June 2, 2024 - Society - Tempe

 June 3 was my 76th Birthday.  My son and daughter-in-law  invited me to dinner to celebrate with them and my two grandsons.  

It is a funky looking interior but the menu looked delicious and it was difficult to make a decision. I ordered a Bloody Mary….and then couldn’t make up my mind for dinner.  Joshus ordered appetizers.

 Pork Belly – 7-day cured Iberico pork belly – arugula – picked red onion – goat cheese – tare – sour apple gelee  - lemon vinaigrette.  My first time trying this and it was really good…and I liked the bed of salad type of presenting it.

 Whipped Feta Dip – feta-garlic honey drizzle – ciabatta – pita  - divine.  I was in heaven…it was presented beautifully…and it tasted even more wonderful.  My favorite – I am looking for a recipe…stay tuned.

 Arancini – Risotto – Mozzerella – Peas – House Made Pomodora and Calabrian Aioli.

 Judson ordered  Chicken Alfredo – house made tagliatelle pasta – Adobo chicken Alfredo with parsley.

 Jonah ordered Penne alla vodka  – house made penne pasta with tomato and parmesan.  He added a meatball.

 Jody and Joshua shared a Mushroom Pasta – house made tagliatelle pasts with Mushroom Crema – shallot – garlic – mushroom – parmesan.

 I ordered the Pound of Mussels – Portuguese garlic cream sauce – Calabrian Chili – caper butter – ciabatta.  I loved it…the sauce was very spicey… I love just it…It had a very fiery bite to it.  Perfect for me…after all I am of Calabrian descent.

 At the start of the dining experience Jody told the waiter it was my birthday…and he gave me the choice of  a shot…or the Italian doughnut hole dessert…was there a choice?  Of course not…I chose the dessert – four huge hot out of the grease doughnut holes…placed in a small bowl with ice cream in the center...with a strawberry topping.  Yummy!

 The whole dining experience was just wonderful.

Society
Cornerstone
920 E. University Dr #204
Tempe, Arizona 85288
(480) 550-7801
Hours:  Daily 4:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.

Note - I took a big portion of my mussels home.  I heated them up in a sauce pan one day for lunch. They were delicious along with the Garlic Crisps which was a birthday present from AJ's - Arcadia District.  Delicious!

May 23, 2023 - Portillo's - Scottsdale, Arizona

 In the fall of 2023 I was hungry for a good hot dog...so I started looking.  I then realized that Chicagoland Hot Dogs and More....was just up the street from me...so I tried a  hot dog...Chicago style and loved it.  I am sorry to say that I didn't continue on my search.  I forgot all about my quest.

So you can imagine my interest in an "Arizona Republic" article written by Bill Goodykoontz.  He went on the same quest looking for his 10 favorite hot dogs…but he decided not to rank them…and he has 17…which made me laugh…just call it your 17 favorite hot dogs….

On his list was Portillo's...a local transplant chain from Chicago.  I stopped at Barnes and Noble the other day.  There is a Portillo's in  the shopping area.  

I have been there many times but I have never tried their hot dogs.  Of course they are Chicago dogs.  So I ordered a Jumbo Portillo’s Beef  Hot Dog and it was served on this wonderfully soft…steamy poppy seed bun..  The hot dog was covered with mustard, relish, celery salt, freshly chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, a kosher pickle, and sport peppers. $4.99 (the regular sized is $3.99)    I do agree with Bill…the tomatoes slices are just too big.

I rated it #2 on my  list behind Chicagoland Hot Dogs because of the tomato slices...and the relish was just  tastier in Mesa.  Next time I will try Portillo's Polish Sausage.

Portillo’s Scottsdale
10574 N. 90th Street
Scottsdale AZ 85258
480-451-2888
Hours:  Daily 10:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

A little history -  How It All Began - The “Dog House” was Dick Portillo’s first hot dog stand in 1963. Years later, what is now known as Portillo’s still sells hot dogs, but the menu has grown to include Italian beef sandwiches, char-grilled burgers, fresh salads, and  their world famous chocolate cake.

May 2, 2024 - The Chuckbox - Tempe, Arizona

My friend Rhona and I visited this burger joint after I read an article in the "Arizona Republic". 

It looked shabby and grubby on the outside but inside it was just fine…there definitely was a continual crowd.

So they offer The Great Big One – 1/ 2 pound of ground beef
                      The Big One – 1/ 3 pound of ground beef
                      The Little One -  1/ 5 pound of ground beef
                           Under this one was written “For Kids and Little Old Ladies”
So we decided this one was for us…we added ordered of Beer Battered Onion Rings…and I had a Diet Coke.                 

The burgers were just fine…but I don’t know if I would rate them the best ever…but now the Onion Rings were delicious.  It is cash only…

Chuckbox
202 E. University Drive
Tempe, Arizona 85281
(480) 968-4712
Hours:  Monday  - Saturday 10:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
             Sunday 10:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.