Tuesday, June 30, 2015

June 30, 2015 - Bistro a' la Mode - Mesa, Arizona

I visited on June 30, 2015 with Sandy Wilts.  It was a Thesman Active Singles Event.  It is set in the Stonebridge Manor…and the grounds as well as the buildings are lovely.  What a setting in which to sit with a friends (s) and enjoy a nice leisurely lunch.  We started by ordering the Classic Gazpacho – finely chopped tomatoes, radishes, onions and cucumbers in a light, thin tomato broth with a hint of Worchester Sauce.  It was served chunky as opposed to mine which I blend.  I really liked it chunky so now I have two very distinct ways to serve one of my favorite cold soups.  


Classic Gazpacho


It was served with the homemade, hot out of the oven oatmeal bread and herb butter.

Our main entrĂ©e was a Spinach and Bacon Quiche.  Its consistency was perfect…smooth and creamy..not like some that are dry.  It contained more spinach and bacon…not like most that are made of lots of the egg mixture.  The crust contained Swiss Cheese.  The top of quiche was a thick layer of melted brie.  The quiche was served with fresh fruit slices and berries…ours was cantaloupe, pineapple and blueberries.  (Created by Chef Tess.)




Spinach and Bacon Quiche


We both chose the Sweet Hot Cole Slaw as a side.  I really liked the taste of the salad…and sweet hot describes it perfectly.

Sweet Hot Cole Slaw


For dessert we chose the Baklava Tart.  I was a little disappointed in this desert because I was expecting flaky pastry…and it was more of a puff pastry…but it still tasted wonderful…lots of nuts.  We chose to have it served with ice cream…




Baklava Tart



 Drinks:  Sandy chose Coffee…and I chose the Iced Coffee…I loved mine.


The one unique item to the Bistro was the set up. The napkin, fork, knife and spoon were rolled up and tied with a piece of white string…kind of different.

We ate our lunch inside the Manor because it was just too hot to eat outside in the backyard.  The Manor is gorgeous…and really lends itself to the Bistro.  The tables and chairs were of metal but very comfortable.

The checks were delivered to us for payment each in an old book.  One of ours was one of my favorite series as a child – The Landmark Books.

Bistro Ala Mode
McDowell and Greenfield on Norway
4012 E Palm St
Mesa, AZ 85215
(480) 641-4148
10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. closed Saturday and Sunday

Some pictures of the grounds:







Wouldn't this be a lovely setting for a wedding...or just about any celebration!



Monday, June 22, 2015

June 21, 2015 - Salt Cellar - Scottsdale, Arizona




I visited on June 21, 2015 for Father’s Day Dinner with Joshua, Jody, Judson and Jonah Hayes.  We started with two appetizers.  The Hayes family ordered Oysters on the Half Shell 1/2 Dozen -
Fresh Maryland Blue Point Oysters shucked to order and served on ice.  Joshua, Jody and Judson each ate two with cocktail sauce…Joshua ordering a side of chopped horseradish.

Jody and I ordered Escargot en Caps  - Escargot baked in fresh mushroom caps with garlic
butter. An old Salt Cellar favorite.  Judson tried one of them.  All of us took chunks of the sourdough bread that was served in a basket…and dipped the chunks in the great tasting garlic butter sauce.

A very fresh salad was served to us with lots of sliced mushrooms, thinly sliced carrots – I chose the Roquefort Dressing – Judson chose the Creamy Tarragon (which was the closest dressing they had to Ranch)…he didn’t care for it…and I tasted it and agreed with him.

Joshua chose one of the specials – Blackened Alaskan Halibut – served with Lemon-Pecan Rice and a Vegetable Medley.  Joshua likes his halibut dry and flaky.  This was perfect to his liking.  I had a bite.  I would order it on another visit.





Judson ordered Baked Stuffed Shrimp  - four Jumbo Shrimp with a delicate crabmeat stuffing.  He chose the Baked Potato with butter, sour cream and chives and the Vegetable Medley.

Jonah ordered the Shrimp off the Children’s Menu with rice.  His vegetable was this delicious looking Baked Zucchini.

Jody and I ordered the  Pan Fried Lobster  - Tail and claw meat of a 1 1/4 pound lobster, dusted with rice flour, pan fried in butter served over cheesy bacon grits.  Served with Pico de Gallo and Ponzu Sauce, the tangy soy-based sauce, is traditionally made with a citrus fruit and may have been inspired by visitors from Holland during the 17th century to Japan. Fresh lemon juice and orange juice give this sauce a citrus snap.

We ordered two desserts with forks around…Snickers Cheesecake – it wasn’t one of those frozen kind either…it was a New York Cheesecake with caramel guzzled over it…some whipped cream…then chocolate and very large peanuts all the while it was surrounded on the plate by chocolate and peanuts…delicious.  The second selection was the Chocolate Vulcano Cake (which I do not particularly like) but this one had a raspberry sauce in the middle of the crater.  That changed the whole taste of the small cake.  I wish though that there would have been some whipped cream…if at the very least on the side of the dish.

Another excellent dinner with the Hayes Family.  Jody said that she spotted it because she always drove by it taking Judson to hockey practice when his home rink was Oceanside.





All the seafood is flown in daily except for some certain shellfish which is available only seasonally.


History:  Started in 1971, “the culinary adventure begins with its unique underground location. One peek through the ground-level skylight reveals a world far removed from the desert; take the antique wooden stairway down 3 flights and you will find yourself transported to a snug seaside hideaway.”
( I want to research just exactly how and when the cellar was in this area…and why!)

Salt Cellar
550 N. Hayden
Scottsdale, AZ
(480) 947-1963
Owners:  Richard and Cindy Huie
Chef:  Kurt Theleman 

Awards

Arizona Business Magazine/Ranking Arizona “Best Seafood” in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014

Phoenix New Times “Best Seafood” in 1983, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

Phoenix Magazine “Best of the Valley/Best Seafood” in 2001 and 2002

Scottsdale Magazine “Best Seafood” in 2004

Citysearch “Best Seafood” in 2004, 2005, 2006

AOL City Guide “Best Seafood” in 2001, 2005

Arizona Republic “Best Happy Hour” in 2003

Sunday, June 21, 2015

June 21, 2015 - The Broken Yolk - Mesa, Arizona

I visited on June 21, 2015 with Sandy Wilts.  I ordered the Biscuits and Gravy.  The gravy was so thin it ran all over the dish…and the pieces of sausage in the gravy were minute.  The claim was that the biscuits were homemade…but they were kind of flat…no Early Bird from the Helena biscuits and gravy here…they weren’t even in the same arena.  


Sandy ordered the Eggs Benedict. Sandy said that her second egg tasted better than her first egg.  It wasn’t like any Eggs Benedict that I ever saw Jo order….Sandy’s ran all over the plate too.  I must confess here that I have never ordered any Eggs Benedict and I don’t believe that I ever will…for some unknown reason I don’t like basted eggs…and I really don’t care for Canadian Bacon….so much for Eggs Benedict.  It really is, I believe, that I don’t like all of my breakfast menu on a bun, roll or English muffin.   I never have eaten any of those breakfast sandwiches anywhere.  Enough for confessions today. 

I would never go there again.


You can see how runny the gravy was.  The plate of fresh fruit though was very tasty.  It was a good size portion.

The Broken Yolk

2034 E. Southern
Mesa, AZ
(480) 892-9655

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

June 26, 2015 - BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse - Mesa, Arizona

I visited on June 16, 2015 with Sandy Wilts.  We were attending the Thesman Active Singles Group Happy Hour.   Sandy ordered wine…I ordered a Blue Moon…for appetizers Sandy ordered Avocado Egg Rolls and I ordered Chicken Lettuce Wraps…later we ordered Crisp Fried Artichokes…the artichokes were delicious…the artichokes inside the batter were large…held their shape and texture.  The lettuce wraps were also very tasty…I was served three lettuce leaves..and two different sauces…one like a hot mustard…and the other a soy type sweet sauce.  The chicken mixture was substantial and very good.   I was not taken with the Avocado Egg Rolls…and there seemed to be something in them that was very hot…spicy hot.


Sandy and I want to come back here for a meal.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse
6622 E. Superstition Springs Blvd.
Mesa, Arizona
(480) 324-1675
Hours:  Monday-Friday 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.
              Friday 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
                 Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.
                 Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

June 4, 2015 - Becky's Indoor Picnic - Las Palmas Grand, Mesa, Arizona

I live in one of the Thesman Communities in Mesa, Arizona.  I live at Las Palmas.  We have recently started a Thesman Active Singles Group for the five Thesman Communities in Mesa and Apache Junction.

I went to the Las Palmas Grand today for Becky's Indoor Picnic.  This was a scheduled outing for the Thesman Active Singles Group.  I have never covered an event that was held in one of the communities but the food at this one was just too good not to mention...especially because so much of it was homemade right there..and it was tasty.

The menu included: Ham//Turkey?Cheese/Hoagie with fixins’, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Dessert and Beverage.


The Potato Salad was homemade with the skins still on the potato cubes…a mustard/mayo based dressing.   The  homemade Baked Beans were excellent…lots of bacon…several different types of beans....in a sauce that wasn't too sweet.    I really liked these beans.   The Hoagie was exactly as advertised.   We were served about a 2” piece off a long Hoagie…the bread was soft and fresh.  Dessert was a maple homemade cupcake. 

The decorations were darling…red and white checked placemats, meal basket liners.  Black plastic ants were strewn around the table.  Eachcenter piece on the tables  was one large black ant.  Our picnic lunch was a perfect picnic lunch right down to the ants !


.
Picture of my basket...great food!

Thursday, June 4, 2015

May 30, 2015 - Casa Ramos - Mesa, Arizona

My first visit to this lovely Mexican family style restaurant was today with neighbor Sandy Wilt.  We both ordered the Enchilada Suizas – corn tortillas stuffed with shredded beef (Sandy chose chicken), topped with green tomatillo gravy and served with sour cream….rice and beans.  It was very tasty.  I do agree with Sandy though…I could have used more green tomatillo gravy over the enchiladas.

I like the way they served the chips and salsa.  Chips and a small black plastic metate looking bowl and a long necked glass jar with salsa…so you poured salsa into the bowl…and if you wanted more…you poured more…no wasting salsa.

The salsa itself was red sauce but had a real kick to it.  I liked it.

All with a House Blended Margarita.


I plan to return many times.  I have to return to Garcia’s but I think this restaurant may be better.

Casa Ramos
1526 East Main Street
Mesa, Arizona
(480) 398-4561
Hours:  11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Monday-Friday
             11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.  Saturday - Sunday