Andreoli's Italian Grocer

8880 E Via Linda 
Scottsdale, AZ 85258

We went to Andreoli's for lunch today and as far as I am concerned, I had lunch in Calabria! Only thing missing was a bocce ball court.
The place is small, but it is made up for with the food and wonderful service.
I ordered a Porchetta Sandwich and companion ordered an Antipasto Plate. We were given a nice table in the middle of the room, and shortly after sitting down next to a large party all speaking Italian, we were brought a small but exceedingly delicious basket of bread and some nice olive oil to dip it in. Mind you that I have eaten in Italian restaurants all around the world, and a lot of them don't even think of giving you a bread basket.
The Porchetta was perfect, and came on a homemade Italian Bread petite loaf that was divine. Also on the plate as a lovely fresh green salad which had  oak leaf, red leaf, arugula, and other greens with a very homemade oil and vinegar dressing that was perfect.
Companions plate was a beautiful combination of several assorted meats and cheeses as well as a number of other items and was pronounced delicious.
The restaurant is stocked with true Italian products, as they are just about all written with Italian instructions! Hard to find items such as small buckets of Lupini beans and Anchovies in hot spices as well as many types of pastas adorn the shelves. They also carry a number of fresh made and frozen pastas which are made on the premises. Among items in the cold cases were homemade Coppa as well as homemade Pancetta. Among the dessert case are wonderful cakes including a magnificent Pistachio cake like no other that I have ever seen.
While the decor is not the most romantic, it is more than made up for with the wonderful food and the excellent service. Sanitation was excellent with tables being bussed as soon as the diners left.
I want to go back as soon as tomorrow to try some of the other items they make such as their Pasta dishes with homemade sauces, and their legendary Pizza. I'd also like to try their Carpaccio as well as their fresh made Burrata.
The easiest 5 stars I have ever given out!

I'm almost afraid to post this review because I'd love to keep this place quiet and all to myself.

Opa Life Greek Cafe

227 E Baseline Road

Tempe, AZ  85283

We arrived for dinner without reservations at 5:30. While the restaurant was busy, they had an available table. Every table outside was taken and most of those inside were also, especially one with a party of  about 16.

Our waiter was Christian, and he was terrific. A whirlwind on his feet, almost running from table to table.

We started with appetizers. I had the Avgolemono soup which I can only describe as comfort in a bowl. One of my companions had the Calamari which was nicely cooked with very light  breading. Another companion ordered the Tzatziki which came with a nice portion of fresh pitas to dip in it. 

Main courses came next with one of my companions ordering the meat lovers wrap (Gyro meat, Grilled Chicken, Bacon, and assorted veggies in a tomato basil wrap). Another companion ordered the Garlic Shrimp Pasta (A garlic lovers dream). For myself, I ordered a half order of  Souvlaki lamb with a Greek salad. Probably the best Greek salad I have eaten and the lamb done to perfection.

We decided to share desserts. First was the Baklava Cheesecake. My considered guess is that it was somewhere near 8000 calories, but it was magnificent. Next was Loukoumades (deep fried donut holes with vanilla bean ice cream, cinnamon, honey, whipped cream, fresh strawberries, chopped walnuts and another 8000 calories!)

Our waiter kept our glasses topped off, and was there for our every need. I have eaten in much more expensive restaurants with much worse service. He is a gem!

The premises are clean, crowded, and yet service is great.

5 stars for great food, great service, and cleanliness.

Highly Recommended

Benihana

3025 W Chandler Blvd
Chandler, AZ 85226

Our reservation was for 6:30 and was honored on time. The restaurant was full and was very noisy. Our table was in the very back and we were told that it was not a table that is usually used. We found the area temperature to be quite cold and asked to have it turned up. After a while a somewhat disheveled manager with his tie in all directions except the correct one showed up and said he turned the temp up.

 

Orders were taken and that was the last we saw of our wait person for some time. He eventually showed up and told us that he had to check out another table which took a long time. Salads were brought, all exactly the same with a dollop of unidentifiable dressing on top and the bottom swimming in water.

After an unknown span of time, the show started, with the first thing being that our cook forgot to bring eggs and had to ask for someone to bring them to him. 

Appetizers were brought from the kitchn for those who ordered them. I ordered the soft shell crab, and it was nicely cooked though the dipping sauce could have used a bit of thought in its preparation. Companion ordered gyoza's, which showed up just at the same time as the main course. The other companions ordered tempura and sushi all of which arrived at the exact same time requiring the rest of us to move our plates over to make room for the burgeoning load of dishes.]

There did not seem to be any order or direction to how the meals were cooked. It appeared that the cooking of the chicken fried rice was of great importance while main courses waited. The cook tried too chat with us but the place was so noisy that it was often difficult to hear what he had to say. Two of the people at our table should not have been allowed in according to the "official" dress code of Benihana. The man came to the table in a sweat shirt and pants and the lady insisted on playing loud games on her phone. If your going to have rules than enforce them of get rid of them.

My main course was the spicy shrimp. They were nicely cooked and came with 2 pieces of pepper and that is all. The rice which I had ordered never came and was never served.

Companion ordered the Steak Yakisoba, and was the last to be served at the table. It wasn't even started cooking until everyone else was served.

After the entire table of 8 was finished our cook served an appetizer as well as a pile of onions and mushrooms to everyone. It seemed a bit out of order, since we were all mostly finished eating and the appetizer shows up!

Finally, we were offered dessert of ice cream or sherbert. This was one of the highlights of the meal.

Inspection of the bathrooms showed them to be badly in need of attention and cleaning. Sanitation at our table left a bit to be desired as plates were not bussed until there were piles of them.

To say that I was disappointed in the dinner is putting it mildly. This was a birthday celebration which turned into a partial disaster. When I spend $240 for dinner for 4 I expect a lot better than I got.

2 stars and that's all.

Koreatown - 3rd Review

Koreatown
1832 W Broadway Rd.
Mesa, AZ 85202

I am so happy to report that Koreatown has done a complete turn around as well as an all new interior. It is now set up for Korean BBQ with tables being able to cook their own food. The decor is outstanding, and the food has improved so very much.

Companion and I came to eat Korean Fried Chicken, and were not in the slightest disappointed. A large pile of succulent, crackling fried chicken pieces perfectly cooked. We ordered half with garlic and half with gochujang and were not in the slightest disappointed. Wonderful flavors assailed our taste buds. 

Our banchan was up to usual standards with the Daikon as usual being terrific as well as the Kimchi. New items have been added to the banchan and were a welcome invitation to nibble.

Our drinks were not on the menu, but were produced upon our asking - Barley and Corn water, which is wonderful with the rest of the meal.

Our meal was excellent and of course, we will be returning to try the new BBQ menu. The owner informs me that they are bringing on a third chef and will be redoing the menu, removing non popular items and perhaps offering some new items as well.

The place was spotless, well lit, and well ventilated so that the smoke from the BBQ was removed immediately.

The turnaround is so complete that I have re-evaluated my thoughts and am taking them back up to 5 stars for the best Korean Fried Chicken I have ever eaten. 

Great food, Great Cleanliness, Pleasant people. 

Highly Recommended

The Keg - 2nd Review

The Keg - 2nd Review

23 S. McClintock Drive

Tempe, AZ  85281

The Keg was last reviewed by me on 12/22/2016. My review at that time was mixed with the service being good and the food review being mixed.

I returned to The Keg on 12/20/2021 and reviewed it again. In all honesty, I can't say I saw any improvement and if anything, it has gone downhill.

We were seated immediately and our waitress came over after a bit of time and gave her introduction. We informed her that this was a birthday celebration to which she gave a perfunctory nod and promptly forgot about it.

Companion and I ordered the garlic shrimp to start. It was served in an escargot dish and had more cheese than any other seasoning on it. On the plus side it arrived still sizzling on the plate.

We next both ordered the bone in rib steak, which is usually noted for its fine flavor and texture. The steak would pass as USDA grade good, but certainly not choice. The seasoning was spot on, mne was served blue, and not close to rare as I had ordered it.

We also ordered the cream corn for two, which had excellent flavor and a little spice from chile's. My personal preference would have been a thicker sauce or a bit less of it, however, that is my personal preference. Unfortunately, it came with the appetizer and had to be sent back to be remade for the main dish. I am not sure if it was actually remade or was reheated and served again.

My dish came with fresh vegetables, which unlike the last time I visited were a vast improvement in flavor and freshness.

Unfortunately, our waitress was in dire need of training. I had to call the manager over to clear the table because no one else would clear it. Our waitress came to our table and said she would get us refills, but it was late in the meal before they showed up.

Next was dessert, or lack thereof. Companion ordered the Billy Miner Pie, which is a signature dessert of The Keg chain. The waitress came back and told us that they were out of their signature dessert. I ordered carrot cake. The waitress came back and told us that they were out of carrot cake. In frustration, I asked what they did have and was offered creme brulee. The creme brulee was properly made, but would have been so much nicer with the addition of some berries as many high end restaurants serve theirs.Alas, no berries were to be found.

We asked for our check, and the first one to arrive was $159.00. When it was questioned, the waitress took it to the manager who took off the two desserts. Next, we reminded her that this was a birthday and back again to the manager to take off the cost of one dinner. After perusing the new bill, we found that the rib steak which is on the menu for $45.00 was marked up to $54.00. There was no notice on the menu or from the waitress that the price of the steak was higher even though it was on the menu at a lower price. Yet another trip to the manager reduced the price of the steaks to $45.00. Final bill was $87.56.

Dings - First and foremost our waitress Destiny should not be allowed to wait on customers. In all my years as a critic I have never had such poor service.

Second, the restaurant needs to find a new meat purveyor. Either they are trying to pass off lower grade steaks as high end, or the meat purveyor is not giving them what they think they are getting.

Cudos - Unlike many other steak houses they give you a real steak knife (not serrated) to cut your meat with. Unfortunately, the steak knife is placed on the butter plate and the butter knife is with the fork and spoon.

3 stars bordering on 2 stars

Chen's Noodle House

1043 E Lemon St

Tempe, AZ 85281

Companion and I had a yearning for real szechuan food and we selected this restaurant. A small place almost hidden and in the middle of housing for Arizona State University.

We were seated immediately and the first thing I noticed was that we were the only yuán yǎn (round eye) people in the place. This is a good thing because if asian people are eating here the food must be good.

It was time to start ordering. We ordered duck in house sauce Shanghai style to start. It was spiced with 5 spice powder and while I liked it companion thought it had too much 5 spice on it.  Next came real kung pao chicken made with real Szechwan pepper. As my tongue became numb I found myself truly enjoying this dish along with guizhou pickled chili fried rice. It was delicious and reminded me of food I ate in China.

Next were chicken skewers and lamb skewers which were scalding hot but quite tasty. We followed this up with Chinese cured pork belly with garlic. Thin succulent pieces of pork mixed with leeks, onions, green peppers and garlic. We both loved this dish. 

Last was home style tofu. Triangles of extra firm tofu in a house sauce. This was the only dish that we both rated as fair. We agreed we would have preferred a bit more flavor in it, though the texture was quite nice.

They also have a number of American style Chinese dishes available, but why would someone come to an authentic Szechuan restaurant to eat American Chinese food?

The lady who served out table was wonderful and made helpful suggestions. While the place may be small, it was friendly and comfortable and our server kept coming back to check on us to see if there was anything else we needed. 

While most people won't order all that we did (since I'm writing about the place), the prices are reasonable and fair.

5 stars for outstanding food, cleanliness and comfort.

Bell' Italia Pizzeria

4909 E Chandler Blvd
Phoenix, Az  85048

This evening I ate at Bell' Italia Pizza on Chandler Blvd. It's a tiny place with huge flavors. 

First, they brought out homemade bread with a dish of olive oil and balsamic with a touch of fresh pepper. I could have easily made a meal just out of the bread. Chewy with great texture we finished off 2 baskets of it.

Companion ordered the small Supreme Pizza. When it came, it was loaded with toppings.

For myself, I wanted to try the clam pizza but I also wanted a main course. The wait person brought me a single slice of the pizza and the rest was put in a box to take home. The crust was a true New York style crust and the pizza was loaded with little chubby clams and garlic.

My main course was Linguine with Clam Sauce, and it was unusual in that instead of the usual chopped canned clams this was made with  whole baby clams and lots of garlic.

People kept coming in for take out orders and one was a huge 24" pizza that could have fed a small army. 

Dessert was mini cannoli and light as a feather Tiramisu, both of which were wonderful.

If you are in the area give them a try. You won't regret it.

5 stars for excellent food, and nice atmosphere..