10240 N 32nd St
Phoenix, AZ 85028
Yasha from Russia is truly from Russia. Better still, virtually all the food that they carry is from Russia or the Baltic area as well.
We stopped by to look at the store, and ended up spending $75 on some excellent foods. Of note, ask for a sample of almost anything and they will happily comply.
We started at the meat case. I'm not sure when I have last seen such a huge assortment of sausages, bologna's, salami's, and items that I don't even know the name of. We purchased some excellent polish salami, along with a sampling of other meats. They even carry Lardo, which is almost impossible to find. I sampled it both normally seasoned and seasoned with Hungarian Paprika. The piece seasoned with the paprika was much too strong for me, but the normally seasoned Lardo just tasted of porcine bliss as it melted on my tongue. To be sure, one would not want to eat large quantities of this but a small square of it thin sliced and melting on a warm piece of toast was thought of in heaven.
Next we turned our attention to the pastry case. I was fairly sure companion was going to lose her mind looking at and tasting all the different cakes and pastries. We ended up purchasing 4 different items from the case. I was surprised at the relatively inexpensive prices of the cakes, which, by the way are made on the premises.
A stop by the freezer section loaded our cart with pierogi and pelmeni in assorted flavors which were also available at reasonable prices and in assorted quantities. If you did not want it pre-packaged, it was also available loose in a different freezer where you could pick your own.
In the liquor section I found a bottle of Wild Strawberry Wine. If you have never eaten a wild strawberry you have missed one of the wonders of gastronomic life. The flavor of them is far more pronounced than domestic strawberries. I can't wait to open the bottle and have a taste.
Yet another section of the store had pickles and pickled sour green tomatoes. If you came from back east, you used to see these items in big barrels in deli stores. Here, because of food laws they have to keep them in plastic buckets under refrigeration, but you are free to serve yourself and pick the pickle you like!
They have a small quantity of wild mushroom both frozen and dried in stock. I asked about Black Russian Mushrooms (a fabulous delicacy), and they assured me that they will try to get them for me and will call me when they do.
In going through the store and interacting with the people I found that they would do almost anything to try to please a customer.
I definitely have found a new place to do shopping. 4 stars
Thursday, July 20, 2017
The Codfather
1618 E Bell Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85022
Companion and I had lunch at this restaurant. This was our second visit, with our first having been about a year ago.
We were promptly seated and offered drinks. Unfortunately, their selection of non-sugared drinks is rather sparse and I ended up having tea with no lemon. Fortunately, being a "British" restaurant they have an idea of what tea should taste like and no harm done.
Companion and I started of with a Scotch egg. It was cooked nicely, and served cut into quarters to make our sharing easier. The egg is served with what I surmised to be Coleman's English Mustard, which I really enjoyed. Most Scotch eggs served in the U.S. are made with regular seasoned pork sausage, which is highly seasoned compared to English sausage, however this sausage was perfectly seasoned in the true English tradition.
Next came the main dishes. Companion ordered the Steak and Kidney Pie and I ordered Bangers and Mash.
While the Steak and Kidney Pie was but a shadow of the real thing one would get in any pub (even at a roadside on the M5) the flavor was acceptable, however the kidney was nothing but mince. The pie was more like a Cornish Pasty than a true baked small pie. The pie came with no accompaniments whereas in the U.K. it usually comes with a side of mash and some mushy peas.
My Bangers and Mash arrived and was nicely plated. Unfortunately, that was the only good thing about the dish. The Bangers, while nicely cooked were loaded with salt. I thought that perhaps one of them had received some extra seasoning during the creation process, but alas, taking a bite from the second one revealed the same extreme amount of salt. The mash was acceptable, and was made from Yukon Gold potatoes, but the peas, which we were told were brought in from Boston were shriveled and lacking flavor. This plate was inedible. Companion, who the doctor had just prescribe a much higher amount of salt in her diet ate some of the Bangers to comply with her doctor's wishes. Speaking for myself, I finished three large glasses of Iced Tea and later stopped at a local McDonald's for a large soft drink.
The bathroom was nice and clean and it appeared that the restaurant was also clean. Tables were bussed regularly and wiped down.
2 stars for cleanliness and pleasant service.
Phoenix, AZ 85022
Companion and I had lunch at this restaurant. This was our second visit, with our first having been about a year ago.
We were promptly seated and offered drinks. Unfortunately, their selection of non-sugared drinks is rather sparse and I ended up having tea with no lemon. Fortunately, being a "British" restaurant they have an idea of what tea should taste like and no harm done.
Companion and I started of with a Scotch egg. It was cooked nicely, and served cut into quarters to make our sharing easier. The egg is served with what I surmised to be Coleman's English Mustard, which I really enjoyed. Most Scotch eggs served in the U.S. are made with regular seasoned pork sausage, which is highly seasoned compared to English sausage, however this sausage was perfectly seasoned in the true English tradition.
Next came the main dishes. Companion ordered the Steak and Kidney Pie and I ordered Bangers and Mash.
While the Steak and Kidney Pie was but a shadow of the real thing one would get in any pub (even at a roadside on the M5) the flavor was acceptable, however the kidney was nothing but mince. The pie was more like a Cornish Pasty than a true baked small pie. The pie came with no accompaniments whereas in the U.K. it usually comes with a side of mash and some mushy peas.
My Bangers and Mash arrived and was nicely plated. Unfortunately, that was the only good thing about the dish. The Bangers, while nicely cooked were loaded with salt. I thought that perhaps one of them had received some extra seasoning during the creation process, but alas, taking a bite from the second one revealed the same extreme amount of salt. The mash was acceptable, and was made from Yukon Gold potatoes, but the peas, which we were told were brought in from Boston were shriveled and lacking flavor. This plate was inedible. Companion, who the doctor had just prescribe a much higher amount of salt in her diet ate some of the Bangers to comply with her doctor's wishes. Speaking for myself, I finished three large glasses of Iced Tea and later stopped at a local McDonald's for a large soft drink.
The bathroom was nice and clean and it appeared that the restaurant was also clean. Tables were bussed regularly and wiped down.
2 stars for cleanliness and pleasant service.
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Texaz Grill
6003 N. 16th Street
Phoenix, AZ
A group of 5 of us arrived for dinner at 6:00. The rude hostess refused to sit us at one of the vacant larger tables and instead crowded us into a 4 top. Needless to say, this was not a good start to the meal.
We were offered a choice of salad or cole slaw to start with. Unfortunately, 3 of us opted for the cole slaw, which while nice and creamy was loaded with onion and perhaps some garlic. None of us could finish the cole slaw because the onion was so strong. We tried the biscuits, which were undercooked and pastey. One bite was all that anyone could tolerate.
Next we ordered main courses. Two people ordered the Saturday Special steak Lin Sue. A N.Y. strip steak topped with artichoke hearts, jumbo shrimp and then covered in bearnaise sauce. I don't know who thought this combination up, but neither of the people who ordered it finished it. One of the comments was that the shrimp were well overcooked.
Companion ordered the "famous" chicken fried steak because they had no prime rib available. It came smothered in a very thick, heavy gravy that could only be compared to wallpaper paste. They may have served hundreds of thousands of chicken fried steaks, but if they were like this plate I feel sorry for all those who tried to eat it.
I ordered the pork chops with gravy and mashed potatoes. I was lucky in that the pork chops were nicely cooked - however they were covered in the same "gravy glop" that everything else was hidden under.
Most of our party asked for take home boxes with the idea of feeding the leftovers either to 2 legged or 4 legged members of their household.
Next we ordered dessert. Once again, I picked the winner - peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream. Served warm, it was flavorful though the crust was not well cooked. The ice cream was nice.
Another of our party ordered the bread pudding with whisky sauce. The bread pudding was very dense and did not look like any other bread pudding I have ever seen. As we passed it around the table, one of our party got a bite that had raw whisky in it and couldn't stop coughing. Another item which was passed around was the "Old New Orleans Calas" which were supposed to be sweet rice balls, deep fried and dusted with sugar. Whoever made them forgot to put the sugar on them and totally overcooked them to the point that the rice was crunchy and inedible. They were not deemed to be something that anyone would take home.
On the positive side, our waitress was excellent and a total hoot. She was lots of fun and our tips reflected her good nature.
The restaurant is decorated with all sorts of kitsch, which prevented us from ascertaining the cleanliness or lack thereof of the restaurant.
Our party has requested of me that we not return there again. 2 stars
Phoenix, AZ
A group of 5 of us arrived for dinner at 6:00. The rude hostess refused to sit us at one of the vacant larger tables and instead crowded us into a 4 top. Needless to say, this was not a good start to the meal.
We were offered a choice of salad or cole slaw to start with. Unfortunately, 3 of us opted for the cole slaw, which while nice and creamy was loaded with onion and perhaps some garlic. None of us could finish the cole slaw because the onion was so strong. We tried the biscuits, which were undercooked and pastey. One bite was all that anyone could tolerate.
Next we ordered main courses. Two people ordered the Saturday Special steak Lin Sue. A N.Y. strip steak topped with artichoke hearts, jumbo shrimp and then covered in bearnaise sauce. I don't know who thought this combination up, but neither of the people who ordered it finished it. One of the comments was that the shrimp were well overcooked.
Companion ordered the "famous" chicken fried steak because they had no prime rib available. It came smothered in a very thick, heavy gravy that could only be compared to wallpaper paste. They may have served hundreds of thousands of chicken fried steaks, but if they were like this plate I feel sorry for all those who tried to eat it.
I ordered the pork chops with gravy and mashed potatoes. I was lucky in that the pork chops were nicely cooked - however they were covered in the same "gravy glop" that everything else was hidden under.
Most of our party asked for take home boxes with the idea of feeding the leftovers either to 2 legged or 4 legged members of their household.
Next we ordered dessert. Once again, I picked the winner - peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream. Served warm, it was flavorful though the crust was not well cooked. The ice cream was nice.
Another of our party ordered the bread pudding with whisky sauce. The bread pudding was very dense and did not look like any other bread pudding I have ever seen. As we passed it around the table, one of our party got a bite that had raw whisky in it and couldn't stop coughing. Another item which was passed around was the "Old New Orleans Calas" which were supposed to be sweet rice balls, deep fried and dusted with sugar. Whoever made them forgot to put the sugar on them and totally overcooked them to the point that the rice was crunchy and inedible. They were not deemed to be something that anyone would take home.
On the positive side, our waitress was excellent and a total hoot. She was lots of fun and our tips reflected her good nature.
The restaurant is decorated with all sorts of kitsch, which prevented us from ascertaining the cleanliness or lack thereof of the restaurant.
Our party has requested of me that we not return there again. 2 stars
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
