August 9, 2016 - Moreno's Mexican Grill - Mesa, Arizona

We have a new restaurant in our neighborhood.  I thought I would try the food for the first time this afternoon...on my way to play duplicate bridge.  The monsoon moved in...and pounded on us.  I was happy to be inside.

I have watched these people over the last few months renovate a store front in the mall just south of Main Street.  I was excited to see that they were open for business.

I ordered the Crab Relleno – mostly because my server said to try something with their creamy sauce…so I did.  Fresh roasted green chile stuffed with crab meat and topped with the creamy sauce.  Served with rice and beans.

The chips were served with three small bowls of sauce…my favorite was the green sauce but this was different from any green sauce that I have ever eaten.  It took me a couple of bites to get used to it…sweet…garlicy.  The red sauce was blended…and once again didn’t have a really hot taste to it…neither did. The third was a blended refried bean sauce.  It was okay but not one of my favorites.

The stuffed green chile was tasty.  It was stuffed and then I feel that it was deep fried.  Even the stem was battered and tasted very good…it was yummy.  I did like the creamy sauce, too. It was a light…but not white sauce with cilantro in it. It gave the whole plate a different taste. It was a different type of Mexican food but I liked it.  I will be returning for a bite to eat.  Lots on the menu that I want to taste.

Moreno’s Mexican Grill

6819 E. Main Street

Mesa, AZ 85207

(480) 807-3093

August 7, 2016 - Sunnyside Breakfast Lounge - Mesa, Arizona

I visited by myself on August 7, 2016.  I ordered the Biscuits (home rolled) and Gravy.  It came with Home Fries..and I asked if I could substitute with one scrambled egg..and they said yes…and it was very good…huge order.  The biscuits were soft…the gravy had a gelled look but it wasn’t and tasted differently but I can’t identify the taste…must be a spice. I also ordered a Bloody Mary..and it was delicious.

I will go back for another meal.  It was a very good experience.  It's good to have one more breakfast spot in Mesa.

Sunnyside Breakfast Lounge

2823 N. Power Road, Suite 101

Mesa, AZ 85215

(480) 832-9696

Hours:  7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  Daily

Sunnysidebreakfastlounge.com

August 4-5, 2016 Cameron Trading Post Restaurant - Cameron, Arizona

My grandson, Judson Hayes and I stayed at the Cameron Trading Post on our 2-day Road Trip.  This trading post is located on the Navajo Reservation in northern Arizona.

I ate two meals in the restaurant.  Dinner with Judson Hayes on August 4, 2016.  I ordered the Navajo Beef Stew with Fry Bread. I had a really good meal.  A blend of beef cubes, potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion.  Served with Navajo Fry Bread.  Mine was a huge piece of fry-bread…just like I want my fry bread…big and fluffy – with thick, thick dough.  They use only Blue Bird Flour to make the Fry Bread.  “Grandma will tell you, it’s the only way.”

Judson ordered the Burrito…a huge burrito, huge portion of refried beans and rice but he didn’t eat much.  He said the ground beef in the burrito was too greasy…he showed me and it was…as if no one drained the ground beef after cooking it.

 I ate breakfast by myself on the morning of August 5, 2016 while Judson spent time on his “beauty sleep”.  Ya’at’eeh abini!  (Good Morning!)

I had my first blue corn pancake with scrambled eggs and crispy bacon for breakfast.  The pancake was huge…and had a sweet taste to it.  Loved it.  Nizhoni! (Beautiful!)

We spent time there in the year of the 100 year Celebration. Here is the history of the Cameron Trading Post:

A Swayback suspension bridge...

was erected over the Little Colorado River in 1911 creating the first easy access over the gorge. Soon after, two brothers, Hubert and C.D. Richardson established Cameron Trading Post, visited at that time only by the Navajo and Hopi locals to barter their wool, blankets, and live-stock for dry goods.

A trip to the post to trade could take days of travel by horse-drawn wagon. Guests were always treated as family, fed and housed by the trading post during their stay. As traders, the brothers were more than merchants. Understanding local dialects and customs, they were trusted by the local Native American people in matters concerning confusing new American legal and social systems. Over time as roads improved and interest in the area grew, The Cameron Trading Post's convenience to the Grand Canyon and other intriguing areas made it popular for other travelers as well. Cameron’s philosophy of hospitality accommodated these changes while maintaining its role in the local community.

Cameron Trading Post has existed for nearly a century and the people who work here have done so for generations. The president of the company is himself descended from the original founders, maintaining the philosophy of hospitality and respect evident in the operation of 

August 4, 2016 - Lumberyard Brewing Co. - Flagstaff, Arizona

I visited with Judson Hayes.  He ordered the Brew House Cheeseburger with onion rings.  I ordered the Patty Melt with onion rings. My Patty Melt won’t even make the ‘best list” because the bread was too thick and was toasted but not on the grill…this made the bread thick and dry….and it took a lot away from the taste.

I didn't taste Judson's burger but he said that it was good.  He liked it.

The onion rings were good.  Judson's were bigger and crisper than mine.  But we liked them.

Lumberyard Brewing Co.

5 S. San Francisco Street

Flagstaff, Arizona 86001

928-779-2739 

Owners Winne and Even Hanseth left their jobs as a computer programmer and mechanical engineer and headed home to Arizona.   They opened Beaver Street Brewery in downtown Flagstaff.  In 2010 – one block away from the BSB they restored one of the standing buildings from Flagstaff’s lumber era and created Lumberjack Brewery Co.