Sunny's Diner

1825 E University Drive

Tempe

Companion and I decided to try this restaurant for a breakfast and were totally surprised. Sunny's has been at this location for a long time and I have passed it by probably a hundred times without stopping in.

While parking is a bit of a problem in a crowded parking lot, the inside is spacious. We were seated immediately and were offered a drink to start with. Coffee was very good and an assortment of creamers accompanied it.

The menu is huge and it takes a bit of time to peruse the entire thing, but we eventually made our choices.

I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak breakfast which came with three eggs, hash browns and English muffin {my choice}. What arrived was a huge portion. A perfectly done portion of chicken fried steak along with 3 nicely cooked eggs the way I ordered them and excellent hash browns. All items were cooked exactly the way I ordered them.

Companion ordered the Cowboy Skillet. Home Fries layered with sauteed onions, bell peppers, melted jack cheese, chicken fried steak and sausage gravy. Only complaint was that the portion was huge and could not be finished. 

Sanitation was good and service by Hailey was well above what is usual in diners.

A good place for a breakfast or lunch but bring your appetite!

5 stars for excellent food, service and sanitation. A rarity these days.

Dozo Izakaya

Dozo Izakaya
440 W. Warner Road
Tempe, 85284

The original owners have retired and the restaurant is being run by the new owners with the same menu.

It has been 8 years since my last review of this restaurant and it was time for a new review. In keeping with a proper review, I ordered most of the same things that I had the last time so that I can compare my writing from the last time.

There were 3 of us and we were seated immediately. The restaurant wasn't crowded so we could pick our table.

Companion #1 ordered milk tea and Companion #2 after tasting it also ordered it. For myself, I ordered the house green tea, which while a little cloudy had the same flavor as Ito En commercial tea.

For those who are not familiar, an Izakaya is a small restaurant that serves alcoholic beverages and mostly small plates similar to a Spanish Tapas.

Companion #1 ordered a Carburetor roll which is shrimp tempura topped with crab sticks, avocado and eel sauce. I had wanted to taste it but it was gone in a flash! Also ordered was Tako Yaki which are small cooked balls with a piece of octopus in the center. They are then sauced with Japanese mayo and eel sauce. Again, they were eaten before I could even get a taste.

Companion #2 ordered the Gyoza's which was a nice sized portion and pronounced them excellent. Also ordered was a California Roll which was pronounced delicious. I had ordered a Spicy Crunchy Tuna Roll for myself, but by the time I got to eat it, it was half gone having been eaten by Companion #2 who said it was wonderful.

For myself, I concentrated on the Yakitori menu. Skewers of Chicken Hearts, Chicken Gizzards, Chicken Skin (Cooked perfectly and crunchy) , and Chicken Wings (which were succulent). . I found myself almost in tears as the flavors brought back wonderful memories of Izakaya's in Tokyo. The Yakitori was cooked perfectly and had a nice Tare (sauce) on it. I also tried the Unagi (Fresh Water Eel) and the Saba (Mackerel) which many places over marinate and this was perfect.

Service was excellent and cleanliness was evident.

In my last review I gave them 4 stars, and the food was so good this time that I am giving 5 stars.

Lior the Baker

10953 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd

Ste 105

Scottsdale, AZ 85259

Companion and I were in the area of the bake shop and decided to give it a try. We were not disappointed in the slightest as we departed with $75 worth of baked goods. 

 We started out with several Bourekas. Small packages of flaky dough filled with cheese or mushrooms. Heaven in your fingers. 

 Next were the apple turnovers. Unlike most turnovers these were not the crunchy type but more of a pastry stuffed with seasoned apples. 

 For those who prefer a less sweet pastry, try the sesame Bourekas. Larger than the sweet ones, it is covered in sesame seeds and has a less sweet filling that is delicious. 

 While the holiday of Purim is past, you can still buy hamantaschen there filled with apricot filling.

The rugalach were amazing and if you miss old fashioned cheese danish this is where you can get them. Beautifully made and glistening with a shellacked finish of honey. 

 Of course no bakery worth is salt can skip bread, and theirs is wonderful. A lovely challah pillowy light and with wonderful flavor. Just imagine the French Toast you could make with it. 

Cleanliness is very evident and it was a pleasure to be waited upon by Lior. As an observant Jew from Israel, the shop is closed on weekends starting with late Friday, but it has enough open days to satisfy most people. It's best to get there early as many selections sell out quickly. 

 I will be returning again and again for the wonderful pastries and bread.

5 Stars

TOMASO'S ON CAMELBACK

3225 E Camelback Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85018

My companions and I arrived promptly at 6:00 and were seated immediately. The decor reminded me of many Italian restaurants in New York right down to the dress and demeanor of the waiters. 

We were offered drinks and I opted for a glass of the house Barolo which was mellow and gentle. Others decided on Stella Artois and coffee.

Our orders were taken and in reasonable time appetizers came out for those who ordered them. I had the Fritto Misto which was very young calamari, tender and nicely done. It came with shrimp and zucchini which was also breaded and fried. The shrimp was a nice size, but had a bit of a fishy flavor that I did not enjoy. It was accompanied by the house marinara sauce. Companions had Zucchini Blossoms which were stuffed with mozzarella and ricotta cheese and then deep fried. They found them to be nice.

Main courses came next. For mine I ordered the Pappardelle with short rib ragu. The ragu was excellent but the pasta was nothing like I was expecting it to be. Pappardelle mean rags, and should be hand torn or cut wide noodles in varying widths. This was uniform cut noodles with an unusual consistency and much thicker than it should have been.  Both I and another companion left the pasta on the plate but ate the ragu.

Another companion ordered the 10 layer Lasagna. While it was a large portion of pasta, the companion said  it was boring because the layers alternated between meat and cheese with no difference or counterpoint to be found in the entire portion.

Yet another companion ordered the Mixed Grill Siciliano which comes with sausage, ribeye, and a chicken breast. Companion said it was good except that they felt the sausage had too much salt in it. Tasting it myself, I found that it did have a bit of salt to it but also a lot of fennel.

Next was dessert time. One companion ordered the cannoli because on the internet it said it came with candied fruit, yet when it came, there was no candied fruit to be found. When our waiter was asked about it we were told that they never got around to changing the menu on line.

Another companion ordered the Tiramisu and enjoyed it and another ordered the Lemon Cello cake. For myself I had the Pistachio Gelato which was nice and creamy but a very large portion.

Inspection of the restrooms showed them to be immaculate and with nothing showing up under ultra violet light. 

The bill for 4 people came to $277 which with tip came to a grand total of $333.

3 stars for cleanliness and attentive wait staff. Perhaps my next review will be a bit better.

Native Grill and Wings

 7273 North 95th Avenue
Glendale, AZ 85305
(623) 877-4500

Companion and I arrived at 5:00 to meet up with a group of friends. Since we were early we decided to have a bite to eat. While this is not exactly a gourmet restaurant, being a sports bar we none the less expected normal service and reasonable food. Big mistakes on our part.

After waiting an interminable time at thew hostess station, we decided that we probably should seat ourselves. Selecting a table we seated ourselves and eventually a waitress came over for drink orders.

The menu is virtually all fast food and specializes in wings as well as pizza and sandwiches. We found a single entry for fish and chips and decided that it would be hard to mess that up. Wrong!

Our plates came out with burnt fish that was so hard that a fork could not penetrate it and fries that were flaccid. The only hope of eating the fish was to pick it up, grease and all and gnaw our way through it.

I have had fish and chips many times and this was the first time in my life that it was virtually impossible to cut it. Had our waitress stayed around we would have asked to have it recooked, but she disappeared and only reappeared after we finished the plates whereupon she asked how was the meal. We told her and she made the motions to reorder the food, but we were afraid to have another helping.

At this point I felt a need to visit the restroom. Filthy and disgusting are two words I would use to describe it. Picture attached. Paper towels all over and not cleaned. Urine on the floor and seat of the toilet, and a host of other unsavory things which I don't think should be published in this forum. 

1 star because I cannot give less that that. This restaurant needs to be visited by the health department.

Aloha Kitchen

2950 S Alma School Rd Ste 12 
Mesa, AZ 85210

Companion and I decided to drop in for a Hawaiian dinner. This is a small place that has been in the same place for many years. It has changed little over the years.

The menu is somewhat extensive and varied and has a fair amount of foods that you might get in a typical Hawaiian place on the big island.

Companion ordered the tempura shrimp and teriyaki chicken plate.

I ordered the fried shrimp and teriyaki chicken plate. As in the islands, plates come with 2 scoops of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad. 

Companion's tempura shrimp were very large and came with a dipping sauce while the chicken was all dark meat and had a small amount of teriyaki sauce on it.

My plate came with 5 decent sized fried shrimp (not all breading) and a dipping sauce for it also. As we both prefer dark meat chicken, that was a plus for us as it was nicely cooked and quite juicy.

Drinks were typical soft drinks though one could also choose from an assortment of island sodas and juices.

All orders are served on foam plates with plastic dinnerware.

Unfortunately, sanitation is not their forté. Not only does the health department not like their food handing, but to be honest, neither do I. The girls at the counter who also handle plates of food need training on how to handle food and sanitation. While we were there the girl with the black hair was observed to place her bare hands inside her pants and onto her butt cheeks. She then proceeded to remove them and serve food to another customer. This is a major violation of health code.

4 stars for decent food and nice portions, but deducting 1 star for poor sanitation.

Cholla Prime Steakhouse eval #2

We had reservations for 5:30 and were seated immediately. We were brought a basket of house baked bread and an amuse of a piece of steak.

Our meal began with an appetizer of slow smoked pork belly with a maple, honey and brown sugar glaze. As with the last time, it was excellent.

Between courses we were brought small glasses with a ball of raspberry sherbert as a palate cleanser.

Companion ordered the New York Strip Steak medium with sauteed mushrooms and garlic mashed potatoes. It was pronounced delicious. 

For myself, I ordered the rib steak (which was perfectly cooked), sauteed spinach w/garlic, and to share at the table a fresh off the cob corn casserole in a fennel cream and onion sauce which is to die for.

Topping off the meal was a chocolate cake with caramel sauce for companion and a creme brulee for myself along with a glass of  Grahams Port to wash it all down.

What an excellent dinner this was. If anything, the food has gotten even better since  my last review.

5 stars for excellent food, good service, good cleanliness.

Cocina Madrigal

Cocina Madrigal
4044 S 16th St 
Phoenix, AZ 85040

Companion and I had an early dinner here. We made reservations for 4:00 and when we arrived we managed to get the only parking space still free. Our reservation time was honored and we were seated immediately.

We were brought chips and dips right away and the salsa was so good i took a pint of it home with me. We also tried the habanero salsa which was well made and almost fruity in flavor but not in heat. This was the start of a really good meal.

Because we were driving, companion ordered a virgin margarita. This was the first one and was followed by another.

We ordered our main courses. Companion ordered the Al Pastor Tacos. While they are really good, next time companion will order them as lettuce cups to keep down the carbs.

For myself, I ordered the Al Pastor Burrito. I have seen babies that were smaller than my burrito! It was absolutely delicious but I could not finish it and took half of it home. While the rice was nothing exceptional the beans were first rate - toothy and with nice flavor and a sprinkle of cotija cheese on top.

Service was first rate. As a person who has reviewed restaurants around the world, I am used to good service, but this was truly exceptional. Servers literally ran from table to table taking care of customers. Our server Gabriella was fantastic. She was right there with anything we needed. I should mention that our food came out from the kitchen beautifully hot. It was obvious that it had just been made and was not sitting under heat lamps.

5 stars for outstanding food and service. Highly recommended.

Harlows Cafe

1021 W University

Tempe, 85281

Companion and I went for breakfast at Harlows Cafe early one morning and were surprised to find that it was packed. I've been in many other places for breakfast and they don't usually get so full at opening time, but this was an exception.

After perusing the menu, our wait person took our order. 

We started with cups of steaming hot delicious coffee. Everyone serves coffee, and a lot of it is bitter and poor, but this was really good. In addition, without having to ask for it we also were brought glasses of ice water.

Companion ordered a "short stack" of blueberry pancakes. I place it in quotes because their short stack was bigger than many regular stacks that have been served to me. It came with a cruette of maple syrup.

To say that these were terrific is an understatement. Loads of  big blueberries in a nice matrix of pancake.

Companion was not able to finish the plate!

I ordered Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast, alias SOS. It has been many years since I last had it and to be honest, this brought back memories of when I was a lot younger. Slightly salty in a nice cream sauce served over slices of toast with hash browns I almost had tears in my eyes.

The decoration of the place is very old fashioned with wood paneling on the walls and old time pictures hanging. Looking around at the others eating, revealed lots of people over 40 scarfing down big breakfasts. As soon as someone got up from their table, it was bussed, reset and another person sat down to enjoy a great breakfast.

Companion and I will be back again to try other items on the menu. This could easily become one of my favorite places to eat at.

Cleanliness was apparent and service was very good.

5 stars for excellent food, good service, and cleanliness.