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.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
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
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Not Your Typical Deli
3821 E Baseline Rd
Ste J-140
Gilbert, AZ 85234
This is one of the most unusual and wonderful deli's that I have had the pleasure of eating at. Let's start with the food. Almost everything is made in house. Even the pastrami and corned beef are made in house. One of the things that I enjoyed the most is that the food, while very tasty, is not over seasoned. This means that you will not get heartburn from an over seasoned pastrami.
The two chef's are both fully trained and create some of the fantastic flavors that their food has. Example - they have created their own white BBQ sauce. (Welcome to Alabama!) The sauce is fantastic and I only which they would bottle and sell it because I would be buying it by the gallon.
I had the pastrami on rye, which was a huge sandwich with mustard and a pickle and chips. It was so good! I would have liked to bring half of it home, but to be honest I finished the entire thing at the table.
Companion ordered a salad that easily could have fed 2 people. It came in a huge bowl and there was so much that the left over was taken home and made a full meal.
Their drink assortment has the usual variety along with some drinks that I have never seen before.
Their bakers work at night producing some wonderful fresh baked goods. I had a huge apple pie cookie that was absolutely delicious. Companion had the biggest chocolate chip cookie I have ever seen, and it too, was delicious.
They also have a small selection of full sized pies. I purchased a lemon chess pie (which I have not seen in many years) that was taken home and was perfect with a homemade crust.
Perhaps one of the very nicest things about this business is that they support those who are on the autism spectrum by hiring them. Fully 80% of the staff are in some way developmentally disabled and and their smiles and willingness to chat if asked is refreshing and may bring tears to your eyes.
The location is on the back side of a mall and not the easiest to find, but is well worth the energy to hunt it down.
The staff keeps it immaculately clean and is very friendly and helpful.
The restaurant has only been open for about 10 months and already has a nice following. I don't usually ask this, but if you are in the neighborhood please patronize this restaurant which is trying so hard to help these people have a job. I know I will be.
5 stars for excellent food, excellent service, and wonderful people trying as hard as they can to help each other.
Ste J-140
Gilbert, AZ 85234
This is one of the most unusual and wonderful deli's that I have had the pleasure of eating at. Let's start with the food. Almost everything is made in house. Even the pastrami and corned beef are made in house. One of the things that I enjoyed the most is that the food, while very tasty, is not over seasoned. This means that you will not get heartburn from an over seasoned pastrami.
The two chef's are both fully trained and create some of the fantastic flavors that their food has. Example - they have created their own white BBQ sauce. (Welcome to Alabama!) The sauce is fantastic and I only which they would bottle and sell it because I would be buying it by the gallon.
I had the pastrami on rye, which was a huge sandwich with mustard and a pickle and chips. It was so good! I would have liked to bring half of it home, but to be honest I finished the entire thing at the table.
Companion ordered a salad that easily could have fed 2 people. It came in a huge bowl and there was so much that the left over was taken home and made a full meal.
Their drink assortment has the usual variety along with some drinks that I have never seen before.
Their bakers work at night producing some wonderful fresh baked goods. I had a huge apple pie cookie that was absolutely delicious. Companion had the biggest chocolate chip cookie I have ever seen, and it too, was delicious.
They also have a small selection of full sized pies. I purchased a lemon chess pie (which I have not seen in many years) that was taken home and was perfect with a homemade crust.
Perhaps one of the very nicest things about this business is that they support those who are on the autism spectrum by hiring them. Fully 80% of the staff are in some way developmentally disabled and and their smiles and willingness to chat if asked is refreshing and may bring tears to your eyes.
The location is on the back side of a mall and not the easiest to find, but is well worth the energy to hunt it down.
The staff keeps it immaculately clean and is very friendly and helpful.
The restaurant has only been open for about 10 months and already has a nice following. I don't usually ask this, but if you are in the neighborhood please patronize this restaurant which is trying so hard to help these people have a job. I know I will be.
5 stars for excellent food, excellent service, and wonderful people trying as hard as they can to help each other.
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Spinelli's Pizza
420 S Mill Ave
Tempe, AZ 85281
This is a preliminary review of Spinelli's Pizzeria in that it only involves their delivery service and items ordered online for delivery to the house. To be fair, this restaurant will be reviewed again in person at a future time and the rating may change at that time.
One of the things that attracted me to this restaurant is that they will deliver until the wee hours of the morning. They don't shut down until 5 a.m.
The best cheesesteaks I have eaten are in Philly, so I ordered a Cheesesteak Stromboli for myself and a regular Cheesesteak Sandwich for companion.
The cheesesteak sandwich is served on a roll imported from Philly, and can be had with a choice of 3 different cheeses. Veggies are optional but not charged for.
The Stromboli reminds me of a calzone in that the fillings are inside of a stretched piece of pizza dough. Again, veggies are optional but available at no additional charge.
At $10.50 for a normal Stromboli and $19.50 for a large, the prices seemed a bit steep, but a good sandwich or Stromboli can be worth the money.
I ordered our sandwiches, keeping in mind that the restaurant posts that delivery takes between 45 minutes and an hour. Two hours later our food had not yet arrived. I called the restaurant to inquire about our order and they said it would be ready to sent to us in about thirty minutes. Almost three hours went by before our order came. Not exactly one hour service, and the food was lukewarm. Putting it in the oven for about 15 minutes helped immeasurably with the flavor.
The sandwiches were of fair size and quality, but in my opinion nothing special. Perhaps eating in the restaurant will reveal a different experience.
I must admit I was not very impressed by the service or the quality of the sandwiches. I can't remember ever having take out take three hours to arrive. We felt that $33.83 for 2 sandwiches delivered to the house was a bit steep.
2 Stars for delivering until 5 a.m.
Tempe, AZ 85281
This is a preliminary review of Spinelli's Pizzeria in that it only involves their delivery service and items ordered online for delivery to the house. To be fair, this restaurant will be reviewed again in person at a future time and the rating may change at that time.
One of the things that attracted me to this restaurant is that they will deliver until the wee hours of the morning. They don't shut down until 5 a.m.
The best cheesesteaks I have eaten are in Philly, so I ordered a Cheesesteak Stromboli for myself and a regular Cheesesteak Sandwich for companion.
The cheesesteak sandwich is served on a roll imported from Philly, and can be had with a choice of 3 different cheeses. Veggies are optional but not charged for.
The Stromboli reminds me of a calzone in that the fillings are inside of a stretched piece of pizza dough. Again, veggies are optional but available at no additional charge.
At $10.50 for a normal Stromboli and $19.50 for a large, the prices seemed a bit steep, but a good sandwich or Stromboli can be worth the money.
I ordered our sandwiches, keeping in mind that the restaurant posts that delivery takes between 45 minutes and an hour. Two hours later our food had not yet arrived. I called the restaurant to inquire about our order and they said it would be ready to sent to us in about thirty minutes. Almost three hours went by before our order came. Not exactly one hour service, and the food was lukewarm. Putting it in the oven for about 15 minutes helped immeasurably with the flavor.
The sandwiches were of fair size and quality, but in my opinion nothing special. Perhaps eating in the restaurant will reveal a different experience.
I must admit I was not very impressed by the service or the quality of the sandwiches. I can't remember ever having take out take three hours to arrive. We felt that $33.83 for 2 sandwiches delivered to the house was a bit steep.
2 Stars for delivering until 5 a.m.
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Rodizio Grill
Taking advantage of Arizona Restaurant Week, we went to the Rodizio Grill in Mesa. We were a few minutes early for a 6:00 reservation, so we sat outside on a bench while they got our table ready for us. Restaurant week is an opportunity to dine at reduced prices at local restaurants. While our price was $33 for each person, which is about the normal price for a meal, they added at no cost an alcoholic beverage or complimentary house special soft drink as well as dessert at no extra cost.
For those who have never had Rodizio, it is a Brazilian style dinner. It starts off with an unlimited very nice salad bar which was stocked with some very different salads as well as some hot dishes. Available were items like Beef Stroganoff, Feijoada (traditional Brazilian stew), Mozzarella salad, Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato salad, and lots more. However, if you fill up on the salad bar you will not have room left for the main attraction, the "Meats".
Among the meats served were - Picanha Top Sirloin (A lean, juicy cut of beef with a mild and sophisticated flavor), Bife Com Alho (Tender steak basted in garlic seasonings), Maminha Seasoned Tri Tip Sirloin, Miolo da Paleta (Beef Center Cut Skirt Steak), Whole Sirloin, Frango Com Bacon
(Lean, juicy chicken breast wrapped in bacon), Frango Agri-Doce (Sweet and spicy chicken), Sobre Coxa (Marinated & Seasoned Chicken), Coração (Grilled tender chicken hearts), Linguiça, (Brazilian sausage), Lombo Com Queijo (A tender cut of pork, served with parmesan cheese- and bacon, Presunto (Ham), Cordeiro (Boneless leg of Lamb), as well as others that I cannot recall.
On your table is a small rectangular block with one end painted green and the other end painted red. When the green end is up it mean you want more food, and gauchos will circulate in your area with food on long swords and large knives. They will cut off as much meat as you wish each time one of them comes by. There were so many of them in the area that we had to turn our block to red for a while until we could finish what was already on our plates. Then we turned the block back to green and the Gaucho's started coming around with more meat. Because of the way the meat is cooked, you can ask for any degree of doneness and it will usually be available.
The steak with garlic was particularly memorable as was the chicken wrapped in bacon, the ham, and the lamb. We all had seconds and or thirds of these meats, plus the regular portions of the other meats.
The only way to properly describe this restaurant is as a Carnivore's Delight. One of our party was a true carnivore and probably ate several pounds of meat.
When you lay your block sideways on the table it signifies that you are ready for dessert.
Dings - only one - there are two types of waiters and waitresses on the floor. The meat waiters, who did a terrific job of keeping our plates well stocked, and the service waitresses. Our service waitress was a disaster waiting to happen. She made our meal drag on because she could not be found and was so very slow.
Bathrooms were nice and clean and properly stocked.
3 stars for cleanliness and quality of food.
For those who have never had Rodizio, it is a Brazilian style dinner. It starts off with an unlimited very nice salad bar which was stocked with some very different salads as well as some hot dishes. Available were items like Beef Stroganoff, Feijoada (traditional Brazilian stew), Mozzarella salad, Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato salad, and lots more. However, if you fill up on the salad bar you will not have room left for the main attraction, the "Meats".
Among the meats served were - Picanha Top Sirloin (A lean, juicy cut of beef with a mild and sophisticated flavor), Bife Com Alho (Tender steak basted in garlic seasonings), Maminha Seasoned Tri Tip Sirloin, Miolo da Paleta (Beef Center Cut Skirt Steak), Whole Sirloin, Frango Com Bacon
(Lean, juicy chicken breast wrapped in bacon), Frango Agri-Doce (Sweet and spicy chicken), Sobre Coxa (Marinated & Seasoned Chicken), Coração (Grilled tender chicken hearts), Linguiça, (Brazilian sausage), Lombo Com Queijo (A tender cut of pork, served with parmesan cheese- and bacon, Presunto (Ham), Cordeiro (Boneless leg of Lamb), as well as others that I cannot recall.
On your table is a small rectangular block with one end painted green and the other end painted red. When the green end is up it mean you want more food, and gauchos will circulate in your area with food on long swords and large knives. They will cut off as much meat as you wish each time one of them comes by. There were so many of them in the area that we had to turn our block to red for a while until we could finish what was already on our plates. Then we turned the block back to green and the Gaucho's started coming around with more meat. Because of the way the meat is cooked, you can ask for any degree of doneness and it will usually be available.
The steak with garlic was particularly memorable as was the chicken wrapped in bacon, the ham, and the lamb. We all had seconds and or thirds of these meats, plus the regular portions of the other meats.
The only way to properly describe this restaurant is as a Carnivore's Delight. One of our party was a true carnivore and probably ate several pounds of meat.
When you lay your block sideways on the table it signifies that you are ready for dessert.
Dings - only one - there are two types of waiters and waitresses on the floor. The meat waiters, who did a terrific job of keeping our plates well stocked, and the service waitresses. Our service waitress was a disaster waiting to happen. She made our meal drag on because she could not be found and was so very slow.
Bathrooms were nice and clean and properly stocked.
3 stars for cleanliness and quality of food.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Mora Italian - second review
Mora Italian
5651 N 7th St
Phoenix, AZ 85014
This is my second review of Mora Italian. Our group had a 7:00 reservation and were promptly seated. Two of us started off with a Sangria Mora. A nice, light way to start the meal.
We again ordered the bread cart and everyone enjoyed it immensely. Next was the Salume and Cheese platter. It not only had some excellent salume and cheeses, but also had some wonderful chutney with toasted almonds as well as an excellent fig jam. The highlight of the platter was a small pile of thin sliced Iberico Prosciutto, which many consider to be the finest in the world and which I would not dispute.
Next came the Frito Misto and the Octopus. The Frito Misto is served with a squeeze of lemon which is perfect with it and the Octopus is so tender that one cuts it with the side of a fork instead of with a knife. Our waiter suggested that we try a new dish that was just put on the menu - Mussels. They were truly amazing - sweet, tender and swimming in a sauce that was so good that I soaked bread in it and took it home with me!
The Burrata was, to be honest just fair, and could have done with a nice drizzle of good olive oil on it, but the Gnudi were obviously made in heaven and transported to our table. If I were on death row my last meal would be a double portion of the Gnudi.
We ordered the chef's signature dish which is the Pomodoro Spaghetti. The pasta was very obviously hand made and the pomodoro sauce was absolutely wonderful with just a hint of spice added to it.
We also ordered a Margherita and a Soppressata pizza, but were too full to eat them and instead took them home.
Service was excellent, as was cleanliness. If nothing else, a visit to the bathroom is an essential visit, as they are like nothing I have ever seen anywhere else. Each person has their own, private, individual bathroom!
New items ordered this time were the Mussels, the Salume, and the Spaghetti Pomodoro.
Dings - same as last time - the music is much too loud, often drowning out conversation at the table and requiring the waiter to repeat things for us.
5 Stars
5651 N 7th St
Phoenix, AZ 85014
This is my second review of Mora Italian. Our group had a 7:00 reservation and were promptly seated. Two of us started off with a Sangria Mora. A nice, light way to start the meal.
We again ordered the bread cart and everyone enjoyed it immensely. Next was the Salume and Cheese platter. It not only had some excellent salume and cheeses, but also had some wonderful chutney with toasted almonds as well as an excellent fig jam. The highlight of the platter was a small pile of thin sliced Iberico Prosciutto, which many consider to be the finest in the world and which I would not dispute.
Next came the Frito Misto and the Octopus. The Frito Misto is served with a squeeze of lemon which is perfect with it and the Octopus is so tender that one cuts it with the side of a fork instead of with a knife. Our waiter suggested that we try a new dish that was just put on the menu - Mussels. They were truly amazing - sweet, tender and swimming in a sauce that was so good that I soaked bread in it and took it home with me!
The Burrata was, to be honest just fair, and could have done with a nice drizzle of good olive oil on it, but the Gnudi were obviously made in heaven and transported to our table. If I were on death row my last meal would be a double portion of the Gnudi.
We ordered the chef's signature dish which is the Pomodoro Spaghetti. The pasta was very obviously hand made and the pomodoro sauce was absolutely wonderful with just a hint of spice added to it.
We also ordered a Margherita and a Soppressata pizza, but were too full to eat them and instead took them home.
Service was excellent, as was cleanliness. If nothing else, a visit to the bathroom is an essential visit, as they are like nothing I have ever seen anywhere else. Each person has their own, private, individual bathroom!
New items ordered this time were the Mussels, the Salume, and the Spaghetti Pomodoro.
Dings - same as last time - the music is much too loud, often drowning out conversation at the table and requiring the waiter to repeat things for us.
5 Stars
Monday, March 6, 2017
The Habit Burger Grill
The Habit Burger Grill
1817 E Guadalupe Rd
Ste 102
Tempe, AZ 85283
Companion and I were in the mood for burgers for lunch and decided to try a new place. We were promptly greeted from behind the counter with a nice big smile and a cheery hello.
We both ordered the #2 Double Char ($8.15) which includes fries and a drink. Companion added cheese and bacon to his sandwich. I asked for well done fries.
They have a drink bar where you can select whatever you like to drink. This was the first place I have ever seen that has pomegranate lemonade, which was a real treat.
We found seats and loaded up on napkins as well as ketchup for the fries and some salt. Unlike many burger places they do not season their fries, which I prefer to the usual salt shower used in some places.
In due time our burgers were brought out. Big, juicy burgers that oozed when you picked it up. The fries were excellent, and crunched when I bit into them. It was nice to get my food made my way instead of being what they thought I would want.
Companion’s burger was loaded with bacon and had cheese dripping off of it. Neither of us minded getting our hands a bit soiled eating such a big, excellent burger.
The place was spotlessly clean and a member of the crew even came by to make sure our lunch met our satisfaction.
The menu had quite a number of selections on it all of which were at an excellent price point. I’m already planning my next trip there to have the Tri-Tip Steak or the Portabella Char.
Dings - only one - they only cook their burgers medium or well done, and I prefer mine rare or medium rare.
4 stars
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