35900 Old Black Canyon Hwy
Black Canyon City, AZ 85324
This did not hold up to all the hoopla that others have said about it. After I and the others I had with me ate a fair sampling of pies, we all had the same conclusion, which was that the pies which may have been different in past times were just not worth the money now.
The crust on the apple pie was fair at best, the apples were over cooked, the pie had far too much lemon in it, and the seasonings we're off. At almost $25 a pie, save your gas and money and go to a local Village Inn.
3 stars
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Salmon House on the Hill
2229 Folkestone Way
West Vancouver, BC V7S 2Y6
Canada
Companion and I arrived for dinner @7:30 and were seated immediately at Table #1 at the glass windows in front. Our bus person arrived quickly and provided glasses of water with ice. Our waiter arrived a bit later.
I started with a Caesar salad which contained fried capers, grana padano cheese, a nice dressing and very crispy bread rounds. Companion had spring rolls which were nicely cooked to a golden brown, but the dipping sauce seemed a bit odd . It contained a lot of chopped chilies and had an odd flavor instead of the usual sweet chili that is usually served.
For the main course, I had smoked sable fish. It was served with roasted Jerusalem artichokes, baby squash, baby carrots, all of which were perfectly cooked. In particular the Jerusalem artichokes were beautifully roasted. The dish had nice flavor and a good sauce. Companion ordered a Salmon trio consisting of Chinook, Sockeye, and Coho. It was served with baby carrots, baby squash, slices of pepper, and small cut potatoes. Of interest is that each type of salmon was seasoned with a different seasoning and was served over a maple glaze.
My dessert was problematic. It was described as being a green tea Panna Cota with Chantilly Cream, Matcha green tea, and fresh berries. Most of the dish was not as described on the menu. The "Panna Cota" was nothing like any Panna Cota I have ever had. It had an odd texture, and had a lack of Matcha flavor. The Chantilly Cream was nicely created, but the berries, while pretty, were so thinly sliced as to contribute no flavor to the creation, though visually, they were very nice. The cut up blackberries were disturbingly ugly and took away from the harmony of the dish. Topping the dish was a bent tuille, which had nice flavor, but did not have the crispness that a tuille should have. Companion had a Maple Walnut Tart with Caramel and Walnut gelato, topped with spun sugar, walnuts and a sliced strawberry. Companion enjoyed the dessert.
Cudo's to our bus person for excellent service. Cudo's also to the chef who cooked the fish to perfection.
Dings for the salad being cut into too large pieces to be easily eaten.
Dings for the waiter who took almost 15 minutes for our check.
Dings for no toilet paper in the ladies room.
4 stars for excellent fish, and great table busser.
West Vancouver, BC V7S 2Y6
Canada
Companion and I arrived for dinner @7:30 and were seated immediately at Table #1 at the glass windows in front. Our bus person arrived quickly and provided glasses of water with ice. Our waiter arrived a bit later.
I started with a Caesar salad which contained fried capers, grana padano cheese, a nice dressing and very crispy bread rounds. Companion had spring rolls which were nicely cooked to a golden brown, but the dipping sauce seemed a bit odd . It contained a lot of chopped chilies and had an odd flavor instead of the usual sweet chili that is usually served.
For the main course, I had smoked sable fish. It was served with roasted Jerusalem artichokes, baby squash, baby carrots, all of which were perfectly cooked. In particular the Jerusalem artichokes were beautifully roasted. The dish had nice flavor and a good sauce. Companion ordered a Salmon trio consisting of Chinook, Sockeye, and Coho. It was served with baby carrots, baby squash, slices of pepper, and small cut potatoes. Of interest is that each type of salmon was seasoned with a different seasoning and was served over a maple glaze.
My dessert was problematic. It was described as being a green tea Panna Cota with Chantilly Cream, Matcha green tea, and fresh berries. Most of the dish was not as described on the menu. The "Panna Cota" was nothing like any Panna Cota I have ever had. It had an odd texture, and had a lack of Matcha flavor. The Chantilly Cream was nicely created, but the berries, while pretty, were so thinly sliced as to contribute no flavor to the creation, though visually, they were very nice. The cut up blackberries were disturbingly ugly and took away from the harmony of the dish. Topping the dish was a bent tuille, which had nice flavor, but did not have the crispness that a tuille should have. Companion had a Maple Walnut Tart with Caramel and Walnut gelato, topped with spun sugar, walnuts and a sliced strawberry. Companion enjoyed the dessert.
Cudo's to our bus person for excellent service. Cudo's also to the chef who cooked the fish to perfection.
Dings for the salad being cut into too large pieces to be easily eaten.
Dings for the waiter who took almost 15 minutes for our check.
Dings for no toilet paper in the ladies room.
4 stars for excellent fish, and great table busser.
Friday, May 25, 2018
Pasta Brioni
4416 N Miller Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Companion and I visited this restaurant during Arizona Restaurant Week. Pasta Brioni has been in business for many years, and has had a good reputation.
We started out with an appetizer of Calamari Fritti. The calamari was properly fried and was nice and tender, though the marinara sauce was a bit watery and lacking in tomato taste. Rolls were also brought out and were served with a compound butter made with sweet butter.
Next were our salads. We both ordered the Caprese Salad, which had nice pieces of mozzarella, thick slices of tomato, and balsamic vinaigrette along with a chiffonade of basil.
For the main course, companion ordered lobster ravioli and I ordered linguini pescatore. This is where we ran into problems. The ravioli was much more al dente than it should have been, though the flavor was fine. The linguini was actually under cooked thought the seafood in it was definitely over cooked. The other problem was that the sauce was thin and watery with virtually no tomato flavor. I don't like to post about problems with food, but this was definitely in need of help and was not finished by me.
Dessert was Mascarpone Cheesecake and Flourless Chocolate Cake. Once again, I got the short end of the stick. The cheesecake had a funny flavor that I did not care for. The chocolate cake was like a big slice of chocolate fudge and is to be recommended.
Service was good as was cleanliness.
Overall, this meal was a disappointment. I can only hope that it was this meal and not a regular meal of the restaurant.
3 stars
Prado
Omni Hotel & Resorts
4949 E. Lincoln Drive
Scottsdale, AZ
In keeping with my tradition of visiting restaurants during Arizona Restaurant Week, we visited Prado. Prado is a Spanish themed restaurant located in the hotel.
Companion and I arrived at 6:30 and were promptly seated. The hotel has valet parking, however your ticket will be stamped by the restaurant which will give you free parking.
Restaurant week features a prix fixe menu which in this case was $44 per person. I started out with a roasted beet salad set with frisee greens, balsamic vinegar and some blue cheese. The beets were nicely tender and were beautifully sweet. Companion had a mini loaf of bread filled with Brie cheese and served with a lemon curd. The mixture of flavors was wonderful. We also ordered their crispy Calamari which was absolutely fabulous.
For main courses, we both ordered the Paella. Companions was cooked nicely, and mine was mush. Instead of properly cooked socarrat which is the crispy rice that should be on the bottom of a good paella, I had mushy rice and peas. The maitre d came over to our table and asked how the dinner was. I told him honestly that it was fair. He offered to take the dish back and change it for something else, which I appreciated but declined to do. However, it should be noted that he did let the chef know about this problem. Without the socarrat, paella just isn't paella regardless of how good the flavor might be.
For dessert, companion ordered the Crema Cata, which is very similar to a creme brulee. Companion pronounced it very good. For myself, I ordered the Berry Crumble, which was loaded with berries and was quite tasty with a ball of vanilla ice cream on the top.
Dings - The dining room was on the noisy side due to the bar being in the same area with a T.V. set blaring and showing a game in which many were cheering. It would be nice if there were some way to separate the bar from the dining room.
There is a guitar player in the front of the dining room trying his best to be entertaining. Unfortunately, the bass notes carry throughout the dining room but the melody is totally lost.
The restaurant is clean, and service is excellent.
4 stars for cleanliness, service, and outstanding appetizers.
4949 E. Lincoln Drive
Scottsdale, AZ
In keeping with my tradition of visiting restaurants during Arizona Restaurant Week, we visited Prado. Prado is a Spanish themed restaurant located in the hotel.
Companion and I arrived at 6:30 and were promptly seated. The hotel has valet parking, however your ticket will be stamped by the restaurant which will give you free parking.
Restaurant week features a prix fixe menu which in this case was $44 per person. I started out with a roasted beet salad set with frisee greens, balsamic vinegar and some blue cheese. The beets were nicely tender and were beautifully sweet. Companion had a mini loaf of bread filled with Brie cheese and served with a lemon curd. The mixture of flavors was wonderful. We also ordered their crispy Calamari which was absolutely fabulous.
For main courses, we both ordered the Paella. Companions was cooked nicely, and mine was mush. Instead of properly cooked socarrat which is the crispy rice that should be on the bottom of a good paella, I had mushy rice and peas. The maitre d came over to our table and asked how the dinner was. I told him honestly that it was fair. He offered to take the dish back and change it for something else, which I appreciated but declined to do. However, it should be noted that he did let the chef know about this problem. Without the socarrat, paella just isn't paella regardless of how good the flavor might be.
For dessert, companion ordered the Crema Cata, which is very similar to a creme brulee. Companion pronounced it very good. For myself, I ordered the Berry Crumble, which was loaded with berries and was quite tasty with a ball of vanilla ice cream on the top.
Dings - The dining room was on the noisy side due to the bar being in the same area with a T.V. set blaring and showing a game in which many were cheering. It would be nice if there were some way to separate the bar from the dining room.
There is a guitar player in the front of the dining room trying his best to be entertaining. Unfortunately, the bass notes carry throughout the dining room but the melody is totally lost.
The restaurant is clean, and service is excellent.
4 stars for cleanliness, service, and outstanding appetizers.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Shaanxi Garden
67 N. Dobson Road
Mesa, AZ 85201
I had heard of the noodles served at Shaanxi Garden as was anxious to give them a try. Five of us arrived at 6:00 to have dinner. Ordered for appetizers and shared were Gizzards and non-spicy Squid.
Both appetizers were covered in a grainy spice that was not very tasty. I had ordered Soybean Milk which helped to clear it from my palate.
Next was Oil Seared Noodles, which were acceptable at best. The Oil on them was not spared and served as a reminder of my having eaten them the next morning.
Another of our party who loves hot and spicy food ordered Fiery Pao Mo. He claimed that it was anything but fiery and did not finish eating the dish, stating that it had a funny flavor and had lots of granular seasoning on it.
The Biang Biang noodles were nicely cooked, but were only available in a few incarnations. The restaurant seemed to be out of many items from the menu.
As for drinks, one of our party ordered the QQ jelly, pronounced it as "OK", but did not finish it.
The venue is nicely decorated with music in the background from a live band.
Service was fair, with our waitress having a number of mix ups on orders due to language problems, though one cannot hold that against the restaurant.
The restaurant was clean and bathrooms had proper supplies and cleanliness.
3 stars for cleanliness, atmosphere and serving authentic Biang Biang noodles as advertised.
Mesa, AZ 85201
I had heard of the noodles served at Shaanxi Garden as was anxious to give them a try. Five of us arrived at 6:00 to have dinner. Ordered for appetizers and shared were Gizzards and non-spicy Squid.
Both appetizers were covered in a grainy spice that was not very tasty. I had ordered Soybean Milk which helped to clear it from my palate.
Next was Oil Seared Noodles, which were acceptable at best. The Oil on them was not spared and served as a reminder of my having eaten them the next morning.
Another of our party who loves hot and spicy food ordered Fiery Pao Mo. He claimed that it was anything but fiery and did not finish eating the dish, stating that it had a funny flavor and had lots of granular seasoning on it.
The Biang Biang noodles were nicely cooked, but were only available in a few incarnations. The restaurant seemed to be out of many items from the menu.
As for drinks, one of our party ordered the QQ jelly, pronounced it as "OK", but did not finish it.
The venue is nicely decorated with music in the background from a live band.
Service was fair, with our waitress having a number of mix ups on orders due to language problems, though one cannot hold that against the restaurant.
The restaurant was clean and bathrooms had proper supplies and cleanliness.
3 stars for cleanliness, atmosphere and serving authentic Biang Biang noodles as advertised.
Sunday, March 18, 2018
Liberty Market
Liberty Market
230 North Gilbert Road
Gilbert, Arizona
8 of us met for dinner on a Saturday at 6:00 at Liberty Market. Parking was easy in the lot behind the restaurant.
Food is ordered before you sit down, and a table is selected and prepared for your party when you pay for your meal. The line to order food was fairly long and took us almost 30 minutes of standing to place our orders.
Pizza's are made to your order ($11 - $15), as are sandwiches ($11-$16) and main course plates ($11 - $22+).
2 of our party ordered pizza, and both felt a lack of toppings and a very high price. Another ordered the grilled chicken pasta, and felt that is lacked a lot of flavor and only had a few pieces of chicken in it.
An Italian member of our group ordered the eggplant parmigiana, and felt it was well cooked and had good flavor.
One of our group ordered the pretzel twist as an appetizer, and while the flavor was acceptable, the amount of cheddar cheese dip was not.
For a dessert, I had the bread pudding, which was acceptable, but nothing great.
Considering the size of the bills (mine was $85 for 3 of us), the consensus was that while this was a novel experience it was definitely overpriced for what you got.
3 stars for acceptable food
230 North Gilbert Road
Gilbert, Arizona
8 of us met for dinner on a Saturday at 6:00 at Liberty Market. Parking was easy in the lot behind the restaurant.
Food is ordered before you sit down, and a table is selected and prepared for your party when you pay for your meal. The line to order food was fairly long and took us almost 30 minutes of standing to place our orders.
Pizza's are made to your order ($11 - $15), as are sandwiches ($11-$16) and main course plates ($11 - $22+).
2 of our party ordered pizza, and both felt a lack of toppings and a very high price. Another ordered the grilled chicken pasta, and felt that is lacked a lot of flavor and only had a few pieces of chicken in it.
An Italian member of our group ordered the eggplant parmigiana, and felt it was well cooked and had good flavor.
One of our group ordered the pretzel twist as an appetizer, and while the flavor was acceptable, the amount of cheddar cheese dip was not.
For a dessert, I had the bread pudding, which was acceptable, but nothing great.
Considering the size of the bills (mine was $85 for 3 of us), the consensus was that while this was a novel experience it was definitely overpriced for what you got.
3 stars for acceptable food
Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle - Mesa
Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle - Mesa
111 S Dobson Rd #108
Mesa, AZ 85202
After eating in Nan Zhou for the first time, I thought it must have been a fluke. The noodles were delicious, and the sauce coated the noodles nicely and evenly.
I went back with 2 more companions to compare this to my first experience. It was even better than the first time. I have since eaten numerous times in this restaurant and each time the experience has been wonderful.
Most of the time I have been ordering # 58, which is a stir fry noodle with fish balls, crab meat, shrimp and scallops. In most places you get one or two shrimp and maybe one scallop. My plate had all sorts of proteins on it including lots of nice, big shrimp. You have a choice of 4 different types of hand made noodles to go with it.
Then, we started to experiment. Companion #1 wanted Chow Fun Rice Noodles with it. No problem. They had no problem substituting the asked for noodles.
Next Companion #2 wanted it spicy. Again, no problem. While the noodles were spicy, companion wanted it more spicy. Again, no problem. They were more than happy to make it as spicy as companion wanted. I tasted companions dish, and it brought tears to my eyes, yet companion was happy.
Next time I ordered Beef stir fry with XO sauce, and again it was perfect.
We have also ordered egg rolls, which were crispy without being over done, and a green onion pancake, which was a little bit dense, but nicely made.
To control the heat, we all ordered smoothies, with companion #1 getting a combination of banana and strawberry, and companion #2 getting mango. I ordered the honeydew and it was delicious.
The restaurant is very clean, and at regular meal times is packed.
5 stars for excellent food, good service, and cleanliness
111 S Dobson Rd #108
Mesa, AZ 85202
After eating in Nan Zhou for the first time, I thought it must have been a fluke. The noodles were delicious, and the sauce coated the noodles nicely and evenly.
I went back with 2 more companions to compare this to my first experience. It was even better than the first time. I have since eaten numerous times in this restaurant and each time the experience has been wonderful.
Most of the time I have been ordering # 58, which is a stir fry noodle with fish balls, crab meat, shrimp and scallops. In most places you get one or two shrimp and maybe one scallop. My plate had all sorts of proteins on it including lots of nice, big shrimp. You have a choice of 4 different types of hand made noodles to go with it.
Then, we started to experiment. Companion #1 wanted Chow Fun Rice Noodles with it. No problem. They had no problem substituting the asked for noodles.
Next Companion #2 wanted it spicy. Again, no problem. While the noodles were spicy, companion wanted it more spicy. Again, no problem. They were more than happy to make it as spicy as companion wanted. I tasted companions dish, and it brought tears to my eyes, yet companion was happy.
Next time I ordered Beef stir fry with XO sauce, and again it was perfect.
We have also ordered egg rolls, which were crispy without being over done, and a green onion pancake, which was a little bit dense, but nicely made.
To control the heat, we all ordered smoothies, with companion #1 getting a combination of banana and strawberry, and companion #2 getting mango. I ordered the honeydew and it was delicious.
The restaurant is very clean, and at regular meal times is packed.
5 stars for excellent food, good service, and cleanliness
Thai Delight
Thai Delight
4645 E Chandler Blvd
Ste 106
Phoenix, AZ 85048
A large group of us descended on this restaurant for dinner. We all wanted to try different dishes and compare them to previous experiences.
Companion ordered Egg Rolls and received 5 of them that were crispy and filled with veggies.
Personally, I wanted to have the Mee Krob which had large pork slices and was very good.
Dishes that were ordered included Duck Curry (nicely cooked and flavored) and Tom Ka Pork soup, which was quite tasty.
One of our party ordered the #18 Platter, which was huge and had shrimp satay and wontons which were made of rolled rice paper.
Another ordered #2 which were soft rice paper rolls with shrimp, noodles and peanut sauce
Also ordered was Pad Thai which was declared to be very good.
For main courses, Drunken Noodles were ordered and were excellent but considered a bit too spicy.
Sweet and Sour Pork came in manageable pieces and was also very tasty.
The Red Curry Chicken was excellent and had nicely balanced flavors.
Another of the group ordered Pad Prik King which was very good and had a wonderful sauce.
The Panang Curry was very good, but not spicy enough for one member of our party.
Other items ordered were the Chicken Satay and the Thai Delight.
It was generally agreed that service was excellent. The restaurant was nice and clean and restrooms were properly equipped and clean.
4 stars for excellent service, excellent food, and nice atmosphere.
4645 E Chandler Blvd
Ste 106
Phoenix, AZ 85048
A large group of us descended on this restaurant for dinner. We all wanted to try different dishes and compare them to previous experiences.
Companion ordered Egg Rolls and received 5 of them that were crispy and filled with veggies.
Personally, I wanted to have the Mee Krob which had large pork slices and was very good.
Dishes that were ordered included Duck Curry (nicely cooked and flavored) and Tom Ka Pork soup, which was quite tasty.
One of our party ordered the #18 Platter, which was huge and had shrimp satay and wontons which were made of rolled rice paper.
Another ordered #2 which were soft rice paper rolls with shrimp, noodles and peanut sauce
Also ordered was Pad Thai which was declared to be very good.
For main courses, Drunken Noodles were ordered and were excellent but considered a bit too spicy.
Sweet and Sour Pork came in manageable pieces and was also very tasty.
The Red Curry Chicken was excellent and had nicely balanced flavors.
Another of the group ordered Pad Prik King which was very good and had a wonderful sauce.
The Panang Curry was very good, but not spicy enough for one member of our party.
Other items ordered were the Chicken Satay and the Thai Delight.
It was generally agreed that service was excellent. The restaurant was nice and clean and restrooms were properly equipped and clean.
4 stars for excellent service, excellent food, and nice atmosphere.
Monday, March 12, 2018
Tempe St. Lukes Hospital
No one likes being in a hospital. Unfortunately, I'm in one till I get rid of a bad infection. Here I sit in Tempe St. Luke's Hospital. As a writer and trained evaluator it was obvious to evaluate the hospital.
General - This is a relatively small hospital (86 beds) which has been modernizing over a period of time. Years ago I made the comment that I would not take my dog there to get his fleas removed, but I digress. This, fortunately is not that hospital anymore, and is now a really good, small hospital.
Emergency Room - This is where a lot of patients (myself included) enter the hospital. With much larger hospitals in the area why go here? Being a smaller hospital it has a much shorter waiting time than the big hospitals. Example - the last time I took a friend to Banner Desert the wait time in the
ER was over 6 hours. My wait time in the ER here was just under 1 hour. Score one for the small guy!
Emergency Room Personnel - All were pleasant to deal with, professional but with good senses of humor. Better yet, they actually listen to the patient and don't just do their own thing . Score two for the small guy!
At this time of year (Late November) the snow birds are arriving and all the hospitals have bed shortages, with this hospital being no different. At first, discussion was to transfer me to Phoenix St. Luke's, but I wouldn't send a flea there, and I refused. After a number of hours they were able to find a bed for me to my great relief. If nothing else, this hospital tries its best to be very accommodating.
Food Service - Good food keeps both the patients and the staff happy. Food service actually listens to its patrons and tries its best to produce tasty and eye appealing food.
Breakfast - Fortunately, the doctor ordered a regular breakfast for me, which included a hash, egg and cheese omelet, milk, coffee, and my favorite grapefruit sections. The omelet was done perfectly, which was a surprise as it was unexpected. It could have done with a bit of salsa, which I found out later I could have asked for. The hash was like nothing I have ever eaten before, a mixture of quinoa, sweet potato and some other substance that I did not even try to identify. Before you get the wrong idea, I love quinoa, with some sauteed onions and a few mushrooms it's wonderful. Someone in the kitchen tried to be creative with a new mixture and definitely failed. Best place for this item was the disposal. Perhaps one of the better items was the coffee. Not bitter, but smooth and delicious. Coffee helps keep the staff running and I'm glad they use the same formula for the patients. While my tray came with full sugar and lots of carbs, being a compliant diabetic I watch what I eat and carry my own Splenda as a sweetener, so I had no blood sugar spike from this breakfast.
Lunch was an excellent homemade tomato soup, tuna salad on a whole grain bread, cucumber salad with yogurt and sesame seed dressing (not enough yogurt), canned mandarin oranges and diet sprite. As a surprise, the person picking up my tray brought an Otis Spunkmeyer Oatmeal cookie as a snack. It may sound corny, but it's the little things that make life pleasant. When my meal was brought into my room I was informed by a melodious voice that my "sumptuous repast was ready to be eaten". Who can resist something like that? You want to eat even if you have no appetite. As a small kitchen that does not do a lot of it's own cooking, most of what comes out of it is quite good. Perhaps one of the nicest things about it is the person who delivered my meal. Pleasant with a nice smile and always a wonderful greeting to warm up the appetite. This is no 5 star restaurant, but I've eaten in many a restaurant that doesn't greet me anywhere as nicely. One more for the small guy.
Addendum - A big kudo for the food service department. After meeting with the local food nutritionist of the hospital, several beautiful changes appeared on my food tray in the morning. The addition of salsa to my omelet was outstanding. Not only did it add a lot of flavor to my eggs, but it has no salt and is safe even for those on a salt free cardiac diet. So in one simple stroke, flavor was improved and health values were maintained and even raised a small amount. While fresh fruit can't always be a menu item either due to costs or due to availability, the fresh fruit on my tray was a delightful addition. It was perfectly ripe, and for a diabetic a smart addition due to the lower glycemic index.
New suggestions based on my tray this morning were, Milk - I was given a container of skim milk. While this may follow current trends in diet, with many patients, it not only represents a repugnant flavor and texture, but is not what is found in the typical home based on govt. surveys. A switch to 2% milk will accomplish most of the goals of nutrition without the lack of flavor and texture accompanying fat free milk. For diabetics, full fat milk is an even better option, as the small amount of fat in the milk helps keep the blood sugar of the patient lower to prevent spiking.
Juice - Many doctors and nutritionists are moving away from items such as full sugar juices towards lighter fare so as to reduce the amount of sugar in the diet. As an example, almost all markets now carry juices which have only 50% of the sugar found in regular juice. Current trends among many doctors is to recommend and even campaign for lower sugar in the diet. As health care professionals isn't there a responsibility to reduce sugar where and when possible to help lower the population of potential and real diabetics. With all the actual and potential damage that diabetes does to the body, ranging from amputations to blindness, health care needs to take a front seat in helping reduce this. This change if implemented could be printed on a small piece of paper included with the meal informing the patient that because the hospital cares about its patients health and the rising epidemic of diabetes, it is implementing a lower sugar diet. I believe this would be a first for any hospital in the area and would set a wonderful trend for other hospitals to emulate. In addition, it's always nice to be a leader instead of a follower.
Housekeeping - My first big disappointment. My bathroom had no towels in it, nor was I given an admission kit or even a toothbrush and toothpaste. I had to ask my nurse for towels, etc. which is not, as far as I am aware, part of her job. The floor of my bathroom was dirty and didn't get mopped until the next day. Score one ding for the small guy.
Respiratory Therapist - A disappointment to me. My doctor in the hospital put me on oxygen for my comfort and she walked in - said the doctor didn't write it down and promptly threw it in the garbage. I was told later that she should not have done that, and the setup was restored. Had an RN done that I might not have agreed with removing it, but I would at least have respected it and discussed it with her. This was only a therapist and overstepped her level of authority. Score one ding for the small guy.
Addendum - The respiratory therapist that I had a problem with was, as I understand it, spoken with by her supervisor and reminded of her responsibilities. No more need be said about it, however it was nice that the supervisor did come to my room, made sure I had the oxygen set up the way the doctor had it for me, and made sure that I had a therapist that really knew what she was doing and was pleasant. So pleasant in fact that I actually looked forward to her visit every 4 hours.
Nurses - One of the highest points of the hospital. Every single nurse I dealt with, without exception was outstanding in their demeanor, patient interaction, and listening skills. This hospital got the cream of the crop when they hired their nurses. Much better and much more professional than the big hospitals. If there was one reason to use this hospital this is it. I just can't say enough nice things about them. They smile a lot, and that is such a pleasant thing to see. They are professional, but not a bunch of stuck ups. They discuss all medications and what possible effects they may have. Score a whole bunch for the small guy.
Lab - The lab seems to work fairly quickly however, like most hospitals they try to get blood from patients while they are sleeping, hence the term vampires. Their desire to have results for doctors when they arrive for rounds is laudatory, however it is to the detriment of the patients. Waking a sleeping patient for the convenience of the lab is just poor. With modern analysis equipment blood analysis goes so quickly that this should be unnecessary unless it is in response to a true medical emergency. Last night I told the technician to leave my room at 4 a.m. and come back later. She showed up at my request at 11 a.m. and took my blood. So far, my doctor has not shown up.
Addendum - Last night a person who no one is willing to name showed up in my room at three a.m. ostensibly to take my vitals because they need them entered within the hour. Not only did she wake me up, but the patients on either side of me were awakened and were yelling and making all sorts of noise. (both patients do that during the day too, but that is an acceptable part of being in a hospital. However, in waking patients in the middle of the night you have inadvertently placed your health care workers in a dangerous position. In today's "modern world of warfare" there are over 29,000 veterans that have PTSD plus the added load of those diagnosed with it from abuse and family situations. Many with this unfortunate disease have no control over their reactions when suddenly awakened and can and will cause harm to the one awakening them. In real life situations, having been among several with PTSD and having it myself, we found the safest way to wake them was to throw a shoe across the room. Since I'm sure the hospital does not wish to throw shoes at the patients the best course of action is to let them sleep and not try to disturb them if possible. If it is absolutely necessary to wake them, a minimum of 2 people need to be at the ready in case of a reaction. A trained person with PTSD is a very dangerous person because they will grab and use the closest thing handy to use on the person until they understand their surroundings. I have personally watched a person with PTSD pick up a heavy chair and start swinging it at a person waking them up Some of us, myself included will just wake up in a very nasty mood and yell at the person waking us, but then again, I have been through 17 years of therapy to deal with it. Most of your PTSD patients will not have anywhere near that much. This hospital has great staff, and I'm sure they want to keep them all safe. A few small changes can help that happen.
In each patient's room is a white board with a listing for Nurse's name, Doctor, Charge Nurse, and "Other Caregivers" as well as date, etc. This is another area of high points. While there was no entry for doctor on my board, the other areas were filled in including direct phone numbers to each person including the charge nurse (something that is almost like an unlisted number in every other hospital). The charge nurse is the person in charge of the entire floor, a little like the head of the complaint department, and one step below the hospital administrator.
Other Caregivers - some of the unsung hero's of the hospital. They are the ones that change the sheets when a person dirties them for any reason. They will clean up bodily messes with a smile, get items you might need, hold your hand when needed, and just be a general help and friend to all. One of the most pleasant people I have enjoyed meeting. A real asset to the hospital. Score one for the small guy.
You may have noticed that I left out the doctors. This is a very hard area to evaluate, as each persons interaction with them is different, and with varied personalities and ego's there are bound to be clashes and or interactions both pleasant and unpleasant. I was fortunate in that the doctor in the ER was pleasant and very comforting. The doctor who saw me upstairs had a totally different personality and bed manner, but was still quite nice.
General staff - I include in this area people who are maintenance, IT personnel, and the person who guards the door at the entrance and exit of the hospital. They all smile at you and greet you warmly and offer to assist in any way necessary.
This hospital runs rings around the big hospitals of the valley. I know because I have been a patient at various times in most of them. The staff, for some unknown reason does not have what I call the "God syndrome". That holier than thou attitude that every patient hates. The staff works as a well oiled team, helping each other to service the patients in the nicest and most efficient manner. At no time did I ever hear any employee say to another asking for help, that they were too busy and to call someone else. At no time did I ever hear anyone say "that's not my job". Apparently the staff has decided that every job is everyone's job. What a novel idea!
All in all, for things that aren't major life threatening like brain surgery, I'll choose this hospital every time. All hospitals have their share of problems and things that the public don't like, but this one has far fewer than usual and the nicest staff I have ever encountered.
General - This is a relatively small hospital (86 beds) which has been modernizing over a period of time. Years ago I made the comment that I would not take my dog there to get his fleas removed, but I digress. This, fortunately is not that hospital anymore, and is now a really good, small hospital.
Emergency Room - This is where a lot of patients (myself included) enter the hospital. With much larger hospitals in the area why go here? Being a smaller hospital it has a much shorter waiting time than the big hospitals. Example - the last time I took a friend to Banner Desert the wait time in the
ER was over 6 hours. My wait time in the ER here was just under 1 hour. Score one for the small guy!
Emergency Room Personnel - All were pleasant to deal with, professional but with good senses of humor. Better yet, they actually listen to the patient and don't just do their own thing . Score two for the small guy!
At this time of year (Late November) the snow birds are arriving and all the hospitals have bed shortages, with this hospital being no different. At first, discussion was to transfer me to Phoenix St. Luke's, but I wouldn't send a flea there, and I refused. After a number of hours they were able to find a bed for me to my great relief. If nothing else, this hospital tries its best to be very accommodating.
Food Service - Good food keeps both the patients and the staff happy. Food service actually listens to its patrons and tries its best to produce tasty and eye appealing food.
Breakfast - Fortunately, the doctor ordered a regular breakfast for me, which included a hash, egg and cheese omelet, milk, coffee, and my favorite grapefruit sections. The omelet was done perfectly, which was a surprise as it was unexpected. It could have done with a bit of salsa, which I found out later I could have asked for. The hash was like nothing I have ever eaten before, a mixture of quinoa, sweet potato and some other substance that I did not even try to identify. Before you get the wrong idea, I love quinoa, with some sauteed onions and a few mushrooms it's wonderful. Someone in the kitchen tried to be creative with a new mixture and definitely failed. Best place for this item was the disposal. Perhaps one of the better items was the coffee. Not bitter, but smooth and delicious. Coffee helps keep the staff running and I'm glad they use the same formula for the patients. While my tray came with full sugar and lots of carbs, being a compliant diabetic I watch what I eat and carry my own Splenda as a sweetener, so I had no blood sugar spike from this breakfast.
Lunch was an excellent homemade tomato soup, tuna salad on a whole grain bread, cucumber salad with yogurt and sesame seed dressing (not enough yogurt), canned mandarin oranges and diet sprite. As a surprise, the person picking up my tray brought an Otis Spunkmeyer Oatmeal cookie as a snack. It may sound corny, but it's the little things that make life pleasant. When my meal was brought into my room I was informed by a melodious voice that my "sumptuous repast was ready to be eaten". Who can resist something like that? You want to eat even if you have no appetite. As a small kitchen that does not do a lot of it's own cooking, most of what comes out of it is quite good. Perhaps one of the nicest things about it is the person who delivered my meal. Pleasant with a nice smile and always a wonderful greeting to warm up the appetite. This is no 5 star restaurant, but I've eaten in many a restaurant that doesn't greet me anywhere as nicely. One more for the small guy.
Addendum - A big kudo for the food service department. After meeting with the local food nutritionist of the hospital, several beautiful changes appeared on my food tray in the morning. The addition of salsa to my omelet was outstanding. Not only did it add a lot of flavor to my eggs, but it has no salt and is safe even for those on a salt free cardiac diet. So in one simple stroke, flavor was improved and health values were maintained and even raised a small amount. While fresh fruit can't always be a menu item either due to costs or due to availability, the fresh fruit on my tray was a delightful addition. It was perfectly ripe, and for a diabetic a smart addition due to the lower glycemic index.
New suggestions based on my tray this morning were, Milk - I was given a container of skim milk. While this may follow current trends in diet, with many patients, it not only represents a repugnant flavor and texture, but is not what is found in the typical home based on govt. surveys. A switch to 2% milk will accomplish most of the goals of nutrition without the lack of flavor and texture accompanying fat free milk. For diabetics, full fat milk is an even better option, as the small amount of fat in the milk helps keep the blood sugar of the patient lower to prevent spiking.
Juice - Many doctors and nutritionists are moving away from items such as full sugar juices towards lighter fare so as to reduce the amount of sugar in the diet. As an example, almost all markets now carry juices which have only 50% of the sugar found in regular juice. Current trends among many doctors is to recommend and even campaign for lower sugar in the diet. As health care professionals isn't there a responsibility to reduce sugar where and when possible to help lower the population of potential and real diabetics. With all the actual and potential damage that diabetes does to the body, ranging from amputations to blindness, health care needs to take a front seat in helping reduce this. This change if implemented could be printed on a small piece of paper included with the meal informing the patient that because the hospital cares about its patients health and the rising epidemic of diabetes, it is implementing a lower sugar diet. I believe this would be a first for any hospital in the area and would set a wonderful trend for other hospitals to emulate. In addition, it's always nice to be a leader instead of a follower.
Housekeeping - My first big disappointment. My bathroom had no towels in it, nor was I given an admission kit or even a toothbrush and toothpaste. I had to ask my nurse for towels, etc. which is not, as far as I am aware, part of her job. The floor of my bathroom was dirty and didn't get mopped until the next day. Score one ding for the small guy.
Respiratory Therapist - A disappointment to me. My doctor in the hospital put me on oxygen for my comfort and she walked in - said the doctor didn't write it down and promptly threw it in the garbage. I was told later that she should not have done that, and the setup was restored. Had an RN done that I might not have agreed with removing it, but I would at least have respected it and discussed it with her. This was only a therapist and overstepped her level of authority. Score one ding for the small guy.
Addendum - The respiratory therapist that I had a problem with was, as I understand it, spoken with by her supervisor and reminded of her responsibilities. No more need be said about it, however it was nice that the supervisor did come to my room, made sure I had the oxygen set up the way the doctor had it for me, and made sure that I had a therapist that really knew what she was doing and was pleasant. So pleasant in fact that I actually looked forward to her visit every 4 hours.
Nurses - One of the highest points of the hospital. Every single nurse I dealt with, without exception was outstanding in their demeanor, patient interaction, and listening skills. This hospital got the cream of the crop when they hired their nurses. Much better and much more professional than the big hospitals. If there was one reason to use this hospital this is it. I just can't say enough nice things about them. They smile a lot, and that is such a pleasant thing to see. They are professional, but not a bunch of stuck ups. They discuss all medications and what possible effects they may have. Score a whole bunch for the small guy.
Lab - The lab seems to work fairly quickly however, like most hospitals they try to get blood from patients while they are sleeping, hence the term vampires. Their desire to have results for doctors when they arrive for rounds is laudatory, however it is to the detriment of the patients. Waking a sleeping patient for the convenience of the lab is just poor. With modern analysis equipment blood analysis goes so quickly that this should be unnecessary unless it is in response to a true medical emergency. Last night I told the technician to leave my room at 4 a.m. and come back later. She showed up at my request at 11 a.m. and took my blood. So far, my doctor has not shown up.
Addendum - Last night a person who no one is willing to name showed up in my room at three a.m. ostensibly to take my vitals because they need them entered within the hour. Not only did she wake me up, but the patients on either side of me were awakened and were yelling and making all sorts of noise. (both patients do that during the day too, but that is an acceptable part of being in a hospital. However, in waking patients in the middle of the night you have inadvertently placed your health care workers in a dangerous position. In today's "modern world of warfare" there are over 29,000 veterans that have PTSD plus the added load of those diagnosed with it from abuse and family situations. Many with this unfortunate disease have no control over their reactions when suddenly awakened and can and will cause harm to the one awakening them. In real life situations, having been among several with PTSD and having it myself, we found the safest way to wake them was to throw a shoe across the room. Since I'm sure the hospital does not wish to throw shoes at the patients the best course of action is to let them sleep and not try to disturb them if possible. If it is absolutely necessary to wake them, a minimum of 2 people need to be at the ready in case of a reaction. A trained person with PTSD is a very dangerous person because they will grab and use the closest thing handy to use on the person until they understand their surroundings. I have personally watched a person with PTSD pick up a heavy chair and start swinging it at a person waking them up Some of us, myself included will just wake up in a very nasty mood and yell at the person waking us, but then again, I have been through 17 years of therapy to deal with it. Most of your PTSD patients will not have anywhere near that much. This hospital has great staff, and I'm sure they want to keep them all safe. A few small changes can help that happen.
In each patient's room is a white board with a listing for Nurse's name, Doctor, Charge Nurse, and "Other Caregivers" as well as date, etc. This is another area of high points. While there was no entry for doctor on my board, the other areas were filled in including direct phone numbers to each person including the charge nurse (something that is almost like an unlisted number in every other hospital). The charge nurse is the person in charge of the entire floor, a little like the head of the complaint department, and one step below the hospital administrator.
Other Caregivers - some of the unsung hero's of the hospital. They are the ones that change the sheets when a person dirties them for any reason. They will clean up bodily messes with a smile, get items you might need, hold your hand when needed, and just be a general help and friend to all. One of the most pleasant people I have enjoyed meeting. A real asset to the hospital. Score one for the small guy.
You may have noticed that I left out the doctors. This is a very hard area to evaluate, as each persons interaction with them is different, and with varied personalities and ego's there are bound to be clashes and or interactions both pleasant and unpleasant. I was fortunate in that the doctor in the ER was pleasant and very comforting. The doctor who saw me upstairs had a totally different personality and bed manner, but was still quite nice.
General staff - I include in this area people who are maintenance, IT personnel, and the person who guards the door at the entrance and exit of the hospital. They all smile at you and greet you warmly and offer to assist in any way necessary.
This hospital runs rings around the big hospitals of the valley. I know because I have been a patient at various times in most of them. The staff, for some unknown reason does not have what I call the "God syndrome". That holier than thou attitude that every patient hates. The staff works as a well oiled team, helping each other to service the patients in the nicest and most efficient manner. At no time did I ever hear any employee say to another asking for help, that they were too busy and to call someone else. At no time did I ever hear anyone say "that's not my job". Apparently the staff has decided that every job is everyone's job. What a novel idea!
All in all, for things that aren't major life threatening like brain surgery, I'll choose this hospital every time. All hospitals have their share of problems and things that the public don't like, but this one has far fewer than usual and the nicest staff I have ever encountered.
Chou's Kitchen
910 N Alma School Rd
Chandler, AZ 85224
Companion and I dropped in for dinner and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Because of health issues, companion was not able to drink any of the drinks on the menu, and the owner kindly allowed a drink to be brought in from the outside that was acceptable.
We had a minor communication problem in that we ordered soup dumplings and received a bowl of broth with dumplings swimming in it. After working out our communication, we were brought the real Shanghai soup dumplings and were told to also keep the regular dumplings at no charge.
It must be said that the regular dumplings were wonderful and the broth they were in was beautifully clear and flavorful. As for the Shanghai soup dumplings, they were just as flavorful and totally delicious. Companion also ordered spring rolls which were nice and crispy, had good flavor, and were accompanied by a nice dipping sauce.
Companion ordered the Honey Shrimp which is a standard dish in many chinese restaurants, but this was a bit different. First of all, the food was cooked perfectly and second of all, if was not the cloyingly sweet item that most places serve. The sweetness was reserved allowing for truly tasting the shrimp and the broccoli
For myself, I ordered Szechuan style Ma Po Tofu, another dish which is available in almost any Chinese restaurant. Normally it is made with tsin tsin peppers, but here was a new twist on an old dish. Heat was supplied by jalapeno peppers, and to my great surprise by real Szechuan pepper corns. For those who have not had the experience of these wonderful pepper corns, they leave your tongue and mouth a bit numb after eating them, which is a true mark of real Szechuan food.
In the U.S. most places making this dish use ground up pork, but here they use actual chunks of meltingly tender meat. This was an altogether satisfying dish.
Portions were all large and prices were quite reasonable.
4 stars for excellent food, good portion size, and being very accommodating to the customers needs.
Chandler, AZ 85224
Companion and I dropped in for dinner and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Because of health issues, companion was not able to drink any of the drinks on the menu, and the owner kindly allowed a drink to be brought in from the outside that was acceptable.
We had a minor communication problem in that we ordered soup dumplings and received a bowl of broth with dumplings swimming in it. After working out our communication, we were brought the real Shanghai soup dumplings and were told to also keep the regular dumplings at no charge.
It must be said that the regular dumplings were wonderful and the broth they were in was beautifully clear and flavorful. As for the Shanghai soup dumplings, they were just as flavorful and totally delicious. Companion also ordered spring rolls which were nice and crispy, had good flavor, and were accompanied by a nice dipping sauce.
Companion ordered the Honey Shrimp which is a standard dish in many chinese restaurants, but this was a bit different. First of all, the food was cooked perfectly and second of all, if was not the cloyingly sweet item that most places serve. The sweetness was reserved allowing for truly tasting the shrimp and the broccoli
For myself, I ordered Szechuan style Ma Po Tofu, another dish which is available in almost any Chinese restaurant. Normally it is made with tsin tsin peppers, but here was a new twist on an old dish. Heat was supplied by jalapeno peppers, and to my great surprise by real Szechuan pepper corns. For those who have not had the experience of these wonderful pepper corns, they leave your tongue and mouth a bit numb after eating them, which is a true mark of real Szechuan food.
In the U.S. most places making this dish use ground up pork, but here they use actual chunks of meltingly tender meat. This was an altogether satisfying dish.
Portions were all large and prices were quite reasonable.
4 stars for excellent food, good portion size, and being very accommodating to the customers needs.
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