Tag Archives: #PhxFood

My Trip to Bandolero Cocina de Mexico Restaurant in Scottsdale AZ***With update

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Bandolero Cocina de Mexico recently opened in Scottsdale Arizona. The owner and chef specializes in Mexican and Spanish cuisine and also owns a tapas restaurant (I was told by my waiter). The restaurant has an unmarked entrance (subject to change). It’s between a juice shop and Pomo Pizzeria. (***update the sign will be installed 12-8-20)

The atmosphere is rich and stunning.

They also offer a dog friendly patio.

Bandolero means bandit or outlaw from Spain or Mexico but they offer a comfortable well spaced patio equipped with misters for cooling and portable heaters for those few chilly days.

They serve cocktails and specialized margaritas but (at the moment) are without a menu (soon to change). (****update cocktail menu will be out 12-9-20)

I had several questions about certain food items…My waiter was unable to answer my questions and neglected to ask for answers….

Anywho-

They started us off with complimentary chips and salsa.

The salsa and chips are very unique and unlike any I ever had anywhere before.

The chips are light and very thin but crisp. I suspect that they are perhaps made with different flours. Usually corn chips are made with nixtamalzation (lime water soaked corn) so they have that special corn chip taste. These taste different….like mixed with something sort of like rice flour. The salsa is different too. It’s a blended tomato sauce that is very mild and delicate and is mint forward. (******update I was told that the chips are indeed corn made from thin corn tortillas)

We share the huitlacoche (Mexican Truffle Corn Smut) as out appetizer and took home the rice and beans.

The huitlacoche inside the enchiladas is mixed with a lot of mushrooms. It’s less flavorful or maybe more delicate than most huitllacoche that I have tried. The chili glaze over the enchiladas is also very mild and delicate. The corn kernels are very soft…….

For my main I ordered the lubina a la sal (salt crusted whole stripe bass) served table side.

I asked what the green was…….I wasn’t told what it was but I was told not to eat it….so I didn’t. The fish really was amazing. It was as if it was just caught and was prepared to perfection. It was seasoned just so I have to add. It almost tasted like it was still swimming in the ocean. I was told that this fish was just caught and flown in today.

I tell The Forking Truth so…….I have to say that the menu reads that I am suppose to get rice with my meal…For whatever reason someone served me mashed potatoes. (cool I like that better anyway) They are seasoned nice but are lumpy. (I don’t mind) I also was served two sauces with the fish. I asked what they were and my waiter didn’t know. The top sauce tasted like a buttery white sauce and went really great with the fish (this sauce was actually mojo de ago and was made with fish stock and tequila). The bottom sauce tasted like chipotle mayo and would be really delicious on a burger but was too overpowering for this fish…….(did someone give me a wrong sauce?) This was also a very large portion of food. I should have made it into two meals but wasted some potatoes and brought home some fish for my dogs.

My husband had the arroz con mariscos (spicy rice with shrimp, clams, mussels and jalapeños).

Everything here was prepared to perfection, was delicious and wasn’t too spicy either. It takes a lot of skill to prepare all these different seafood items and have them ready at the same time perfect.

We really enjoyed both dinners.

Sadly I was too full for dessert….this time.

That was my trip to Banolero Cocina de Mexico in Scottsdale AZ.

*****Update****The owner contacted me to tell me that they are closing the restaurant Dec. 7th & 8th for training****

I returned to Bandolero Cocina De Mexico for lunch about two weeks later. I see that they do indeed have new signs now.

Today we sat on the front patio.

It’s nice and open. I like how all the walls in the front open up too. Today we get a team of two waiters. They welcomed us and were able to answer questions. Soon we are given complimentary salsa and chips.

The salsa is much better today. It has a chunky vegetable texture and some acid and heat today. I also prefer that this batch taste cilantro forward. The chips are ok today.

I start out with the pumpkin soup.

It’s presented with a beautiful fried squash blossom and little coating pumpkin seeds with a drizzle of cream. The soup is ok….but for my taste is a bit heavy with too much added cream. Some people like it this way so it’s good for those people.

For lunch I tried the Monday chefs stew special. It was tortilla crusted chicken with rice, beans, salsas and corn.

I think it’s a great value for only $10.00. It’s a lot of food.

My husband tried the cochinita pibil tacos (achiote rubbed pork, slow baked with spices in banana leaves.

It was a little dry…..

From our first visit both fresh flown in seafood dishes were excellent (salt crusted whole strip bass & Spicy shrimp with shellfish and rice). From second visit the $10.00 lunch special was a good value and tasty.

www.BandoleroAZ.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Belle’s Nashville Kitchen (Scottsdale), La Piazza Al Forno (Glendale) Sala Thai (Peoria) – Take Out Food during the CoronaVirus Pandemic in Metro Phoenix AZ Week 37

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A brand new restaurant called Belle’s Nashville Kitchen just opened up in Old Town Scottsdale and I wanted to try their Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. I saw that they didn’t have a patio so we did take out.

We both got Nashville Style Hot Chicken Sandwiches. My side was a very large side salad and my husband got fries as his side.

Look at the fries they are very unusual.

They are sort of in-between a chip and a fry.

He’s a better look at the sandwich.

The chicken is crisp and has a medium hot spicy coating. Cayenne and paprika are the dominate flavors and the chicken breast is moist. I can tell you that the bun is eggy and soft. There is some creamy sauce on the upper bun with pickle chips. Under the chicken is a creamy slaw. When I tasted it at first I could taste blue cheese in it but after a bite of the chicken I didn’t taste the blue cheese anymore????????? (kitchen accident? had blue cheese dressing with my salad……maybe some dressing splashed on my sandwich….look at my take out package…..looks like someone wiped something out of it?)………Overall it was unique and tasty.

www.BellesNashvilleKitchen.com

We also did take out from La Piazza Al Forno in Old Town Glendale.

They are well known for their Neapolitan Certified Pizzas and have been featured on Diners Drives and Dives a number of times on Food Network TV.

La Piazza Al Forno serves a variety of pizzas these days. Besides Neapolitan Certified Pizzas with hand pulled mozzerella they also offer Roman Style Pizzas and the New York Style weekend special pizzas. I heard that they also plan to offer Detroit Style pizzas in the near future. Besides pizza they offer some Italian foods and house made desserts.

Today we got the Italian Stallion Pizza and the Bianco Pizza with added Calabrian Chilies.

I’ve had many wonderful and delicious Neapolitan and Neapolitan style pizzas in metro phoenix but the crust here has a special tenderness and taste that is different. The hand pulled mozzarella (made in house) is also more flavorful. They also use a special higher quality milky ricotta that is special….It taste like fresh made almost like rich mascarpone. My favorite pizza here its usually the Bianco pizza on the right. It’s made with fresh hand pulled mozzarella, a high quality ricotta, Sicilian oregano, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and garlic. I always add on the nicely flavored not too spicy Calabrian chilies…that just makes it POP!…….. I’ll be honest like I always am….that is why this is The Forking Truth……….. The pizzas here are not consistent but still are always delicious. I strongly prefer when they make the Bianco like the one below. See they look different!

It taste better when they spread the ricotta cheese with the hand pulled mozzarella and it all melts together and taste great. The solution is to spread the ricotta yourself.

My husband usually prefers a meaty pizza. But in a few days gets to share my Bianco leftovers and always says that he really likes that pizza too!

www.LaPiazzaFamiglia.com

Our last take out of the week was from Sala Thai in Peoria /#UpperWestSide

Obviously Sala Thai serves Thai Food.

We enjoy the spicy basil dishes here because they hand chop the proteins and these dishes are infused with more basil flavor, have more heat and run less sweet than from other near by Thai restaurants near us.

Below was our take out. Spicy basil fried pork rice and spicy pumpkin basil with chicken.

Below is a saucier version of what I had.

That was week 37 of take out during the coronavirus pandemic in metro Phoenix AZ.

www.SalaThaiAZ.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

My 2nd Nibble at Lure Fish House in Scottsdale AZ

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Lure Fish House has opened in the Gainey Village section of Scottsdale Arizona. They are a reasonably priced fish restaurant. I was told that the fish are flown in daily and all the vegetables they use are organic. They have only been open a month at this time and at the moment are only open for dinner Monday-Saturday but lunch and Sunday are suppose to be added soon.

Inside are booths, half booths, an oyster bar and tables. Not all but many tables were high tops.

They also offer patio seating that wraps around the front of the building.

Tables get marked sanitized so you know that you can sit there.

We ordered and they started us out with delicious fresh baked sour dough rolls and soft butter. We shared one and took the other two home. They are too delicious to waste.

My husband can eat more than me and tried a mix of east coast (blue point) and west coast (British Columbia) oysters.

The east cost oysters have larger more shapely shells. My husband said that the east coast oysters also had a brinier more salty flavor but the west coast oysters were softer.

For dinner I had the branzino with sautéed spinach and almond pesto cauliflower.

It’s a good sized fish with crispy seasoned skin. It came with a ramekin of what taste like lemon butter wine sauce. Everything was prepared reasonably well.

My husband tried the cioppino.

It’s a mix of fish (salmon tonight), clams, mussels, shrimp and scallops in a spiced briny seafood laced tomato broth with garlic toasts. Today this was slightly over cooked but my husband neglected to say that until we left.

Tried the blueberry cobbler for dessert.

It was nice and fresh tasting and not too sweet. The oatmeal crumble didn’t seem too heavy.

They offer a pay by phone option too!

Last time we did take out and took out The sand dabs with pineapple slaw and cilantro corn salad. (I really enjoyed this one a lot)

My husband had the tequila lime shrimp pasta. This was very spicy but delicious!

We also enjoyed the key lime pie.

That was a little taste and my 2nd nibble at Lure Fish House in Scottsdale AZ

www.LureFishHouse.com

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

A little Taste of Belle’s Nashville Kitchen in Old Town Scottsdale AZ

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Belle’s Nashville Kitchen recently opened in Old Town Scottsdale. They are a small restaurant with a bar. They offer a limited casual menu. Some of the items that they offer are Nashville Style Hot Chicken Sandwiches, Burgers, Grilled Mac & Cheese Sandwiches, Salads, BBQ Salmon, Tacos and Jambalaya.

We both wanted to try the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich.

They don’t have an outdoor patio but the tables are well spaced. The atmosphere is western inspired. It all looks shiny and brand new.

This time we did take out.

We both got Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches. Mine came with a very large side salad. My husband got fries with his. My picture isn’t the best and it’s hard to see how unusual the fries are.

The fries are shaped almost in-between a fry and a chip. It’s like you get a fry and a chip in one.

Here is a closer look at the sandwich.

The chicken breast is moist with a crispy coating that is very cayenne and paprika forward. It is spicy but is more like medium hot instead of hot. The chicken is surrounded by a creamy slaw, pickles and a creamy sauce on an eggy soft bun.

That was a little taste of Belle’s Nashville Kitchen in Old Town Scottsdale AZ.

www.BellesNashvilleKitchen.com

The Forking Truth

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ – November 2020

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Dining out with dogs in metro Phoenix is just a “FLUFF” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It sort of started with my dog Louie. He was diagnosed with aggressive cancer and was given 3-6 month life expectancy. Louie was elderly and couldn’t do a lot but he enjoyed eating and going out to eat so I took him out to eat as often as possible. Louie made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat.

There are a few things that you need to know before you dine out with dogs. One is that not all outdoor patios are dog friendly. Certified dog friendly patios have signs. If you don’t see a sign then you have to call the manager and ask if it’s ok to bring your dog. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to dine with your dog at off times to avoid other people (potential problems) and other dogs (more potential problems). Other people and other dogs are potential problems for many reasons. Some people just don’t like dogs and other people are allergic. Other dogs can be a problem too because dogs enjoy barking at each other and this can be a disturbance and you might be asked to leave.

There are some rules for dining out with dogs. Your dog(s) must be by your side at all times. Dogs are NOT to eat off restaurant plates or sit on restaurant chairs.

Most people food and drink can be hazardous or even toxic to your dog. You MUST get a list of foods to avoid from your veterinarian so you can make good decisions. Here in Phoenix you also need to be aware of the temperature. dogs are just like people and have different heat tolerances. HOWEVER DOGS ARE LESS HEAT TOLERANT THAN PEOPLE>>>>>Heat travels up though their paws and your friend wears a fur coat. For the most part 90 degrees and above is too hot to dine out with dogs. Leave your pet at home if there is any doubt.

Our first Dining out with dogs was at Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. (They are a pho-free Vietnamese restaurant that offers around a dozen different Banh Mi baguette sandwiches and most Vietnamese favorites.

Today I had a grilled chicken noodle bowl with an egg roll.

It’s delicious! It’s part minty refreshing salad and pickled vegetables. There are rice noodles. Lots of nicely seasoned chicken with crushed peanuts, scallions and fish sauce (to dip the chicken). Also and egg roll.

Both my dogs see I have a lot of chicken to share with them.

My husband got a delicious shaken beef banh mi. The beef inside it is always very good. It’s topped with pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro and a jalapeño. They also make house made aioli that I get when I get a Banh Mi but my husband is very anti mayo and anti aioli so he goes without. I’ve mistaken the beef for filet mignon but it is super tender ribeye.

He also shared some beef with the dogs.

That was dining out with dogs at Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix.

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

We regularly go to Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante in Glendale/Arrowhead/#UpperWestSide for delicious Italian Food, Pizza and their beautiful, comfortable dog friendly patio.

The patio is modern, clean and neat with an indoor/outdoor bar, shades, misters for cooling and heaters for warming things up. They might be the only restaurant in this part of town that offers a park-like patio atmosphere.

They start us off with complimentary fresh baked breads.

Someone is already excited.

Today I went with the strawberry chicken salad.

Someone was eyeing up my chicken.

My husband got an Italian meat panino sandwich that came with a side salad.

Someone’s mouth was watering.

We all enjoyed our lunch at Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante.

www.BottegaRistorante.com

Last stop of the month was from Phila-Deli in Glendale/Arrowhead/#upperWestSide.

Phila-Deli is a casual sandwich and cheesesteak place. They also offer these really great build your own $7.50 salads.

This salad is only fast food priced and way better than fast food.

My husband enjoys the cheesesteaks here. They offer steak, chicken and meat-free crumbles for cheesesteak options.

My large dog was here but somehow I couldn’t get a good photo of her so here she is from home.

My dogs always get very excited to dine here and usually the people working here run out with bowls of water for the dogs and some surprises.

www.PhilaDeliAZ.com

Well that was Dining Out With Dogs in Metro Phoenix for November 2020. We hope to see you next month!

“Don’t worry we are in this thing together and are here to help you eat all this delicious food”
The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

Take out Food in Metro Phoenix AZ – Week 36 of the Coronavirus Pandemic – Twisted Italian, Rocket burger

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Take out food is a safer option than dining in during the coronavirus pandemic. We will not be dining in during the pandemic but we do consider dining out on uncrowded out door patios at off times.

The Twisted Italian is located in North Peoria in the #UpperWestSide. This restaurant is located in a large newer shopping center. They do have two outside tables but most seating is indoors. They serve most of your usual American Italian foods but also offer a few things that are “Twisted” like three kinds of pierogi on the menu and also an Italian Relleno that comes with fried raviolis.

Tonight we took out the the Friday Dinner Walleye Special and the Pepperonata with extra sausage.

OMG they gave me a whole buffet pan of food. Look how ENORMOUS that pan is with the walleye. The vegetables (a mix of green beans, asparagus, and zucchini) are tender crisp, very fresh and very good. The fish is mild and meaty. It’s lightly breaded and covered with a tangy lightly creamy citrus sauce. It’s slightly more tangy or sour than the sauce usually is. This same sauce is on the angel hair pasta. It’s too tangy or sour for me. I can’t eat it because it is painful to me…..(but I am more sensitive than most people.) I do note that I had this special before and it was delicious last time. This special is very popular. According to the website all this food is only $17.50. They must have made an error on my receipt because they only charged me $14.75 so I don’t know if I should bother them and let them know they made an off batch of sauce?

My husband did alright with the Pepperonata with extra sausage. He said that the sausage in his meal was very good and had extra to save to snack on. I shared some of the fish with my dogs and they got a taste of the sausage.

www.EatTwisted.com

Our other take out of the week was from Rocket Burger in North Phoenix. They serve burgers and other sandwiches, sides, soft serve and a few 100 kinds of bottled sodas. Recently The New Times wrote an article that Rocket Burger serves one of the top ten chicken sandwiches in metro Phoenix. I’ve been here a bunch of times but never tried a chicken sandwich here so today was the day.

The chicken sandwich is the one in the middle of the picture. The one I got is made with a large soft eggy bun, thin sliced pickles, a tomato slice, horseradish mayo, sliced jalapeños, really REALLY HOT Rocket Relish, two ultra thin battered chicken fingers and this sandwich is only $8.49. The person from The New Times said her chicken sandwich had an incredible crunch to it. Mine just taste battered and isn’t crunchy……(maybe it got soft due to take out and not dining in????) But WOW that horseradish mayo is really great and that rocket relish has a great flavor to it. This sandwich is boarder-line too spicy for me but I like the flavors of the sauce and relish. The chicken is ok. It’s a very good sandwich for only $8.49. I sure have paid more for sandwiches that weren’t this good.

We shared some fries and my husband had a double cheeseburger today. It usually is great but today was a little dry.

My dogs sure didn’t mind trying some cheeseburger and some chicken from Rocket Burger.

“Don’t worry we are in this thing together and are here to help you eat all this delicious food”

www.TheRocketBurger.com

That was week 36 of take out during the coronavirus pandemic in metro Phoenix AZ.

Everything is subject to change and we hope it DOES CHANGE for the better.

The Forking Truth

The Amazing FnB Restaurant in Scottsdale AZ – Always Worth a Fork

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The AMAZING (FORKING AMAZING) FnB Restaurant is located in the arts district by Old Town Scottsdale AZ. The chef and co-owner is James Beard Award Winning Charleen Badman. She serves an ever changing menu of global farm focused contemporary sharing plates. The menu usually features a few special obscure vegetables and is a vegetable heavy menu but always offers enough meat items to please meat eaters. Arizona wines are always featured on the menu.

Things have changed since my last visit. FnB (at the moment during the pandemic) is currently out door only dining. The patio has been expanded.

Astroturf has been installed in the courtyard between the buildings and cheerful red lights line the restaurant perimeters. Tables are well spaced and all the help are wearing masks and or face shields.

They always start you off with local Noble Bread and extra high quality olive oil.

The menu is always amazing and it’s always hard to decide on what to order. The solution to that problem is to order more than you need and take the amazing leftovers home. That’s what we always do here.

Tonight we started out with rosemary socca (chickpea) bread with cardoon (obscure vegetable that looks like a monster with teeth cloned with a celery) relish with Calabrian chiles (delicious mild heat Italian pepper).

Next was roasted beets, smoked salmon, cream cheese, chives and poppy seeds, other seeds, flower petals, and an unusual but delicious herb.

We had to share another small plate.

Delicata squash, rosemary, tepary beans, in potlicker vinaigrette.

For our dinner course we shared the Mexican Pink Grouper (from Chula Seafood), sungold salbitxadas (unusual tiny sweet extra flavorful tomatoes), iitoi onions (special green onions only found at farmers markets or farms), almonds, rice.

We had TWO really great boxes of food to bring home for latter.

These days a $20. deposit a person is required for your reservation that gets deducted off your bill.

Here are only a few of past plates we enjoyed at FnB.

Langos Hungarian Fried (potato) Bread Salad
Butterkin Squash
This is 1/2 of the Pink Grouper
Apple Sharlotka
Kale Falafels
Leeks, chickpeas, beet falafel plate pickled eggs
pork shank
poppy seed tangerine cake
Gilfeather rutabaga with onion ginger cream
deep chocolate whiskey cake
snap peas, macadamia nuts, chives, mint, tarragon

FnB is always Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

www.FnBRestaurant.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Twist Bistro and Gallery in North Scottsdale AZ – Worth A Fork*****Now Ginny’s Same Owners New Menu

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Twist Bistro and Gallery is a restaurant and art gallery located in north Scottsdale Arizona. They opened during the pandemic around May of 2020. Twist Bistro and Gallery offers a seasonal menu of modern detailed foods that swing towards Mediterranean cuisine. This restaurant is a husband and wife team. The husband is the chef and the wife runs the front of the house and did all the beautiful artwork on the walls that are also offered for sale.

To the left is a long bar with bar stools

Today we sat on the patio and they started us off with a generous serving of these delicious fresh warm complimentary feta and dill studded muffins with scallion honey butter. (YUM! these are really great!)

My husband tried one of the special crostini.

It was made with that special luxury Iberico ham from special black footed pigs that eat mostly acorns from either Spain or Portugal. This kind of pork is more marbled and red than regular pork. There was also melty brie cheese and blackberry mostarda on the toast.

Then we shared the farm to table salad that they were offering today.

This salad had all kinds of things in it tied together with some sort of lavender vinaigrette. There was grilled squash, arugula, radicchio, almonds, cheese, cranberries, and apples. It sure was unique and different!

I tried the chef’s fish special.

It was broiled wild caught mild fresh tasting lemon sole in a basil white wine broth with house made pasta and topped with fennel salad.

My husband tried the Sonoran Paella Verde.

It was a very detailed dish that was packed with grilled Main scallops, gulf shrimp, chicken, chorizo, crusty – green chili tomatillo rice, pumpkin seeds, hominy and tortilla hay. My husband kept saying that this was really REALLY good!

Since I wasn’t doing take out I didn’t have to worry about my dessert melting. We tried the light refreshing lemon sorbet.

I was surprised that it was topped with mixed berry jam. I am surprised again…This lemon sorbet taste just like Rosati Italian water ice to me. I haven’t had this since I left Pennsylvania. That water ice is everywhere there. Haven’t tasted water ice like this in a long time.

Here are some of the other foods we tried from Twist Bistro and Gallery.

black truffle ricotta mushroom crepe

loch Duart salmon – black rice, vegetables, tomato salad, pistou sauce

shrimp and sausage diablo – vegetables, cheesy polenta

beignets

everything flatbread with house made lox, wild boar meatballs with gnocchi, chicken and dumplings with goat cheese and blackberry mostarda, strawberry rhubarb cobbler and muffins

falafels, steak sandwich pallard, a very detailed Mediterranean salad with added salmon and mascarpone cheese cake

southern breaded shawarma kabobs with minted cucumbers, olives, jalapeños and preserved lemon basil syrup, loch duart salmon, shrimp and sausage diablo, muffins mascarpone cheese cake

Moroccan festival soup, grilled Hawaiian opah special, steak sandwich.

Everything from every visit was delicious!
*****TWIST BISTRO IS NO MORE******SAME OWNERS TURNED THIS INTO GINNY”S WITH A NEW MENU

Twist Bistro and Gallery in North Scottsdale is Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

www.Twist-Bistro.com

Every THING is subject to change and your experience can possibly differ.

The Forking Truth

Confluence Restaurant Carefree AZ – Always Worth a Fork

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Confluence is a small but upscale restaurant ran by a husband and wife team in Carefree Arizona that is just north of North Scottsdale. The food that is served is high quality modern American Cuisine. The changing seasonal menu usually contains a few hot and cold appetizers, a few fresh fish options, a few meat options and a few desserts. Tasting options are also available. Currently Confluence offers lunch and dinner every day but is closed on Sundays.

Today we sat on the patio. It’s around five degrees cooler in Carefree than Phoenix. Tonight it is almost too cold to dine on the patio but with the fireplace and a heater it’s very comfortable.

Everyone else is dining inside.

We started out with thick slices of the most delicious fresh baked country bread with high quality olive oil and the very detailed white wine poached sea trout.

The flavors all go together well and the fish is prepared to perfection. The flavors dance a bit in your mouth. Sweetness from a little apricot. Pickled shallots cut the fat and sweet. Key lime poppy vinaigrette ties everything together.

For my main I went with the hamachi. The fish dishes are maybe the best fish dishes in all of metro Phoenix. All of them are expertly prepared and are surrounded by interesting and surprising flavors.

The mild white fish is meaty but very tender and melts in your mouth. It has a nicely seasoned exterior that is crisp. The magic here is the way the flavors go together. These blacked figs are really heavenly. They are seared with crispy exteriors and go insanely well with the black garlic and labne. The broccolini is the crunchy neutral player here. Enjoying this plate is like a gift. Now I know that figs, black garlic and labne is a magical combination. I can even imagine these flavors as a not too sweet dessert!

My husband went with the Iberico Puma.

Iberico pork is very special. It comes from free range pigs from southern Spain and Portugal. The pigs eat mostly acorns and their meat is very different than from regular pigs. Iberico pork looks more like beef with the red color and marbling. It’s a more juicy pork with a unique flavor enhanced from acorns. Here it was accented with sweet potato, blue corn – corn bread, green chili, pepitas, and cipolllini onion.

It would be a big mistake to skip dessert here. The desserts are usually just as spectacular as the food.

Tonight we enjoyed sake poached pear with angel cake, candied pecans and yuzu curd. This is just wickedly amazing. That yuzu curd is a bomb that goes crazy well with the soft as a feather angel cake and sake poached pears. The candied pecans add that yummy sweet nutty salty just right crunch to complete all that taste sensations.

Confluence in Carefree AZ is Always Worth a Fork!

Worth A Fork!

www.RestaurantConnfluence.com

Everything is subject to change and your experience could differ.

The Forking Truth

A little taste of Lure Fish House in Scottsdale AZ – Week 34 Take Out Food

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Take out and delivery are less risky dining options during the pandemic. We do consider patio dining during off times.

For our first visit we decided to do take out from the newly opened Lure Fish House in Scottsdale. They are a family owned restaurant with four California locations and this brand new one in Gainey Village. They offer a seasonal menu of all kinds of fresh flown in seafood at reasonable prices.

It looks like they have at least a dozen outside umbrella topped tables.

Inside looks cozy with an oyster bar.

Looks like they have a lot of booth seating and many are closed for social distancing.

I tried the Sally’s Sand Dabs.

Oh WOW! This is really GREAT! I got a very good portion of DELICIOUS fresh sand dabs. They are so tender and fresh tasting in a perfect lightly buttered herb crust. The caper sauce is just right and accents everything in a delicious way. The sides I went with were a light and not too sweet pineapple slaw and a cilantro laced corn salad. The kernels were sweet with a nice fresh texture.

My husband really ENJOYED the Tequila Lime Shrimp Pasta.

This is also really great but is a very VERY spicy creamy tomato tequila lime sauce with spinach and Gulf shrimp, garlic toast and pasta. I tried a taste of the sauce. It has great flavors to it but is MIGHTY HOT that builds. We hope that the restaurant doesn’t neutralize this dish to please the masses because this dish will be too hot for about half the people out there. BUT WE LOVE IT THIS WAY!

We also tried a little bit of the rolls. They are very good with a developed taste. They will not go to waste here.

They offer a nice variety of desserts and today we went with the key lime pie.

It seems light and is flavored nicely. The graham crust is tasty. You can’t go wrong with this one.

My dogs got to enjoy some sand dabs.

“Lure Fish House was really great!”

www.LureFishHouse.com

That was a little taste of Lure Fish House in Scottsdale AZ

Everything is subject to change and your experience may differ.

The Forking Truth