Valley Plaza Tempe Food Truck Festival

Valley Plaza Tempe Food Truck Festival                                                                                2/21/2016

3115 S. McClintock Drive

Tempe, AZ  85282

I arrived at the festival at about 5:30. A large crowd of ASU students had shown up, and were queued at each vendor.

I started with Aioli Burger. On the good side, they cooked my burger (white truffle swiss burger) medium rare as I had asked for. Also on the good side, the burger was of a good size, had good flavor, was juicy and was on a nice bun. However, all is not necessarily good in whoville. The first ding was that there is no price list to be found anywhere – not on their web site nor on the truck nor on any sign near the truck. Patrons have no idea what they are paying for anything, and the vendor is able to change prices at will. The second ding was that when you present a credit card, they present you with a portable screen on which are listed various tip amounts. Only upon reading through the screen did one see the small print that said “No Tip”. Tips are for service rendered, and after 18 years of this type of work, I’ve yet to understand why some people just put their hands out and expect a tip for taking an order and nothing else. There is also a large tip jar on the counter which people were stuffing with bills. Personally, I just don’t understand this.  

Unfortunately, tables were not exactly in excess, and most people either ate in their cars or standing up. The ding for this is upon the organizers, who should have made sure that more than 4 tables were available for a crowd this size.

Next was Cousins Maine Lobster. At $17 for a lobster roll, it was a bit exorbitant and I didn’t have my banker with me to foot a loan. I only saw 3 people in the line for this truck. In speaking to people in the area, it was almost unanimous that they were way overpriced. Currently, fresh lobster is going for $11.95 a pound locally, and I’m quite sure the rolls did not contain a pound of lobster on them. On the plus side, they had their prices posted prominently on a large electronic screen for all to see.

Right next door was Kick’s Frozen Yogurt. It seemed a bit redundant to have their truck there when the actual physical location of Kick’s is in the same shopping center. Unlike most of the other vendors, they only take Visa and Mastercard. Kick’s had a selection of flavors available.

Continuing around, I next came to Modern Tortilla. They had a good sized sign out front with the prices on it, albeit in small, but readable printing. Polling those who were eating there, most of the people were enjoying the food and felt that it was properly priced. In fact, a number of people felt that it was actually a cheap place to eat at. Portion sizes were nice, and while I did not have room to actually taste it, it smelled quite good.

Last but certainly not least was Bang Bang Dumpling, a truck that came in at the last minute when Bites Donuts was not able to attend.

A small menu was posted outside with some of the prices, however, more food was available than was on the menu, causing people to have to ask prices or worse, ordering food without being aware of how much they were spending. While I only was able to speak to 5 people who had the food from this truck, they all liked the flavors, but felt the portion size was a bit on the skimpy side.

The trucks certainly attracted a good crowd from ASU, and I certainly hope they will continue in the future, but please – post your prices as well as what credit cards you accept. The customer behind me in line wanted to pay with cash and was actually worried that they might not accept it!

3 stars for a good effort.

Salt Cellar

Salt Cellar

550 N Hayden Rd.

Scottsdale, AZ 85257

Companion and I arrived for a 5:00 dinner reservation just a bit early. We were asked to wait in the bar, which would not have been a problem except that every seat was already taken with people waiting. After a short wait, we were seated at our table.

The bar waitress arrived quickly and took our drink order – 20 year old port for myself and a pink squirrel for companion. The port was a Graham and was excellent, and companion loved the pink squirrel. It is notable that the bar has a large stock of premium single malts, ports, and other spirits. Best of all, they have a bartender that has knowledge of what is being served and knows what he/she is doing.

We started our dinner with a bowl of chowder – Manhattan for companion and New England for myself. The chowder had lots of chubby clams and potatoes in it, and instead of being thick and goopy (is that even a word?) it had a nicer, thinner texture that was very enjoyable.

Next came an order of Steamed Mussels. They were satisfactory except that many of the shells did not have a mussel in them. Our waitress made things right very quickly by bringing us a steaming hot new order to replace those. The mussels were cooked perfectly and came with a broth and a melted butter cruet to dip them in. Best of all, the mussels were totally clean with not a drop of foreign material in them.

On with the salad, perhaps the only weak point in the meal. Two problems presented themselves – first was that the salad itself was either torn into small pieces that were hard to get on the fork, and other pieces were too big to be put in ones mouth without being cut up. The second problem was that we selected the house vinaigrette, which just really wasn’t to my personal taste. Not wanting to be a complainer, I ate the salad and accepted it as part of the experience.

The main course arrived next – baked stuffed lobster. Each lobster was stuffed with a mixture of crab meat and scallops, then covered in bread crumbs and baked. The lobsters are smaller ones – about 1 ¼ pounds I would guess, but after the appetizers and the salad they were more than adequate. The lobsters come with a candle heater with drawn butter in it. I prefer a good salt butter to eat with my seafood, and somehow, miraculously, a small packet of Maldon Sea Salt appeared from my purse to help with the butter. The lobster was delicious and nicely cooked. Our waitress, when serving it took the hard parts apart for us so the eating it was simple and non-messy.

Our only unfortunate part of the evening was that we were seated next to a buffoon cardiologist that insisted on recounting his latest surgery experiences to his table in loud enough tones that the entire dining room found out about his sutures. I did not allow that to affect my appetite though.

Service and cleanliness were excellent as was the food.

5 Stars

Couscous Express - CLOSED

Couscous Express

1915 E. McDowell Road

Phoenix, AZ  85006

                                                                                

This restaurant has been reviewed by Zagat’s and others, and unless this was an off night the restaurant is not deserving of some of the praise that has been given it.

I was looking forward to eating at this restaurant. I and two companions arrived for dinner at 6:00 on a Saturday night. Parking is difficult at the restaurant and we ended up parking next door.

The decor was reminiscent of a typical place in Morocco, with wall hangings and hookah's along with lots of pillows being the main decorations. We were seated immediately and were promptly brought some very nice mint tea that was heavily sweetened. The tea was also available unsweetened.

After a very short wait, we were brought bowls of fava bean soup. The soup was a bit spicy, with notes of onion, cardamom, cinnamon and possibly a touch of clove. The spice didn't come into play until after it had been swallowed, when the slow burn started in the back of one's throat. Companion #2 could not eat the soup because of the amount of heat. No other soup was offered to her.

Next came a dish of two homemade pita's which seemed to be made of whole wheat and were unlike any other pita I had ever had. Each one was approximately 1 inch thick. Along with the pita's came a plate of hummus. The hummus had the usual flavors of garlic and possibly tahini, but it also had some other spices added to it that changed its character totally from the familiar to the unfamiliar. It was o.k. as hummus goes, but the smooth, creaminess that I crave in a good hummus was missing, and was replaced with a grittiness that was not to my liking.

The owner came over and asked what we wanted to order. We had no menus and none were offered, so we told him to surprise us. This was a mistake on our part.

After a reasonable time, a tagine was brought out with veggies and some lamb along with a dish of couscous. The lamb, what there was of it, was flavorful and nicely cooked. However, at least half of it was bone. We did not bother to complain because we figured that there would be other dishes coming out and we would not be going away hungry. Another mistake on our part.

The owner certainly surprised us by not having another dish to serve to us. He claimed that there was 1.5 pounds of lamb in the dish. I claim that there was.5 pounds of bone in the dish. On top of that, he claimed that this dish was our entire dinner and there was nothing more coming out of the kitchen.

We asked about dessert, hoping that it would help us all fill up. We were brought a plate of small rope like pastries that appeared to have been fried, then coated in a light semi-sweet sauce and covered in sesame seeds. Each of us took one to eat, and we unanimously agreed that they were inedible.

We asked for our bill, and at $56.00 were startled at the cost, especially since we were all still hungry. Companion 1 said she wished she had stayed home.

A $5 tip was left.

2 stars for flavorful food, no star for service, and no star for portion size.

Oasis Bakery & Cuisine

1639 E Apache Blvd

Tempe, AZ 85281

Companion and I arrived for dinner and were promptly seated. Entry is through a small parking lot in the rear, and is easily missed.

The restaurant has two rooms, one with regular tables, and one in which guests are able to sit on the floor.

We started out with a plate of hummus (4.99). Startlingly smooth and beautifully not over spiced, this was to portend the start of a really good dinner.

For main courses we ordered Mandi Meat (Roasted Lamb w/basmati rice 13.99) , Zerban Meat (Lamb w/raisins, nuts, potatoes in a tomato based sauce 13.99), Falafel 5.99, and Areekah (Bread w/dates, honey, and cream 7.99)

The portions were large, and the lamb was cooked perfectly with wonderful flavors. The Areekah served as our dessert, and is almost addicting to eat. Once you start, you cannot stop.

Our only disappointment was with Falafel. It was on the dry side and was obviously made from a mix rather than fresh fava beans.

All this also came with complimentary salad with two types of dressings available and on the plate.

To be honest, this is going to become one of my new must eat at places because the food is so very good.

It is also worth noting that they also serve a breakfast menu which includes Shakshuka, which is a must have middle eastern dish of eggs cooked in a tomato base with spices. I personally cook this at home, and have never found any place that cooked it in the U.S.

I highly recommend this restaurant for a wonderful experience of eating middle eastern food.

4 stars for cleanliness, portion size, and wonderful flavors.

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Tom's BBQ - Country Club

1140 S Country Club Dr
Mesa, AZ 85210

This review applies only to this location. Two of the Tom's BBQ places are owned by the father, and two are owned by the son. This location is owned by the son.

Companion and I arrived for lunch. Companion ordered the chicken sandwich, jalapeno mac and cheese, a brownie, and a drink.

I ordered a burnt end sandwich, cole slaw, and a drink.

Our first problem was that unlike the fathers locations the sons do not accept Amex. One would expect that in a chain using the same name the same rules would apply. We found a table and in due course our food arrived.

Companion's chicken was overcooked and dry. Some of it was left behind as being unpalatable. Next was the mac and cheese. Unfortunately, it too was way overcooked with the noodles being just mush. It was taken home in the hopes that refrigerating it might firm it up and at least allow it to be deep fried. The brownie was the highlight of the meal, being a nice portion of cake with an excellent chocolate flavor and texture.

My burnt ends lived up to their name and were truly burnt. Having eaten burnt ends in many places before, I was familiar with what they were supposed to be, and the burnt refers to being seasoned and cooked twice. They are not usually dry and/or actually burnt. I ended up covering them in BBQ sauce so that I could get them down. The cole slaw was excellent and seemed to be the same recipe used in the other stores.

The restaurant was reasonably clean and the restrooms (which are quite unusual) were properly stocked and reasonably clean.

I was fairly disappointed on this occasion as I have eaten at other Tom's and never  had food like this.

Two stars for a reasonably clean experience and a great brownie.

Tom's BBQ - Baseline Road

115 E Baseline Rd
Tempe, AZ 85283

This review applies only to this location. Two of the Tom's BBQ places are owned by the father, and two are owned by the son. This location is owned by the father.

Companion and I have dined at this location a number of times, and we usually order the same thing each time.

Companion orders the chicken sandwich, jalapeno mac and cheese, a brownie and a drink.

I usually order rib tips, cole slaw, and a drink. We have never been disappointed.

Companion's chicken was moist, and filled the entire bun. The Mac and Cheese had perfectly cooked al dente noodles with loads of cheese on them. The brownie was moist and perfectly chewy and chocolatey.

I order my rib tips without sauce as I prefer to taste the meat with just a little sauce in the background, and they always perfectly oblige my wishes. Their cole slaw is hard to beat; creamy and crunchy with excellent flavor.

Staff is always friendly and most helpful. They take all credit cards including Amex.

At the risk of sounding prejudiced, this is my go to place for BBQ, and I do eat there fairly regularly. It is clean and relatively quiet. At holiday time you can have them smoke your turkey for you at a very reasonable price. 

My only wish is that they would have smoked lamb. I once had a sandwich of it and thought I went to heaven, but that was some time ago.

4 stars for cleanliness, good food, nice sized portions, and wonderful customer service.

Tampopo Ramen

3223 S. McClintock Drive

Tempe

Companion and I had lunch at this new restaurant. Having lived in Tokyo for a while, I am more than slightly familiar with ramen shops. Good tasting, filling, steaming hot bowls of wonderful noodles with all sorts of accompaniments, being loudly slurped down by satisfied customers.

Tampopo has one of 10 imported noodle machines in the U.S. and one can immediately tell the difference between their noodles and everyone else’s. The noodles have a definite toothy character to them and a distinct flavor that is exactly like one is back in Tokyo. This was the start of a wonderful bowl.

We started off with two appetizers. First was Takoyaki – small batter balls with a bit of octopus in the center, covered in what appeared to be unagi sauce along with bonito flakes on top. The only thing missing was a bit of Japanese mayonnaise which is usually found on Takoyaki served in Japan. Second was a Hirata Bun which is a steamed bun filled with pork, a few veggies, and mayo. Unfortunately the mayo had been mixed with what I think was a large amount of Togarashi spice and was all but inedible for both of us. This was very un-Japanese.

Next was the ramen bowls. Companion ordered the standard Tonkatsu ramen which comes with a slice of roast pork, a medium soft boiled egg, black wood fungus, bean sprouts, scallions, and sesame seeds.

Companion loved the ramen, and found the egg to be perfectly cooked to a soft but not runny stage. There was so much food in the bowl that companion could not finish it.

For myself, I ordered the same dish but made with the rich broth which is more concentrated than the regular. I also ordered Kakuni (braised pork belly) which is served on a separate plate as well as Kae-Dama which is an extra portion of noodles. The idea is that you finish the items in your bowl but save most of the broth. Then you add the Kae-Dama portion of noodles to it and you have a second bowl of ramen though minus the extra ingredients.

In honesty, I could have done without the Kae-Dama as my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I ended up not finishing my bowl. About the only thing missing from the establishment that you get in Japan is the loud slurping of the soup.

We also tried the Japanese cream melon soda. It was delicious and should not be missed.

The restaurant was spotlessly clean. For those who might think that this is just a fad, it is worth noting that most of the customers were of oriental origin and really seemed to enjoy the food.

Service was quick and excellent with our waiter providing commentary when needed.

This is one restaurant that will be getting a lot more of my personal business as it brought back memories and flavors from living in Japan. Highly recommended

4 stars for cleanliness, service, and quality and quantity of food