Tag Archives: #Phoenix

My Trip to Sel Restaurant Scottsdale AZ for Spring Restaurant Week 2021

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Sel is a small modern upscale restaurant located in Old Town Scottsdale Arizona. The name Sel is also French for salt.

Salt may symbolize amazing benefits and is a choice at meals.

They have an outdoor patio.

Inside Sel also has an open kitchen.

There is a cozy dining room and bar.

And salt shakers on the walls of the bathrooms.

This week (May 2021) it was restaurant week and Sel was offering a three course tasting menu for $44.00 a person with an optional wine pairing for $50.00 a person. Tonight they were only offering the restaurant week menu with a few add on options and a cocktail menu but not a wine list.

We are more wine people than cocktail people. We usually get a bottle of wine with dinners but since there are no wine bottles on our menus we went with the optional wine pairings.

Our first course was sweet pea & wild ramp vichyssoise.

it was topped with mint and a buttermilk emulsion. It taste like cold creamy pea soup with a potato base to me with mint. Whatever it is….the soup is good.

Our second courses were…heirloom tomato and roasted beet salad.

This salad is very unique. There are stringy things on the plate that have a little curly parsley-like heads with slightly pinkish stems. Here is a closer look.

Gosh the tomatoes are amazing…they taste just picked like from a tomato plant in New Jersey but I know they must be local. There is also some pickled ramp, very good creamy Crow’s Dairy goat feta cheese, a tasty lightly fermented red pepper & brown butter emulsion. The puffed forbidden black rice didn’t make it to our plates but the rest of the salad was very good. (the dark stuff on the plate are the beets)

For my main I went with the Thai Basil Crusted Alaskan Halibut.

I received a nice meaty piece of fish that was flaky and lightly dusted with Thai Basil. It was in a tasty slightly spicy miso curry with roasted sweet corn, some fresh spinach and micro greens. The miso curry goes expertly well with everything.

My husband got a very nice upscale kind of grilled filet mignon plate.

The filet was prepared to perfection and was flavorful and tender. There also was fancy romanesco cauliflower, white truffle and black garlic jus braised potatoes and bordelaise sauce.

That was my visit to Sel in Scottsdale AZ for Spring Restaurant Week 2021

From a prior brunch at Sel we had…………

Black truffle deviled eggs with dijon vinaigrette and tarragon aioli with crisp chicken skin and micro greens

Piri Piri chicken with lemon blueberry ricotta Dutch baby pancake

Iberico pork skirt steak with poached eggs, potato patty, arugula preserved lemon slaw and Creole hollandaise

Flourless chocolate tiramisu with hazelnut praline and dulce de leche gelato

www.SelRestaurant.com

Everything is subject to change and often does change.

The Forking Truth

First Taste at Renata’s Hearth Phoenix AZ – Worth a Fork! ****With re-visits

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Renata’s Hearth is an upscale modern Latin laced with the South West style restaurant located in the Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix Arizona. The Biltmore recently re-opened with a 70 million dollar renovation and this brand new restaurant. You can be seated indoors or out doors.

the patio

Renata’s Hearth and part of the patio

Cushy masculine furniture. Parts of the dining area have a view of the patio.

one dining area

inside

inside

Some of the magic happens here……Cocktails are made here and I see lots of high end tequilas.

Some cocktails are smoked.

They offer Jamon Iberico. (****Update the Jamon Iberico plate is not on current menu)

It’s the highest end ham that you can eat. It’s made from special black footed pigs that only eat acorns to produce a ham like no other that dissolves in the mouth. Jamon Iberico is something special we usually find in Las Vegas or mail away for.

We also shared a Spanish watermelon salad.

It’s made with grilled sweet watermelon, queso fresco, baby arugula, and sherry vinaigrette. It’s light, refreshing and delicious.

There were many choices on the menu tonight. They offered around 5 entrees and around 6 different family plates. All but the luxury 44oz Oaxaca spiced wagyu tomahawk steak you can order as a single dinner. It was hard to decide so we shared two single orders of family plates.

The grilled branzino.

and the mole negro – rubbed smoked wagyu brisket.

These dinners came with delicious Peruvian style rice & black beans (that are refillable), hand made in house flour and corn tortillas, and three salsas (verde, roja & mango pineapple)

Our branzino was cooked perfect and was very moist inside. The sweet peppers and sauces are so delicious on the fish.

But that mole negro – rubbed smoked wagyu brisket knocked it out of the park. It was juicy, fatty (but not too fatty), smoky, crunchy and oh so FANTABULOUS! In case you don’t get what I’m saying……The mole negro – rubbed smoked wagyu brisket was FORKING GREAT!

I thought both portions of the family plates (half sized or single were very generous to me….)

I was full and didn’t need dessert but they all sounded delicious. I was talked into just a single scoop of cantaloupe sorbet (instead of the three scoop normal portion listed on the menu. ( the cantaloupe sorbet is made local by Novel Ice Cream)

Gosh it’s delicious. It taste better than the cantaloupes I just bought from Safeway. Even the Mexican Wedding cookie is delicious.

That was my first taste of Renata’s Hearth in Phoenix AZ at the Biltmore.

We went back for a 2nd visit.

They started us off with complimentary wagyu New York steak tacos.

Gosh the steak in them is buttery soft.

We also had the radish salad.

and the Basque Sandwich bites (Jamon Iberico, manchego, truffle oil, polenta fries, and romesco sauce.

I didn’t eat the sandwiches but my husband said that they are like really tasty grilled cheese.

Tonight we shared a single order of the mesquite smoked jidori chicken.

The chicken is really perfect and juicy….even the breast….On ours the leg is a stronger with smoke taste so here I prefer the breast because I like less smoke taste on chicken but my husband likes the smokier leg better so this worked out perfect for us. This plate also came with Peruvian rice, black beans, grilled baby bells, grilled scallions, house made tortillas and three salsas that were all delicious.

We also shared the roasted Chilean Sea Bass.

This was truly amazing…It might be the best Chilean Sea Bass that I have ever had….So delicious with that mole verde……..Really REALLY Forking delicious. I ate well so I was too full for dessert.

3rd visut we started out by sharing the sardine escabeche.

The can is for display. The sardines are obviously fresh and good. In the middle of board isa light refreshing apple fennel slaw and on the end is high quality sour dough bread.

We also shared the Chile relleno.

It’s all vegetarian and tasty. It’s poblano peppers with faro, cauliflower, Mahon cheese, mole negro and cashew cream.

The smoked wagyu brisket and sauces differed this time.

The brisket no-longer comes with the bottomless rice and beans. If you want the rice and beans it’s $18.00. The sauces all taste different too. The red sauce is mild now, The green sauce is milder too. Instead of the mango habanero salsa there is a creamy sauce that taste like it has chipotle in it. This batch of brisket is good but isn’t crazy amazing like the first one I enjoyed. It’s much less succulent with less flavors and is barely warmed up.

We ordered a street corn to go with dinner.

It’s fresh corn with lime, cilantro, pimento, smoked goat cheese and some cotija cheese. It’s tasty anyone would like it.

The entrance now is accented with candles and musicians.

I have to say that Renata’s Hearth is Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

www.RenatasHearth.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

The FANTABULOUS DISH – The Mole Negro – Rubbed Smoked WAGYU BRISKET from Renata’s Hearth in Phoenix AZ at The Biltmore – Worth a Fork!

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The FANTABULOUS Dish means…..top of the line, marvelously good, peachy keen and Dynamite.

The Mole Negro – Rubbed Smoked Wagyu Brisket from Renata’s Hearth in Phoenix Arizona (at the Biltmore) Is CRAZY FORKING astonishingly delectable. It’s juicy, fatty (but not too fatty), smoky, crunchy and OOOOohhhhhhhhhhh sooooooooo FANTABULOUS! It just might be the best tasting brisket that I have ever tried……

It also comes with hand made in house flour and corn tortillas, three salsas (verde, roja and mango pineapple) Peruvian rice and black beans.

Just drop what you are doing and try it now because it is FANTABULOUS!

Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

www.RenatasHearth.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

A Taste of Confluence in Carefree AZ – GREAT VALUE Fine Dining – Worth a Fork!

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Confluence is a small restaurant that serves an ever changing menu of farm fresh modern elevated American cuisine located in Carefree Arizona. They offer patio dining with a view of the mountains. They also offer a cozy dining room and bar seating.

They always start you off with a house made bread.

Today it was a generous slice of crusty sourdough served with oil and white balsamic vinegar.

We started out with a hot appetizer of gnocchi.

The gnocchi were pan fried and were elevated with morel mushrooms, cured goose egg yolk, ramps and thyme.

For dinner I usually go with a fish dish because Confluence serves some of the best fish dishes in the valley and it’s hard to get super great fish dishes in the valley…….(but really everything they serve is always excellent)………. Today I went with the filet mignon. This is the first time I ever ordered a steak from here for dinner.

The fillet is very flavorful and is tender like butter. For me it’s a very large portion too. The flavors of the vegetables next to the steak go magically well together. They are fiddlehead ferns, white asparagus, black eyed peas, basil creme fraiche and a fried green tomato. This plate cost much less than filet my husband had from a well known steak house and is so much better and a million times more flavorful. This has to be maybe the nicest best filet mignon plate that you can get anywhere. Prices for filet mignon start at what this steak cost and sometimes are $25. MORE and DON’T come with sides……and if you buy the sides they sure won’t be this nice……….. That is part of the reason on why it’s a great fine dining value to eat here. The tasting menu options are the other reason. They just knock it out of the park with them.

My husband got the Iberiaco pork loin.

It’s as pretty as a picture.

It was also prepared to perfection and came with corn grits, caulilini, brussel’s sprouts, and pomegranate.

For dessert we went with the lemon curd with shortbread, elderflower macerated strawberries and fresh mint.

Everything was equally stupendous!

That was just a Taste of Confluence in Carefree – Great Value Fine Dining

Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

www.RestaurantConfluence.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

14 Marvelously GREAT Foods from Metro Phoenix AZ Restaurants………….(May-2021)

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I haven’t been everywhere but I have tasted some amazing dishes this year. There are many GOOD ONES that I can list here but narrowed it down to the ones that stood out the most……….All the dishes taste TOP of the line, They are all marvelously good, peachy keen and Dynamite.

The Bufalina Pizza from Fabio On Fire in Peoria – Is made with high end ingredients such as San Marzano Tomato sauce, imported buffalo cheese, oregano, garlic, arugula, reduced balsamic vinegar, farm fresh sweet tomatoes, and extra virgin olive oil. This has all kinds of flavors going on. Also the heat of the pizza warms the cheese JUST SO and you taste the most exquisite mozzarella the way it was meant to be enjoyed instead of just heating it to death on the pizzas like most places do.

The ground filet burger from The Bourbon Cellar in North Scottsdale. This is a ground in house burger that taste more like a fine steak. I have no idea how this burger has so much flavor. I think that it is best to enjoy this burger open face with a knife and fork because it taste like a juicy steak.

Speaking of a juicy flavorful steak…..

The filet mignon from Confluence in Carefree is excellent and not your grandfather’s plate of steak. This plate came with fried green tomato, fiddlehead ferns, white asparagus, black eyed peas, basil creme fraiche and the most buttery tender flavorful steak ever. (NOTE*******the menu at Confluence is ever changing with what is fresh from the local farms and does change often)

The Confit Wagyu Beef Cheek from Confluence in Carefree is a FORKING JAW-DROOPINGLY astonishing. …. The only bad news is that the menu from Confluence is ever changing so you might not be able to get this dish when you want it. But the good news is that this restaurant pretty much always is serving something amazing.

The Strawberry Gelato from Fabio On Fire in Peoria might be the best in the whole country. I take that back….because…It probably is the best in the country!

The Goat Cheese Creme Brûlée from Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in North Glendale isn’t something that you would expect from an Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria but is SUBLIMELY Spreadable and OH so edible….. It’s spiced goat cheese with fig compote and crostini. You crack into a shattering crisp sugar surface and then the party in your mouth happens….It’s so great that you can enjoy it for either an appetizer or even dessert. It’s a shame that the cacciatore isn’t still on the menu because that dish sure belongs here. It was the best that I have ever tasted anywhere. I had the cacciatore from Pizzeria Bianco and it was good but the cacciatore from Bottega tasted like TEN TIMES BETTER…..like so great you’d drive across town for…..Well I’m mentioning it because maybe it will return to their menu sometime.

The Salmon Salad is very special from Pomo Pizzeria in Scottsdale. The salmon is from Chula Seafood. This one was melt in your mouth succulent with tasty grill marks. It POPS from the sweet grilled lemon and PINK PEPPERCORNS…that are a magical combination that I didn’t expect. The rest of the salad is fresh spring mix, gold beets, fennel and grape tomatoes…It’s only a salad so you can splurge for the Luna Gelato that is extra special too!

The Chicken from Valentine in the Melrose area of Phoenix was superb. It was smoky (but not too smoky), masterfully tender, moist, and flavorful. With that deep developed sauce, cabbage, durum wheat berries and kerned dill yogurt it was an explosion in every bite.

The Kokomo Chop Bowl from Little Cay Latin Caribbean Kitchen is one BAM-Diggitty-YUM-Dinger (When you add the seasoned Puerto Rican Pique sauce on the table) This Chop Bowl is full of yummy marinated chicken, yellow rice, black beans, curry mayo, rum soaked cranberries, add that pique sauce and it is FORKING BOMB!

I think a doughnut can be on this list if it is the FORKING BEST that I have tasted.

There is a donut shop on Bell Road in North Phoenix called Daily Donuts and Wings. I have only tried a few donuts so far and each one that I tried was the best of it’s kind that I have tried anywhere. I think my favorite might be the glazed lemon filled. These donuts are so fresh, have the perfect sweetness, seem light as air, and are DELICIOUS and overly easy to inhale.

The buttermilk fried chicken that is usually on the lunch menu from Confluence in Carefree is a OMG YUM kind of plate. It’s incredibly crunchy and crisp on the outside. The interior is JUICY, flavorful, EXPERTLY prepared tender chicken…..but I didn’t mention that INSANELY delicious sauce on it. The sauce is called chili tepid honey mustard sauce. It is a little spicy but not too spicy and is really FORKING plate scraping delicious. I also note that for me this is a very large portion and I make two meals from the chicken. My husband eats more than me and just eats the whole thing.

Taco Fusion in Glendale makes VERY GOOD Tacos (especially the habanero mild chicken taco with pineapple salsa) on hand made tortillas that are delicious. But this corn cake from Taco Fusion is amazing. It has a great corn flavor and taste like it’s a mix of custard and cake together. It’s just an AMAZING dessert! It’s better than the majority of desserts we get out at most places.

But I must mention this one…..

I have to give it to Fabio On Fire in Peoria again. This Strawberry Rum Cake is so good I’d tell a diabetic to eat it. It was really so delicious! I had to mention it.

My husband ate something very special that I didn’t eat so I want to mention it.

He REALLY LOVED the slow braised osso buco from the Italian Daughter in North Scottsdale.

It was falling off the bone tender. He loved digging into the bone and enjoyed the marrow. The sauce was nice and rich with the perfect deepness. He really enjoyed this and wants to have it again.

These were some of the Marvelously Great Foods that stood out in 2021 so far. I do note that many others are out there.

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Pomodoro Italian Grill and Seafood in Cave Creek AZ – A Different Taste of Italian

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Pomodoro Italian Grill and Seafood is a higher end Italian Restaurant located just above Phoenix in Cave Creek Arizona. They offer appetizers, salads, fresh made pastas, fish and shellfish dinners, various meat dinners and a luxury tomahawk ribeye.

From the exterior to the interior it’s a very western looking restaurant like most things in the small Western Town of Cave Creek.

The tables are set with crisp linen, glassware, heavy silverware, a candle, and hand made plates.

They start you off with complimentary crusty bread and oil.

In interior of the bread is fluffy, moist and sort of sweet………It’s good but unique. I’ve never tasted bread like this in an Italian restaurant.

We started out by sharing the tasting trio of pastas (cacio e pepe, Pomodoro, and carbonara). To me this pasta is different. It is a different style with less tooth to it. The pastas are good but also are all unique and a little different from other similar pastas out there. My favorite of the trio is the Pomodoro (middle). The Pomodoro was made with very sweet farm fresh tomatoes and it’s laced with creamy rich cheese. It’s a more flavorful Pomodoro pasta than most out there because the pasta is also infused with tomato.

For dinner I had the Chilean Sea Bass.

The plump meaty mild fish was pan seared and was served over a stack of fresh grilled vegetables and was topped with a lemon butter caper sauce and came with a nicely grilled half lemon. The fish was fresh, moist and flaky. It was prepared to perfection.

My husband went with the veal osso buco.

It was slow braised and came with a mound of creamy polenta. It was good……but could have been braised in a richer deeper braising liquid.

Our server was efficient and knowledgeable.

Parking was easy because they have their own lot.

That was my trip to Pomodoro Italian Grill and Seafood in Cave Creek AZ.

www.PomodoroUSA.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

A TASTE of Seoul BBQ & Sushi in Phoenix AZ – Great Value Dining – Worth a Fork!

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Seoul BBQ & Sushi is located in Phoenix Arizona. They serve a variety of Korean and Asian Foods. Seoul BBQ & Sushi is well known for serving Korean BBQ. They also offer Korean and Japanese appetizers, noodle dishes, hot pots, house specials, stews, sushi, all-you-can-eat specials and more.

Inside is very spacious with a very large dining area and bar in the front of the restaurant. Behind the bar other large dining areas are available.

They do have a patio but it is not in use.

Today we sat inside. They started us out with an assortment of side dishes called banchan (they do refill the banchan if desired).

Today we got a garlicky fresh green, something shrimpy, kimchi, caramel sweet potato, kimchi type cucumbers and radish, vegetable pancakes, Asian bean sprouts, and-

sweet spicy and delicious peanuts garnished with a few vegetables that resemble green beans. On prior visits we also got things like fish cakes, bell flowers, and potato salad.

Then we got our #9 – crispy rice sushi.

It’s deep fried sushi rice topped with spicy tuna, avocado and tasty sauces. This is a really tasty start.

For my main I got the #78 called samgye tang. (This dish takes around 45 minutes to prepare) This is the traditional Korean chicken soup for good health. I read that traditionally it is to be made with jujube instead of dates.

It’s a special Korean Chicken soup. It’s a small young chicken that is stuffed with sweet rice, dates, garlic, and ginseng. There are also some noodles made of egg and more dates. It is also served with a side of rice. I suggest to ask for a fork to tackle this one. It’s a mild not too exciting dish but it is very good and seems healthy. The sweet rice stuffing is the interesting part of the dish with the most flavors.

Today my husband got the #61 dol-pan bibimbap. (they have around three of them on the menu) It’s Korean meat or meats with vegetables, an egg, rice, and Korean hot ketchup called gouchujang, that they mix for you table side.

Here are some of the prior foods we tried from Seoul BBQ and Sushi.

side dishes
bellflowe – It was very tasty
miso soup
a bibimbap after getting mixed up
yellow croaker
complimentary vegetable pancake special with to-go orders only (this its really delicious!)
to-go- side dishes called banchan
to go – bulgogi (the rice is from the other dish)
to go -spicy dak (chicken) bulgogi
to go – broiled atka mackerel
to go – jalapeño bombers
scallion pancake
bulgogi

beef rib and tofu vegetable soup

That was a TASTE of Seoul BBQ and Sushi in Phoenix AZ.

Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

www.SeoulPHX.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Harbor Seafood Buffet Phoenix AZ – Worth a try!

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The Harbor Seafood Buffet is located in Phoenix Arizona. They are located in the Metro Center Parking lot by where the Metro Center Mall used to be. They offer over a hundred different food items for you to try. Prices are reasonable.

Why go to a buffet?

It’s kind of nice to stroll around picking up food to graze on just like you are at a food festival.

It’s nice that you pay a set price and all that food is ready waiting for you.

Sometimes you just need something different. Sometimes you just need that element of surprise.

Sometimes you just don’t want to spend much….You can get a few appetizers, a salad, some hot foods and dessert and then some for a low set price.

It’s squeaky shiny clean when you walk in. You almost need sunglasses.

I came in just as they opened to get the freshest experience possible.

They have lots of seating. Pictured above is only a fraction of all the seating they have.

Now lets walk around and see only some of the offerings.

On my visit I thought the best chicken dish that I tried was the teriyaki chicken. It was moist, flavorful and nicely charred. (no guarantees it’s the same three hours later or tomorrow) To the left is a ham and to the right are mussels.

I picked up the bun marked Zhong zi…..Inside was rice mixed with sweet tasting squash. I like the texture of the steamed buns. It seemed almost like meringue mixed with pizza dough but I know it isn’t. Oh and they did have pizza on the buffet too!

My husband was very brave and tried an oyster and a shrimp. He said that the oyster didn’t taste fresh and I didn’t ask about the shrimp????

Neither of us felt like pigging out on the Pig Feet.

The green beans were very fresh and tender crisp with some mild garlic. We both really liked the bok choy too. Next to the bok choy were mushrooms. These three pans were good. It’s always nice to get nicely prepared fresh vegetables with your meal.

They had corn on the cob and beef ribs. Neither of us tried but they look ok.

They brought back the typical salad bar with puddings, jello, grapes, canned and fresh fruits, mayo based salads………..

The other end of the salad bar with many sauces and dressings.

Forgot to photo the sushi and sashimi. I tried a salmon sushi, a tuna sushi and a fried sushi and a salmon sashimi. On my visit everything except the tuna was much better than I expected. The salmon was actually good and better than from some sushi restaurants. Only the tuna tasted like buffet sushi tuna…(like not good to me)….. Some of the sushi didn’t have signs naming what it was….

Off the buffet I tried some flounder with scallions that could have used some sauce or flavor but the fish seemed freshly prepared and was moist and tender. Another highlight were the chicken meatballs. They are pictured below in the upper middle pan. They were moist and flavorful today….Further down it seemed they they had a million fried offerings like onion rings, fries, chicken nuggets, fried fish, and many other things.

Thee chicken (lower left on skewers) was a little dry today. Apple pie (lower middle) had raw dough on the bottoms.

Finished up with fresh sweet strawberries. They did have some baked goods but I passed on them. Oddly next to the baked goods they had a steak to carve. I think I saw a stir fry station or Mongolian grill there too! But gosh how much food can a person eat?

That was my trip to the Harbor Seafood Super Buffet in Phoenix AZ.

I would say Harbor Seafood Super Buffet is …….

Worth a Try! *******I wouldn’t drive across town for this but on the other hand it is a good value if you pick the right pans to try.

www.HarborSeafoodSuperBuffet.Kwickmenu.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Just a little taste of The Italian Daughter in Scottsdale AZ – Worth a Fork**With Re-visits

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The Italian Daughter Restaurant is an Italian restaurant by the daughter (Melissa) of award winning and well known restauranteur Tomaso Maggiore. This restaurant is a tribute to her father. This Italian Restaurant offers a varied menu for what you are in the mood for. They offer chicken, short ribs, veal, sausage, fish, Italian burgers, weekend veal osso buco, hand made pastas, sharing boards and nightly live piano music.

bar area

They have a bar area.

part of dining area with mostly high tops

Part of the dining room near the piano is mostly high tops. They also have a lovely father and daughter photo on the wall.

patio

They do offer some patio seating.

part of dining room

The wall reads, “Whatever is happening in your life, always remember to enjoy the table….be it yours or ours.”

part of dining room

They started us off with a basket of bread with herbed butter.

We shared the caesar salad served in a crispy parmigiana basket.

The romaine was fresh and crisp. The dressing tasted house made but was on the milder side of caesar. The fresh made buttery croutons were especially good and the parmigiano basket was a unique extra special touch. Fresh crushed black pepper is on every table for seasoning.

Today I tried the pan seared salmon with bourbon mustard glaze and whipped potatoes.

The potatoes are so smooth and buttery. The broccolini is a perfect tender crisp. under the broccolini is very nice extra fancy carrots of three different colors. The fish is moist and is a large portion. The sauce is unique but tasty. It does have sweetness to it.

My husband had the weekend veal osso buco.

He said it was tender and infused with delicious flavors. He also said that the saffron risotto was better than most risotto that you get out. He said that this was really GREAT!

We tried dessert. Our server highly recommended the cannoli pizza cioccolato so we went with that.

This is a made to order chocolate dough with lots of cannoli cream, berries and Nutella. This dessert is much larger than it looks. This can feed a family.

I noticed that with one dish on the menu is to honor the owners late father….. They donate 100% to the Tomaso Maggiore Culinary Education Scholarship. (since my visit the has had added shrimp to it)

The Italian Daughter Restaurant in Scottsdale is Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

www.TheItalianDaughter.com

Everything is subject to change. We visited a couple of times since and the menu differed some on each visit but everything was very good.

We enjoyed our first visit so we went back for a second visit. There were slight changes to the menu on our second visit. Another change was that the bread came with regular butter and herbed oil this time instead of just herbed butter.

On our third visit we received tapenade instead of oil and butter with the bread.

This time we tried the Sicilian Trio. It was an arancini (short rib stuffed saffron laced rice crochet), caponata, and stuffed squash blossoms. ( a tasty start).

On another visit we tried the Italian sharing board with brie and apple, fig and prosciutto, pepper, goat cheese, and pine nuts, and wild mushroom, taleggio, and fontina.

My dinner was the fish of the day….barramundi.

WOW! This was MUCH BETTER than the salmon I had last time….don’t get me wrong…that salmon was good but this barramundi was masterfully prepared with a shattering crisp skin that stayed crisp and very tender mild, moist fish flesh. My waiter didn’t know that this special came with shrimp so I removed them and my husband ate one and my dogs latter ate the other one. My husband said that the shrimp was prepared perfect….I’m generally not a pasta person but this spaghetti was particularly great tasting with the perfect amount of crushed red pepper white wine lemon fish sauce. For me it was really great.

My husband had the chicken and sausage scarpariecco this time.

He said that this was unusually moist flavorful chicken and the sausage was good but slightly overcooked today.

On another visit I had the fish of the day halibut in a lemon caper sauce with Israeli couscous and fresh vegetables.

It was perfect!

My husband had the osso buco again.

He really enjoyed it. He said it is one of the best osso buco that he has ever had.

I took home a slice of lemoncello cake. It was really great I think anyone would like it. It seemed light and was lemony and was very moist. A little white chocolate shaving and some berries accented the cake.

On another visit we got what they called the secret dessert of the day….a spumoni.

A perfect sweet ending.

The Forking Truth

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ April 2021 – Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante, Phila-Deli, Cucina Tagliani

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Dining out with dogs is just a “FLUFF” story about dining out with my dogs. It all sort of started when my dog Louie was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. We were told that he only had 3 or maybe up to 6 months to live. Louie was already elderly and couldn’t do a lot but he always loved to eat and also loved going out to eat so I took him out to eat as often as possible. Instead of the diagnosed 3-6 months Louie made it another 17 months. Today I took my current dogs out to eat.

There are things that you need to know about dining out with dogs. Not all restaurants with patios are dog friendly. It is always best to call a restaurant first and ask if it is ok to dine there with your dog. You never know if the patio is booked already. It is also always BEST to avoid as many other people and other dogs as possible so it is best to dine with your dog at off times. Some people hate dogs and other people can be allergic to dogs. It is also best to avoid other dogs because dogs enjoy barking at each other and this can be considered a disturbance and you might be asked to leave. Avoid as many potential problems as you can and dine out with dogs at off times.

You need to get a list from your veterinarian of food and drink to avoid giving dogs. Much of the food and drink that is yummy for you can be harmful or toxic to your furry best friend. Usually a small lean piece of meat without sauce might be a safe choice. You should also bring a water bowl so you best friend has a drink. Here in Phoenix the temperature is an issue. All dogs do have a different heat tolerance but also all dogs are less heat tolerant than people. They wear fur coats. They absorb heat up the paws and they can’t sweat. 90 F degrees and above is too hot to safely dine out with dogs. Maybe up to 90 F but only in full shade might be ok for younger healthy dogs? Hopefully you can judge your dogs needs. When there is any doubt leave your dog at home.

When you are ready to dine out with dogs you need to know that your dog (s) needs to be by your side at all times. Dogs are also not to sit on restaurant furniture. Dogs are not to eat off restaurant plates.

Our first dining out was to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They specialize in serving Banh Mi baguette sandwiches and offer around a dozen different varieties. They also offer many Vietnamese favorite dishes EXCEPT FOR PHO. Today I got a chicken rice plate.

I haven’t gotten this one in a while because it is usually 2 dinners for me. But gosh that chicken is really FORKING DELICIOUS.

It’s around 8 ounces of JUICY DELICIOUS FLAVORFUL slightly charred DELICIOUS chicken. The plate comes with some pickled vegetables, lettuce, seasoned rice, egg roll, fish sauce (for dipping the chicken) and some chile sauce. This plate makes anyone with a mouth happy.

My husband got the pork rice plate. He also enjoyed it. The dogs AND MY HUSBAND helped finished off my plate because that chicken is really great. (I honestly think it’s one of the best chicken dishes around this part of town)

We always enjoy Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix.

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

We enjoy going to Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in North Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide. They serve Neapolitan Pizzas, house made pastas, Italian dishes, seasonal specials and more! They offer a nice patio with heaters, shades and misters for our comfort.

Today I got the strawberry chicken salad.

My husband got the piccante panino (imported prosciutto crudo, spicy soppressata, flor di latte, lettuce, house made spice sauce).

Dogs got to eat some of my chicken and cheese from the side salad. They were pretty excited about that.

www.BottegaRistorante.com

Next trip out was Phila-Deli in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide. They are a small hoagie and cheesesteak place but I like the build your own salads. (at the moment subject to change they serve these salads for $8.99. Avocado is 75cents extra).

There is plenty of chicken to share with the dogs.

They also got some beef from my husband’s cheesesteak.

We always get a filled belly from Phila-Deli.

www.PhilaDeliAZ.com

We also got to take the dogs to Cucina Tagliani in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide. This restaurant is an American Restaurant that offers American-Italian style food, some healthy choices, and a menu of pork ribs and New York Strips, plus more. They offer a large spacious officially licensed dog friendly patio and it usually isn’t crowded during the day.

Today I got the strawberry chicken salad and my husband got a lasagna with extra hot sausage.

This salad is refreshing on a hot day.

The dogs always enjoy eating at Cucina Tagliani’s.

www.CucinaTagliani.com

That was dining out with dogs in Metro Phoenix for April 2021. The weather is turning hot so we will have to get out early before the temperatures rise too much for Dining Out With DOGS if we can……we hope to see you next month!

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