The Barrio Cafe is a Mexican Restaurant….But not just any Mexican Restaurant. The Barrio Cafe is a Gem of Phoenix Arizona. It’s the 6th “C” of Arizona. We have climate, cotton, cattle, copper, citrus and a special cafe……The Barrio Cafe is by James Beard Nominated Silvana Salcido Esparza. The chef is well known and famous for her tender flavorful slow roasted Oochinita Pibil, Chiles en Nogada and her bright and chunky guacamole topped with pomegranate.
Stunning larger than life Mexican heritage artwork surrounds the restaurant.
parking lotparking lotside of restaurantduring pandemic only two tables on the patiobar areabar area
This time we did take out…Flavors are all very special.
Ensalada de Barrio
Pollo en mole spice rubbed bone in chicken
cecina
The portions were very large. For some people each platter might be two meals.
Some prior take outs are below
I think you CAN’T understand what a great talent the chef really is from looking at my take out photos.
You need to see her creations from her other restaurant (now closed for business) Barrio Grand Reserva. Sadly the Barrio Grand Reserva is now closed for business. A few of the plates pictured are also served at Barrio Cafe.
amuse bouche Spicy seeds
That was a TASTE of The Barrio Cafe – Gem of Phoenix – Worth a Fork!
Today I am mentioning the black owned restaurants that I can personally recommend. I do note that I haven’t been everywhere in metro Phoenix so other great black owned restaurants are out there that you should want to visit too. The restaurants mentioned are not in any particular order.
I had dishes that were to die for from The Larder + The Delta in Downtown Phoenix.
It’s a cute little casual restaurant in Phoenix that offers high quality Southern American Inspired Modern Cuisine.
This Hoppin John is like no other. It’s FORKING SCRUMPTIOUS! It’s earthy, spicy, deeply flavorful with interesting textures. It’s a Hum-YUM-Dinger!
A LONG While back I had the very best of the hot chicken sandwiches that I have tried anywhere. It was like a religious experience.
I had many delicious hot chicken sandwiches before but this one had the best and most delicious flavors of any hot chicken sandwich that I’ve ever had. One thing that really stood out was that the chicken was the only one that still tasted like it was on the bone. Then this one also had many layers to it that were the most delicious. It was so amazing that I wonder why this sandwich isn’t often found on the menu.
During the pandemic The Larder + The Delta did hot chicken take out.
They did re-opened for dine in service but these are uncertain times so you must contact them for up to date details.
I only got to eat at Mingo’s Louisiana Kitchen once (because this place is pretty far for me) but everything we tried was delicious. My husband said that the red beans and rice were really great. He usually only eats this dish in New Orleans…because usually it is usually only good in New Orleans.
He also enjoyed the Shrimp Po Boy.
Hot Chicken Sandwich
I had some sort of hot chicken sandwich that was different but delicious. If I remember correctly I think it was made with his own hot sauce and specialty remoulade sauce. The fries were seasoned with Old Bay.
Currently Mingo’s Louisiana Kitchen operates out of a food truck so you have to look up their schedule.
At a food festival in Peoria (Devour The World) I enjoyed the food from Abyssinia Restaurant and Cafe very much.
I decided that I should try the Ethiopian Restaurant Abyssinia Restaurant and Cafe myself. (PHX)
We got a couple dishes on one large platter lined with injera bread and served with rolls of it. Everything was DELICIOUS! There were three kinds of lentil dishes, vegetable dishes…..a couple meat dishes and in the middle was this insanely delicious dish called Doro Wat. It was a great experience.
We enjoyed many dishes from Carribbean Cuisine in Glendale. I do note that this is a very small place that is mainly open for take out. (possibly only take out during the pandemic)
Red Snapper
Jerk chicken
Curry chicken
Oxtail (not always ready because this takes hours to prepare)
Escoviitch
Everything was delicious from Caribbean Cuisine.
We enjoy Desert Island Eatery and Cafe very much. This is a Caribbean Restaurant that also serves Vegan foods. Inside is only three tables but they recently added a patio. Currently during the pandemic they are Take Out only and the patio is not in use.
Our mutual favorite dish here is the Curry/Jerk Chicken combo that comes with cabbage and your choice of rice and peas or yellow rice.
Combo with Jerk Chicken and Curry Chicken
We are both crazy about this curry and jerk chicken. Many other people in town love it too and this restaurant has been expanding the menu and their hours.
D’s Jerk Hut recently opened in Phoenix. They offer Caribbean and some vegan foods sort of cafeteria style. It’s sort of like a buffet behind the cashier and your order is kept warm in a warming oven.
We tried a number of things there.
Above is small sized jerk chicken and curry chicken. The jerk chicken his less spiced and less hot than all the other jerk chickens that I’ve tried. I really liked the curry chicken here. It was very flavorful and falling off the bone.
Here’s medium sized brown strew chicken. It’s very flavorful and really good but this one gets the developed flavor from the bones and there are lots of bone fragments in it.
D’s Jerk Hut is the only place that I have found Jamaica’s national dish Ackee (a fruit) and Salt Fish. It’s VERY Unique….You have to go to D’s Jerk Hut to try it.
The Breadfruit and Rum Bar is another place for Jerk Chicken and other Caribbean foods.
Friday night jerk chicken for two special from The Breadfruit & Rum Bar in Phoenix
We’ve enjoyed numerous dishes from the Breadfruit and Rum Bar from Festivals that we’ve been to. Often The Breadfruit and Rum Bar served us our favorite bite from various food festivals. Each Jerk Chicken that I tried taste different and the jerk chicken here is also very unique. Ours that we took out was more breast meat with all kinds of flavors that danced on the exterior of the chicken. There also was this WICKED mighty nuclear HOT sauce to pour onto it (If you dare). Ours came with nicely prepared farm fresh vegetables.
These were the Black Owned restaurants that I can recommend personally recommend.
The Larder + The Delta (PHX)
Mingo’s Louisiana Kitchen (Food Truck)
Abyssinia Restaurant and Cafe (PHX)
Caribbean Cuisine (Glendale)
Desert Island Eatery (N.PHX)
D’s Jerk Hut (PHX)
The Breadfruit and Rum Bar (PHX)
Again I haven’t been everywhere and I know that there are other great ones out there.
Everything is subject to change and we hope it does for the better.
Spring Time comes early in the Valley of the Sun. Here are some of the restaurants with patios that I have dined from in no particular order.
Up above is Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide. They have a stunning patio. They have misters for cooling and heaters for chilly days. Part of the patio has shades with an indoor-outdoor bar. They also have a beautiful park-like setting and the patio is dog friendly.
Geordie’s at the Wriggly Mansion in Phoenix has out door seating that was expanded after this photo was taken.
Tacos Chiwas in Phoenix has a patio.
Singh Medows in Tempe offers multiple choices for outdoor seating. They offer a patio and outside tables. They also offer blankets to use so you can seat yourself by a pond or in the meadow.
But you do need to call Singh Meadows to check on when they are open. They are a farmers market with limited weekend hours only.
Virtu Honest Craft – Scottsdale
Fellow Osteria – Scottsdale
Pane Bianco in Phoenix
The Sicilian Butcher in Phoenix
The Rec (Detroit Style) Pizzeria and Wings in Peoria offers a few tables outside.
The Larry – Phoenix
Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue in Cave Creek also offers patio dining.
The Vic Bar and Kitchen in Buckeye AZ
The Vic Bar and Kitchen in Buckeye
The Copper Mule in North Scottsdale has a patio with heaters that is also dog friendly.
The Perfect Pear Bistro in Tempe offers outdoor seating.
Pomo Cucina and Pizzeria in Scottsdale has a patio and so does their Gelato Restaurant Luna next door.
Elements at the Sanctuary in Paradise Valley Scottsdale offers Patio Seating.
Mrs Chicken in Phoenix does have a patio.
Oscar’s Pier 83 in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide offers patio dining. They are also dog friendly.
Tonto Bar & Grill in Cave Creek
Pizzeria Bianco at Town and Country in Phoenix offers Patio Dining. They have portable heaters.
Bandolero Cocina de Mexico in Scottsdale offers two patios with heaters. The back patio is also dog friendly.
Desi Fusion offers a shaded small patio.
Prado at the Omni Resort in Paradise Valley Scottsdale.
Ocotillo in Phoenix offers multiple patios with portable heaters with a beautiful park-like setting.
The Twisted Italian in Peoria offers a two table patio in front of the restaurant and is dog friendly.
Lon’s at the Hermosa in Paradise Valley Scottsdale.
Ofrenda in Cave Creek offers a two story wrap around patio.
Fabio On Fire in Peoria/#UpperWestSide offers TWO patios with portable heaters.
Parma Italian Roots in North Scottsdale offers patio dining with portable heaters and an indoor-outdoor bar.
The Bourbon Cellar in North Scottsdale offers dog friendly patio seating.
Veneto Trattoria in Scottsdale
Lure Fish House in Scottsdale offers two heated patios
FnB in the arts district of Scottsdale (during pandemic) is patio seating only with portable heaters.
Phila-Deli in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide offers dog friendly Patio Seating.
Confluence in Carefree offers stunning mountain views and patio dining with heaters and a fireplace.
Tacos Calafia in Peoria offers a few patio tables.
The Craftsman in North Scottsdale offers a wrap around dog friendly patio with large door wall of windows that sort of extend the patio space.
Cucina Tagliani in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide offers old fashioned Italian music, misters and heaters on an officially licensed dog friendly patio.
Jalapeno Inferno in Peoria offers patio dining with misters. The North Scottsdale location also has some patio dining. The North Scottsdale location also has patio seating.
Twist Bistro and Gallery in North Scottsdale offers patio tables with umbrellas.
Stratta Kitchen in Scottsdale offers a patio.
Starlight BBQ in Scottsdale offers some patio seating on long benches.
Wally’s American Gastropub in Scottsdale offers a patio.
La Piazza Al Forno in Old Town Glendale does have a small patio.
The Collins in Phoenix has a small patio.
Angelina’s Pho & Grill in Glendale does have a patio that was useable on my last visit. (It has been closed for a long time)
Doda’s Pizza in Glendale does have a few patio tables.
Sel in Old Town Scottsdale offers patio seating.
Las 15 Salsas in Phoenix has a small patio.
Greek Palace in Peoria does have two patios. They have at least one open patio.
True Food Kitchen – Biltmore Fusion Park in Phoenix
Chauncey Social – Scottsdale
Zinque at the Scottsdale Fusion Square in Scottsdale.
The Farish House in Phoenix.
Proof in North Scottsdale.
Mowry and Cotton at the Phoenician in Phoenix.
Pizziacatta in Cave Creek
Persepshen in Phoenix.
The Farm in Phoenix.
Little Cay in Phoenix.
JB Steakhouse at the Phoenician in Phoenix.
Popo’s Fiesta Del Sol in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide
English Rose Tea Room – Cave Creek
Vincent Market Bistro in Phoenix has a few outdoor tables but you better get them before 5pm…(It’s an extra early crowd here).
Tarbell’s The Tavern (I did hear the patio got extended since this photo was taken)
Cafe Monarch has an outdoor patio (out back).
Little Miss BBQ – Sunny Slope Phoenix.
That was over 60 patios in Metro Phoenix.
These days every FORKING thing is subject to change.
Lue Fish House is a reasonably priced seafood restaurant located in Gainey Village in Scottsdale Arizona. They are a family owned business with 4 other locations in California. I was told that the fish is fresh flown in daily and the vegetables that are served are all organic. Seating is at the bar, oyster bar, dining room or either side patio around the building.
Delicious fresh baked sour dough bread to start you off with.
Miso glazed sea bass skewers with organic brown rice, vegetables and spicy slaw with soy ginger dressing
shrimp skewer with potato cake and beans
seasonal harvest salad with added salmon
Mexican burrito bowl
flourless chocolate cake
east coast (blue point) and west coast (British Columbia) oysters.
Dining out with dogs in metro Phoenix Arizona is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started when my dog Louie was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. They told us that he was only expected to live three more months and up to 6 at the most. Louie already was old and couldn’t do a lot but he always enjoyed eating and going out to eat so I took him out as often as I could and 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 some things that you need to know if you dine out with dogs. Not all restaurant patios are dog friendly. You need to see a sign or license posted that the restaurant is dog friendly….
If you don’t see a sign then you need to call and ask the restaurant if you can bring your furry friend.
From experience I highly recommend that you dine out with your dog at off times to avoid possible problems. Some people just don’t like dogs and other people are allergic. It’s best to avoid other dogs too because dogs enjoy barking at each other and that might be considered to be a disturbance and you could be asked to leave.
You need to know that dogs must be by your side at all times. Dogs are NOT to sit on restaurant furniture and dogs are NOT to eat off restaurant plates.
Did you know that most food and drink that you consume can be harmful or even TOXIC to your dog? You must get a list of safe foods and foods to avoid from your veterinarian. You also need to be aware that your dog is NOT as heat tolerant as you are. Dogs wear a fur coat all the time and absorb heat up their paws. They also can’t sweat. All dogs do differ just like people but in general 90 degrees F is too hot to dine out with dogs. Maybe some dogs can take 90 degrees or less but only in shade.
Our first destination this month is Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante. They are an Italian restaurant that specializes in serving Neapolitan Pizzas, House made pastas, Italian foods, seasonal specials and more. They also have a comfortable all weather dog friendly patio with misters and shades for cooling. They also have portable heaters for those few chilly days and an indoor outdoor bar with a TV for other people.
The patio has a nice park-like atmosphere.
Our nice server brings water for the dogs.
Then we get some fresh baked breads.
I get the seasonal special of Chicken piccata. I had a small side salad with it that I forgot to photo.
The chicken is intense with lemon. It really doesn’t taste like other chicken piccata dishes that I have had. They tell me that the food here is authentic Italian and the chef and pizza maker are both from Italy.
My husband gets the Bottega Pizza (sausage and pepperoni).
My dogs are pretty happy to be getting lots of chicken.
www.BottegaRistorante.com
Next we went to Oscar’s Pier 83 in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide.
They have a nice comfortable patio that is nicely spaced with large comfortable tables. They also have some new outside shades too.
My husband got fried cod, oysters and shrimp.
I got the cajun catfish with added vegetables.
To my surprise the dogs enjoyed squash and zucchini very much. They also got to eat fish but I had to be extra careful on what I fed them because there was a lot of cajun seasoning on the fish that contains onion and garlic that is very bad for dogs. I cut both sides of seasoning off the fish so the dogs could have some. The fish was very crispy…much crispier than it normally is here. With all the seasoning it was hard to tell that it was catfish but it seemed fresh.
www.OP83.com
We love going to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. They offer most of your favorite Vietnamese dishes except for pho.
Today my husband had a shaken beef Banh Mi baguette sandwich. (the beef is always REALLY great here….to me it is like filet mignon but I know that it is rib eye)
I got a noodle bowl….
It’s BIG and everything here is delicious! I got a BIG bowl of rice noodles topped with minty herby salad, marinated seasoned chicken with crushed peanut and fried shallots, (my husband accidentally got me tofu too that is very tasty) a crispy egg roll, fish sauce for dipping and chili paste. Both meals could be two meals for some people. I got plenty to share.
www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com
My lucky dogs got to revisit Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale again.
We all got to see the NEW expanded patio.
Today they started us off with a complimentary basket of fresh baked focaccia and a bowl of water for my VIPS ( Very Important Pups) My husband got the sausage special with a choice of fresh hand made pasta (he picked trofie)
I got the strawberry chicken salad.
We all enjoyed our visit to Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante!
That was dining out with Dogs in Metro Phoenix for January 2021.
There are many great dishes to try from many metro Phoenix Restaurants. Some might inspire you to try to do a copy cat version. Here are some that inspired me. They are listed in no particular order.
Miso eggplant with bonito flakes and crisp enoki mushrooms
This miso eggplant with bonito flakes and crisp enoki mushrooms and peanuts was inspired from one of my visits to Confluence in Carefree AZ.
Reathrey Sekong is a Cambodian Restaurant that I have been to a few times in Phoenix. They make a Cambodian flavor paste to flavor some of the dishes and did it on video for our local newspaper. I watched and took notes. A combination of turmeric, lime leaves, lemon grass, galangal, shallots and garlic makes Cha Kreung Paste and that is what I used to flavor the above vegetables.
Ethiopian Style Chicken Stew
I went to Abyssinia Restaurant and Cafe in Phoenix. The Doro Wat Chicken was so delicious I had to find out on how to make it.
Flat Bread with Blue Cheese Butter and Pistou Inspired from Eddie’s house of Scottsdale AZ
Eddie’s House in Scottsdale is no longer in business but part of the complimentary bread basket inspired me to make a flat bread with blue cheese butter and pistou.
At Angel’s Trumpet Ale House in Phoenix I had this amazing salad that inspired me to do the above plate with the majority of ingredients that were in the salad. Up above are smoked beets, goat cheese mousse, oranges, pea sprouts, almonds, mint and orange champagne vinaigrette.
Spaghetti Squash with Harissa Vinaigrette
We enjoyed spaghetti squash with harissa from FnB in Scottsdale so I made something similar.
No Pasta Squash Manicotti
We often dine at Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante and one special they had was a squash wrapped manicotti. I thought that was a good idea and made up my own ricotta cheese and did the same.
Melon with Preserved Lemon, Lavender and Cream Cheese
The most memorable plate I tried from The Vic Bar & Grill in Buckeye was a melon salad with preserved lemon and lavender.
Reduced Fat Potato Green Pepper & Eggplant
Miu’s Cuisine was one of the best Chinese Restaurants. They had this dish with potatoes, green peppers, eggplant and black garlic that was so delicious. I attempted a reduced fat version.
Roasted then Fried Rutabaga topped with oven fried Lotus Chip
We enjoyed the Gilfeather Rutabaga from FnB in Scottsdale. I purchased the same rutabagas from the Scottsdale Farmers Market and did something similar. (should have used more chives)
Spicy Vegetarian Cauliflower Meatballs in Spicy Butternut Squash Indian Spiced Sauce
I really enjoyed the spicy cauliflower meatballs from Meat The Ball in Scottsdale. Sadly Meat The Ball is no longer in business but I still remember several of the meatballs I tried.
Indian Inspired Green Beans and Chickpeas
Even food from a buffet can inspire. There used to be an Indian buffet and restaurant called Mayuri Palace in Phoenix. I tried an okra dish that was marked kauai bhindi masala and gosh it was amazing. At the. time I was unable to find a similar recipe. Somehow I came up with this Indian inspired green beans with chick peas. I know it came out pretty good because this recipe has been featured in an Indian on-line publication and rates 5 stars on a certain recipe site.
Pickled Beet Israeli Couscous and Harissa Vinagrete
This pickled beet, Israeli couscous with harissa vinaigrette was inspired by a plate I enjoyed from Atlas Bistro in Scottsdale.
Focaccia di Recco
I tasted this AMAZING Focaccia di Recco at Pomo Pizzeria. This I didn’t know how to make so I followed Mary Ann Esposito’s recipe. Mine didn’t come out quite as amazing as Pomo’s but still was very tasty.
Brazilian Inspired Potato Salad
The Brazilian potato salad was really delicious from Carvalho’s in North Scottsdale. It’s different…Looks very creamy but the creaminess is made by over cooking the potatoes. Can’t get it there anymore because they are closed for business.
Indian Inspired Beets
I really enjoyed the beets poriyal from Vaigai that used to be open in Glendale. I looked up a recipe for them and they came out close.
Baked Asian Seasoned Broccoli and Cauliflower Bites
The bang bang broccoli from The Larry in Phoenix was SUPER tasty. I had to make something similar and I did!
Forking EPIC Guacamole
Thanks to my visits to The Barrio Grand Reserva (no longer in business) I was inspired to make this AMAZING guacamole. I learned some secrets there that I never would have came up with unless I tasted The Barrio Grand Reserva’s amazing food. This isn’t a copy of their guacamole but does copy some of the superb things I tried there. Some secret ingredients are Asain pears, chitepin peppers, home made pickled caccabella peppers and SEAWEED.
Matbucha
We used to have a very above average Mediterranean Israeli Style restaurant called Zabari Mediterranean Grill in Phoenix. One ultra memorable food item from that restaurant was a cold tomato sort of salsa called Matbucha. OMG it was so delicious I had to learn how to make it. I did a lot of research and I was able to figure a recipe that taste similar. This stuff is really great and I have no idea why this food isn’t main stream. I bet I could make a living just selling this.
Latin Inspired Red Lentils, Rainbow Chard, Dates and Almonds
From a visit to Deseo Nation Restaurant in Scottsdale we enjoyed this side order that was delicious. My version of it was made of red lentils, rainbow chard, dates and almonds.
Eggplant Caponata
Tasted an amazing eggplant caponata from Stratta Kitchen in Scottsdale. Always thought that I didn’t like eggplant caponata till I tasted the one that Stratta Kitchen serves. Made my own and it is awesome……(Thinking that most people don’t correctly cook the eggplant or study on how to make it right)
Burmese Style turkey soup
At FiGaMi Asian Fresh Restaurant in Phoenix I got an amazing Burmese Style Fish Soup. I had home made turkey stock at home and did something similar after I looked up on how to make Burmese Style Soup. (P.S. I went back to FiGaMi Asian Fresh for the same soup and it was different second time around)
Crisp radishes and capers in an anchovy caper dressing
We enjoyed a radish, caper and anchovy caper dressing salad from FnB in Scottsdale. My radishes were not as special but I did a pretty good job copy catting.
Those were some of my inspirations from Metro Phoenix Restaurants. I wonder what restaurant will inspire me next?
How many times do you go out and you might have had a great meal but the dessert just isn’t up there with the meal? I think that happens often. Confluence in Carefree is a small upscale restaurant that serves an ever changing menu of elevated modern American food. This is one of the very few restaurants that I have been to that serves desserts that are just as amazing as the food.
Some say that you can eat with your eyes….So here we go! Get ready to enjoy!
Up above is chocolate mousse. It’s not ordinary. It’s the highest quality and detailed.
It goes a little further here. – caramelized white chocolate pudding, pine nuts, dark chocolate mousse, pistachio, gianduja chocolate semifreddo and hazelnut brittle.
caramelized white chocolate mousse, chocolate mousse, macadamia nuts, bananas and banana bread
The Copper Mule is an American casual restaurant and bar located in North Scottsdale Arizona.
They offer small plates for sharing, single pizzas, salads, sandwiches, street tacos (that come with chips and salsa), burgers, entrees, cocktails, wine and more. They have seating at the bar, table seating and patio seating that also is dog friendly.
We started with the Montauk fried blue cheese olives with sriracha ranch and lemon.
What’s not to like? Ours were fried to perfection. These are very VERY tasty. They are crisp with a meaty olive center that was filled with blue cheese. The sauce is tasty and the lemon just brightens it all up and is that just right touch here. I think that this is very detailed for what it is.
My husband had a pressed pork prosciutto Swiss cheese, dill pickle and mustard sandwich called the Havana. It comes with plantain chips but the nice server said that he could pick any side that he wanted and he went with tater barrels (tater tots).
The sandwich is really good! It has more prosciutto in it than expected. The serving of tater barrels is also very generous and they are fried to a crisp nice golden brown.
I went with the lemon dill salmon that comes with cheese ravioli and asparagus. It seems so wrong. I guess this is what you call a naughty combination……..
The salmon is prepared reasonably well and is seasoned with dill. It taste similar to most other $16.95 salmon entrees out from most places….(what that means is ……..a bit fresher than salmon from my local Fry’s, Safeway or Sprouts) I would call this neighborhood style restaurant fish…(not fish house style fish). The asparagus is freshly prepared…I was very surprised in a good way with the ravioli and cheese sauce. I figured for only $16.95 (subject to change) that the ravioli had to be from frozen…….Well I didn’t ask if the ravioli were frozen but they did taste fresh made (or might be really good purchased stuff?). The pasta seemed like just made and the inside was very fresh tasting with lots of creamy ricotta cheese. I’m so glad that the ravioli were without that filler that packaged ravioli usually taste like. The creamy cheese sauce was unexpected but was really delicious. It had that really rich American cheese kind of flavor. I could taste that this is mostly some sort of American type cheese. We enjoyed dipping the tots in it too. My husband sure didn’t mind eating two of my FOUR ravioli.
We were excited to splurge and try one of the desserts and went with the blueberry rum caramel bundt cake with ice cream. It was a nice light and fluffy cake that wasn’t too sweet embedded with some blueberries with a caramel drizzle. The ice cream seemed similar to Hagen Dazs Vanilla.
A nice sweet ending to a really nice casual meal out.
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 dinners and more.
They do have a patio but it is not in use.
Inside is a long bar and several dinning rooms.
Today we just did take out. We took out a bibimbap (Korean mixed rice dish with egg, vegetables, beef and a chili paste called gochujang and a spicy dak bulgogi (marinated bbq chicken).
They gave us a complimentary vegetable pancake and 16 side dishes called banchan!!!!!!
Here’s a better look at the pancake.
WOW it’s mighty tasty, stuffed with veggies and is very generous in size.
Here’s a better look at the side dishes.
We got eggplant salad, fish cakes, sweet peanuts, cucumber salad, potato salad and potato noodles. All are tasty.
Here the bibimbap. Below it is rice for the other entree.
You are suppose to mix the rice, beef, egg, vegetables with kimchi (fermented cabbage) and the gochujang (chili sauce). It’s delicious!
Here’s the spicy dak bulgogi (marinated bbq chicken).
It’s delicious and so tender. The chicken is full of flavors. The sauce is spicy but not too spicy and has sweetness to it. The rice is also nicely seasoned. I think they accidentally gave us extra food here. Even half is a very large portion.
The take out we just did was a great value and Wroth a Fork!
Worth A Fork!
Here are some previous dishes we tried from Seoul BBQ & Sushi.
Pizzeria Bianco is nationally well known for pizza. The owner is the James Beard Award winning chef Chris Bianco. Pizzeria Bianco has earned a positive recognition from various celebrities, Food Network TV, various magazines and by food critics.
I most often go to the Town and Country location in Phoenix.
The atmosphere looks like it’s been here forever. I’ve heard that many of the paintings inside where done by the chef’s father.
There is another dining room behind this one.
Today we will sit on the patio.
They start us up with shattering crisp bread and high quality olive oil.
We share the market salad.
It’s made of radicchio lettuce, sliced Asian pears, gorgonzola cheese and pecans. It’s very balanced. The bold cheese, the nuts and the sweet pears counter the bitter radicchio just so.
My husband had the pappardelle with bolognese sauce.
I had the chicken cacciatore with risotto.
Everything was flavored nicely and the chicken is cooked to perfection but The FORKING Truth is that the risotto is dry and not creamy. I know that it is very rare to get correctly made risotto out so we let this go.
Here are some of the previous dishes we had here.
chicken salad plattermeatball sandwichnutmeg & chocolate Italian iceSwiss Chard LasagnaMarket SaladAranciniGrilled Mortadella SandwichPasta E Fagioli
I’ve had many of the pizzas but as of today I still haven’t had a pizza from this location. I want to include the famous pizza so here is a page I saved from a 2012 Food & Wine Magazine.
