December 16, 2015 - Il Forno - Mesa, Arizona

I

I visited by myself on December 15, 2015.  I ordered the Homemade Lasagna.  This was the best lasagna I have ever eaten…it was loaded with lots of meat sauce…and the pasta strips were very thin..just as I remember my Grandma’s. The piece was very high...and covered in melted mozarella cheese. It was served with a basket of hard crust small loaf of bread.  Great meal.

Homemade Lasagna

I enjoyed my dinner so much…and I know how much Sandy likes Italian food that I invited her to go with me on December 16, 2015.  Sandy ordered the Linguine and Clams in white sauce.  The entree was loaded with clams.  The white sauce was very tasty...and rosemary herb in the sauce really brought out the flavor of the clams.

Linguine and Clams

I ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese…and it was so meaty and delicious. Once again the meat sauce was loaded with meat.  We had two baskets of their delicious bread..and Sandy told them to leave the butts on the bread…it was the best part..and they did when they served the second basket.

Spaghetti Bolognese

I am Italian...and raised in a very traditional Italian home.  One of the things I love to do is to use pieces of bread to sop up all the red sauce.

As you can tell...I didn't like it!

Il Forno

6606 E. McKellips Road

Mesa, Arizona 85215

(480) 807-0888

Hours: Monday- Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

            Friday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

            Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

December 9, 2015 - Gertrude's - Phoenix, Arizona

Sandy Wilts, Carol and Mike Thompson spent the afternoon with me at the Desert Botanical Gardens.  I love walking the gardens where I am able to see and photograph cacti and succulents. They are rapidly becoming my passion.  Today the entrance was extremely beautiful with all of the poinsettias in the round concrete planter at the start of our walk to the admission area.

 On this walk we are able to see the beautiful pieces of  Chihuly glass.

We decided to have lunch at Gertrude's before our afternoon stroll.  Mike and Carol shared a Chicken Salad Wrap – BBQ Mayo, Celery, Apple, Fried Onions, Tomato, Jalapeno-Lime Slaw and served with Homemade Black Pepper Potato Chips. 

Sandy and I split the Gertie Burger – Arizona American Cheese, Smoked Onion-Bacon Spread, Lettuce, Tomato on an Arizona Brioche Bun  and served with Homemade Black Pepper Potato Chips.

I thought the meat in our burger tasted superb.  The burger was thick but the patties were loosely made…making very easy to eat. The Smoked Onion-Bacon Spread really accented the taste of the burger.  I really enjoyed this burger.

Gertrude’s

1201 N. Glavin Pkwy

Phoenix, Arizona 85008

(480) 719-8600

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

             Saturday-Sunday  8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

December 7, 2015 - Sourdough Pizza - Mesa, Arizona

Sandy Wilts and I went to dinner before our evening of looking at Christmas Lights in Viewpoint.   We decided to try Carol Richmond's recommendation, Sourdough Pizza.

Sandy ordered the Ravioli  (small size) – beef topped with Marinara Sauce with a small salad with ranch dressing.  

I ordered the Three Little Sourdoughs – three slices of garlic bread topped separately with salami, pepperoni and Italian sausage, covered with mozzarella cheese, then baked to a light crunchiness with homemade potato salad.

I really liked my dish  The meal was not too large.  That’s what I really like about this restaurant.  You have a choice of small, medium or large sizes of orders.  The service of our waitress was excellent.  It is just very nice to have this restaurant close to our homes.

Sourdough Pizza

7440 E. Main street #1

Mesa, Arizona 85207

(480) 985-6658

Hours:  Monday – Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

             Friday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

             Sunday – Closed

November 28, 2015 - Blue Lemon - Gilbert, Arizona

Revised:  September 9, 2018  - this restaurant is no longer in business at this location...nor have I found it at any other location.

I visited with Sandy Wilts, Carol and Mike Thompson after our morning of shopping at At Home.

Mike ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken  - al dente pasta sautéed  with garlic, portobello mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes., spinach, and lemon pesto tossed with creamy  alfredo  sauce and drizzled with sweet balsamic glaze and a Garden Salad.  He said the fettuccine stuck together too much. 

Carol ordered the Grilled Balsamic Chicken Panini – balsamic glazed chicken, with sliced tomatoes, grilled onions, garlic, peppers and herbs, provolone, and lemon pesto aioli on grilled sourdough bread.

Sandy ordered the Lemon Grilled Chicken BLT – grilled chicken, crispy turkey bacon, vine-ripened tomatoes, provolone, fresh lettuce dressed with Blue Lemon vinaigrette, and lemon pesto aioli on grilled sourdough bread.

I ordered the Coconut Chicken Curry – grilled chicken breast over blue lemon rice an red coconut curry sauce served with sautéed asparagus, peppers, onions, topped with mango salsa and toasted coconut.  I was so excited about looking at all the food and taking pictures that I forgot to take a picture of my plate.  Darn!  My meal was very well presented.

Sandy also ordered a whole order of the Artichoke Spinach Cheese Dip  with grilled flatbread and veggies – cucumbers, carrots and celery.

One of my negative comments is the Artichoke Spinach Cheese Dip was served...and like three seconds later our entrees were delivered.  Don't offer starters if you aren't going to give us time to enjoy the starter before our meal begins.

The motto is "pure clean food with a twist".  Don't serve it as it was fast food.  This restaurant has a really good idea...and some really good presentations but I fear people who want to go out shopping on a Saturday afternoon like us just won't feel comfortable in this restaurant because it is as if they can't make up their mind...pure food...or fast food.

Blue Lemon

4341 E. Baseline Rd

Suite 108

Gilbert, Arizona

(480) 507-2583

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

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

November 27, 2015 - Republica Empanada - Mesa, Arizona - Updated 1-16-2018

I visited on January 16, 2018 with Cathy Lindholm and Marilyn Stavos after bridge at Leisure World.

This was Cathy and Marilyn's first visit. 

We chose to sit on the patio because it was so cold inside…but lovely on the patio..especially when they turned on the heater…yes!  Cathy and I both ordered the Empanada Platter which includes two empanadas, rice, beans, cabbage salad, maduros (ripe sweet plantains) and crema Mexican.  Cathy chose the El Capitan (seasoned beef, potato, boiled egg, green olives and golden raisin – and the Cubana (pernil, ham, mozzarella and dill pickle) as her two empanadas.  I chose the Cheeseburger (seasoned ground beef and cheddar cheese) and also the Cubana.

Marilyn ordered the Vegan Platter – one vegan empanada, rice, beans, cabbage salad, maduro and crema Mexican.

Everyone loved their meal.  The cheeseburger empanada is my favorite.  This was the first time that I tried the Cubana..and I loved it.  Also love that delicious sauce that is served…it does have a big bite at the end of your taste… but it is one of the reasons I also visit.

Cathy and I also had a dessert empanada…I chose the Banana Cream…and Cathy the Dizzy Fig.

The service was very good and efficient.

There is also an hours change...now 10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.  Closed on Sundays.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Judson's hockey game early this afternoon, Sandy Wilts and I stopped in downtown Mesa and tried lunch at the Republica Empanada.  I had the Special…pick two empanadas…and I choose the Cheeseburger…seasoned ground beef and cheddar cheese…and then a dessert one…Guava and Cheese….guava preserves and mozzarella cheese…it was served with Black Beans, Rice and  Cabbage Salad…great meal.  I loved the empanadas.  They were served with this green sauce…very tasty…especially on my rice.  They wouldn’t tell me the ingredients..and I respect that.  I thought maybe cucumber…but she said, “no”…but I did guess the onions and the jalapenos…it did a little bite to it.

The Special - with the Cheeseburger Empanada

Sandy had the Republica Chicken Empanada…Chicken, fresh vegetables and seasonings…and a glass of wine.  She also liked hers.

Sandy's Republica Chicken Empanada on the right...my Guava and Cheese Empanada on the left.

This restaurant is a pan-Latin bistro that specializes in Arizona’s largest variety of South American style savory empanadas….all of which represent the different regions and tastes of Latin American food.

Republica Empanada

204 E. 1^st Avenue

Mesa, Arizona 85210

(480) 969-1343

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

November 22, 2015 - The Good Egg - Mesa, Arizona

Visited on November 22, 2015 with Sandy Wilts, Carol and Mike Thompson. After Mass Sandy and I met up with the Thompsons at The Good Egg on Val Vista for breakfast…what an experience.    Carol ordered the single buttermilk pancake. 

Carol's Single Buttermilk Pancake

Mike ordered the Country Combo- all-natural ham, sausage, bacon, Monterey Jack and Cheddar topped with sausage gravy, served with a biscuit and honey.

Sandy ordered the Bacado – bacon, avocado and diced tomatoes with Brie and Monterey Jack…served with salsa.

I ordered the Biscuits and Gravy – buttermilk biscuits, sausage gravy, two eggs (scrambled) and seasoned potatoes.

I am not even going to talk about the food which I think would have been quite good…but we all arrived about 9:40 a.m….we weren’t seated until well after 10:15 am.  They did tell us a 25-30 minute wait…and longer for an outside patio table.  We didn’t have much to do during that wait so we counted tables that were vacant…and between the patio seating and the inside seating…there were about 20 tables.  Really!

We ordered…and waited for our food…and it was served.  My first bite of my biscuits and gravy…yikes…cold…I mean felt as if they had just come out of the refrigerator.  Carol asked Mike about his gravy…yup…cold…so Sandy said to send them back…Mike hailed down the waiter and told him.  He exercised enough judgment to take the plates off the table and tell us that we would receive a whole new meal…kudos to him…back it came and it was hot..and everything tasted fine…but of course…nothing could have taken the bad taste out of our mouths after the wait…and watching and seeing that many vacant tables still existed…but the big kicker was when it came time to pay.  We had to go to the front of the restaurant and stand in line to pay because apparently their computer system was down.

It was a long line…and as I stood there I realized that it wasn’t the wait staff holding up the show…it was the kitchen.  Really!  Well…then for heaven’s sake go into customer service mode…seat people…and tell them that the kitchen can’t keep up…and would they like a free cup of coffee while we wait.  I think the people would have understood the problem…better have them happy that they are drinking a free cup of coffee as opposed to standing out in front of the restaurant bitching.  I mean, everyone can all see the vacant tables…or better yet…put up a sign that says the computer system is down…service will be slow this morning.  I like my cup of coffee solution better because everyone is better behaved if they are given something free.

We all started our cars at 11:30 a.m. to head home.  I never intended for this to be a 2-hour visit.

I will most likely never be returning to at the very least this Good Egg site.

The Good Egg

American-Val Vista Gateway

1939 S. Val Vista Drive

Mesa, AZ 85204

(480) 633-3352

Hours:  Open Daily 6:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

November 18, 2015 - Rancho de Tia Rosa's - Gilbert, Arizona

I visited on November 18, 2015 with Sandy Wilts. We started with the $3 Happy Hour margaritas…they were good…frozen with salted rims. We were served a huge basket of chips with  small dishes of green sauce and red sauce.  I thought both were tasty.  We then ordered the Bean Dip as an appetizer to go with all of the chips.  We just couldn’t identify the taste.  I felt as if there was a bacon taste in the bean dip…but who knows…the dip did taste very different to us.

Chips and Salsa

Bean Dip

Sandy ordered the Chicken Chimichanga.  I ordered the Two Shredded Beef Enchildadas…both came with lots of refried beans and rice.  We both felt that our meat was too dry.  Everything was very good but not exceptional.  The main dining room was charming, quietly festive ad comfortable.  There was a lot to see…kept me busy. 

Sandy's Chicken Chimichanga

My Two Beef Enchiladas

Our servers were friendly and efficient.  Our meal ended up costing us about $20 each…and we didn’t think that was so bad for a margarita, chips,  starter, meal and tip.

I think I would like to return for Happy Hour…sit in the bar..and try the Happy Hour snacks.

Rancho  De Tia Rosa’s

891 N. Higley Road

Gilbert, Arizona

(480) 396-8787

Hours:  11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. 

              Closed on Sundays