someone give me a wrong sauce?) This was also a very large portion of food. I should have made it into two meals but wasted some potatoes and brought home some fish for my dogs.
My husband had the arroz con mariscos (spicy rice with shrimp, clams, mussels and jalapeños).
Everything here was prepared to perfection, was delicious and wasn’t too spicy either. It takes a lot of skill to prepare all these different seafood items and have them ready at the same time perfect.
We really enjoyed both dinners.
Sadly I was too full for dessert….this time.
That was my trip to Banolero Cocina de Mexico in Scottsdale AZ.
*****Update****The owner contacted me to tell me that they are closing the restaurant Dec. 7th & 8th for training****
I returned to Bandolero Cocina De Mexico for lunch about two weeks later. I see that they do indeed have new signs now.
Today we sat on the front patio.
It’s nice and open. I like how all the walls in the front open up too. Today we get a team of two waiters. They welcomed us and were able to answer questions. Soon we are given complimentary salsa and chips.
The salsa is much better today. It has a chunky vegetable texture and some acid and heat today. I also prefer that this batch taste cilantro forward. The chips are ok today.
I start out with the pumpkin soup.
It’s presented with a beautiful fried squash blossom and little coating pumpkin seeds with a drizzle of cream. The soup is ok….but for my taste is a bit heavy with too much added cream. Some people like it this way so it’s good for those people.
For lunch I tried the Monday chefs stew special. It was tortilla crusted chicken with rice, beans, salsas and corn.
I think it’s a great value for only $10.00. It’s a lot of food.
My husband tried the cochinita pibil tacos (achiote rubbed pork, slow baked with spices in banana leaves.
It was a little dry…..
From our first visit both fresh flown in seafood dishes were excellent (salt crusted whole strip bass & Spicy shrimp with shellfish and rice). From second visit the $10.00 lunch special was a good value and tasty.
Lure Fish House has opened in the Gainey Village section of Scottsdale Arizona. They are a reasonably priced fish restaurant. I was told that the fish are flown in daily and all the vegetables they use are organic. They have only been open a month at this time and at the moment are only open for dinner Monday-Saturday but lunch and Sunday are suppose to be added soon.
Inside are booths, half booths, an oyster bar and tables. Not all but many tables were high tops.
They also offer patio seating that wraps around the front of the building.
Tables get marked sanitized so you know that you can sit there.
We ordered and they started us out with delicious fresh baked sour dough rolls and soft butter. We shared one and took the other two home. They are too delicious to waste.
My husband can eat more than me and tried a mix of east coast (blue point) and west coast (British Columbia) oysters.
The east cost oysters have larger more shapely shells. My husband said that the east coast oysters also had a brinier more salty flavor but the west coast oysters were softer.
It’s a good sized fish with crispy seasoned skin. It came with a ramekin of what taste like lemon butter wine sauce. Everything was prepared reasonably well.
My husband tried the cioppino.
It’s a mix of fish (salmon tonight), clams, mussels, shrimp and scallops in a spiced briny seafood laced tomato broth with garlic toasts. Today this was slightly over cooked but my husband neglected to say that until we left.
Tried the blueberry cobbler for dessert.
It was nice and fresh tasting and not too sweet. The oatmeal crumble didn’t seem too heavy.
They offer a pay by phone option too!
Last time we did take out and took out The sand dabs with pineapple slaw and cilantro corn salad. (I really enjoyed this one a lot)
My husband had the tequila lime shrimp pasta. This was very spicy but delicious!
We also enjoyed the key lime pie.
That was a little taste and my 2nd nibble at Lure Fish House in Scottsdale AZ
Belle’s Nashville Kitchen recently opened in Old Town Scottsdale. They are a small restaurant with a bar. They offer a limited casual menu. Some of the items that they offer are Nashville Style Hot Chicken Sandwiches, Burgers, Grilled Mac & Cheese Sandwiches, Salads, BBQ Salmon, Tacos and Jambalaya.
We both wanted to try the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich.
They don’t have an outdoor patio but the tables are well spaced. The atmosphere is western inspired. It all looks shiny and brand new.
This time we did take out.
We both got Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches. Mine came with a very large side salad. My husband got fries with his. My picture isn’t the best and it’s hard to see how unusual the fries are.
The fries are shaped almost in-between a fry and a chip. It’s like you get a fry and a chip in one.
Here is a closer look at the sandwich.
The chicken breast is moist with a crispy coating that is very cayenne and paprika forward. It is spicy but is more like medium hot instead of hot. The chicken is surrounded by a creamy slaw, pickles and a creamy sauce on an eggy soft bun.
That was a little taste of Belle’s Nashville Kitchen in Old Town Scottsdale AZ.
The AMAZING (FORKING AMAZING) FnB Restaurant is located in the arts district by Old Town Scottsdale AZ. The chef and co-owner is James Beard Award Winning Charleen Badman. She serves an ever changing menu of global farm focused contemporary sharing plates. The menu usually features a few special obscure vegetables and is a vegetable heavy menu but always offers enough meat items to please meat eaters. Arizona wines are always featured on the menu.
Things have changed since my last visit. FnB (at the moment during the pandemic) is currently out door only dining. The patio has been expanded.
Astroturf has been installed in the courtyard between the buildings and cheerful red lights line the restaurant perimeters. Tables are well spaced and all the help are wearing masks and or face shields.
They always start you off with local Noble Bread and extra high quality olive oil.
The menu is always amazing and it’s always hard to decide on what to order. The solution to that problem is to order more than you need and take the amazing leftovers home. That’s what we always do here.
Tonight we started out with rosemary socca (chickpea) bread with cardoon (obscure vegetable that looks like a monster with teeth cloned with a celery) relish with Calabrian chiles (delicious mild heat Italian pepper).
Next was roasted beets, smoked salmon, cream cheese, chives and poppy seeds, other seeds, flower petals, and an unusual but delicious herb.
We had to share another small plate.
Delicata squash, rosemary, tepary beans, in potlicker vinaigrette.
For our dinner course we shared the Mexican Pink Grouper (from Chula Seafood), sungold salbitxadas (unusual tiny sweet extra flavorful tomatoes), iitoi onions (special green onions only found at farmers markets or farms), almonds, rice.
We had TWO really great boxes of food to bring home for latter.
These days a $20. deposit a person is required for your reservation that gets deducted off your bill.
Here are only a few of past plates we enjoyed at FnB.
Langos Hungarian Fried (potato) Bread SaladButterkin SquashThis is 1/2 of the Pink GrouperApple SharlotkaKale FalafelsLeeks, chickpeas, beet falafel plate pickled eggspork shankpoppy seed tangerine cakeGilfeather rutabaga with onion ginger creamdeep chocolate whiskey cakesnap peas, macadamia nuts, chives, mint, tarragon
