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Best Foods of 2023 from January-April from Metro Phoenix AZ Restaurants – Foods that are worth traveling across town for.

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This is a collection of the very best foods that I have tried from Metro Phoenix AZ Restaurant since the beginning of the year. They are pictured in the order I tried them.

The Kengi burger from Then Burger – red Leicester cheese, teriyaki, caramelized onion, arugula, yuzu aioli, Noble bread Bun

The Kengi Burger from Then Burger in Glendale WAS worth traveling across town for. The burger is unusually delicious and flavorful and all the other ingredients are just magic here.*******UPDATE********Then Burger recently lowered their prices and shortened the menu. *******The Kengi Burger is NOT on the current menu.****** (but we can hope that it will return)

******UPDATE******

Unfortunately things do change. Then Burgers at the time of my second visit are no longer a blend of sirloin, short rib and chuck. They changed them to all chuck and they taste different and cook up different. Also the Kenji burger has been discontinued. I tried a marrow and mushroom burger. My husband tried another drugstore burger.

Both beef patties were dry like a hockey pucks. I had to send it back because this is a 36$ burger. I was promised that they could do better so I let them try. In reasonable time our second burgers came out. Again both dry like hockey pucks.

I FORKING have no idea on how the burgers are now but the first burger I had here was the FORKING BEST in all the land. I can only hope that Then Burger returns to the original recipe……..Maybe they will change again…..???????

Then Burger 9220 W Glendale Ave Glendale AZ – 623-328-9388

www.ThenBurger.com

Pastrami Sandwich from Little Pickle
1st Brisket Sandwich from Little Pickle
Lox from Little Pickle

Little Pickle KILLED it three times this year. TO DIE FOR Pastrami……I have to tell The FORKING Truth because that is my thing….The first time we tried the Brisket it was FORKING AMAZING……on a 2nd visit it was so different…not awful ….. but not amazing. I did contact Little Pickle about it and they told me that their help didn’t follow the recipe???????? I don’t know what happened there……..But then I tried the lox and it was like 100 times better than what you can get anywhere else in Phoenix. So they still killed it three times this year. I sincerely hope that the brisket returned to the original recipe.

This restaurant may or may not relocate soon….

Little Pickle – 2501 E Camelback Rd Phoenix AZ – 602-466-7098********UPDATE Little Pickle has CLOSED***** but is expected to reopen very close to the same location.

www.LittlePickleAZ.com

This was the best chicken taco that I’ve had in a long time. Who knew that it would come from a food truck? The chicken had a great developed flavor and a delicious char taste, flavors, and was tender and delicious. The tortilla was hand made and the salsa seemed house made. That handmade tortilla was incredibly delicious too.

Good Eats Only Mexican Kitchen Food Truck 623-521-8473

You can find them on Facebook

12 oz. N.Y. Strip – SW seasoning spice blend, bone marrow butter, tepary bean mole negro …from Tia Carmen

Tuna crudo – (corn coconut broth, smoked chili oil, dill) from Tia Carmen

Tia Carmen makes many magical dishes. The Tuna Crudo alone is the single best dish that I tasted anywhere last year. This year it still is the best or among the best. The New York Strip is also an incredible dish. The tepary bean black mole FORKING takes a year to make!

Tia Carmen 5350 E Marriott Dr PHX AZ – 480-293-3636

www.TiaCarmenDesertRidge.com

Puchka snack from Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine

The Puchka snack with passion fruit was a TIDAL WAVE of flavors. I tried it at the 2023 Dish Fest but it was from Feringhee Modern Indian Cusine. I’d love to go to that restaurant but it’s a 45 mile hike for me.

Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine – 3491 W Frye Rd Chandler AZ – 480-534-7178

www.Feringhee.com

This next one is really amazing but very hard to single out a single dish because the menu often changes…….If any beef cheek is on the menu when you happen to go here it would be crazy to miss out on those beef cheek dishes here………Once you try one it’s actually life changing. Nobody else’s can compare. Same with a lot of the other dishes. Fish dishes are always amazing. The desserts are also more detailed and more complex than from maybe any other restaurant I’ve been too. Actually when you go to other higher end restaurants you get disappointed because their desserts seem like nothing compared to desserts you get here.

Confluence in Carefree serves high quality modern-American foods. The chef is well seasoned and is very masterful. He has worked in impressive restaurants including Binkley’s.

The food is always masterfully prepared. The chef himself prepares the food …not a second line cook and also not some young kid that just started cooking. The Chef himself is cooking.

Here is the aged gouda and caramelized onion tart. It contains Iberia chorizo, horseradish, sunflower seed, arugula, pomegranate molasses, and freeze dried honey.

No other restaurant will serve such a detailed and complex dessert like the smoked butterscotch tapioca pudding.

Embellishments are blueberries, pepitas, candied butternut squash, and smoked vanilla creme faiche . The main courses are always perfection. If you catch a menu with beef cheek on it that is an absolute must get dish.

Confluence – 36889 N Tom Darlington Dr Carefree AZ – 480-488-9796

www.RestaurantConfluence.com

It’s worth driving across town to dine at Alzohour Market and Restaurant in Phoenix for many of the dishes. BUT I DO WARN YOU that service is done by one woman that also is your chef, runs, the market, and clothing store so you are going to wait a while. The dish that she is most famous for is the B’Stilla. It’s her handmade pastry with chicken, sugar, almonds, and cinnamon. Other dishes that you might want to try are the grape leaves, kashe bademjam (eggplant & walnut on a sizzling skillet with vegetables and pita bread) tangines or mixed grill plates. Desserts are also not to be missed because the pastry is hand made in house. The baklava is really great and not too sweet. Maybe my favorite is the noodle pastry stuffed with cheese and topped with pistachios.

cod tangine

Alzohour Market & Restaurant

7814 N 27TH Avenue PHX AZ – 602-433-5192

www.Alzohour-Market.Business.site

You sure don’t find much laffa bread or lolas in Phoenix. My Spot Mediterranean Grill recently opened in North Phoenix Arizona. This is a super casual kosher Israeli type restaurant. The One dish that blew me away was the beef lola on laffa bread.

It’s like a giant burrito…I’ll open it a little so you can look inside.

The beef inside is amazing and isn’t like any other out there. It’s full of delicious flavors and is really moist and tender. Tahini sauce, spicy pickles, a spicy sauce, onions, cabbage really go amazing together. I recommend to get this with the works so you get all these flavors…….The laffa bread was also fresh made. This was a great surprise treat that I doubt you can find anywhere else in Phoenix.

My Spot Mediterranean Grill – 1601 E Bell Rd PHX AZ – 602-612-3955

www.MySpotKosherKitchen.com

The Banh Mi Baguette Sandwiches from Banh Mi Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix are always good. The shaken beef is almost like filet but is really ribeye. I like the chicken one too! My husband switches back and forth between the beef and bbq pork. We also do noodle salad bowls here, rice plates, and curry chicken. Portions are very large and can be two meals for some people. Prices are reasonable.

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery – 2340 W Bell Rd PHX AZ – 602-843-3637

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

Fabio On Fire makes the most delicious bread that I’ve tasted in Metro Phoenix. He makes this very special ciabatta pugliese bread with a hundred year old starter…….But it doesn’t stop there…..It keeps going and going……….Phoenix Magazine named his porchetta as one of the top 100 dishes of metro Phoenix. His Neopolitian style pizzas are FANTABULOUS and the crust has a developed taste unlike other pizzas out there that are flat in comparison.

If you are a fan of meat pizzas you might want to try the salsiccia fungi.

That one is great but the pizza with the most bells and whistles might be the bufalina.

This one is that amazing developed crust that’s perfect….Topped with San Marzano D.O.P. tomato sauce, sugary sweet local tomatoes, bitter arugula, oregano, garlic, creamy imported bufalina cheese that melts into everything. reduced balsamic, and extra virgin olive oil. It’s just layers of great flavors that dance all over your mouth. This is either number one or at least one of the BEST pizzas in Metro Phoenix.

You’d be foolish to skip dessert here. Fabio makes most of the best desserts on the west side single handed……..His gelato is the best in Arizona…..Maybe the best in the country……

You’ll never taste strawberry gelato as fabulous. Today we tried half strawberry and half limoncello..

JEEPERS the limoncello is as great as the strawberry. Some of the other amazing flavors are peach, passionfruit, and blood orange. Fabio SHOULD sell his gelato nation-wide!

Fabio On Fire

8275 W Lake Pleasant PKWY Peoria AZ 623-680-5385

www.FabioOnFire.com

I made it back to Tia Carmen for lunch. I didn’t want to mention this restaurant twice but as great as these dishes were I had to.

This tomato salad is FORKING AMAZING.

The tomatoes taste so sweet and so farm fresh . You dip them threw this extra flavorful corn puree and charred corn dust. Fresh basil, pickled onions, and serrano chile pepper for a little heat. So delicious, light and refreshing. A perfect light appetizer to share.

This fish torta sandwich is far more delicious than I can describe. It taste so FORKING FANTABULOUS that I MUST MENTION IT!

Oh and my husband doesn’t usually even like fish and he even thinks it’s amazing. The fish torta is crispy mild perfectly prepared mild tasting white fish that is really great. But it is the embellishments of turmeric sweet onion jam, FRESH DILL, and this really good spicy mayo….a little cilantro, and this delicious toasted bun that taste FORKING INCREDIBLE together. The sandwich come with hay fries. The spicy mayo reminds me of espelette pepper but I don’t think they’d use that kind because that pepper is expensive …whatever it is it is really delicious.

Tia Carmen – 5350 E Marriott Dr PHX AZ – 480-293-3636

www.TiaCarmenDesertRidge.com

BEST of January-April 2023 – WORTH DRIVING ACROSS TOWN FOR!

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Egg Salad with Artichokes Harissa Feta & Dukkah Recipe

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Egg salad doesn’t have to be the same old egg, mayo, mustard, celery. You can make it Global anything! I happened to have leftover eggs, feta, harissa, and dukkah so this egg salad practically made itself. Instead of mayo or (what I normally use…Amora Dijon) I used tahini because I thought that would work well and I also needed to use it. I used my own recipe for the harissa that I make in batches and portion out and keep frozen in my freezer but you can use any harissa you like….I also always make dukkah and usually follow any Yotam Ottolenghi recipe for dukkah because that will always be like a 100 times better than what you can buy in a jar. But you can use what you want.

Ingredients for 4 servings

10 eggs – boiled 10 minutes, then ice bath till cool, then peeled, then rough chopped

2 slightly heaping Tablespoons tahini

4 Tablespoons harissa – split in half (or amount to taste….fresh made taste different than from a tube or jar)

1 lemon (just the fresh squeezed juice)

1 – 6.5oz small jar marinated artichokes – drained (mine was quarters and pieces that looked small. you might need a rough chop)

2 oz feta cheese either crumbled or sliced thin. (preferably a good quality that isn’t too salty and taste creamy not sour)

1 1/2 Tablespoons dukkah – Preferably a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe dukkah or purchased dukkah to taste.

3 Tablespoons – cilantro, parsley leaves, or a mix of the two – chopped

Optional – black or Aleppo pepper to taste (I don’t think you will need salt because feta cheese even mild is salty)

Directions

Mix the tahini, 1/2 the harissa, lemon juice together. Add the artichokes and mix. Gently mix in the eggs trying not to break them up much. Top with remaining harissa, cilantro and or parsley, feta, and dukkah. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. You might want to serve with pita bread.

Egg Salad with Artichokes, Harrisa, Feta, & Dukkah

ENJOY!!!!

The Forking Truth

My FORKING Thoughts on Limited Edition Van Leeuwen Blood Orange Chocolate Chip French Ice Cream

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I found this unusual Limited Edition Blood Orange Chocolate Chip French Ice Cream by Van Leeuwen at my local Walmart. I thought that sure is a FORKING interesting flavor. I’ll give this high fat ice cream a try.

This limited edition flavor has far more ingredients in it than their regular pistachio flavor. (Below is Van Leeuwen Sicilian Pistachio )

Below are the Limited Edition Blood Orange Chocolate Chip ingredients.

But it still seems more natural than a lot of other brands.

I open it up.

it looks sort of like cherry chocolate chip. I know blood oranges are a berry color and usually don’t look orange.

I taste some…….

This flavor is creamier or softer than most.

Actually each spoonful does taste different.

You get only a very faint citrus taste about one in out of every three or 4 spoonfuls……..Most spoons taste like vanilla chocolate chip. A few spoons are maybe like a faint berry taste.

It’s very good but is hard to identify as orange…. I’m yearning for some orange zest for this flavor to be better.

It’s actually better when you get less chocolate chips. The chocolate chips are EXTRA bitter…..they can pass as bottom of the pot coffee grinds.

It’s not bad but would be better with milk chocolate chips….The chocolate here is over-powering and bitter.

I asked my husband to taste it….He had a different FORKING Thought…He said it taste like vanilla with chocolate chips. He said he didn’t taste any orange or even citrus..but it wasn’t bad.

Not bad….so not a throw away.

I think this flavor might differ in every cup depending on the red swirls and chips that you get.

This one is a 50% that you will enjoy………

I do note your FORKING opinion may indeed differ.

The Forking Truth

No Recipe Eggplant Lasagna idea

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Recently I made an Italian inspired style eggplant parmesan. I was gifted again with another 5 pounds of eggplant and I thought I’d make something sort of like eggplant lasagna……Anyways this is what I did.

The eggplants get about half the skin removed like this and get trimmed on the ends.

Then the eggplants get sliced into planks. Either 1/3rds or quarter planks depending on size.

Next they get slightly browned. You can broil, grill, pan fry, or put them on high rack in oven at 425F.

Now splash a big pan with tomato sauce.

The pan gets lined with eggplant planks.

Next a small amount of sauce.

Now you need cheese. Look I have a visitor!

Mix up some cheese filling. (around 2 cups ricotta (good natural quality or home made, a cup shredded parm, pinch nutmeg, a couple pinches ground white pepper, a pinch basil, an egg)

(this gets mixed)
(spread the cheese around)

Top that with around 5 ounces of melty cheese like fontina or mild provolone.

Then you need a little more sauce.

Top that with slices of melty cheese like provolone.

You need a little more sauce.

Top that with around four crumbled Taralli Pugliesi crackers. (round circle Italian crackers)

This goes in a 375 F oven for around an hour. I prefer to let sit out till room temperature, then refrigerate overnight to set up and then I can cut it in servings.

Eggplant lasagna

ENJOY!!!

The Forking Truth

WTFORK It’s Different – Changes at Metro Phoenix AZ Restaurants

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I was fortunate enough to taste some FORKING AMAZING foods this year in Metro Phoenix Arizona. A few of these FORKING AMAZING foods did get a change up already this year. I do note that it is also very important to know that It’s also possible that they can even FORKING DIFFERENT AGAIN!…..I mentioned them when they were great so you should know WTFork happened when I tried them again..

At a certain deli called Little Pickle I tasted the most FORKING AMAZING pastrami and brisket. I was really maybe even more blown away with the brisket because I’ve never tasted that style so amazing.

It was magical. It had the perfect texture that melted in your mouth and this super incredible burnt onion flavor…..mixed with the beef flavor and other flavors.

I went back.

It taste completely different…..No delicious burnt onion flavor in the tasty melt in your mouth beef. It taste like it was maybe over seasoned with seasoning salt……..It’s not terrible or awful or anything like that but it is nowhere in the same ballpark as the first one I tried. I actually messaged the owner about this and he said that he didn’t change the recipe (???) He said he had trouble with his help following the recipes. Oh well at least it wasn’t awful and the rest of what I tried there was very good or amazing. On this same visit I got to taste the lox and it truly was the best silky delicious melt in your mouth fish ever. In case you are wondering the pastrami (and little pickles) was still amazing too.

Little Pickle was a Pop Up Restaurant in the Esplanade across from The Biltmore Fashion Square. It is expected to open somewhere in the Esplanade at some time during the year….Maybe you can find info at www.LittlePickleAZ.com

Then this year I also was lucky enough to try one of the most FORKING AMAZING BURGERS EVER ANYWHERE. Q-UP the angels singing! ******BEST BURGER IN THE FORKING LAND!****** At Then Burger in Glendale by Westgate near State Farm.

This burger was a blend of house ground sirloin, short rib, and chuck……cooked medium with a nice sear,.embellished with arugula, teriyaki, caramelized onions, and yuzu aioli………(insert angels singing…….LAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)

So naturally I went back.

Oh FORK! They removed that burger from the menu. Ok I really did want to try a few others from the menu anyway. My first choice wasn’t available today so I picked something else.

I can’t eat this……..(I took two bites hoping only the first would be bad) This dry and not good tasting either….It’s like a hockey puck. It’s like if you can imagine the WORST Burger King burger that you’ve ever tried and microwaved it in the microwave oven till crisp and dead. ICK!

The server promises me that they can do better……I usually never send food back…..The only reason I sent it back was because I can’t eat this and it was a $36. burger.

In reasonable time the re-fire comes out.

Somehow they made this burger about as dry as the last burger…….(How the FORK did they do that?)

The server was very understanding and informed me at this point that they only make the burgers with ground chuck now and are trying to figure out on how to cook them. I sure HOPE I HIT THEM ON A FLUKE WORST DAY EVER…….Not in my wildest dreams would I ever imagine this to happen here. I did speak with an owner. Of course he invited me back but I am too busy to return. I would hope the problems got improved.

Then Burger – 9220 N Glendale Ave Glendale AZ – 623-328-9388\

www.ThenBurger.com

A certain Italian restaurant named Pomo used to make this incredible North Italian focaccia di recco.

It’s these two light as air thin crisp crusts stuffed with a delicious cheese filling. They offer an optional add on local honey for embellishment.

See inside. You can pull the cheese.

Now it’s different.

WTFork! It’s Different!

It’s all wet inside like a cheese sauce and the crisp crust turns soggy………The menu reads that it is suppose to have stracchino cheese inside not wet cheese sauce…..???????????

Pomo Pizzeria – 8977 N Scottsdale Rd Scottsdale AZ – 480-998-1366

www.PomoPizzeria.com

Well like I said, –

Every FORKING THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

My Spot Mediterranean Grill Phoenix AZ – Newly Opened Kosher Israeli Restaurant – Worth a Try!

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My Spot Mediterranean Grill is an extra casual kosher Israeli Restaurant that recently opened in North Phoenix Arizona. This restaurant offers fresh baked pitas and laffa breads. You can also order things like falafels, shawarma, schnitzel, skewers, kabobs, platters, burgers, salads, and more!

You order and pay at the counter. Then you grab your own silverware and drink and seat yourself at a table. When your order is ready someone will run it out to you.

We started out by sharing the falafels with hummus. They came with choice of bread and I picked the pitas.

The hummus is nice and creamy. It tastes like it was made with toasted cumin. The falafels have a crisp exterior and are moist and herby inside.

The pitas are nice , fresh and fluffy.

For my main I went with the beef lola on laffa bread…(it comes with fries).

I’ll open it up more so you can see inside.

It’s like a giant burrito stuffed with all kinds of goodies. There’s onions, cabbage, spicy pickles, tahini sauce, and beef lola meat that looks like it was prepared on a skewer. The beef is moist and delicious. It’s so full of flavors…..It’s even better when you just eat the whole thing together. Kosher beef does have a nice clean taste that is different. Only the front part of the cow is used for kosher beef and you don’t get the stomach or intestinal spillage in the meat that all grocery store ground beef contains. That is why kosher beef is much more expensive. DON”T GET MAD AT ME but……..You might not believe me but the FORKING Truth is that regular commercial ground beef really does have poop in it.

Only the front part of the cow is used for kosher beef and kosher beef really does taste clean and different.

Anyways-

The laffa bread is heavier than the laffa bread I had at James Beard award winning Micheal Solomonov’s multi award wining restaurant Zahav….But this was fresh made and still is very good. This can be two meals for some people.

My husband tried the spicy chicken schnitzel that comes with Israeli salad and fries.

This is breaded white meat chicken that is moist and seasoned nicely….The fries and Israeli salad are kinda very average. They have salt, pepper, and white vinegar to season the sides.

Based on this visit I’d recommend getting a beef lola with laffa bread. It was surprisingly delicious. I thought that the hummus and the falafels were good . The spicy schnitzel was good but the sides were very average.

A word of warning for people who don’t know. This is a kosher restaurant that serves meat so that means there is nothing dairy in the restaurant. If you order a burger it will be cooked well done and cheese is not offered. Also only soft beverages are available. You do need to check hours and be aware that they close for holidays that you might not be aware of. They also are closed every week for the sabbath that is Friday and Saturday.

My Spot Mediterranean Grill is CERTAINLY Worth a Try!

1601 E Bell Rd Phoenix AZ – 602-612-3955

www.MySpotKosherKitchen.cm

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Yotam Ottolenghi Style Rose Harissa Recipe

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I’ve heard of rose harissa but never have actually tasted rose harissa before. Then I came across a recipe for cabbage with rose harissa. The funny thing about finding that cabbage with made with rose harissa recipe was that it is by Ixta Belfrage who is a cook and cook book author and has worked for Yotam Ottolenghi in his Test Kitchen. The Cabbage with rose harissa in the ingredients for the recipe doesn’t have a rose harissa recipe to it. I guess you can purchase jarred rose harissa or find a recipe and make it yourself. I found Yotam Ottolenghi’s Master Class Recipe for Rose Harissa on www.Masterclass.com . I had the majority of the ingredients that this recipe needs but I had to make a few minor changes or substitutions. Rose petals was the only ingredient that I omitted. To my surprise Rose Harissa taste very different from regular harissa. You do taste rose in the background but it isn’t gross. The peppers are much more bold in rose harissa than from regular harissa. Regular harissa has a nice roasted pepper flavor enhanced with warm spices and some heat. Rose Harissa is deeper flavored and sort of smoky but also with a little heat.Serving size is difficult to determine. I don’t know if you want a small amount to spread on part of a pita or if you want enough to cover a kabab or a steak. This made enough to fill a small bowl. I’ll guesstimate around 8 servings.

Ingredients for around 8 servings

2 oz dried guajillo chilies

1 oz chili powder (I used mild)

5 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 Tablespoon coriander seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon rose water – divided

4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4 oz extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt (I used my homemade smoked pecan sea salt)

Directions

In a hot pan toast the chilies and garlic till charred. Put the chilies in a heat proof bowl.

Cover the chilies with boiling water. Let them soak 30 minutes. If you have a blender chop up the chilies after the 30 minute soak and blend. If you don’t have a blender you can scrape out the insides. You should discard the stem, core, and seeds. Set to the side.

Add the cumin, coriander, and caraway seeds to a hot pan and toast till fragrant. Either blend or use a mortar to the seeds when cool. Blend or pound the seeds with the chilies, garlic, tomato paste, paprikas, and sugar.

Add the lemon juice, half of rosewater, vinegar, oil, and salt. Add rest of rose water.

To preserve this you can add another 4 Tablespoons of oil if desired.

Rose Harrisa

ENJOY!!!!

A Special THANKS!!!! To Yotam Ottolenghi and Master Class so I could come up with what I got here!

The Forking Truth

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ – April 2023 – Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, Culver’s

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Dining out with dogs 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 was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. His diagnosis was 3-to maybe 6 months. 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 the 3-6 months Louie made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat when I can.

There are many things to know about dining out with dogs. You need to find a dog friendly restaurant. (not all of them are even if they have patios) Here in Phoenix weather can be an issue. 90 degrees and above is dangerous for dogs because they aren’t as heat tolerant as people. Also the food and drink that you consume can cause illness or even be TOXIC to your dog. (you need to check with your veterinarian for lists of safe foods and foods to avoid) Once you do find the right spot to dine out with dog(s) you must keep your dog(s) close to you. Dogs shouldn’t sit on restaurant furniture or eat off of restaurant plates.

A regular stop for us is Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They are a Pho-Free Vietnamese eatery that specializes in serving around a dozen different Banh Mi baguette sandwiches. Some of their other offerings are rice plates, noodle salad bowls, and curry chicken.

Today I got a chicken banh mi and my husband got a shaken beef banh mi.

The sandwiches are very large and for me they are two meals if I do take out but here I share a lot with the dogs. I eat 1/2 and pull out the meat from the other half for the dogs.

We always enjoy going to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery

2340 W Bell Rd PHX AZ

602-843-3637

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

It’s starting to turn HOT in Phoenix. Culver’s is a casual burger chain that opens at 10:00 before it’s too hot to dine out with dogs so we have to take them there. Culver’s is better than most other similar chains because the beef and chicken are never from frozen. They also offer daily made custard, chicken sandwiches and tenders, fish sandwiches and entrees, a kids menu and more.

We got the dogs a double butter burger with cheese.

he burger is moist and nicely caramelized. I remove the bread. and give them about a third of the burger. Over the next two days they will have the rest as treats.

He looks so funny looking up at the burger.

She sure has her eyes on that burger.

They enjoyed Culver’s!

8330 W Deer Valley Rd Peoria AZ – 623-792-8957

www.Culvers.com

“Well it’s FORKING HOT already in Phoenix AZ so that’s all Folks!” “We hope you enjoyed Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix and we hope to see you soon!”

The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

Alzohour Market and Restaurant – The Most Unique Restaurant in Metro Phoenix AZ – Worth a Fork!

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Alzohour Market and Restaurant is a Moroccan/Middle Eastern Halal Restaurant, market, grocery, and Islamic clothing store in Metro Phoenix Arizona. It’s not a fancy place and alcohol is not served here.

One woman named Zhor runs and serves and prepares all the food herself. She also runs the market and clothing store. Somehow (I have no idea how) she makes her own pastry and even yogurt too for the greatest tzatziki anywhere.

Due to all the hard work she does service is at Zhor’s pace……..So PREPARE for that………. It’s like visiting a foreign land.

You might want to start off with falafels.

Or maybe something hard to find like kashke Bademjam.

It’s meaty eggplant with garlic and walnuts….that gets embellished with vegetables and fresh herbs. You eat it with flatbread. It’s like a vegetarian eggplant fajita.

Another stand out starter are the stuffed grape leaves.

I promise you that these grape leaves are the most delicious ones out there!

Another MUST GET is the Moroccan Tea.

It’s the most delicious tea we ever had anywhere.

The most famous dish here is the painstakingly made B’Stilla.

It’s Zhou’s hand made phyllo dough with chicken, cinnamon, almonds, and dusted with powdered sugar. It’s sweet and rich and also a very large generous portion.

My personal favorite entree is the fish tagine.

It comes out bubbling hot and the fish is always mild tasting and tender moist. Moroccan spices, lemon and olive are the flavors going on here. This comes with rice.

My husband’s favorite entree is the mix grill.

You get a chicken kabob, a shish kafta, gyro meat, rice and whatever vegetables Zhor is serving today.

Some of the other offerings are –

Lamb couscous

(to go) Chicken Tagine

(to go) Chicken Kabob

Kebssa (Kabsah) Saudi Rice Dish with chicken

Chicken couscous

Frekah with chicken.

So far the best tasting baklava I’ve tried is the baklava from Alzohour. It’s not as sweet as it looks.

Sometimes there is a dessert special.

Stuffed baklava

Maybe my favorite dessert here is the kunafa.

This is made fresh to order and comes out HOT! It’s noodle pastry stuffed with cheese and topped with pistachios (I was too full and had to order to go!)

The hand painting inside was done by Zhor herself.

Alzohour Market and Restaurant is the most unique restaurant in Metro Phoenix Arizona and is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

Alzohour Market and Restaurant

7814 N 27th Ave PHX AZ – 602-433-5191

www.Alzohour-Market.Business.site

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

NakedQ BBQ – Glendale AZ – The Turkey is FANTABULOUS – Worth a Fork!

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NakedQ BBQ is a small casual barbecue restaurant that serves dry rubbed barbecued meats. You can add whatever sauces you like but the meats come out “Naked.” NakedQ BBQ is in three locations in metro Phoenix Arizona. The original located is in north Phoenix in the Deer Valley Area. They also are in Scottsdale, and the newest location is in Glendale by the State Farm Stadium in Westgate.

Just like the original location the Glendale location is small and casual. You order at the counter, get your platter, pay, grab drinks, and sauces, and seat yourself.

All the BBQ is good….don’t get me wrong but the turkey really stands out. It’s nicely flavored and smoked just right. It’s always moist and tender so well that it seems like it was prepared from a sous vide oven.

Below is a caesar salad with turkey.

For some people this is a very large salad with a large portion of tender amazing moist turkey breast. (I got two meals out of this and it was only…ONLY $9…….I expect that price to change)

Pro-Tip – The caesar dressing is bit mild……I make it pop by adding a little drizzle of NakedQ’s mustard sauce…..Now you got a tasty meal.

My husband usually gets the two meat plates that comes with two sides.

He got BBQ brisket, pork, beans, and vinegar slaw. He said that the corn bread ran more moist than from the Phoenix location.

Once in a while like a few times a year they have smoked corned beef as.a special. I only had it twice so far.

Below is the first time we had the smoked corned beef.

OMGosh! These were incredible. If a food critic was here and tasted them that person would call these sandwiches among the best in the valley…..Tried them a year latter….discovered that they make two different versions of this sandwich. Up above is the fatty and usually I don’t do fatty but fatty here is better. The second version I had was the lean and it didn’t melt in your mouth like the fatty here……..If you ever happened to catch the smoked corned beef you must ask for the fatty.

The second smoked corned beef……*This was the lean*

Below are a few photos of NakedQ BBQ food from the North Phoenix Location.

Turkey Garden salad

2 meat plate – brisket, pulled pork, with added jalapeño hot links, sides bbq beans and Mac ‘n’ cheese

to go – 2 meat plate – pulled pork, jalapeño hot links, Mac ‘n’ cheese

to go – 2 meat plate – chicken & brisket, vegetable, slaw

1 meat pulled pork, beans, mac’n’ cheese

1 meat plate bbq turkey slaw & vegetable

Side of jalapeño hot links

Everything is good but the turkey is fantabulous!

Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

NakedQ BBQ – 9405 W Glendale Ave Glendale AZ 623-230-2199

www.NakedQ.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth