September 28, 2019 - Lotus Garden - Apache Junction, Arizona

I visited with Carol and Mike Thompson for lunch.  I ordered the Mongolian Beef Lunch Special…and chose the hot and sour soup…they gave us a vegetable spring roll…this is was really good… better than Happy Kitchen and Green Tea…but I still think I liked the hot and sour soup better at Green Tea…but it still doesn’t beat the Grace Garden for the Mongolian Beef…

Carol ordered the Chicken Curry and was very happy with her entrée except she thought there were too many green and red peppers in the entrée.

Lotus Garden

183 W. Apache Trail #104

Apache Junction, Arizona 85120

(480) 671-8668

Hours:  Daily 11;00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

September 21, 2019 - Green Tea Chinese Restaurant - Mesa, Arizona

I went to lunch here with my grandson, Jonah Hayes, after an early morning at the Bye Bye Buzzards event at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.  Jonah ordered the Orange Chicken and I ordered the Mongolian Beef.  It was the lunch special for about $5.75/each..not bad…it came with a drink or soup…so Jonah’s lemonade went as the drink…and I ordered the Hot and Sour Soup..which I thought was way better than the soup we had at Happy Kitchen.  Jonah’s Orange Chicken was really good. My Mongolian Beef was okay but not the best…can’t beat the Mongolian Beef at Grace Garden…

Green Tea Chinese Restaurant

1239 S. Higley Road #102

Mesa, Arizona

(480) 807-2891

Hours:  Daily 10:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

September 20, 2019 - LAMP Pizzeria - Scottsdale, Arizona

Carol Thompson and I stopped for lunch after our doctor appointments in North Scottsdale.  I had suggested that we try LAMP Pizzeria.

I ordered the Mignulata…this was made from the regular pizza dough – which is cold-proofed for 4-5 days and returned to room temperature…that is rolled into a rectangular sheet…the dough is brushed with olive oil and showered with lots of freshly cracked black pepper..the filling is then added to the rectangular….a healthy dose of grated pecorino cheese..and Lamp’s house sausage – a fragrant intense pork sausage that’s flavored with things including chianti, sambuca, allspice and fennel.  Blanched cauliflower florets and onions.  The onions are shaved very thinly. The mignulata is rolled out like a jelly roll…creating a thick log aa couple of feet long.  That is egg washed…and is popped into the wood oven…when it is finished baking it it cut crosswise into thick slices.  It is then basted with a little more olive oil….and it goes back in the wood oven on a hot meta plate for just a few minutes to give the edges a sizzling brown crunch…just before it is served a little more olive oil is drizzled on the mignulata slices…followed by a dusting of pecorino cheese.

This time I just had it plain…next time I am adding Calabrian chile oil.

Mignulata

Carol ordered the White Pizza with fresh Mozzarella, Pecorino, EEVOO, Sea Salt…no Cracked Black Pepper for her…but she wanted Garlic on it and Parmigian-Reggiano Cheese…it was delicious…wood oven baked…crust was excellent.

 White Pizza

LAMP Pizzeria

8900 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd

Scottsale, Arizona

(480) 292-8773

lamppizza.co

Owners – Lindsay and Matt Pilato – that’s where the  “lamp” came from

Name #2 – Phoenix Magazine – July 2017

September 8, 2019 - The Gilbert House - Gilbert, Arizona

I visited on September 8, 2019 with  nieces Sumer Buening and Mary Ellen Hayes. I ordered the Two Egg Breakfast…I ordered scrambled eggs, crispy hashbrowns, crispy bacon and it was served whole-grain toast…I guess there was no choice.  It was very good…and everything was served just as I ordered.  The wait staff was very good.

Sumer ordered the Healthy Scramble – two eggs, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach, served with seasonal fruit, whole-grain toast.  She also added an order of biscuits and gravy.  It all looked delicious.

Mary Ellen ordered a Fruited Spinach Salad with chicken breast added – organic baby spinach, fresh fruit and candied walnuts, tossed in apple cider poppyseed dressing – served with a homemade muffin.

The service was excellent.

The Gilbert House Restaurant

397 S. Gilbert Road

Gilbert, AZ 85296

(480) 507-3383

Hours:  7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  Daily

Owner:  Susan Wright and family.  Susan grew up on a dairy farm in South Dakota

August 31, 2019 - Tommy Bahama Restaurant and Bar - Scottsdale, Arizona

I vsited with  Kitty Williams, Carol and Mike Thompson.  This was my first visit ever.  I didn’t even know there was a restaurant in the Tommy Bahama store in Kierlan Commons.

Started with drinks – Carol ordered the Pain Chiller – pineapple, orange, cream of coconut, nutmeg.  Mike ordered the Painkiller #2 which was exactly like Carol’s only with Pusser’s.  Kitty ordered Lemonade…and I ordered the Breakfast Bloody Mary – served with two small pieces of pecan bacon, a small biscuit and a small hard boiled egg!  I loved it…especially the presentation.

Breakfast Blood Mary

Starters:  Kitty and I ordered the Lump Blue Crab Bisque – in a broth of sherry and cream, topped with Herb Crushed Croutons.  Delicious!  I loved it.  Next time I am just going to order a big bowl of this.

Carol and Mike shared the World Famous Coconut Shrimp served with a Papya-Mango Chutney and cole slaw.

We were served a small pan of bread that broke into four pieces…hot from the oven…steaming when we pulled them apart…and served with a cinnamon maple type of butter.  Just delicious!

Entrées:  Kitty and I each ordered the Crispy Cod Sandwich – beer battered cod with Honey roasted Onion, Island Tarter Sauce and Fries.  It was a huge piece of thick cod which was moist inside and crispy on the outside..served in this great bun with the caramelized onions (sweet), slices of dill pickle, lettuce and tomato.  It was huge. Both Kitty and I brought half home each in a box.

Crispy Cod Sandwich

Mike and Carol shared the Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich – topped with Monterey Jack, Garlic Aioli, Jerk Sauce and Crispy Onions…served with Jerk Yucca Fries.

Kitty brought home a piece of their famous Pina Colada Cake – four layers with a fluffy frosting and topped with toasted coconut.  (My Mother always used toasted coconut..and I haven’t eaten any since she died.  I was in seventh heaven.) 

Tommy Bahama Restaurant and Bar

15205 N. Kierland Blvd.

Scottsdale, Arizona 85254

(480) 505-3668

Hours:  Monday – Friday opens at 11:00 a.m.

             Saturday – Sunday open at 10:00 a.m.

              Happy Hours:  3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Daily

             Live Music:  Monday – Friday 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

                                   Saturday – Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.