July 26, 2015 - 5 & Diner - Mesa, Arizona

I visited on July 26, 2015 with Sandy Wilts.  We both ordered off the Seniors Menu. 

Sandy ordered the One Half Belgian Waffle with bacon and an egg. 

I ordered the Senior Pancakes – two pancakes, an egg and bacon.  

The breakfast wasn’t anything that stood out but it was good solid breakfast food at a very reasonable price..and it is very close to home.  Plus the décor of the diner and the music takes me back to my youth…can’t beat that.

Sandy and I sang along with every song that was played while we were in the Diner.  We knew all the words.  If you live long enough your taste in music covers a very wide range.

I am coming back between 4-6 p.m. for the half off on milk shakes…and I am trying my very favorite – orange creamsicle…stayed tuned.

5 & Diner

6353 E. Southern Avenue

Mesa, Arizona 85206

(480) 641-1958

July 25, 2015 - Waldo's BBQ - Mesa, Arizona

Visited on July 25, 2015 with Sandy Wilts.  Everyone talks about it…and I thought it was good but not outstanding. I ordered an ice tea..and it was served in a very big and tall Mason jar.

Sandy ordered The Beef Brisket sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries.

I ordered The Pig Sandwich – pulled pork. 

Corn bread and butter was served with each order…and it was served with the meal.  I think it should have been served with the drinks.  Why?  Corn bread and then a bun for the sandwich.  

They served the BBQ sauce in a little cast iron skillet.  I thought that was very unique.  Plus I don’t like the BBQ drenched on my meat…so this was perfect for me.  What I didn’t understand was we never had a choice of BBQ sauce…was it because it is described  “served Memphis style”? 

They brought us our check in a Mason Jar…it was filled with Root Beer Barrels…hard candy as after dinner treats.

The servers were excellent…the ambience is very rural feeling right down to the shavings on the floor.

Waldo’s

4500 E. Main #101

Mesa, Arizona 85205

(480) 807-6475

Hours:  Monday – Saturday 10:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

                              Sunday 10:30 – 8:00 p.m.

July 21, 2015 - Pita Jungle - Dana Park Shopping Mall - Mesa, Arizona

Sandy Wilts and I joined the Thesman Active Singles Group at Pita Jungle for lunch.  We decided to each choose a soup...and then share a hot pita.  We started with the soup.

Sandy ordered the Moroccan Gazpacho – blend of celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, cilantro with golden raisins, garbanzo beans, lemon juice and seasonings. Served with pine nuts and a pita chip.

Sandy liked it.

I chose the Curried Coconut Soup With Chickpeas – chickpeas, onions, red bell peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes, curry, coconut milk, cilantro and seasoning in a vegetable broth.  Served with a pita chip.

I always get the messy bowl...and no...Joshua...I did not spill anything on the front of my blouse.

We split a Philly Steak Pita – steak, sautéed onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese – wood-fired in a Greek pita.  This was delicious.  I try a different one every time I eat at a Pita Jungle.  Last time I had a Mediterranean Roasted Chicken (Shawarma).

The picture looked perfect on my camera...but it isn't that good...not even to close as good as this tasted.

Who could refuse dessert?  Pistachio Gelato

Homemade pistachio gelato…and it was good but still has to go along ways to beat gelato in Italy.

Pita Jungle

Dana Park Mall

1652 S. Val Vista #123

Mesa, Arizona

July 17, 2015 - Cold Soup Marathon Begins on 10th Street at Las Palmas

As you all know summer...and the blistering heat...hit us about June 8, 2015.  It is tolerable but one can never get away from the heat so Sandy Wilts and I decided that we would start having dinners together. So beging the Cold Soup Marathon on our block.

We went shopping together for ingredients.  On Wednesday evening (July 15th) we made Sunny's Summer Red Soup.  It is delicious.  Eating something cool and delicious does change one's attitude about dinner in the desert.

We would like to share the recipe with all of our friends.  And for those of you who were in our Tuesday evening card group in Montana, all of this made me this of us and those wonderful evenings and the cold soup that we shared.

 Sunny's Summer Red Soup

From the kitchen:  Sunny Anderson

Total Time: 40 min

Prep: 5 min

Inactive: 30 min

Cook: 5 min

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika

2 pounds cubed seedless watermelon

1 pound strawberries, hulled

2 red heirloom tomatoes, quartered

1 medium-sized red onion, peeled and quartered

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

For the garnish:

8 leaves fresh basil

4 ounces Feta

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions

Toast the paprika in a small dry pan over medium heat, moving it around in the pan with a wooden spoon until a waft of it smells pungent and alive again, about 4 minutes.

Sunny's Summer Red Soup

From the kitchen:  Sunny Anderson

Total Time: 40 min

Prep: 5 min

Inactive: 30 min

Cook: 5 min

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika

2 pounds cubed seedless watermelon

1 pound strawberries, hulled

2 red heirloom tomatoes, quartered

1 medium-sized red onion, peeled and quartered

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

For the garnish:

8 leaves fresh basil

4 ounces Feta

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions

Toast the paprika in a small dry pan over medium heat, moving it around in the pan with a wooden spoon until a waft of it smells pungent and alive again, about 4 minutes.

In a high-powered blender or food processor, combine the watermelon, strawberries, tomatoes, onion and Worcestershire sauce. Blend until smooth and chill.

To make the garnish, on a cutting board, chop the basil, feta cheese and pine nuts all together until minced and combined. Serve the chilled soup with a sprinkle of the garnish on top.

To make the garnish, on a cutting board, chop the basil, feta cheese and pine nuts all together until minced and combined. Serve the chilled soup with a sprinkle of the garnish on top.

July 9, 2015 - Black Bart's - Flagstaff, Arizona

Sandy Wilt and I took a bus tour to Flagstaff to spend an "Evening With The Stars".  That included dinner at Black Bart's.

It is a huge dining room.  The servers are very talented people from the Northern Arizona University arts department..students attending the college..as well as other young people from around the state and country who are working in the summer for college funds.

I enjoyed all of the show tunes that they sang.

This was one of our singing waiters...serenading us with a song.

Our dinner was 1/ 2 BBQ Chicken with a baked potato after a tin pan of biscuits…warm out of the oven arrived with honey butter…followed by a crisp salad.  I think it is interesting that we didn’t even get a choice of salad dressing.  Did we feel massed produced or what?  Two of my fellow travelers asked for steak. They were told that it couldn’t be substituted…so the one ordered in additional to her chicken dinner…a prime rib dinner…and then about ten minutes later out the waitress comes with the message that they would substitute…poor lady who had already ordered the prime rib…we were each asked if we wanted to substitute but never told if it was straight across the board or what…so nobody substituted…I wish that I had.

Two pictures of our dinner...and the dreaded chicken.

I fought with that chicken all through dinner.  I didn’t want to try and break the chicken parts as if I was about to cook, BBQ or fry it because I didn’t want to have all of the BBQ sauce splatter all over me and the people sitting around me.  Speaking of BBQ sauce…I hate being served BBQ when the sauce is put on the meat after it is cooked.  That is so gross.  The reason for the BBQ is to have it cook into the meat.

If they had just given us steak knives we might have had a chance cutting the chicken.  It was impossible to pick up the whole chicken and eat the meat off the bone.

And it will announce…at the end of dinner…I lost to the chicken.

Messy?  Egads!  I asked the waitress right away if I could have something for my sticky fingers…she handed me more napkins…and I asked, “Something wet?”  And, she did bring our table the hot wet cloth that I think they serve after dinner but in this instance everyone needed one right away…who could eat dinner after the battle with the chicken.

Dessert was ice cream with a chocolate topping.  If you haven’t guessed right now…I did not care for my dinner.

Black Barts RV Park

2760 E Butler Ave

Flagstaff, AZ 86004
(928) 779-3142

July 7, 2015 - What The Hell Bar and Grill - Mesa, Arizona

Today was an interesting day.  Sandy Wilts and I went to the Restaurant at Painted Mountain Golf Restort as a Thesman Active Singles Group.  I had called the restaurant before scheduling the event and asked several questions.  I told them the date we planned to attend and asked about reservations.

We arrived this morning.  The sign in front of the restaurant stated that the restaurant was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Hmmmm...

So Sandy and I decided to try The Biscuit…and I have to do more research because everyone makes it sound as if it is close by…and yet there was one at 1235 N. Gilbert…and another at 1835 E. Warner…and I thought I could find them without the GPS but no luck…so we finally decided to try What The Hell Bar and Grill that advertises a $4.99 breakfast and is very close to our homes..

To end up there after practically driving to San Francisco was annoying.  So after that “What The Hell”  seemed appropriate.

Anyway, I don’t think I would have walked into this biker bar by myself…so it was great to try it.  Both Sandy and I were pleasantly surprised.  It was like walking into a restaurant…large building with log walls…very well kept.  It wasn’t dark and dingy like most bars can be.

We both ordered off the Breakfast Specials Menu.  Sandy ordered the 1/ 2 order of French Toast with Sausage Links.  She was served two slices of French Toast and 2 Link Sausages.  She said that the French Toast was very good…not soggy like some can be served.

I ordered the Biscuits and Gravy.  I am always on the hung for great Biscuits and Gravy…especially now that I have left Montana.  My meal as served with two soft biscuits.  I dislike being served hard biscuits.  The ones that seemed to be more than a day old…and taste like hockey pucks.

These were soft and wonderful.  Both had been cut in half…with the split side lightly toasted…then covered with a white gravy that had chunks of link sausages in it.  The  slightly toasted biscuits were a novel way to serve them.  I liked the large chunks of sausage links in the gravy.  If you can’t tell I was extremely happy with my breakfast.

Both of us were served free coffee with our breakfasts.  The wait staff filled the cups up as often as we wanted more coffee.  The wait staff was friendly, efficient…and explained everything perfectly to us.

We asked the wait staff about their daily luncheon specials. The one lady went and brought us back a menu so we could look at the whole daily special section of the menu. They were so happy to tell us all about them…and that each was served with a “free 16 ounce glass of domestic beer”.  That made us want to go back and try those specials sometime soon.

Then the wait staff brought us a punch card…if you had five punches that was good for $2 off on a meal..and if you have ten punches that was good for a free meal…so much better than these rewards cards that places are always pushing. 

All I could think about was – I will have to bring Jo Martin here the next time she visits.  The little Southern Belle will love those Biscuits and Gravy.

We will most likely be trying a lot of different things at this local bar and grill…and I will be updating this site every time so you will be able to decide what you think.

What The Hell Bar and Grill

7403 E. Main Street

Mesa, AZ 85207

July 6, 2015 - Garcia's Mexican Restaurant - Mesa, Arizona

I visited on July 6, 2015 with Sandy Wilts.  We arrived in time for Happy Hour…each ordering a $3.99  Happy Hour Margarita…then shared The Original Pollo Fundido - A flour tortilla stuffed with chicken, fried until crispy, then topped with jalapeño cream cheese and melted cheddar cheese.

What we liked was the tortilla filled with chicken..it was loaded with chicken.  Plus the tortilla was served to us crisp…not soft…Sandy added.  Sandy was a little skeptical of the jalapeno cream cheese, but once she tasted it...she sang its praises.  I agree with Sandy.

The chips were huge, crisp and tasty.  They were served with three different types of dips...two were salsas...one was hot...one was mild...and the third was a delicious bean dip.

Our Happy Hour House Margarita was huge.  It tasted delicious on this hot afternoon.  It was after 5:00 p.m....and still 100* outside.

The Original Pollo Fundito 

Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant

1940 . University Avenue

Mesa, AZ 85203

(480) 844-0023

Hours:  Sunday – Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

             Friday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.