Tag Archives: #PhxFood

Corleone’s Philly Cheesesteaks offers a little Taste of Philadelphia

 

Arizona is credited for the Chimichanga. Not everyone in Arizona will say so but the majority of the country credits New York for Pizza. Nashville is the Hot Chicken Capital. The meaty sandwich that represents Philadelphia is the Cheesesteak. A real Cheesesteak is sliced Ribeye (or chicken, or pork.. variations) fried up on a flat top grill. It’s acceptable to use American Cheese or  Provolone Cheese on a Cheesesteak but most people expect Cheez Whiz (a processed cheese food that comes from a jar or can).  A traditional Philadelphian Cheesesteak is also served on an Amoroso’s Roll.

From www.Corleones.net

Corleone’s is a bit of a novelty restaurant. People from Philadelphia feel at home here because Corleone’s pokes fun at Philly People but in a good way.

Below on the self serve beverage cup are 10 reasons you know your from Philly.

Number 1. is kinda true…..We went to Pudge’s…….Only locals from the subs-burbs (lol) would know about Pudge’s.

Number 2…? Do I say wooder ice instead of water ice?….My husband said we do so number 2 is also true.

Number 4 is not true……

Number 5 I agree.

Number 6 I disagree.

Number 7 & 8 are very true.

I’m an incredibly bad speller so I never was able to spell Schuylkill we’d call that expressway that ran down the Schuylkill River the Sure Kill Exspressway. So Number 9 is not true.

Number 10 – I can go either way on that one.

They also have a board inside of 20 Reasons you know your from Philly. There are some really good ones there..

There are also fun Philly Artifacts to look at.

Up on the left is a former Mayor Frank Rizzo….Below that to the right is a picture from the Rocky Movie that was filmed down in the city…..not far from Pat’s.

The Love Sculpture in Philly.

There used to be John Wanamaker’s Department Store. It was a really neat old time department store at one time. I believe the building and sculpture are still there and are a part of the Philadelphia Skyline.

Enough of that! …………… Let’s get to the food! Here’s the menu. We ordered and got our beverages and some proper condiments.

In Philadelphia they ALWAYS offer Cherry Peppers of hot and also sweet. It’s not a Philly Steak without Cherry Peppers!

We waited and looked around taking in the sights of memory lane. There is a lot to look at.

The Movie Rocky (filmed in Philadelphia) plays non stop on the TV.  Lots of Pennsylvania license plates on the wall. Lots of Cheez Whiz and all kinds of other things.

My husband got a full size cheese steak with American cheese. I got a small chicken steak and I added a bunch of hot and sweet peppers to mine.

My husband insist that this Cheesesteak is really good. I think the Chicken Steak is ok but I really like the hot and sweet cherry peppers. The fries are pretty good for fries….Onion rings are almost good…..just slightly burnt.

Haven’t tried the pizzas yet.

Been to the Tatum Blvd location before they closed.

Corleone’s is a little taste of Philadelphia in Phoenix in two locations. (as of April 2018)

www.Corleones.net

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

The Forking Truth

 

 

My Trip to Cafe Monarch – Fine Dinning Restaurant in Scottsdale AZ

 

Cafe Monarch is located in Old Town Scottsdale. This is a Multi Award Winning, Reservation Only, Fine Dining Restaurant. Just a couple of the many awards they won are for most romantic restaurant in the country from Yelp an another recent award is from Tripadvisor that rates Cafe Monarch as #1 out of 956 restaurants in Scottsdale (April 2018). They have servers that are knowledgeable and all are sommelier trained.

When you walk in the first thing you see is the bar.

They have indoor and outdoor seating…..Today would have been a great day to sit outdoors but I didn’t specify my seat when I made the reservation so we got seated in one of the dining rooms at a secluded table.

You know me…….I have to tell The Forking Truth…..I’m in a lovely place in a lovely room….I’m about to enjoy a four course dinner soon…..But these chairs are in need of repair (or replacement) and are indeed uncomfortable. My husband’s chair and my chair both have broken springs and out butts fall threw the chairs…..The weird feeling sort of passes and we get used to it.

Our waiter greets us. He seems genuinely excited to wait on us and is very friendly and seems very knowledgeable…..I then get presented with a white linen napkin to rest on my black attire…..The Forking Truth is that this is a small thing but it slightly offends me because fine dining 101 is to match the napkin to the guest’s attire. They should have offered me a black napkin. We order and hope for the best.

Anyways…..

All is forgiving after the first course.

WOW!

The Squash Blossom Relleno is highly recommended by me.

God it’s amazing. It’s one of the best things I ate this year.

It’s layered and complex with all kinds of interesting textures.

The Squash Blossom Relleno is coated in the lightest crispest batter and rest on creamy black bean puree. Pickled red onions counter the richness of the Oaxaca Cheese. Poblano pepper, New Mexico Chili sauce and herbs add just the right flavors. There is a little heat but it’s very controlled. Just delicious in every way…..We both wished we could eat a big plate of these…..they were really extra great….I mean FORKING GREAT!

Second course was the Compressed Spring Watermelon Salad.

This was a small detailed plate that contained many ingredients. In the end it was light and refreshing.

Third Course for me was Yellow Fin Tuna Crudo.

Here was a rice cake that was topped with the freshest tuna laced with Calabrian Chili Aioli, Tare Sauce, Capelin Caviar, Chives and the tastiest micro green I have ever tasted. It tasted like a sweet pea. This was light and very delicious…….also with a light controlled heat. My husband tasted a piece of this and he said it was much better than what he picked.

He picked the Hanger Steak.

Not a thing was bad about the Hanger Steak…..It just wasn’t as bright and flavorful as the Yellow Fin Tuna Crudo. This was also a detailed many ingredient plate. It was prepared with prime beef, herb spaetzle, wild ramp béchamel, tomato confiture, asparagus, shallots, pecan pesto, garlic chips and pea tendril.

Fourth Course for me was the Citrus Crusted Sea Bass.

I eat mostly fish when I go out to eat and have had many dishes of fish called sea bass. This sea bass was unlike any sea bass I had before. It was a big thick generously sized piece of fish.This sea bass had the appearance of halibut but with a much less meaty texture and was a very light and sweet.  It was prepared close to perfect. We were light on the citrus here but the fish picked up a lot of the butter and some of the sweet beurre blanc sauce for flavor. There was a detailed sort of patty of basmati rice, roasted corn, ramps, peppadew peppers, taro root and squash that was tasty. A pretty yellow swipe of something was on the plate that tasted like sweet roasted corn to me.

My husband had the Bucatini ai Frutti di Mare.

All the Seafood was great….(Diver Scallop, King Crab Leg, Tiger Prawn, small piece of Lobster Tail)……The House made Bucatini was great too but the portion might have been overly petite. My husband said the sauce was excellent but he wished they gave him two shrimp and more bucatini.

I’m full but my husband insist that we order a dessert….He knows I’m a sucker for a good desert.

We decide on the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding.

Not a fan of the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding……(neither of us liked this dessert)………..It’s very dense and not sweet. Bananas don’t taste ripe or even flambé. …….Bad finish to a mostly lovely meal. I would come back but I doubt I’d ever order a dessert here again.

The Forking Truth is that I tell it how it was!

The menu changes ever other week at Cafe Monarch.

I would say everything except dessert was Worth a Fork at Cafe Monarch.

www.CafeMonarch.com

Amazing Atmosphere! A lovely detailed dinner…….except for dessert. I’ll go back again sometime……I’m just not sure if I would ever try dessert here again.

EVERY FORKING THING EVERYWHERE is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

El Pollo Correteado Restaurant Phoenix AZ – GOOD Fast Food Chicken

 

El Pollo Correteado is not a fancy place. You don’t come here for the atmosphere. You come here for the Chicken. I tried to translate El Pollo Correteado to see what it means. I think it translates to The Chicken You Pursue or the Chicken you Chase After. El Pollo Correteado is a small postage stamp sized restaurant that serves Mesquite Charcoal Cooked Chicken. You order at the counter-

a half chicken ($6.57 April 2018 pricing) or a whole chicken ($13.12 April 2018 pricing). The menu is in Spanish on the wall but it’s easy for anyone to figure out. The man at the counter speaks Spanish but is bilingual. He calls your order in Spanish to the man in the kitchen and your chicken gets is served to you in a moment.

Your chicken comes in a styrofoam box and also comes with salsa, lemon, pickled onions, hot chili pepper and a stack (around 7) corn tortillas. The food comes from a window or a pass in the kitchen. Off to the side you see the grilled 1/2 chickens piled up as the man in the kitchen takes them off the fiery Charcoal Grill.

*****NOTE*******The 1/2 chickens in the window do have breast and wings……. three tables indoors or you can seat yourself outside on a bench.

We sat inside at the one remaining table…….I  watched many people picking up food and taking it to go. It was non-stop take out.

Ooooooh….I got a Forking funny looking half chicken……I was expecting an actual half chicken but I got a 1/2 chicken with three smaller sized legs and two partial thighs. My husband also had a funny looking half chicken with three legs, and a thigh and another thigh with 1/2 a breast.

Anyways-

The meat is delicious. It taste like it was marinated. It’s very juicy and flavorful. It’s not very smoky but it is delicious It’s great by it’s self.

Then I try some as a taco.

A squirt of lemon, a little pickled onion, a strip of hot pepper and a small dap of salsa….Now that’s the whole experience. Very delicious and a bargain for $6.57. I think it’s actually cheaper than national fast food chicken.

So you only come here if you don’t mind enjoying delicious dark meat chicken. I don’t know if the chicken pieces are served random or if you have to request white meat…………….They also offer macaroni salad, beans, mashed potatoes and a noticed a small sign outside that offered a 10 piece special.

El Pollo Correteado has two locations.

I went to 2904 W McDowll Rd in Phoenix

The other location is

1602 E Jefferson St Phoenix

No Website but they are on facebook.

El Pollo Correteado – Good Fast Food Chicken….it might be the Fast Food Chicken you Pursue……..instead of chicken from a national chain.

The Forking Truth is that everything is subject to change and YOUR experience may or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth

My First Visit to Yi’s Chinese Restaurant in North Phoenix AZ

 

Yi’s Chinese Restaurant is located in North Phoenix. This is not a fancy place and although it’s newly opened it also appears to be well worn in. Yi’s Chinese Restaurant serves Take Out Chinese Food. They claim that they are different from the others because they are from New York and do New York Style Take out Chinese whatever that means.

We decide to give Yi’s Chinese a try…..We do have a half dozen or more take out Chinese Restaurants that are closer to us but the majority of Take Out Chinese Restaurants in the upper North serve very bland, flat or sweet Take Out Chinese Food. For the most part Take Out Chinese was something I rarely enjoyed since leaving the east coast. It just doesn’t taste delicious or the same at all here in my part of Phoenix. Back east Take Out Chinese Food was overall pretty tasty from most places. Even the major supermarkets all had their own take out Chinese Sections that weren’t the best by east coast standards but would do in a pinch. The majority of take out Chinese Food in the Upper North Metro Phoenix isn’t nearly as flavorful as back east SUPER MARKET Take Out Chinese Food…..I’m at a loss to understand why….. Perhaps there are better take out Chinese Restaurants somewhere in Metro Phoenix but be honest….Nobody is driving far across town for take out Chinese Food.

For my first visit I ordered the Szechuan Chicken. The entrees are offered in small, large and xtra large. I went with large and was expecting to bring some home. Soon my meal comes out but not my husband’s Hunan Beef.

The lady who brought it out says, “try it!” “It’s very good!”

She sure wasn’t lying, It was Forking Very Good! It’s full flavored like a BOMB! I can tell you it got a lot of garlic and nose running chili action here! It’s not too sweet or salty either, it’s fiery great! It’s almost like real Szechwan….  It should also be mentioned that the chicken in this dish has been masterfully prepared. Each piece is so tender that it melts in your mouth…WOW! My husband is eating it along with me and he keeps saying, “this is really good!”

A little while latter the Lady brings out the Hunan Beef. She apologizes for the delay and says the cook accidentally prepared the in chicken and had to start again.

The Hunan Beef we were served was not as fiery or complex as the Szechuan Chicken. It was also was saucier and I could taste a lot of soy sauce and it had black bean sauce in it. I guess that’s the way Hunan is suppose to be. My husband said the beef wasn’t the best but was ok…….I felt a little different and didn’t like the beef….not as tender as I will eat….and also not developed with flavor. But in all fairness that might be from being rushed. My husband manages to eat most of this plate and I tell him he can finish mine. I had about half left…(it really was a very big portion)….He goes to the Szechuan Chicken and says, “this is much better” “this is really good!” Keeps eating till done.

The Szechuan Chicken from Yi’s Chinese Restaurant is one killer dish! It’s like finding a needle in a haystack finding this great Take Out Chinese Dish in North Phoenix. In all fairness I’m not a fan of Hunan in general anywhere so for that one you have to decide.

I can say The Szechuan Chicken from Yi’s Chinese Restaurant is Worth a Fork! I’ll be back to try more!

That was my First Visit to Yi’s Chinese Restaurant in North Phoenix. You just have to look them up if you’re in the area.

I couldn’t find a Website or Facebook Page for Yi’s Chinese Restaurant.

Worth a Fork forThe Szechuan Chicken. It’s is da BOMB!

The Forking Truth

 

 

 

 

Pane Bianco in Downtown Phoenix AZ – Worth a Fork!

 

Pane Bianco is a small casual urban restaurant that focuses on serving a limited menu of mostly Italian accented sandwiches on wood fired fermented bread that’s made from local heirloom grains. The popular sandwich is the Tomato Basil made with local produce and house made mozzarella cheese. Each sandwich is painstakingly made. Here is the April 2018 menu.

Pane Bianco is a sister restaurant to the FAMOUS Pizzeria Bianco By Chef Chris Bianco. He is a James Beard Award Chef (Best South/West Chef) He is the first Pizza Chef (maybe only) that has won a James Beard Award. Pizzeria Bianco is considered to be the BEST PIZZA in the UNITED STATES and is also recognized officially by Bon Appetit, Vogue, Racheal Ray, Andrew Zimmerm, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, GQ and Gourmet. Sorry I know I got you hungry for the famous pizza now……I was lucky to hit Pane Bianco when they were also serving the famous pizza. I’ve tried several of the pizzas several times and my best memory of the pizza was from Pane Bianco.

Back to Pane Bianco. Originally you ordered at the counter, browsed or purchased some local and imported goods and did take out or sat outside on a community bench.

A few years back Pane Bianco expanded and added on a dining room with wait service.

I was surprised when I looked at the menu. There are more additions than what the website shows. I haven’t made it here in maybe a couple years because of menu changes but I see that old favorites have come back since my last visit.

This time I got the Albacore Tuna Salad Sandwich. Today it came with a sweet mustardy red cabbage and vegetable salad. It is a very large generous sandwich. You can make two meals out of it.

My sandwich was PACKED with LOTS of arugula that was massaged and made tender and was easy to bite threw. The Albacore Tuna doesn’t taste or have the the texture of canned……..It taste like there is balsamic vinegar and and oil. The tuna salad is studded with sweet marinated raisins that burst in your mouth and there are little pieces the highest quality gaeta olives. It’s all delicious together…This sandwich does differ from other tuna sandwiches I’ve had here but all of them were all very good.

My husband had his favorite sandwich. The Soppressata with aged provolone and wood roasted red bell pepper.

My husband thinks the meat and cheese are of the highest quality. He loves this sandwich! A few years back red peppers were very expensive and Pane Bianco wasn’t offering the red peppers on this sandwich….instead they used roasted onions.

This version is still good……but not as great.

One of the very BEST, Must GET, desserts in Metro Phoenix is the Crazy Great Nutmeg Ice from Pane Bianco. (also served at Pizzeria Bianco at the Town and Country location).

It’s not like any Italian Ice I’ve had anywhere before. It’s a little creamy but it’s a one note refreshing punch that knocks you out…….I promise you…. it’s AMAZING!

Town and Country Pizzeria Bianco presents the Ice a little differently with cookies.

a few things I had at Pane Bianco in the past. (most things I didn’t photo here)

Tomato, Red Onion and Cheddar Focaccia (once I had a lemon rosemary bread that was really great!)

Chicken Salad

Tuna Salad

Pane Bianco is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.PizzariaBianco.com

EVERY FORKING THING is subject to change and YOUR experience MAY or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

 

Dining Out With DOGS in Metro Phoenix AZ March 2018

 

“We are on our way to Humble Pie in Glendale AZ”

Dining Out With DOGS is just a “Fluff” story of my adventure out taking my dogs out to eat. This kind of started when I found out when my dog Louie (who has passed) was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. I thought I’d take him out to eat as much as possible because he enjoyed it. Instead of the three month – six months diagnosed doctors gave him he made it 19 months longer due to his strong urge to live and good medical advise. We usually go to very casual local restaurants with patios. Most restaurants in Arizona do have patios but not all patios are dog friendly. It’s always best to call a restaurant before dropping in with your furry friend because you never know if the restaurant patio is booked or suddenly went to not allowing dogs. It’s always best to visit at off times to avoid other people and dogs. Many other people don’t share your love for dogs and might complain. Also other people’s dogs might not get along with your furry buddy and maybe all the dogs will start barking and everyone with dogs might get asked to leave……Avoid problems call first and dine at off times. There are a few rules for dining with dogs. You must keep your dog by your side at all times. Dogs are not to sit on restaurant furniture and are not allowed to eat off restaurant plates. Much of the food and drink you consume is not safe for your dog and some of it is TOXIC to your dog. You MUST consult your Veterinarian for a Dog Friendly Food List and or a List of Foods to avoid. For the most part usually you are the safest if you feed your dog lean sauceless plain lean meats. Now that we got all that out of the way it looks like you are ready to Dine Out with Dogs!

Our first stop this month is at Humble Pie in Glendale AZ (I don’t believe this is techniquely Glendale anymore but it’s close (the territories and zip codes here have changed three times so far…..so…) Anyways- Humble Pie is a small local group of restaurants in mostly in Metro Phoenix (one is located in Tucson). They serve Neapolitan Style Pizzas with house made cheese, a few appetizers, soups salads and sandwiches. They offer a very comfortable patio that is well stocked with heaters for the few days it’s cold here and many fans for the many days of high heat we have here. I have to say the $10.99 two course express lunch special is hard to beat.

I usually get a Strawberry Gorgonzola salad and a pizza. The salad is really pretty good as far as salads go.

 

Today was a very rare cold for Phoenix day so I got Butternut Squash Soup and a Margherita Pizza.

My husband got the Minestrone Soup and a Humble Pie Signature Sausage Pizza with roasted fennel. The sausage is a special Humble Pie Recipe.

Both dogs enjoyed trying a little taste of Butternut Squash Soup but they were more excited about the pizzas……especially the sausage pizza. I note not all dogs can digest cheese so you probably already know if your dog can digest cheese. I only give them small amounts of cheese but they enjoy it.

www.HumblePieUSA.com

“We are on our way to Culver’s in Phoenix”

Culver’s is a Nation Fast Food Chain from Wisconsin. They are well known for Butter Burgers, Frozen Custard and maybe Hand Batter made to order Fried Fish. Culver’s claim is that they differ from other fast food restaurants because they say that their food is restaurant quality. I tried the Battered Walleye Special and I have to say it was better than what some restaurants serve and much cheaper too. We wanted to try the Walleye again before it’s gone.

Look at my cup…It says Fresh never frozen……..That is pretty hard to believe…..maybe just the hamburgers I think……….

“The food smells pretty good to us…..Give us some please”

This is an enormous amount of food that we shared. The fish is really great. Seems fresh tasting. it’s mild a meaty in a shattering crisp crust that seems oil free. I don’t know why but I don’t like the green beans. Onion rings are ok. Not too into the Wisconsin Cheese Curds but the Dogs think they’re yummy.

The Dogs said, “We love everything we tried”

I saved some room to try my first Culver’s Custard. I tried vanilla with peanut butter and Reese’s Cups and my husband tried Chocolate with Brownies.

Wow this is too much of a good thing…….this is enough for three people….It’s really good….I should have stopped sooner……. (I ate a little more than half…)

“We have more room for the leftover cheese curds”

“I enjoyed my meal at Culver’s”

www.Culvers.com

“We’re on our way to Bahn Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix AZ”

Bahn Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix AZ is a Pho Free Vietnamese Eatery that offers many of your usual Vietnamese favorites except for Pho. This eatery specializes in the Banh Mi Sandwich. They use Vietnamese Style Rice and Wheat Baguettes that seem lighter than a regular baguette with a crunchy exterior and a soft center. You have your choice of around a dozen fillings. the sandwich also contains pickled radish, carrot salad, jalapeños, fresh cilantro and house made aioli. They also offer rice plates, noodle bowls and much more!

Today I got one of my favorites……..The Vietnamese Style Chicken Curry…..

With Rice instead of the baguette option.

The Curry is delicious with tender white meat chicken, some carrots, onions and red potatoes in an aromatic sauce. It seems lighter than other curries I tried….

My husband got the Pork Rice Plate.

They offer many varieties of pork here for the sandwiches…but my husband thinks he likes this pork best. This Rice Plate comes with a dressed salad, broken rice, a crispy pork egg roll, fish sauce and chili sauce.

Both dogs are found of the pork.

Both dogs are found of the Chicken Curry.

Everyone is happy!

www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com

“We’re on our way to Salad and Go in Phoenix”

Salad and Go is a Gourmet Fast Food Drive Threw with a Patio. They offer around a dozen different kinds of salads that only cost $5.74 (**subject to change at this time March 2018) and to add a protein like organic chicken it’s only $1.44 extra. Salads can be made into wraps and they offer a few other things like breakfast, soups, smoothies and children’s meals. This is only a Drive Threw Restaurant with a Patio……You either drive threw and leave or eat on the patio. No restrooms so you are not going to travel far to come here. Salad and Go is a FAST GROWING local chain. But I have to admit it’s pretty darn great and quite a value if you eat salads. Beats any national fast food place for salads for sure.

Today I got the Asian Salad with added Chicken. My husband got the Greek Salad with added Chicken and Shrimp but I forgot to Photo his.

Mixed Greens, sugar snap peas, peanuts, carrots, oranges, cabbage..and Chicken….It’s a very large salad too.

Small male dog says, “I’m a big fan of the chicken but that snow pea I had to spit out.” Don’t worry,,,Big Woman next to me ate it so we wouldn’t leave the place dirty.”

The Aussie says, “Picky ones don’t last Forking long in the jungle little boy.”

Dogs say, “We enjoyed our meal at Salad and Go!”

www.SaladandGo.com

That was Dining Out With Dogs in Metro Phoenix for March 2018.

We hope to see you next month!

The Forking Truth

In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

 

 

Fried Fish in Metro Phoenix

 

www.ckclipart.com

Maybe you didn’t get your fix of fried fish yet? You might not be aware that there is a lot of fish frying in Metro Phoenix. Here’s a collection of some of the fried fish I tried in Metro Phoenix in no particular order.

I never went to a Long John Silver’s before….I thought maybe it might be similar to the old time Arthur Treacher’s from before they got sold and went down hill several decades back. WOW this was awful. It had an old oil taste to it. The fish actually tasted frozen….I offered a piece to my dog Louie and poor old Louie spit it out…..he really was a foodie.  I felt I committed doggie abuse by offering him this fish. My other dog isn’t as picky and ate the spit out fish.

Tim Finnegan’s Irish Restaurant and Pub makes one of the best Fish and Chips I’ve tried here. The batter was shattering crisp and the mild tasting fish was meaty.

Here’s a Fried Cod and Salmon Combo from Oscar’s Pier 83 in Glendale AZ. Fried Salmon is maybe too rich for me to be fried….Somehow Fried Salmon is so buttery it’s almost like eating fried avocado. The Cod was better…..I usually get the broiled fish here but their speciality is the fried fish and they do Fried Fish better.

Here’s Fried Walleye from Jim Michael’s in Sun City.

You can also get Fried Walleye from Q Bar and Grill in Peoria AZ.

I got this Fried Walleye from Scottsdale Beer Company in Scottsdale AZ. I liked the flavor of the batter but coating was soft and bread-ee……I have a preference for shattering crisp batter. But I have to add that they gave me a big meaty Walleye.

This Fried Walleye came from TapHouse Kitchen. I hit them when a new cook must have been on because all the batter on the fish went soggy. I think maybe the fries steamed the batter on the fish here and made it soggy.

The Mexican Fish Sandwich from Rocket Burger is very tasty…..They don’t use high quality fish but all the the zesty slaw and Rocket sauce are so delicious. It just turns into a yummy sandwich.

It’s really sad that they can teach a dumb teenager at a fast food restaurant such as Culver’s to make shattering crisp battered fish better than at from some restaurants.

I had a whole Fried Perch at La Barquita in Phoenix AZ. The fish looks very big but I think I only got maybe two ounces of fish to eat……

The most surprising really great Fried Fish came from Original Cuisine in Mesa AZ.

I always thought I didn’t like the texture and taste of Catfish. It more slimy than other fish and usually muddy tasting. But in the right hands of someone from Original Cuisine they turned a Catfish into a feast for two!. It was almost like eating incredibly spicy mouth numbing fried chicken. The fish was very meaty and had a very crisp crunchy skin.

Another one of the best Fried Fish I tried came from Ocotillo in Phoenix.

This one is a little different. Here is Meaty Sweet Cod that’s Panko Coated. The fries were also delicious and were seasoned with seaweed and sea salt.

That was some of the Fried Fish I tried in Metro Phoenix.

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

The Forking Truth

La Piazza Al Forno – Glendale AZ – Great Certified Pizza – Worth a Fork!

 

La Piazza al Forno is located in Historic Old Town Glendale. This is a small Italian Restaurant that specializes in Neapolitan Certified Pizza. Although the unique pizza is the main attraction La Piazza al Forno might be most famous for Celebrity Chef and Host Guy Fieri’s appearance and their fame of being featured on Food Network’s Diners Drive-in and Dives.

Many awards and the Vera Pizza Certificate are hung by the entrance

On this visit we started out by sharing a generously sized house salad.

We also shared the Bianca Pizza. It’s made with flavorful milky house made mozzarella, a high quality (taste house made) ricotta cheese, fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, Sicilian oregano and we added Calabrian Chilies. It all got baked in a certified Italian wood fired brick oven. at a certified temperature for a certified amount of seconds.

The light as air crust with a moist middle is lightly blackened and chewy with the absolute perfect amount of salt….not too much but enough to flavor…..The made in house mozzarella cheese is very milky tender and flavorful…..Everything else is a bonus…High quality ricotta (it taste fresh made it’s moist and delicious), drizzled with the perfect amount of quality extra virgin olive oil…delicious seasonings and that added Calabrian Chili peppers that we are fond of. It certainly is among the best pizzas you can get in metro Phoenix. The Forking Truth is that PIZZA in general is very controversial…..wars can get started over pizza….it’s similar to religion and politics…..so I’m never going to you that any is the very best but this one is up there and might be the best. Hands down I don’t think there is a pizza out there that’s topped with such delicious flavorful cheese. The crust is so tender and light. These pizzas will never weigh you down. This was a Forking AMAZING Pizza!

But I do have to tell The Forking Truth……Pizzas from most places ARE NOT CONSISTENT…….(even the numeral uno….you know who!….I got a burnt one on my last visit there!)

Here is an example of two Margherita D.O.C. pizzas from La Piazza al Forno.

They look different and they taste different too!

Pizza on the left was made with tomatoes that weren’t drained well. The cheese was much looser and the middle was too wet.

Pizza on the right was absolutely delicious with a rich just right sweet tomatoes.

More often than not the pizza is very good from here. I’ve been here many times. But once I got a really bad crust on a pizza during a very busy dinner service and my crust was baked over some sort of spillage in the oven and had burnt tasting spots on the crust. That was only once. But when they get it right the Pizza from La Piazza al Forno is my favorite!

Here are a few photos from some previous visits.

Calzone

Dolce Diavolo Pizza from La Piazza Al Forno in Glendale AZ Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Soppressata, Calabrian Chilies, Basil, Honey

Salvatore Pizza- San Marzano tomatoes D.o.p., house made mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, prosciutto di parma, arugula

I don’t eat dessert here too often but this cheese cake is the very best cheesecake maybe in Arizona. It’s the only one I liked since moving here. I note I am spoiled……I grew up eating one of the best Cheese Cakes in the country. That cheese cake was from the Country Club Dinner in Philadelphia….(it’s much better than Jr’s of New York…to me) It’s light (for cheese cake) it’s delicious and not sour, heavy and thick. This La Piazza al Forno is the closest in style and taste to the FAMOUS Country Club Dinner’s Cheese Cake.

La Piazza al Forno is Worth a Fork!

www.LaPiazzaPhx.com

Worth a Fork! If you are a Pizza Foodie you might drive across town to dine here. I do note they have a newer location down town but I never visited that location so I can’t say if it’s the same.

The Forking Truth is that EVERYTHING is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth

Every FORKING THING is subject to change

 

WhyyyyyyyWhyyyyyWhy…..

It’s not my intention to bring negative attention towards this particular restaurant in Metro Phoenix. But on the other hand I do tell The FORKING Truth so here it is. If you read my reviews you will be able to figure out what restaurant this happened at. I can only hope that I hit them on a bad day………..because last time the food and service was wonderful.

Tonight we were seated on the patio. I noticed the meatballs I had last time were discontinued and I went with another variety that I also wanted to try – The Eggplant Parmesan Balls. Doesn’t that sound yummy? It sounds delicious to me….I wondered how’d they would make them. I wondered if they’d have a cheesy molten center…..Or maybe they’d be wrapped in a blanket of melted cheese………I ordered the Eggplant Balls in the spicy arrabiatta sauce I enjoyed last time and tried the stuffed gnocchi that also sounded really interesting to me……

Our meals arrived by a food jockey or runner. (Not Our Server) We wait and wait and nobody offers us cheese for our meals….My husband gets up and walks to the other end of the patio to someone who is carrying around cheese to come to our table and we get some.

I notice my gnocchi are sitting in a lot of oil…… At home I make gnocchi too and I also coat them in oil because it adds a nice flavor (if your using quality oil) and also keeps the gnocchi from sticking together…but this is too much oil. I don’t want to eat all this oil….It’s too much oil for a person to eat…so I try to blot off each gnocchi.

They are indeed stuffed with spinach and cheese but they have a strange texture. It’s hard to explain but better gnocchi are suppose to be soft and light and when made correctly melt in your mouth. These are soft in a different way…….I’m not sure what happened here…I’m thinking the potatoes used were too wet or maybe the gnocchi are just over cooked.

The sauce doesn’t taste like the DELICIOUS Spicy Arrabiatta sauce I had last time. The sauce is still good but I’m thinking it might be regular marinara sauce….It isn’t spicy at all.

Now I go for an Eggplant Parmesan Ball….to me it sounds like it should be breaded eggplant with melted cheese.

It’s very mushy…… 🙁 with tough eggplant skin…..:( and it FORKING COLD in the center! Maybe it isn’t even cooked all the way??? …I know when I cook eggplant at home the skin (if I use it) is always soft……

WTFORK this sucks…….

www.pinterest

I got mushy pasta and mushy balls in a very oily sauce and tough chewy eggplant skin.

I’m very hungry because I only had a salad at lunch……so I manage to eat one of the three mushy not good balls……My husband asks me to try a second ball because last time one of the meatballs differed from the other two….No such luck this time number two is also mushy with tough eggplant skin and COLD in the center. ………..

Our waitress didn’t bother to check on us…….after we were done someone acting as a manager does ask us how things were and if I’d like my leftovers wrapped up

www.pinterest

……I told her that I didn’t want my leftovers wrapped up and then we tell her why ………

Sauce is not the same as last time and isn’t spicy.

Nobody offered us cheese.

Eggplant balls were mushy and were served with cold centers. They didn’t even taste good.

I didn’t say anything about the pasta…..I think maybe it was just over cooked.

We were offered a complimentary dessert that we turned down so we paid and left.

That’s how it went this time.

Every FORKING THING EVERYWHERE is subject to change and your experience or MY EXPERIENCE may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

 

 

My Trip to Popbar in Peoria AZ

 

Popbar is located in Westgate in Peoria AZ. This is a small casual dessert eatery. They specialize in frozen confections in several mixtures that you can customize. They offer Pops in Gelato, Sorbetto, Sandwich Style, Yogurt Pops, Treats and More!

So many bars…..What to pick? I know I don’t want a Yogurt Bar………Not that it’s bad or anything like that ……….but to me Yogurt isn’t fun as Gelato or Sorbetto. Gelato bars in many flavors….some are pistachio, hazelnut, peanut butter, green tea, coconut and many more. Some of the gelato flavors are pineapple, peach, mango, lemon, blood orange, apricot…….I decide to go with Passionfruit Sorbetto.

I think they offered 5 or 6 dips and mostly different nut toppings. Now I pick white chocolate dip and milk chocolate.

My husband got Pistachio Gelato coated in milk chocolate and pistachios.

WOW!  The Passionfruit is FORKING AMAZING! The Flavor is very strong and very true to the way a passionfruit taste. The chocolate coating are on the thick side but seem ok. The Pop melts in my mouth pretty well.  The Pistachio is ok……not as true as the passionfruit but ok. The Pistachio Gelato is slightly harder than I want it to be……It doesn’t melt as well…you have to eat it. The Passionfruit just melts in your mouth and it as delicious as a fresh passionfruit.

The Passionfruit Pop was so Forking Good I doubt that I’ll ever get to try any of the other flavors.

www.pop-bar.com

That was my trip to Popbar in Peoria AZ.

You aren’t going to travel across town for this but if you find yourself at Westgate or in the Outlets then you might want to give Popbar a try.

Every FORKING thing is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth