April 25th 2021 was the first celebrity chef star studded food festival at Ocotillo Restaurant in Phoenix Arizona. There was food and drinks inside for VIPS and outside for everyone else. Tickets were $100. for general admission $200 for V.I.P. admission and up to $1,000. for extra special admission.
That was the 2021 Aaron May’s Big Boy Cook Club Cookout at Ocotillo in Phoenix AZ.
The FANTABULOUS dish means – Top of the line, marvelously good, peachy keen and dynamite!
Valentine is a small restaurant located in a vintage furniture store in the Melrose District of Phoenix Arizona. They serve high quality coffees, brunch foods, cocktails, nature wines and dinner on the weekends. Most of the food served is wood fired and laced with the southwest.
I was planning on trying the grouper that I saw on the on-line menu but on my arrival it wasn’t on the menu so I went with the chicken…………
They use high quality Two Wash Ranch Chicken and you get not half but a whole small bird. OMG it is SOOOoooooooooo tender, SOOOooooooooo moist and SOOOOooooooo flavorful. It’s magical. It’s like a million bucks….Every FORKING bite is an explosion of flavors. It’s smoked but not too smoky and it’s unbelievably delicious. It’s just FANTABULOUS! The sauce is so chicken-eeeeeee and a little smoky. It taste amazing with the chicken, cabbage and durum wheat berries. To me the little white pile on the plate is a little odd but also delicious….There is this pile of kerned yogurt with dill…It makes me crave a pita…..Oh and did I mention that this is a large portion? I’ll eat the rest another day.
The chicken from Valentine in Phoenix is one FANTABULOUS Dish.
Worth a Fork!
www.ValentinePHX.com
Uncommon is something different……An uncommon restaurant offers something unique. Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler Arizona is a Western themed 1880’s mini town. They have a Main Street, gun fights, stage coach rides, train rides, gold panning and a steak house that offers rattlesnake. You can have fun on the rides, shop a little and see a gun fight and then drink at a saloon and or eat at the steakhouse.
www.Rawhide.com
Singh Meadows in Tempe AZ is also uncommon. They offer a produce stand with farm fresh produce and a breakfast/lunch cafe that also offers just plucked farm fresh foods. You can sit inside, on the patio or a by a duck pond or grab a meal on a blanket in the meadow. Now where else can you do all that? Hours are very limited so it’s best to call them. They usually are open only for breakfast and lunch on weekends during harvest times.
I haven’t found the website for Singh Meadows but they are on Facebook. (Slight Update********On my last visit I noticed only breakfast and vegetarian meals were offered)
********UPDATE>NOW CLOSED FOR BUSINESS during the pandemic and UPDATE AGAIN JUST REOPENED*******The Hot Chick in or near Old Town Scottsdale is very unique. It’s a kind of time warp of the “Hippy Era,” fried chicken, and lots of games. You order at a indoor camper and the rest of the trip is up to you.
www.TheHotChickAZ.com
Maybe one of the most unusual and uncommon restaurants out in Metro Phoenix might be Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa AZ. They offer organ music during dinner from one of the biggest Wurlitzer organs in the world. They also offer pizza, pasta, salad and ice cream.
www.OrganStopPizza.com
That was 4 uncommon restaurants of Metro Phoenix Arizona.
Rawhide – Chandler AZ
Singh Meadows – Tempe AZ
The Hot Chick – Scottsdale AZ
Organ Stop Pizza – Mesa AZ
The Fantabulous Dish means – Top of the line, marvelously good, peachy keen and dynamite.
There are several restaurants that serve amazing fried chicken out there in metro Phoenix but the buttermilk fried chicken from Confluence is FANTABULOUS!
Confluence is a small modern upscale American restaurant in Carefree Arizona.
The buttermilk fried chicken is usually on the lunch menu. I’ve had this dish a number of times and it’s FANTABULOUS every time. They do change up the sides now and then but the chicken is special. It’s a high quality from a local farm.
It’s tender as can be and is very juicy and flavorful. It has this shattering thin crisp coating. Then there is this BOMB delicious sauce on it. It’s called chili tepin honey mustard…..DANG it’s FANTABULOUS! It’s a little spicy, a little sweet and that just right YUM! Oh and did I mention that this is a large portion? I eat the vegetable (it’s often broccolini) and one of the pieces of the FANTABULOUS chicken and I am left with a FANTABULOUS meal for another time.
YUM! It’s so FORKING Delicious!
This gotta be one of the BEST boneless fried chicken dishes in metro Phoenix.
The Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Confluence in Carefree is a FANTABULOUS Dish!
Worth a Fork!
www.RestaurantConfluence.com
Leo’s Island BBQ is a Hawaiian Plate Lunch (including dinner) casual restaurant located near Arrowhead Town Center (mall) in Peoria Arizona. Leo’s Island BBQ is one of the few independently owned restaurants in this area. They offer around THIRTY varieties of the Hawaiian Plate Lunch. The Hawaiian Plate Lunch is a large styrofoam container filled with around eight ounces of one or two proteins, a bed of steamed cabbage, maybe some other steamed vegetables, a double scoop of white rice (or up-charge to brown rice) and a big scoop of Hawaiian style macaroni salad. They also offer appetizers, soups. salads, mini meals, burgers, Hawaiian bowls, family meal deals and catering. The food is never from frozen and is fresh made and even the sauces are made in house. Not all but many of the Hawaiian Plates are priced under $10.00 before tax. It’s not fancy food but it is superior to anything fast food and isn’t priced much different than fast food.
Inside is casual and you order and pay at the counter.
During normal times you. can seat yourself in the dining room (currently closed during covid.) Or you can seat yourself at one of the few tables on the patio or just do take out.
Today I got the maui maui grilled fish.
It’s a lot of food…I get 2-3 servings out of this. The fish is always prepared to perfection with a nice slightly crisp exterior and is always moist inside. I get LOTS of steamed cabbage and a few pieces of broccoli that seem healthy….There is a very generous serving of rice that can feed a small family and a good sized scoop of creamy macaroni salad that always get tastier if you hit it with a little sriracha.
My husband got the chicken kalua pork combo.
It’s a good amount of grilled marinated chicken thigh with grilled smoked pulled pork and a lot of rice, cabbage vegetables and macaroni salad.
Below are some of the other. plates we tried.
combo with bbq chicken and crispy shrimp (shrimps are shaped like onion rings)
island curry chicken (white meat)
lemon pepper chicken
garlic shrimp
loco moco (burger patty, fried egg, gravy.( added Spam)
curry bbq chicken MINI MEAL (………not so mini)
bbq chicken salad
chicken and rib combo
That was a taste of Leo’s Island BBQ in Peoria AZ.
Worth a Fork!
www.LeosIslandBBQ.com
Everything is subject to change these days.
According to Yelp a small casual Mediterranean Restaurant located in a gas station called Casa De Falafel is the #5 TOP restaurant in greater Phoenix Arizona. *****UPDATE no longer located in gas station moved to own spot in Glendale AZ.
Also according to Yelp Casa De Falafel is the number 2 falafel restaurant in the United States.
Lets see what Casa De Falafel is like.
We order at a counter and pay here.
The menu is limited.
I noticed that they sell their very own packaged lentil soup.
We ordered 2 falafels and a beef and chicken shawarma plates. While we wait we look around a little.
Here is the dining room. It’s currently not in use during the pandemic.
Here is the view if you were seated.
We start with falafels.
They look like small donuts. One is with a little hummus and the other is with a little tahini sauce that are very similar today and are very delicate tasting.
They are fried nicely and do have a crisp exterior and a moist fluffy interior and are lightly herbed and seasoned. It’s good……to some this falafel might be under seasoned.
Now we are digging into the shawarma plates with garlic sauce, tahini and extra HOT green sauce.
There is a lot packed into this plate. I got a serving of lentil soup, chicken shawarma that is moist, flavorful and nicely caramelized. there’s Mediterranean pickle slices, olives, chickpeas, salad, red onions dusted with sumac and what might? be?
Mexican style rice? Perhaps a nod to part of the name of the restaurant?
The beef shawarma plate is the same but made with beef.
I preferred the chicken over the beef shawarma because the chicken was moist and I think flavored better. For me the beef wasn’t tender enough but my husband said it was good to him. He doesn’t mind a little chew. I also thought the food was tasty and a good value. My chicken shawarma plate was only $9.50 before tax and tip.
That was my trip to Casa De Falafel in Peoria AZ. According to Yelp they are the #5 TOP Restaurant in Greater Phoenix and the #2 Falafel Restaurant in the country.
Casa De Falafel does not have a website but you can find them on Facebook.
Address and phone number is below.
Everything IS subject to change.******UPDATE They’ve moved. to Glendale.
The Fantabulous Dish means……top of the line, marvelously good, peachy keen and dynamite.
There are many fantabulous pizza restaurants out there in metro Phoenix. But each one is unique and many of them do a particular pizza better than from other restaurants.
Burrata or bufala cheese is the most exquisite mozzarella cheese that you can imagine. It’s the top of the line of mozzarella.
Most bufalina pizzas (margherita pizzas but made with Italian Buffalo milk cheese) look something like this……and this is GOOD but …….
Fabio On Fire elevates the bufalina pizza. His Bufalina Pizza is special.
Fabio On Fire in Peoria AZ makes his Bufalina Pizzas like this one below.
This Bufalina Pizza starts with San Marzano Tomato sauce, Imported bufalina cheese, oregano, garlic, arugula, reduced balsamic vinegar, farm fresh sweet tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil.
Sometimes they spread out the cheese.
The heat of the pizza warms the creamy imported bufala cheese without cooking it. You get the most exquisite mozzarella the way it was meant to be.
It’s FORKING DELICIOUS! It got all kinds of flavors going on. The BEST bufala cheese, San Marzano tomato sauce (the BEST), farm fresh sweet tomatoes (the BEST), peppery arugula, sweet but tang from the balsamic, flavors from the garlic and oregano….It’s going on here.
The Bufalina Pizza from Fabio On Fire is an official Fantabulous Dish!
Worth a Fork!
www.FabioOnFire.com
Dining out with dogs in metro Phoenix is just a “FLUFF” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started when my dog Louie came down with aggressive cancer. We were told that he only had three months or maybe up to six months to live. Louie was already elderly and couldn’t do a lot but he always enjoyed eating and also always enjoyed going out to eat. I took Louie out to eat as much as possible and Louie made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat.
There are some things that you need to know about dining out with dogs. One thing is that not all patios are dog friendly. It’s always best to call a restaurant and ask if it is ok to bring your dog (even if it is dog friendly because the patio could be booked). It is also best to dine out with dogs at off times. It’s always best to avoid as many people and other dogs as possible. Many people don’t share your love for dogs and other people might be allergic. It is also best to avoid other dogs because dogs enjoy barking at each other and you could be asked to leave.
You also need to be aware of safe and non-safe food for dogs. Most people food can be dangerous or even toxic to dogs. You need to get a food safe list and foods to avoid list from your veterinarian. Usually a small lean sauce free piece of meat is safe for your dog. Here in Arizona weather is an issue for dining out with dogs. All dogs are less heat tolerant than people. Dogs wear fur coats and absorb heat up their paws. They also can’t sweat. Usually 90 degrees and over is too hot to dine out with dogs. Leave your dog home if unsure.
There also are some rules to dining out with dogs. Dogs must be by your side at all times. Dogs are not to sit on restaurant furniture or to eat off restaurant plates.
Our first dining trip out was Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They offer around a dozen different Banh Mi Baguette sandwiches and many of your usual Vietnamese favorites EXCEPT FOR PHO.
Today I had the lotus root salad (It’s only $5.00) and potstickers ($4.00).
I don’t eat shrimp so I give it all to my dogs and small parts of the tasty potstickers.
My husband got a grilled pork Banh Mi today.
We all always enjoy Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery.
www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com
Next trip out with the digs was at Phila-Deli in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide. Phila-Deli is a small sandwich shop. They offer a variety of cheesesteaks, sandwiches, wraps and more. The salad they offer is one of the best deals in town. It’s only $7.49 (avocado is 75cents extra) I have no idea on how they can make money serving this great big salad. The owners are extra nice. They usually run out water to our dogs and make a big deal about them.
I have plenty of chicken to share with the dogs.
My husband always likes to get the cheesesteak with extra American cheese.
I think my dog is smiling from the food from Phila-Deli.
www.PhilaDeliAZ.com
During lent Culver’s (a national fast food chain with a nice patio) offers hand battered walleye that I enjoy. We came just for that the first week walleye was on the menu and already missed the walley special.
Since they were out of walleye already early I got the hand battered cod that they always offer with steamed broccoli and cheese sauce. I thought one side would be broccoli and I thought my other side would be cheese sauce?????
The cod is actually pretty good. Even my dogs love the cod. They also liked steamed broccoli with cheese sauce.
They also got to eat some of my husbands butter cheese burger. He surprised me by getting a spicy chicken sandwich….I tried a few bites. It contains spices that are not dog friendly. I wouldn’t come back for this particular hot chicken sandwich but I would come back for the cod.
The dogs enjoyed everything they tried.
www.Culvers.com
Bruster’s Ice Cream was nice enough to treat our dogs to free Pup Cups.
Look how happy the dogs are anticipating the pup cups.
I got a blueberry cobbler for myself. My husband got something I think was called coffee cake.
www.Brusters.com
That was Dining Out With Dogs in Metro Phoenix for March 2021. We hope that you’ve enjoyed and we hope to see you next month.
The Golden Pineapple is a bar and restaurant located in Tempe Arizona. They offer craft beers, cocktails and a limited chef crafted menu that includes a few children’s dishes. The foods offered are casual like tacos, burgers and hot dogs but are high quality that have ingredients like Chula Seafood and Noble Bread in them. Much of the foods offered have a southwest accent. You can sit inside at a table or the bar.
There is also another big area inside for seating but the lights were out so I didn’t photo it. It was a nice day today so almost everyone was seated outdoors. There is also a patio with a veery old very large tree. Something that you don’t see very often in metro Phoenix.
Parking is easy because they have their own parking lot with plenty of bike racks.
They offered an interesting brunch special today but I went with the AZ hot fried chicken sandwich with seasonal greens.
I go and take a bite. WOW the exterior of the chicken is shattering crisp with lots of paprika, a little sweetness and other spices and the white meat chicken is incredibly juicy. This is a very flavorful detailed sandwich that is also very delicious but it isn’t spicy (I wonder if they forgot the cayenne or other hot pepper that it should have?). The Noble Bread Bun is nicely toasted. It’s spread with avocado aioli and adorned with house made crisp pickles. The slaw is fresh made and crunchy. It’s really good but isn’t spicy….I am very picky….too picky……… for me this would be a perfect sandwich if the bun was a little smaller and the sandwich was made with some heat……….but…….Can’t be mad…It’s darn good and better than most chicken sandwiches so I am very happy with it. I think anyone would enjoy this sandwich. The greens are great too. Lightly dressed with pickled onions that just brighten it up.
My husband got the green chile burger with egg with hand cut fries as his side.
It’s a brisket patty with chilis, colby jack cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, pickled tomatillos, avocado aioli and hand cut fried that were nicely stacked. It was prepared to a perfect medium rare. He said it was one of the best burgers that he has had.
Both sandwiches were very good.
That was a little taste of the Golden Pineapple in Tempe AZ.
Worth a Fork.
www.TheGoldenPineappleAZ.com
Everything is subject to change.
The FANTABULOUS Dish means top of the line, marvelously good, peachy keen and Dynamite!
For lunch and sometimes for dinner I enjoy ordering salads at restaurants even if I’m at a restaurant that is well known for making great pizzas. I do love pizzas too but sometimes I feel like I need a salad. I like to save a little stomach room for that dessert that I go for sometimes. We found ourselves at Pomo Pizzeria in Scottsdale and I ordered the Salmon Salad. I did not expect to receive something even better than fish house worthy but I did! I noticed that the salmon came from Chula Seafood so I knew that it would be better salmon and probably very fresh but I didn’t expect that I would be receiving perfection and a really great salad to boot.
This salmon is as perfect as perfect gets. It has a crisp skin and the flesh just melts in the mouth. It seemed like it was slow cooked because of how moist and succulent it was. It was also finished with tasty grill marks. My salad was adorned with this grilled juicy lemon. WOW the taste of the sweet lemon and pink peppercorns on the fish sort of popped. WOW! What a great combination. Under the fish was a bed of spring mix, gold beets, fennel and grape tomatoes. And did I mention how great the salmon really was?
It was a pleasure to eat.
P.S.
I was able to save some room for their amazing house made Luna Gelato.
Fish House Quality Fresh Salmon Salad and Delicious Gelato from Pomo Pizzeria in Scottsdale AZ.
Worth a Fork!
An unexpected FANTABULOUS dish.
www.PomoPizzeria.com
Everything is subject to change.
