Sunday, June 24, 2018

June 21, 2018 - Beijing Noodle House - Mesa, Arizona

My bridge partner, Janet Hastings and I enjoyed a good afternoon at the bridge table.  To celebratewe stopped at the Beijing Noodle House on our way home.  This was the first vsiit for both of us.


Janet and I both ordered a Vegetable Spring Roll – tiny fried  spring stuffed with a carrot, cabbage, shitake mushroom caps, bamboo sprout, bean sprouts, graded ginger and garlic…served with a plum sauce…very good…hot…right out of the fryer.





Janet ordered the Pork Cabbage Buns -  pork, shredded cabbge, carrot strips,scallions, ginger and garlic mixture…inside a steamed dumpling which was so soft and fluffy…very tasty.
I ordered the Signature Buns – rou jia mo – Chinese hand held snack – bitsof chopped pork, cilantro and green peppers.  Wok-fried with a soy-based gravy piled onto a wheat flour bun. The buns was fluffy and fresh.



Pork Cabbage Buns




Signature Buns

I really enjoyed everything that we ordered.





This was our chop sticks setting.  I liked the touch.


Beijing Noodle House
1440 S. Country Club Drive
Mesa, Arizona
(480) 699-9619
Hours:  Daily 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m

June 19, 2018 - Raging Bull - Mesa, Arizona

This new restaurant/bar opened up rcently close to my house in Mesa.  They just added breakfast to their day.  I stopped for breakfast...my first visit. 

I ordered the Country Fried Steak…huge meal…the meat, scrambled eggs, fried cube potato pieces and four huge pieces of rye toast.  I am choosy about my gravy....this gravy tasted just like home.  The potatoes were crisp and hot.  The rye toast was thick…all for $8.75…I am going to return…service was excellent.


Raging Bull
155 S. Power Road
Mesa, Arizona 85206
(480) 912-4211
Hours:  Sunday – Thursday 6:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.
             Friday – Saturday 6:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

June 14, 2018 - La Madeleine French Bakery and Café - Gilbert, Arizona


I visited with Janet Hastings on June 14, 2018 after a bridge game in Sun Lakes. Janet and I each ordered the Salade Sampler(a choice of three salads.  We each ordered two salads and a cup of soup.) Janet ordered the Cranberry and Pecan Wild Field – sweet dried ccranberries, toasted pecans and field greens tossed in balsamic vinegar.

Both of us chose the Strawberry and Bacon Spinach – fresh strawberries, crisp bacon, sliced mushrooms, toasted pecans, red bell pepper and fresh spinach tossed  in balsamic vinegar.

I chose their Original Caesar for my second salad – crisp romaine, homemade croutons, fresh shredded parmesan and their homemade Caesar dressing.

Both of us ordered a cup of French Onion Soup in place of the third salad.  I didn’t care for it because it wasn’t what I like for French Onion Soup…I want my onion broth covered with a slice of baguette and covered with soup…and baked.

I will visit again because there are other items I want to try but I am never ordering the French Onion Soup again.



La Madeleine French Bakery and Café
2156 E. Williams Field Road #101
Gilbert, Arizona 85296
(480) 485-8490
Hours:  Open Daily 6:30 a.m. – 10:00p.m.

Saturday, June 16, 2018

June 3, 2018 - The Herb Box - DC Ranch - Scottsdale, Arizona

My two grandsons, Judson and Jonah..celebrated my 70th birthday this morning with brunch at The Herb Box.  I have wanted to try this restaurant for a long time.  So it was a double bonus!


I ordered the Bourbon-Ginger Brioche…crème fraiche, bourbon-ginger peach topping and served with bacon.  It was different.…the brioche was like slices of a pound cake…anyway it was heavy..but it tasted good.



Jonah ordered the Cheese and Chicken Quesada .  Judson ordered the Chiquesa Verde – egg, Cotija, Jack Cheese, Pulled Pork and Tomatillo Verde



The Herb Box
20707 N. Pima Road
Scottsdale, Arizona
(480) 289-6180
Hours:  Monday – Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
             Friday – Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
             Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00p.m.

Saturday, June 9, 2018

May 28, 2018 - Matt's Big Breakfast - Phoenix, Arizona

I met my cousins Dan and Nannette Ellis at Matt's for breakfast.  I ordered the stack of three pancakes…served with maple syrup…delicious!  My only complaint was that it cost $1.50 to get a second little cup of syrup.  There’s no way anyone can eat that many pancakes with so little syrup but I will get over it.


Matt’s Big Breakfast
825 N. 1st Street
Phoenix, Arizona
(602) 254-1074
Hours:  Daily 6:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.