Tag Archives: #PhxFood

Take Out During The CoronaVirus Pandemic in Metro Phoenix AZ – Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery, Skewers Mediterranean Grill, Alzohour Market, Doda’s Pizza, Cafe Chenar

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We are trying to support as many local restaurants as we can during the pandemic. I don’t know if the news is factual? They said that you won’t catch coronavirus from food. They said even if someone with coronavirus makes your food you won’t catch it that way. The virus passes from someone breathing, talking, coughing or sneezing 6 feet or less from you. During the pandemic you should shield your eyes, nose and mouth. You need to wash your hands every time you touch anything outside of your house. As far as we know Take Out Food should be safe.

First stop this week was our Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery. This restaurant is located in North Phoenix and serves all your Vietnamese favorites except for pho.

Today I had the noodle salad with grilled chicken and a tasty vegetarian egg roll.

My husband had the grilled pork rice plate.

The food is always fresh and tasty. Portions are always LARGE and prices are always LOW!

We always enjoy Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery.

A few days latter we packed up the dogs and did pick up from Skewers Mediterranean Grill.

We tried a very delicious eggplant salad and their creamy hummus.

For my main I had the chicken kabob salad bowl again.

My husband tried the chicken shawarma salad bowl.

Everything was fresh and tasty. Portions on take out were much larger than dine in.

Next stop was Alzohour Market in Glendale for Moroccan/Middle Eastern Cuisine.

I’ve tried much of the menu but never had the chicken kabob until today.

WOW! It’s delicious and very moist!

My husband got the lamb couscous.

I think the couscous dishes are one of her masterpiece dishes. There’s a lot going on here.

Both entrees came with side salads that had this insanely delicious lemony dressing.

Portions were extra large but we had some help with that.

Next we packed up the dogs and did take out from Doda’s Pizza in Glendale.

They do what I call east coast flavored neighborhood pizza…..not artisan….not Neapolitan but superior to chain take out pizza. They make a flavorful dough, a good tasting rich sauce and better cheese than from other similar restaurants in the area.

We took out two slices of their regular cheese pizza.

We also tried a Margherita.

Last stop this week was take out from Cafe Chenar in North Phoenix for Bukharian Cuisine.

You might be wondering WTFork is Bukharian Cuisine? It’s a kosher offshoot of Pan Asian with influences from Russian, Muslim, Uzbek and Korean. We had tasty chicken and beef lulyas (ground seasoned meat cooked on a skewer), chuchuara (stuffed pasta), achichuk (salad) and a salmon skewer. Everything was delicious and there was precautionary distancing there and a bottle of hand sanitizer.

“Don’t worry we are in this thing together”

We were able to support 5 local small businesses this week.

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery

Skewers Mediterranean Grill

Alzohour Market

Doda’s Pizza

Cafe Chenar

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

The Forking Truth

Grocery Shopping during the CoronaVirus Pandemic in Metro Phoenix AZ – Week Three – Still no paper products but I’ve found eggs

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This week we’ve been to Fry’s. Safeway, Walmart Grocery and Bashas supermarkets. Fry’s was reasonably well stocked except for paper products. Walmart Grocery was also reasonably stocked and out of paper products but I was lucky to find eggs this week. They were almost out of eggs but had around 6 flats in the refrigerator and I was lucky to get one with a limit on one. Last week Walmart Grocery was the only supermarket near me that had fresh raw chicken. Safeway was the least stocked of all the supermarkets with very little produce and no paper products. They didn’t have their usual brands of chicken and offered frozen raw whole chickens of a brand I never heard of. I bought one and it made Walmart Chicken seem like the best chicken in the whole wide world. This Sun something brand of Safeway Chicken had an abnormally large breast and tiny legs that were like white meat wings. It was one of the worst chickens I’ve ever tried with a weird texture and not the best taste. I don’t normally shop at Bashas because there isn’t one near me. I stopped into a Bashas because I was in the area of one and needed fresh herbs I couldn’t find near me this week. They had the herbs but this was the only supermarket that didn’t offer hand sanitizer and also didn’t offer sanitizing wipes. They still used the moving belt by the cashier without sanitizing it. I felt unsafe shopping there during this pandemic.

I don’t know if my experience is typical from other similar super markets.

That was Week 3 of Grocery Shopping during the CoronaVirus Pandemic in Metro Phoenix AZ.

Everything is subject to change and I hope it does for the better.

The Forking Truth

Take Out During The CoronaVirus Pandemic in Metro Phoenix AZ – Taco Fusion , Pita Kitchen , Confluence, Sala Thai & Popo’s Fiesta Del Sol

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We are supporting local restaurants as much as we can during the pandemic.

We did take out from a newly opened casual Taco Fusion. I’ve been there a couple weeks ago and was blown away with how great the food was….(particularly the mild habanero chicken taco with pineapple salsa…)…. I also was so happy that it wasn’t too far from where I lived so I thought it was extra important to stop here and give them some business. When we made our take out order we were told that they were offering 4 of their 8 salsas today and didn’t have pineapple salsa today.

All the tacos and quesadilla was delicious. The tortillas are hand made. The flour tortilla is thinner and bigger with less flavor than the hand made corn tortilla. The asada is more flavorful and more tender than from another popular taco place in the area. The fish taco is different and is topped with sweet carrots. They are all very good tacos but I still like the mild habanero chicken taco best. It’s full of really good flavors. It’s the one taco that is even better than a chicken taco from Mexico. (I’ve actually tasted many tacos on the streets of Mexico a few times) The sauces are good..we got one I’ve never tried before anywhere. It’s a dark ultra spicy sauce that is borderline too hot for me but if I only use a drop or two is wildly delicious. Very GOOD Tacos from Taco Fusion in Glendale.

Our next take out was from Pita Kitchen in Glendale. This is small Greek Casual Mediterranean restaurant.

We packed up our dogs and did a pick up.

I got my usual chicken kabob salad. I have to say that this chicken is abundant, moist, developed with flavors, delicious with a really tasty char on it. I really think their chicken kabob is the best in town.

My husband got the gyro Greek salad with added pickles.

We also got delicious fresh pita bread that they make there.

Our friends also helped us enjoy the food on our patio.

We did get take out from the AMAZING Confluence Restaurant in Carefree.

We picked up a fresh baked fontina roll that is to die for.

Tried some delicious vegetable soup that was so light and different. It was made with the fancy cauliflower and lots of parsnips.

For dinner had that incredible FORKING DELICIOUS Fried Chicken with broccolini and buttery cooked potato.

The sweet ending was a dark chocolate brownie for dessert.

We enjoyed delicious Thai Food from Sala Thai in Peoria.

I had the spicy pumpkin basil with chicken and brown rice.

They gave us a CRAZY amount of brown rice. After we took what we wanted there was THREE EXTRA whole cups of rice that I portioned out and froze.

My husband had the spicy egg bomb with chicken and brown rice.

Then we went to Popo’s Fiesta Del Sol in Glendale.

I got my usual chicken fajita salad.

My husband got some sort of Mexican Beef Plate with rice, beans and tortillas.

We got margaritas to go. They were packed nicely and were very strong.

This week we were able to support five restaurants.

Taco Fusion in Glendale

Pita Kitchen in Glendale

Confluence in Carefree

Sala Thai in Peoria

Popo’s Fiesta Del Soll in Glendale

We are doing our best to help support small business restaurants. If you care about a small business you should give your support.

The Forking Truth

Take Out During The Coronavirus in Metro Phoenix AZ – Fabio On Fire, Banh Mi Bistro & Cucina Tagliani

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We are supporting local restaurants during the coronavirus crisis. We did Fabio On Fire in Peoria and took out two pizzas.

They converted the restaurant to “CURB SIDE ONLY” and ordering and payment is online. They communicate with you by text messaging. Then you order is placed on an outside table. After you pick up your order the table is sanitized.

My husband enjoyed a sacciccia e funghi pizza $14.95. (sausage and mushrooms)

“Good Stuff!”

I enjoyed a bufalina pizza $15.95. (arugula, imported buffalo mozzarella, balsamic and extra virgin olive oil.

Another take out was Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix.

Everyone was doing take out from here because they ran out of rice, noodles and pork.

They are a PHO-FREE Vietnamese Eatery…Most of your usual Vietnamese favorites but no pho.

Eat a banh mi instead!

Today I took out a chicken banh mi ($7.00. I ate half today and will eat the other half tomorrow.

half the sandwich is pictured

I had some help from my furry friends.

My husband had a shaken beef banh mi ($8.00).

This is half

We always enjoy everything from Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery.

We also did take out from Cucina Tagliani in Glendale.

The dinners came with lots of garlic toast.

I had grilled salmon with asparagus and spaghetti squash in a lemon caper sauce ($23.99). My husband had shrimp diabolo ($21.99).

My husband surprised me with an added on mascarpone chocolate cake.

It’s a very big slice and feeds at least four people but it really is delicious!

That was my take out in Metro Phoenix during the coronavirus.

Fabio On Fire

Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery

Cucina Tagliani

It’s important during these times to support your local eateries!

The Forking Truth

Las 15 Salsas Mexican Restaurant Phoenix AZ – Outstanding Mole – Oaxaca Food – Worth a Fork!

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Las 15 Salsas is a small Mexican Restaurant that specializes in serving Oaxaca Foods. They are located in the Sunny Slope area of Phoenix Arizona. English is the second language here so if you don’t know your memelnitas from your enmoladas then ordering might be challenging but not impossible. There is some English on the menu and the people working there speak some English. A few years back they’ve moved across the street to a slightly larger location and have expanded the menu. Some of the things they serve are Oaxcoa appetizers such as los peques (II haven’t found a translation for this) mini memelnitas (stuffed fried masa cakes) and chapulines (grasshoppers). They also offer sharing platters, tamales in banana leaves, tlayudas (large Oaxaca tortillas with lard and pork, plate sized hand made empanadas, combination plates, seafood, stews, several mole sauces and more. I didn’t notice a bar here but my husband said he noticed that they sell tequila shots. This isn’t a fancy place but looks very authentic.

Inside is very bright and colorful. There are Mexican relics on the walls with Mexican TV and music filling the air.

They also offer patio dining.

We asked a few questions about items on the menu. Our server today didn’t seem to understand and asked us if we wanted to order more food.

Anywho-

They started us off with three kinds of salsas and a basket of chips.

Today we have a creamy green sauce, a smoky salsa and a creamy very delicious but extremely hot scorching sauce.

We started out by sharing an appetizer off the Empanada Section made with quesillo (an Oaxaca cheese) and huitlacoche (Mexican Corn Truffle). ($10.)

I didn’t know that an empanada could look like this……

It’s made with a handmade corn tortilia that is absolutely delicious. The cheese is melty and flavorful. I like the mushroomy huitlacoche. If you like mushrooms then you probably would like this.

We shared a chicken enchilada trio ($14.) and a filete empanizado ($13.) (a fish dish).

WOW! What a great sampling. You can get this plate with just cheese filling and you also have the option to add on Mexican Tasajo (dried beef) and or Cesina (cured meat like ham) for $3.50.

On the left is coloradito mole, in the middle is green sauce and on the right is black mole with rice and beans on the plate. Everything is delicious. My favorite is the black mole. It’s more flavorful to me.

I was all excited when I saw fish (filete and pescado) on the menu. I accidentally thought I knew what I was reading but was slightly off………I accidentally ordered plain breaded fish….But it was still good!

The fish is nice and moist. It seems free of oil. It’s a very large portion even for dinner. It’s like it comes with a lunch for the next day. I add some sauces to it for a little interest. It also comes with hot steamy tortillas.

Here are some of the previous dishes we enjoyed from Las 15 Y Salsas.

Chicken quarter with black mole and rice

white meat chicken stuffed tortilias with black mole

memelnitas with with anise leaf black sauce and house made beef jerky

chicken stuffed chile relleno

Mimi Quesadillas Fritas

La 15 Y Salsas – Phoenix AZ – Combo De Chile Relleno $9.00 (price might have changed)

Chicken Emmolladas

I’d have to say Las 15 Salsas is Outstanding Oaxaca Food and is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

They used to have a website but it appears to have been taken down. but you can find them on Facebook in Spanish.

They are located at 722 W Hatcher Road in Phoenix 85021

602-870-2056 I believe their hours to be 9am-8pm every day but you should call incase the hours have changed.

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

Abyssinia Restaurant and Cafe Phoenix AZ – Ethiopian Cuisine – Worth a Fork

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Abyssinia Restaurant and Cafe is a small Ethiopian Restaurant located in Phoenix Arizona. As you walk in the door there is the aroma of. incense. The atmosphere is slightly disco-like with some colorful lights and it almost loud with energetic music. They offer traditional tables, booths, bar seats and what appears to be Ethiopian Style seating.

We enjoyed the food they served at the Devour The World Festival in Peoria recently.

So we thought we try some more things.

We ordered the #3 Doro Wat ($15.99) Ethiopian National Dish of Chicken with an egg in a berbera based stew and the #9 Ageleel $19.99 described as a veggie sampler plate with 3 meats. They came all together on one plater that was lined with injera bread and plenty of rolled injera breads on the side.

You don’t get silverware here. You pull off a piece of injera bread and help yourself that way. I will start at around 5:00 on the plate. I think we got a curried cabbage with carrots, red lentils, green lentils and yellow lentils, collards, lamb stew, beef stew and a chewier beef with onions. In the middle of the plate is the doro wat. All the food is delicious. My favorite is the doro wat. The chicken is cooked to perfection (moist juicy tasty) and the spicy sauce to me is the most delicious. This one is the hardest to eat and share without silverware. My only complaint is that it is a very small portion of chicken for $15.99 The lentils are interesting. They all taste different and they all have a different texture.

The 2 entree platter was more than we could eat. Maybe she accidentally served us extra food? We got the leftovers packed up. She asked if it was ok if she wrapped them and I said yes. Then they got rolled up like a carpet with the injera bread that lines the platter. (Next time I will wrap myself)

The food was very good and the service was warm and informative.

Worth a Fork!

www.AbyssiniaRestaurantCafe.com

Every THING is subject to change and YOUR experience may or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth

Memories from past Devour Culinary Classics Phoenix AZ

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The Devour Culinary Classic is considered to be the most grand food festival that Arizona has to offer. It is hosted by Local First Arizona and the Devour Phoenix Restaurant coalition. This is where chefs and restaurants do their best to razzle and dazzle you.

I started attending DCC in 2012. Back in 2012 you could get a great deal on tickets. If you purchased your tickets in advance general admission was only $45 a day. They used to offer the general admission a very nice reception before the actual culinary event. here are some pictures of a few of the past general admission receptions. My photos show mostly sweets but I do remember enjoying many savory items too.

They also used to have some other things like a live band and some other things like foodie T shirts and a photo opportunity.

As the years went by the general admission price climbed from $45 in 2012 to $105 a day without any discounts in 2018.

In 2018 the food part of the general admission reception was discontinued and replaced with a one man band.

Prior to 2018 one of the wines I enjoyed with my general admission ticket was Merry Edwards (actually 3 varieties) and the others were more expensive).

In 2018 the wine choices differed greatly and I drank this instead.

In 2018 was the first year that a section of food tents was reserved for VIPS only. These were many of the restaurants that I was expecting to try like Kai. I was ok with the discontinued food reception and the lower end wines. But the selective restaurants were the reason why I would attendant this event every year since 2012. VIP tickets were the only way to be entitled to everything. (today in 2020 VIP tickets are $205) One day would cost over $400 for me and my husband. That is not a bad price for such an event……but it is a lot to me. I don’t get invited to attend and have to pay my own way. I would love to attend as I always did but for $400 I will enjoy two really nice dinners out instead. For me the general admission 2018 was so disappointing…….. Lower end wines, discontinued reception, less food offerings (first year that I didn’t get stuffed). I saw all the restaurant line ups but had no idea at the time that some of the restaurants listed were only for VIPS. Felt deflated…..sort of bamboozled.

2018 was the last Devour Culinary Classic that I attended. I don’t expect to return to the Devoured Culinary Classic.

I enjoyed Devour The World this year (2020) in Peoria. That festival is a new favorite for me.

Those were some of my memories from Devour Culinary Classic.

www.DevourPhoenix.com

Everything is subject to change and your experience may indeed differ.

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Tacos Y Mariscos 7 Oceanos Glendale AZ

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Tacos Y Mariscos 7 Oceanos is a Mexican Restaurant and Bar located in Glendale on the Phoenix Boarder. English is the second language here but the menu is pretty easy with the pictures to figure out. This isn’t a fancy place but is colorful and seems clean.

Apon arriving we were greeted with menus and a complimentary basket of chips and tangy salsa with just the right amount of fresh cilantro.

Our server apologized to us for not specking much English but she did alright. We ordered and in reasonable time our platters arriving with steaming hot tortillas.

I got the pescado a la diablo ($12.99). They gave me a good portion of mild white fish that was covered in a tangy spicy sauce. There was also refried beans, rice and a little vegetable and pico garnish.

My husband had the same plate with shrimp (camarones a la diablo $13.99)

Here is most of the menu. (I forgot the shellfish menu)

You pay at the register when you are ready.

Worth a try if you are in the area.

They are on Facebook and the do have a website that matches name and address but the menu is different….maybe not set up correctly as of yet.

www.elmejortacosymariscos.com

Every THING is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth

DEVOUR The WORLD – Peoria AZ 2020

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Devour the World is a food and libation festival. In 2020 DTW was held in Peoria AZ at the Peoria City Hall Complex. This festival celebrates international foods. Other features are cultural music and dance performances and also live artist demonstrations. The festival took place Saturday February 15th. 2020 from 11am-3pm. Tickets were $55.00.

It’s different from the Devour Classic. No long lines. No waits and close easy parking. Just go and get what you want and sit at a table or stand at a high top. There was so much to try that I couldn’t try everything but I tried A LOT. My husband tried even more!

The first thing I tried was a very tasty garlic mochiko chicken and rice from Red Ginger.

Here are pork and cheese pupusasa with rice and beans from Salvadoreno Restaurant.

There was a coconut bao milk bread to share from Happy Buns.

Carolina’s Chocolates were FORKING Amazing and complex…full of flavors. Some of the chocolates we tried were Spicy Sonoran Chocolate, Jalisco Jalapeño and Hole Mole Chocolate.

Really delicious Ethiopian Food from Abyssinian Restaurant and Cafe. They offered cabbage, lentils and spicy beef on home made bread.

They were overly generous with the bread

Paz cantina offered barbacoa tacos and pork belly tacos

Some of the artwork

Kawaii offered California rolls with lots of cream cheese in them.

Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante offered a mini buffet of bruschetta, pasta with meat sauce, really Forking Great meatballs and cannoli. They are so nice….the owner even asked about my dogs.

“We are big fan of Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante.” “We are regulars.”

Casa Corazon Restaurant brought chicken mole, red beet sauced cheese and enchiladas and cochinta.

Rodger Cline Moonshine (soon a name change…..) Served pairing with the tastings….This. was really good!

More art

Scallop Aguachili from Mochilero Kitchen (soon to open end of March in Peoria by Christ Church of the Valley)

OMG…this was soo Forking Good! The eggplant tabouli hummus nachos with shrug sauce….so fresh, herby, spicy tasty delicious!

The arroz con pollo and cabbage slaw was another that was among my favorites.

Checking out some of the art again.

This was unexpected.

This was also unexpected.

Pachamama served coconut ceviche and potato tacos.

Everest Momo and Sherpa Kitchen offered butternut squash tikka, chicken tikka and raita naan.

The Breadfruit and Run Bar gave out Spicy escowitch oyster shooters.

That wasn’t everything and there was a lot of booze to try but I ate instead and was ready to bust.

Devour the World was really great in Peoria 2020. I hope it’s here next year!

The Forking Truth

My Trip to True Food Kitchen Phoenix AZ – Healthy Delicious Food

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True Food Kitchen is a full service casual restaurant located in Phoenix Arizona at the Biltmore Fashion Plaza. There is another True Food Kitchen in Scottsdale and somewhere around forty other locations and many new locations to open in the United States. True Food Kitchen offers foods that are based on the science that to maintain your best health by choosing foods that don’t contribute to chronic inflammation by alternative medicine celebrity doctor Dr. Weil. True Food Kitchen offers vegetarian, non vegetarian, vegan and gluten free foods. They are happy to customize a meal for you. A few locations offer yoga brunches.

The Phoenix location offers a foliage lined patio.

Inside is bright, woody with green accents and modern light fixtures.

Today I went with the winter immunity bowl $14.00 (470 calories V) and added chicken $4.00 (160-180 calories)

This bowl was filled with mushrooms (That is why I wanted to try this…..OR THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO BE lion’s mane mushrooms????????), farro, quinoa, carrots, broccolini, garbanzo beans, bean sprouts, edamame, organic kale, garlic broth and added chicken. I’ve recently had lion’s main mushrooms a few times and these did differ in texture and taste and seemed very similar to shiitake mushrooms(???????????????). The bowl was tasty. The chicken was abundant and moist and tender. It was filling but didn’t weigh you down. I am sorry now that I didn’t pull out the mushrooms to photo…I can see one mushroom floating near the top. This does not look like a lion’s mane mushroom. It’s the wrong color, wrong taste and wrong texture. It’s the piece above the chicken and below the kale. But someone from the restaurant claimed it was lion’s mane mushrooms…………????????????? so I can’t say it wasn’t but I have my doubts. Most of the mushrooms in this dish seemed similar to shiitakes.

Here are raw lion’s mane mushrooms. They have a lacy texture and look like tribbles from Star Trek. Mine that I cooked were very very tender.

Here are the same lion’s mane mushrooms cooked

I did question my server about the mushrooms and she thought that my dish was made with lion’s mane mushrooms. I know that I did get one small piece of lion’s mane mushroom in my dish but most of the other mushrooms did seem different. A week after I contacted the restaurant management from True Food Kitchen contacted me back and said that I got lion’s mane mushrooms in my dish. They said that the texture might have changed because they soak the mushrooms. (???????????)

ANYWHO- the dish was still very good tasting and seemed very healthy. I really did like the dish. I apologies for doubting the mushrooms. I could be wrong but I don’t think I am. (That’s The FORKING TRUTH)

My husband had the grilled fish tacos $19.50 (570 calories GF).

We got two grilled red fish tacos with pickled jicama, avocado salsa, coconut crema, dried corn, radish slices and cold grilled lime with anasazi beans on the side. I tried a bite and I have to say this was very flavorful. Even the beans had very good flavors going on. This is enough food for a woman but most men might still be hungry after this.

Last time I tried the limited summer red fish ($26.00 480 calories). (this one was really delicious!)

My husband had the limited summer spinach and mushroom pizza $15.00 970 calories. (this one was made with vegan cheese)

The food we tried seemed to be flavored well and all of it seemed healthy.

www.TrueFoodKitchen.com

Every THING is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth