October 13, 2026 - Alessia's - Mesa, Arizona

 This is an update of my March 12, 2017 post on this restaurant

I visited this restaurant during my brother-in-law's Birthday Mystery Tour.   The three of us went to the

                   Arizona Baseball Museum
                   2395 N. Horne
                   Mesa, Arizona 85203
                   (480) 835-2286
                   Hours:  Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Check in and pay for the admission at the admission desk in the Mesa Historical Museum (north bldg.)
Admission:  $7 Adult; $5 Senior (60+), $5 Military; $4 Youth (6-17), Free – children 5 and under.

The Museum is excellent.  All three of us love baseball so it was especially interesting to us.  Brought back a lot of memories from our youth.

After we had lunch at Alessia's.  There menu has been expanded.  They also have a changed in hours.

We started with warm bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping sauce…wonderful.

Jeanne ordered the Half Pasta – Half Salad  -  Insalata Gorgonzola which was fresh and looked delicious…lot of bacon on top – Half Pasta  - two meatballs with penne pasta.

 Willie ordered the Half Pasta – Half Salad – Insalata Caesar – Lasagna.  His salad was also just beautiful.  His lasagna was excellent.  Not served like a lasagna everyone would recognize.

I ordered the Stangola….sausage, onions, mushrooms, paprika and parmesan….I chose risotto instead of pasta…delicious!

Dessert:  Limoncello Mascarpone Cream Cake – it was light and delicious (we had toyed with the ides of going to Pacino’s for their Limoncello Cake…but this one was very good.  I have to go back eight more times to some of the other desserts that look beautiful.

Alessia’s Ristorante Italino
5251 E. Brown Road
Mesa, Arizona 85202
(480) 396-2888
Hours:  11:00 AM – 9:30 PM  Monday – Saturday
              Sunday 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  (hours updated on 10/13/2026)

June 6, 2026 - Pepper Mill Steakhouse - Tempe, Arizona

 The Hayes Family took me out to dinner to celebrate my 78th birthday.

We tried this steakhouse for the first time.

 Starters - Wood Fired Bone Marrow

Bacon jam, herb pesto, green apple chimichurri , black garlic puree, grilled house-made bread.  I have eaten this once before tonight.  This was excellent…two huge bones.  We ate it with grilled house-made bread which was also very tasty.  I could have just made that my dinner.

                                                                   Wood Fired Bone Marrow

 Sweet and Sour Calamari

Tempura batter, tossed in lemon pepper, served with spicy Pomo sauce…these were very good but when you had just eaten the calamari at High Tide last weekend…these were a very distant second to them.  They are my absolute favorite.   I didn’t really care for the sauce.  (Pomo is a Nigerian food made from processed cow skin.  It is widely consumed across Nigeria and is commonly used in soups, stews, and street food dishes.  (Pomo is knows for its chewy texture and ability to absorb the flavor of spices and sauces during cooking.)  I thought I could taste tomato as the base.  I am not a big tomato base person.  I am pretty sure that it was made in a food processor.  I should have asked them when I was there.

 I think both Jody and I would have loved to have tried the Lobster Corn Dogs

Cornmeal-fried lobster corn dogs with truffle honey mustard, but they were not on the menu.  Drat!

Entrees:

 Steak & Frits Au Poivre

Grilled flat iron steak, butter garlic shallots, au poivre sauce. paired with frits – Jonah and I shared this…and it was one of the best tasting steaks that I have eaten in a long time.  It didn’t say how long it had been aged.  It just melted in my mouth.  The taste of the Au Poivre was such a compliment to the great tasting steak.  The fries were also outstanding.  I was a happy girl.

 Bacon-Wrapped Filet

10 oz Filet wrapped in bacon, smoked blue cheese, fig jam, balsamic glaze paired with whipped potatoes and asparagus  - shared by Joshua and Jody.  It also looked tender and perfectly handled by the kitchen.

Jonah and I were debating about whether it was going to be the Steak & Frits Au Poivre or the

Fire Roasted Ribeye
20 oz Ribeye served with 1000-layer potato, horseradish cream, and bone marrow sauce.

I told Jonah that he would have to eat 15 ounces of that steak because there was no way I could eat 10 ounces. 

Au poivre sauce is a rich, creamy, and intensely savory French pan sauce. It is defined by a bold, aromatic heat from crushed peppercorns, a sweet warmth from Cognac or brandy, and a luscious, savory depth from reduced beef stock and cream.

 Need I say….there was no room for dessert.  Thank you, Joshua, Jody and Jonah for a fabulous 78^th birthday dinner.  

Pepper Mill
7660 S. McClintock Dr.
Suite 104
Tempe, AZ  85284
(480) 590-6755
Hours:  Tuesday – Thursday 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM
             Friday – 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM
             Saturday 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
             Sunday 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
             Monday  - Closed

Apirl 23, 2026 - Beeline Cafe - Payson, Arizona

 Sylvia and I are back on the road.  We drove to Payson...then Pine...then Strawberry and up north until we saw the sign to FR300.  We turned onto the road.  We spent the next 3 hours driving 45 miles.  Yes, we drove the Mogollon Rim.  This is something I have wanted to do forever.

It was a beautiful day..and a beautiful drive.  We didn't do any side trips.   There are times that I wish that we had but I am not complaining.

We left my house  a litte before 7:00 AM.  We were headed for Payson.  We had already decided we were going to have breakfast at the Beeline Cafe.

We both ordered the Bacon and Eggs…Sylvia did order toast without any butter.
 
I ordered my eggs over medium,,,crispy bacon and crispy hash browns…with rye toast.  My order came out perfect…just as ordered.  What a nice way to start our trip.   We both agreed that it was the perfect breakfast.

I have driven by this cafe many times since my move to Arizona 11 years ago...but the last time we decided that if a trip ever took us through Payson, we were stopping.  I am so happy that we did.

Beeline Café
815 S. Beeline Hwy
Payson, AZ 85541
(928 474-9960
Hours:  5:00 AM – 3:00 PM Daily
Only takes cash without a charge for using a credit card, etc.

There were a lot of signs throughout the restaurant.  My two favorite were in the ladies room.

March 22, 2026 - The Americano - Scottsdale, Arizona

 The Hayes Family celebrated my youngest grandso Jonah's 16th birthday at this fairly new restaruant in Scottsdale.

Starters – Freshly Shucked Oysters – served with a chianti mignonette and lemon.  (Jonah loves oysters.)

 Entrees: 
 
Jonah ordered the Wagyu Beef Tortellini – with black truffles and cheese.
Jody ordered the 10 oz. Iberico Pork Pluma – with chimichurri sauce and roasted garlic.
Joshua ordered the Faroe island Salmon with butternut squash caponata – zucchini pesto and basil.

Judy ordered the Campanelle Ala Vodka – crispy pancetta, stracciatella in a garlic, tomato, vodka sauce.  She thought it was too spicy.

Dave ordered the Stuffed Pappardelle served with wild mushroom – bechamel – black truffle – spinach and Italian sausage.  (He thought he was getting a stuffed mushroom....nope!)

 I ordered the Steak Frites – prime skirt steak with garlic fries and a creamy peppercorn sauce.  I was also served a small salad with shaved parmesan cheese. (This was unexpected…but I liked it.)

 They served Jonah a dish of ice cream with a birthday candle and birthday greetings.  Then all of us did a forks around after ordering a blueberry cheesecake and a warm pistachio butter cake served with mulled cherries and cannoli ice cream. ( I loved the pistachio butter cake.)

 Everything was delicious. The service was excellent.  The décor was lovely.  I especially loved their overhead lighting fixtures.

We sat close to the open kitchen.  I loved watching the expediter at work.  The  plus -  I was able to see what everything looked like as it came out of the kitchen.  I wanted to see one of their Tomahawk Steaks which served two people.  At the very end one came out and it was huge.

The Americano
17797 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
(480) 573-0001
Hours:  Daily  4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Complimentary Valet Parking Available
Self-Parking in the adjacent lot.

March 12, 2026 - Crown King Saloon and Cafe - Crown King, Arizona

 My friend, Sylvia and I spent the day driving by 4-wheel drive to the old mining town of Crown King, Arizona.  It isn't quite a ghost town because 100 residents live there.   We were in the Bradshaw Mountains...and stopped at Bumble Bee and Creator.  It was a very beautiful sunny day.  Great day for a drive and a new adventure.

We decided to have lunch at the Crown King Saloon and Cafe.

Sylvia ordered the Bacon Burger with Cheddar Cheese and Fries…

I ordered the Cheeseburger with Fries…I chose Swiss Cheese…and it was  served on a big, soft hamburger bun.

The perfect burger.  I don’t like those ones that are so big, no one is able to take a big bite.  This burger was just like the old days.  I loved it.

Crown King Saloon and Café
7219 Main Street
Crown King, AZ 86343
(928) 632-7053
Hours:  Wednesday – Monday 11:00 a.m. – till close
              Tuesday – closed

The Crown King Saloon and Eatery

The Floor Looked Original To Us

The Door To The Ladies Room

My Favorite Sign

January 29, 2026 - Saddle Bronc Grill - Fountain Hills, Arizona

 My friend Sylvia and I spent the day in which we drove to Payson, Arizona.  There we found the Navajo County Sheriff's Posse Trail Ride - Pony Express on its second to the last day of their ride to Scottsdale, Arizona.  There the group rides in their parade and celebrates the history of the Pony Express.

We followed them along Hwy#87 heading south to Fountain Hills.  We stopped many times and took pictures of them.  Sylvia also took pictures as we drove along with them.  We stopped several times at the site where the on the ground crews were located.  We visited with them...asked the all of questions...and learned a lot.

Toward early afternoon we drove past them and headed into Fountain Hills for lunch.

We throught we would stay with the cowboy and western touch and stop at the Saddle Bronc Grill

I ordered the Patty Melt – grilled onions with Swiss Cheese between toasted rye bread…and I chose fires.  It was delicious!  Now that was a Patty Melt.  It was actually too big for my appetite so I brought part of it home.

 Sylvia Lee ordered the Chicken Fried Steak with fries and a house salad.  The house salad looked fresh and delicious…the huge Chicken Fried Steak came smothered in what white gravy.  If I ever return…I will try that entrée.

       Saddle Bronc Grill
       Post Office Box 17317
       11056 N. Saguaro Blvd.
       Fountain Hills, AZ 85269
       (480) 816-5900
       www.saddlebroncgrill.com
       Owners:  Barb & Brad Tesch  - Family Owned
       (970) 481-9244 (cell)
       Hours:  Monday – Tuesday 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
                    Wednesday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
                    Sunday  9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

December 28, 2025 - Kona Grill - Phoeniz, Arizona

 My oldest grandson was leaving to go back to his home in Washington.  The family met for a farewell lunch. 

We started with two orders of the Fried Pickles.  They were never served to us.  They forgot to put in the order.   They would hurry and start them. No, thanks, we are ready to eat our lunch.

 Judson ordered the French Dip Sandwich - prime rib, provolone, horseradish cream, ciabatta roll, au jus, russet chips.

 Jody and Jonah ordered the Sushi Tacos - spicy yellowtail mix, crispy nori shell. They were beautifully presented.  Plus they looked delicious.

 Judy ordered the Shrimp Tacos - angry butter sautéed shrimp, chipotle mayo, Asian slaw, flour tortillas

 Joshua ordered the Poke Bowl - choice of: tuna, salmon, shrimp, or combo + sushi rice or field greens green onion, avocado, seaweed salad, cucumber, macadamia nuts, Hawaiian poke sauce  Joshua of course told them to hold the cucumber.  How did my baby boy ever get to the point of not liking cucumbers?

 I ordered the KG Sliders – American cheese, grilled onions, secret sauce on toasted Hawaiian rolls served with the best fries – crisp and spicy.  I wanted a hamburger, but not any of theirs because they were all two 1/ 4 patties…and that is just too much for me.   So the Sliders were just right but not the best.

Kona Grill
Desert Ridge
21001 Tatum Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85050
(480) 507-4121
Hours:  Monday – Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.
             Friday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
             Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.