FnB Scottsdale AZ

FnB restaurant of Scottsdale AZ is located in the Arts District of Scottsdale. This is a contemporary restaurant that serves a farm focused, globally inspired Foods and Arizona’s most notable wines. On the one end of the restaurant they have a tiny store section where they sell some local organic produce, local artisan goods and Arizona Wine. The food this restaurant serves is among the best that Arizona has to offer as the Co-Owner and Chef has been nominated several times for a James Beard Award.

I’ve been to FnB dozens of times over the years because I forking love the food and good service. It’s a little thing but this is the only restaurant in the metro area of Phoenix that actually will give you a black linen napkin if your wearing black. That is an example of classic service.  I have to say I didn’t get that at places I spent twice as much to dine at this past year.

When I dine at FnB not only do I enjoy a delicious meal I also become a better cook myself by learning more about food from dining here. Every time I come here there are always things on the seasonal menu I learn about. On my most recent visit they had Bagna Cauda(a warm hot Italian dip), Shiraz Salad (Persian Tomato and Cucumber Salad), and Sauce Gribiche (French Cold Hard Yolk Sauce) on the menu.

The menu changes with the season and is usually broken down into selections of small cold plates to share, small hot plates and entree plates.

They started us off with Noble Bread Heirloom Grain Bread, a locally made bread that’s considered to be the best in Arizona that made from stone ground local heirloom grains and quality olive oil that’s flavorful.

We picked a small cold plate of Melon, Mango, Jicama, Cucumber, Lime, Chile, Feta Cheese and Purslane.

Everything worked together like magic. It wasn’t in the description but small rich pieces of ripe avocado brought a satisfying richness to the plate. The Purslane gave off a crisp juicy text and a slight bit of mild sour and saltiness to balance things out. I’ve never actually eaten purslane before. It’s a common weed here in the U.S but in this fruit bowl the Purslane works really well with food.

We also shared House Cured Salmon with Citrus Labne, Heirloom Tomatoes, Aleppo Pepper and Radishes.

The Star of this plate was the really perfect Salmon. There wasn’t much of it and it almost got lost among all the lovely vegetables in the tasty citrus Labne but the Salmon was the memorable part. The Salmon just melted in my mouth. It was sliced with expert precision and the gentle perfect flavors that didn’t over power the fish and were perfect accents.

For Dinner I had the Halibut.

The Fish was prepared in a masterful way as it was perfection. The halibut had a nice seasoned crust and was ultra moist and flaky. The Sauce Gribiche with Mustard was simply delicious. I had no idea that these sauces would be so delicious on fish. That was an inspiring combination.

My husband had the Duck with Summer Herbs and Ancient Grains.

I didn’t try it but my husband said it was savory and nicely seasoned.

I was stuffed but managed to share some dessert because desert is always good here.

We shared a Berry Short Cake served with Sweet Republic Vanilla Ice-Cream. The berries were sweet and very flavorful. The cake part seemed very rich with butter, not too sweet and harmonized well with everything.

Yes FnB of Scottsdale AZ is Worth a Fork!

You will travel across town to dine here if you are a fan of Creative Globally Inspired Menus that often feature interesting local Heirloom Vegetables.

For more information on FnB of Scottsdale AZ please visit www.FnBRestaurant.com

The Forking Truth

You can get a taste of the Caribbean at Caribbean Cuisine in Glendale AZ. I do note this is a very small NO FRILLS, mostly take-out restaurant with with only four tables.

You are on Caribbean time when you dine here. Music from the Islands fills the air along with the aroma of slow cooked stewed foods. The food is prepared like the way it’s made at a Caribbean Home and that means it’s served in a Caribbean Minute thats English for when it’s done you’ll get it, possibly 20-30 minutes depending on what you order.

According to www.CaribbeanTraveler.com Caribbean Food is influenced by Chinese, Indian, Dutch, French, Spanish, British and Amerindian Foods.

We ordered from the friendly cashier who is also the cook and waited a Caribbean Minute.

I received the Escovitch.

It’s a whole fish that might have been poached then marinated with herbs,spices and vinegar and then  fried. Strips of marinated peppers including a Scotch Bonnet cover the whole fish. This is spicy but tasty and interesting. It’s not too strong with heat or vinegar it’s just right. The plate is served with stewed cabbage that sucks up the flavors from the marinated peppers. They give a very generous portion of rice and beans that are topped with sweet fried plantains.

My husband had the Oxtail.

The Oxtail has been slow roasted and is very succulent and very beefy. I didn’t try the potato but my husband said it was amazing how it was slow cooked with the beef and absorbed all the beefy goodness. This plate is also served with rice and beans with stewed cabbage and plantains.

Other dishes I tried from here were……..

Curry Chicken

Jerk Chicken

Stewed Red Snapper.

All the food was delicious! Portions are large and Prices are very low.

Caribbean Cuisine in Glendale AZ is Definitely Worth a Fork.

No Frills Atmosphere and no public restroom but very good food with a pleasant cashier who is your cook. No your not going to drive across town to dine here but this place is recommended if your in the neighborhood.

For more information on Caribbean Cuisine in Glendale AZ please visit www.CaribbeanCuisineAZ.com

The Forking Truth

El Alboroto Mariscos Y Chavelas Restaurant is easy to pass by because the pervious shuttered restaurant’s  sign haven’t been replaced. This restaurant is located in an older strip mall in not the prettiest part of Peoria AZ. This by no means is a fancy place and you are only here to have some of the best freshest Mexican Style Seafood in the Metro Phoenix Area.

As I entered I wasn’t sure if they were serving food because the entrance was dark and is filled with stacked tables, chairs and a deserted hostess stand and an empty bar. A few steps away I noticed the dining room and walked that way.

The dining room is sort of mis-matched and unusual in shape. Tables and booths are older and a little beat up. Mexican Music is slightly too loud. The menu is mostly shrimp, octopus and fish. If your not into shrimp octopus or fish your in the wrong place.

They started us off with crisp corn tortillas, lots of limes and a fresh made salsa that was rich with tomato taste and slightly sweet. Many bottled Mexican Sauces are on all the tables.

Soon complimentary fish tacos arrive. I don’t know if they give everyone fish tacos or maybe the chef just felt generous today.

The fish tacos are battered mild tasting fish with fresh crispy cabbage and some pico de gallo and a creamy seasoned fresh sauce. The taco was very tasty and did remind me of the fish tacos I tried in Mexico.

My entree was called Pescado Empapelado – Wrapped Fish.

The fish was wrapped with foil and cooked with peppers, onions, a jalapeño and seasoning in their own juices. This sea bass fish was really fresh tasting and prepared to perfection. This was the best Mexican fish dish I tried in Metro Phoenix so far. It also was almost identical to a fish dish I had from a Seafood Restaurant in Mexico but maybe better! The rice was tasty and the salad garnish was topped with a creamy ripe sliced  avocado and HOT Steamy corn tortillas came wrapped in foil.

My husband had the Camaron A La Diabla – Spicy Shrimp.

This dish was spicy but not too spicy and flavorful with shrimp that were prepared well.

We were very happy we found a very good Mexican Seafood restaurant.

The service was efficient and the owner Jose was nice and friendly!

I feel that most people won’t drive across town to dine here because of the atmosphere. I do note that this restaurant is newly opened  but has someone strong in the kitchen that knows what they are doing. The food really was very good at the time of my visit and is certainly just as good but possibly better than the well known Mexican Seafood Restaurants I’ve been to around Phoenix.

This restaurant doesn’t have a web site but you can find El Alboroto Mariscos Y Chavelas on FaceBook.

The Forking Truth

The Nee House is a casual Chinese Restaurant that serves American/Chinese Favorites, some Cantonese Cuisine and Fresh Fish from Tanks. On my visit the sign read “Fresh Sea Bass” so I was interested in that. I asked the server about it and she tells me they haven’t had fresh sea bass in days but are offering tilapia today. I’m not the biggest fan of tilapia so I ordered the rock cod with vegetables off the menu.

The fish was clean tasting and was prepared to perfection and just melted in my mouth. It came in a very light but velvety sauce with essence of chicken and the sauce was laced with ginger and garlic. The fish was very good.

I went to get some rice.

I almost didn’t because the rice paddle appears dirty. On closer inspection we decide the paddle isn’t dirty and is just stained. A soaking in bleach would remedy the paddle and make me feel better about having rice here.

The bok choy was almost good.

Not cleaned correctly. I would get this dish again but not with bok choy.

My husband had the Szechwan Pork.

It was way better than most any other Americanized Szechwan dish we tried but not the same as from an Authenic Style Szechwan Restaurant we have been too. Americanized Szechwan is saucy with some sweet and not as fiery. Authentic Style is loaded with chili peppers and Szechwan numbing peppercorns that numb your mouth so you can enjoy the heat more. The dish should be just barely sauced and that sauce should be thin and should lack sweetness. This dish was close.

Not perfect here but they do serve above average Chinese Food.

Your not going to drive across town to dine here…but if your in the area you might want to give this place a try

The Nee House in Phoenix AZ does not have a website or FaceBook page.

The Forking Truth

Pollo Guisado

De Mi Tierra is a small casual Latin Restaurant located in an older strip mall in Phoenix AZ.

The tiny restaurant showcases dishes from Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Ricco and The Dominican Republic. Latin posters adorn the room and a Latin Food Show was playing on the TV.

We decided to start out by sharing a Chicken Empanada.

The empanada was large enough to be a small meal. Inside it was delicious moist flavorful tender chicken. Simple but delicious. The crust was bubbly and crisp and slightly greasy. We both thought it was better without the sauces. A bargain at only $3.50 (at the time of this review).

For my meal I had the Pollo Guisado. This dish is the staple of dishes in the Dominican Republic I read that often this dish is served in Dominican Republic Households usually two – three times a week. It’s chicken that’s washed with vinegar or lime juice and then marinated for two days in ingredients that may include – Worcestershire sauce or sweet wine, garlic, celery, lemon, oregano, peppers, olives, tomato, achiote oil and cilantro. The chicken then gets caramelized in a pot of browning sugar and then stewed in the marinade sometimes with the chicken liver.

Pollo Guisado

The chicken was mostly chicken legs and the meat was very tender and balanced with flavors. My plate came with a very generous portion of yellow rice with pigeon peas that was also flavorful.

My husband tried the Chicharron De Pollo with white rice and red bean stew.

This dish is Dominican Republic Style Fried Chicken. To me it tasted like fried chicken that could have came from any restaurant but it might have been marinated in lime juice and garlic and then fried. The skin was crisp and the meat was tender and flavorful. Rice was a large portion and seemed fresh made. The red bean stew was more like a smoky bean soup.

If your in the area want to try Latin Food you might want to give De Mi Tierra Restaurant a Try!

Portions are large and at the time of this review prices are low. Most entrees run $9.50 and the most expensive dishes are $12.99 (at the time of this review).

Service was very relaxed.

It’s good and chicken dishes seem solid. If your in the area and want to try Latin Foods this place is WORTH a Fork!

For more information on De Mi Tierra Please Visit www.DeMiTierraRestaurant.com

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If you judge a book by it’s cover then you will be missing out on possibly the very best Oaxaca Cuisine at La 15 Y Salas in Phoenix AZ. I’ve been here several times and La 15 Y Salsas is certainly worth a Fork!

This restaurant has come a long way since my first visit. You used to order at the counter and order from the pictures on the wall  menu in Spanish.  They used to have more Oaxaca Goods for sale including grasshoppers that are used for tacos. I didn’t notice the grasshoppers this time but I guess they still might offer them.  They still do sell Oaxaca Goods but not as many and now have more tables for dining.

Instead of ordering at the counter they now have table service with printed menus. This little dive experienced success because of the delicious reasonably priced foods and has several glowing reviews by local restaurant critics.

They started us off with three salsas and a basket of Mexican Chips.

All three sauces were very spicy. One sauce was a creamy avocado, another might have been made with tomatillo and the third sauce was made with some sort of smoked chile. I asked the last time what kind of chile was the smoked same and I was told the chile used was a Mexican Bird’s beak chile.

We tried an appetizer and it sounded small because it was called Mini Quesadillas Fritas.

This was three folded fried flaky tortillas filled with lots of mild melty cheese and and herb called Epazote, a very strong herb something like oregano with another flavor mixed in. The tortillas were brushed with a black bean sauce laced with anise leaf and topped with shredded mild cheese and lettuce.

We shared our plates.

One plate was the Combo De Chile Relleno.

It’s a spicy green chile stuffed with flavorful tender pulled chicken, raisins and nuts that is batter fried and covered with spicy tomato sauce. This is delicious and is much lighter than it seems. Tortillas are handy to wipe up any sauce you leave behind.

The other plate were Chicken Emmolodas.

Rolled corn tortillas stuffed with that carefully seasoned moist pulled chicken and covered with the most amazing mole I ever tasted. It’s full of flavor from dozens of nuts, chiles and spices but the flavors are very balanced and you can’t really pull the flavors out individually. The texture is smooth and it’s like a blanket covering the emmolodas.

La 15 Y Salsas is Worth a Fork

You might travel across town to dine here. Possibly the BEST Oaxaca Cuisine in Phoenix AZ.

For more information on La 15 Y Salsas please visit www.15ysalsas.com

The Forking Truth

Casa De Falafel is located in a Shell Gas Station Shopping Mart. You can fill your gas tank and your stomach at the same time here. This is a casual restaurant where you order at the counter and seat yourself at a comfortable booth. They serve up Falafels, Burritos and Quesadillas OH MY!

You pick from the Mediterranean Menu, The Mexican Menu or the Burger Menu.

I decided to go with a Falafel Plate off the Mediterranean Menu.

I receive EIGHT falafels, some hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, tahini sauce and I asked for mango pickle sauce because I don’t get to try that very often.

These Falafels are unlike any falafel I’ve had before. They are one of the crispiest and fluffiest.

They are almost bread-like in texture and are made from chickpeas and fava beans (also called broad beans).

Texture-wise the falafels are very good.

Flavor-wise they taste mostly of sesame seeds.

I can’t identify any coriander, cumin, garlic or fresh parsley that you usually taste when you eat a falafel.

These falafels could pass for Chinese Food. They’d be good with some sort of Chinese Sauce.

The sauces that came with them might have been house made but they all are bland and don’t taste like fresh made sauces. The hummus made me feel Hummuscidal. The tahini might go just as well on linguini. After tasting them I felt there is a possibility that the sauces came packaged from the supermarket.

My husband tries the Mexican Chicken Bowl with Hot Sauce.

The chicken is prepared well but this dish also suffers from an allergy of spices, herbs, flavors and HEAT! I tasted the hot sauce. to me it looks and taste just like fresh tomatoes and sweet green bell peppers mixed together with nothing else. This sauce isn’t hot. This food isn’t even hot with temperate. The cilantro rice doesn’t have enough cilantro in it to taste any cilantro.

This restaurant is newly opened so I don’t feel the need to rate it.

I hope your experience will differ from mine. Maybe they just ran out of herbs and spices and will use some next week.

Falafels, Burritos and Quesadillas Oh My!

At the Moment I haven’t found a Website or FaceBook page for Casa De Falafel so for more information you’d have to call them at 623-979-9234.

The Forking Truth

Birt’s Bistro in Surprise AZ is full of Surprises.

Birt’s Bistro is a book store and gift shop that serves food, wine and serves occasional musical entertainment.

Birt’s Bistro is also affiliated with Benvilla that is a charitable organization that provides funds, care and support for the elderly, the disabled, children and families.

The restaurant has a sort of surprising  library feel to it.

I keep looking around for the card catalog.

All the books are only $1.00@

They also offer outdoor dining.

I noticed that Birt’s Bistro has a 4.5 star average on TripAdvisor and on their website they introduce their formally trained Chef with impressive experience so I thought I’d give this place a try.

I decided on the Baja Grilled Chicken Salad.

After tasting my salad I got a surprise and got the impression the formally trained chef is no longer a part of the Birt’s Bistro team.

The white meat chicken on my salad was tasty but not technically perfect. Some of the strips of chicken were past dry and were crispy like toasted bread. The corn seemed like fresh grown but was far from the flame and didn’t get fire roasted as promised. Tortilla strips were also promised but they were the zero calorie kind and were invisible on my plate. The Birt’s Bistro pico de gallo was  unripe cardboard-like cubes of plain tomato. The menu said my dressing should have been creamy cilantro dressing. I can assure you that my dressing was creamy, it tasted sort of like thinned down mayonnaise. I believe the fresh cilantro was some sort of new variety that is white colored and flavorless. The honey wheat roll was fresh from a plastic bag and It paired well with the salad.

My husband tried the Steak Quesadilla.

There was a generous amount of  steak that was undeveloped in flavor in the quesadilla. This was not a surprise.

Burt’s Bistro in Surprise AZ is full of Surprises.

I should note again this all benefits charity so it’s going to a good cause.

For more information on Birt’s Bistro in Surprise AZ please visit www.benevilla.org

1/2 a Fork….It taste like retirement home food with all the life sucked out to me

Your experience may differ. Birt’s Bistro in Surprise AZ is Full of Surprises.

The Forking Truth