Bliss

Restaurant 28 is a stairway to heaven. Order up some hushpuppies and prepare to be transported. It is said that the right combination of fat, sugar and salt produces a chemical reaction in the brain which leads to a feeling of bliss. I couldn’t agree more. The hushpuppies, fresh from the fryer, light as a cloud, don’t even need any honey.

If you can stop eating them while you still have room left for the rest of your meal, you’ll find the best fried chicken in town. Even better than Lolo’s, and served up by some lovely people who really appreciate your business. There are lots more southern goodies on the menu: fried okra and pickles, lots of BBQ, ox tails, frogs legs,chittlins and catfish to name a few. The sides include collard greens, dirty rice, mac & cheese, black- eye peas and cabbage.

Ken ordered fried chicken gizzards and livers. This is generally an either/or proposition, but Sam (co-owner with her husband George) was happy to do half and half. In fact, she seems happy to do almost anything for you. He chose candied yams and corn as sides and seemed almost as blissed out with the yams as with the hushpuppies. I ordered baby-backs, coleslaw and mac & cheese. I have to be honest here - I thought the ribs were somewhat overcooked and dry, but the homemade BBQ sauce made them acceptable. Fortunately we had also ordered a whole fried chicken so we could taste it fresh from the fryer and then have it cold for the next few days. This is such good chicken. Hot, salty, moist and flavorful.

Sam told us that she had some pound cake that George had cooked, fresh out of the oven. How could we not? It was warm and lemony flavored, dense and light at the same time. There’s also red velvet cake, peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, and something called nutty buddy pie.

There’s a cute story behind the name of the restaurant. You’ll find it on the web-site.

This is a place worth going to, and supporting in these tough economic times. In fact we want to get a group together for a meal. Maybe you’ll join us. If you don’t already have our phone number, leave yours in the comment box and we’ll be in touch.

Restaurant 28

5025 W. Olive Ave. Glendale

623-934-0920

restaurant28bbq.com

Home of Obama and Palin

A few days ago, our eating-out buddy Marlene emailed me a review of Padre’s Modern Mexican Cuisine. The review sat on my desk for all of a few hours before I decided that we had to try it out that very evening. I was feeling unusually receptive to Mexican food because of our excellent meal at Gallo Blanco (see below). The write-up said that Padre’s “takes flying leaps from its Mexican roots”. Intriguing. We had high expectations.

Although the review said that the restaurant had an ambiance that was half Santa Fe and half Mexican cantina, I found the place to be dark and dreary. The bar area was filled with happy customers, but the tile floors made hearing any conversation impossible. We asked to be seated in the back dining room. However, while lighter and quieter than the bar, it was even more depressing, with bad art and cheap furniture. The saving grace is the tented patio with umbrellas and misters which runs the length of the cottage.

Since we arrived at Happy Hour, we ordered a house Margarita to share ($3.95, regularly $6). While large and powerful, it was very ordinary. There were some appetizers on the Happy Hour menu, but none were from the regular dinner list and they weren’t very interesting. Instead we ordered a Cazuela de Queso ($9.95) a yummy sounding concoction of spinach, cheese, onions, roasted garlic and a few other ingredients, served hot, with chips. We also asked for an Obama Burrito (no, that’s not a typo) and a side salad of greens with orange. Then we waited and we sipped, waited and sipped. Our server came to the table and said that the kitchen had made the wrong salad for us. So we waited and sipped and waited and sipped. This may give you a feeling for how big the Margarita was.

Finally the salad was brought to the table. The pieces of orange were covered with pith, and even some orange rind. A nasty mouthful. If the salad had been dressed at all, it wasn’t noticeable. We commented about this to our waiter, and he said he would tell the kitchen. More waiting, but we had run out of Margarita. Our expectations had sunk precipitously until the cazuela and the burrito arrived. The cazuela was as good as it sounded, maybe even better. The Obama Burrito ($11.95) was filled with carne adobada, chile braised slow roasted pork, grilled peppers, onions and cheese. Yellow rice and beans completed the dish. For us, one of the nicest things about Padres was that cilantro and green pepper were not the dominant notes, as they are in so many Mexican restaurants. Also the food was not overly hot-spicy; it may even seem bland to some chili-pepper die-hards. We were happy again.

There were a few desserts to choose from: a pineapple bread pudding with caramel sauce, and a chocolate cake which was not made in house. Of course there was flan and fried ice cream. None of these demanded to be eaten. When the waiter brought our bill, he announced that we were not being charged for our salad. That made the bill, which we felt was reasonable for the quality and amount of food served, reasonable, although on the high side for a Mexican restaurant.

If I had to compare the two, I would say Gallo Blanco was the winner. The chef is an artist when combining food textures and flavors. Padre’s chef is a good, solid workman. But we’ll be going back to try some of the other dishes like salmon spinach enchiladas and short rib tacos. I still don’t know why our burrito was called Obama, but there’s also a salad with Alaskan salmon called Sarah Palin.

Padre’s Modern Mexican Cuisine

1044 E. Camelback Phoenix

602-277-1749

padresmexican.com

Lunch 11-3 Monday-Friday

Happy Hour 4-6:30 Monday-Friday

Dinner 4:30-10 Monday-Saturday

Adding the Parts

There are rare times in dining out that the ambience and food of a restaurant combine to make something better than the sum of its parts. That was my experience a few evenings ago at Cafe Bink.

We drove up to Carefree to meet our friend Meg. Meg owns and runs

Adelante, a gallery with some of the wittiest art in town, located in the El Pedregal shopping center on Scottsdale Road, just before it turns into Tom Darlington Drive. It’s just a short hop up the road to the Cafe. It was early, and still too hot to eat out on the cute covered patio. Inside the long, narrow room a bar runs along one side and tables on the other. The decor is subtle and pleasant, and there was no loud music to interfere with conversation. Our waiter did his job with aplomb, making useful suggestions and picking out a superb wine (Markus Molitor, 2005 Riesling Spatlese) for Meg.

French fries ($8 for a very large order), requested extra crispy, were served with a trio of sauces. There was ketchup mixed with truffle oil which I found oddly disturbing, a nice aioli, and a green herb based sauce which was our favorite. They were served, wrapped in paper, standing in a cone-shaped holder - a very nice presentation. Ken preferred the fries at George’s Gyros (see below) because he felt the oil was fresher. I liked Bink’s a little better because of the quality of the potatoes.

We decided to eat tapas style and ordered a number of starters. Country pate ($13) came out first. The waiter had suggested this because it went well with the fries, but they were mostly gone by the time the pate came to the table. This wasn’t because the kitchen was slow, but a testament to the potatoes. The pate came with cornichon, whole grain mustard, pickled pearl onions, pistachios (which were also in the pate) and some very nice Texas toast. Ken, who is a pate lover was unimpressed. I generally don’t like pate, but I like this version. You can draw your own conclusion from this disagreement.

The Molasses Glazed Pork Belly ($13) and a Caesar Salad ($11) arrived together. A long time ago the three of us had eaten at Binkley’s, Cafe Bink’s big brother. The memory of the pork belly we had there was still fresh in Meg’s mind, and she had liked that version somewhat better. It had come with a nice square of crispy skin which was missing here, sadly. Meg also remembered a different sauce, more citrusy, which helped cut the richness of the pork. I was happy with the molasses version. There were some yummy Brussels sprouts on the plate and some spaghetti squash. The big disappointment for me was the Caesar salad. It had been prepared with mild white anchovies, which in no way resemble the standard brown version. I realize most people don’t like the distinctive taste of the brown ones, but for me that’s what makes a salad a Caesar. Also, the dressing was very unevenly distributed. The part I ate was dry, while Ken’s was dripping.

We were too full to order dessert, but Ken had espresso. He said it was adequate but nothing outstanding. I’m sorry about all the nit-picking (isn’t that a disgusting expression to use while talking about food?) but I felt for the price of the individual dishes that it was only fair. However, when you add in the ambience and quality of service and the presentation of the food, it was worth it. I would certainly go back. They’re open for lunch and have some interesting sandwiches. Give it a try, and visit Meg’s gallery on the way.

Cafe Bink

36889 N. Tom Darlington Dr.

Carefree AZ 480-488-9796

cafebink.com

Tempting Thai

Over the years, I’ve read many good reviews of Sala Thai Restaurant. In fact, without ever having been there I’ve recommended it to lots of people. Based on that, our friend Marty (Randy’s SO) had lunch at Sala. He liked it so much he thought we should go there for dinner.

Located in a small strip mall just north of Shea on 32nd St., the restaurant is small, brightly lit, clean and totally nondescript. But the menu is a different story: It’s five or six pages long, with a color photograph and description of each dish, and the little peppers indicating the hot ones. There are thirteen catagories - appetizers, salads and soups, of course; but then the main courses are divided up into noodles, curry, BBQ, A La Carte, Entrees and Vegetarian. And finally dessert, extra, beverage, and fresh fruit Thai Mocktails. On your first visit it will probably take you a good 20 minutes to decide what to order.

We started with BBQ short ribs ($8.95) served with a sweet chili sauce. While good enough, I was mildly disappointed, there was nothing noteworthy there. But the next dish, beef salad ($10.50), was enough to knock your socks off. Cold grilled beef seasoned with lime juice and topped with wilted coriander and hot pepper and grilled onions. We had asked for it to be medium hot, but for me it was a little more. I was glad that rice had arrived at the table along with the salad. It was an addictive dish.

Next came green curry with chicken ($9.50). This was the first Thai curry I’ve ever liked. It was mild enough so you could taste the beautiful flavor combination of coconut milk, basil and chili paste. There was more chicken and vegetables and less sauce than the typical curry, which I very much appreciated. Pad Thai ($8.50), always my favorite, was outstanding. It seemed a little sweeter than most, and somehow fresher.

There’s a few out-of-the-ordinary dishes we'll have to try next time:

Spicy Egg Bomb - crispy over-easy eggs bedded with choice of ground meat, stir fried with peppers, onion carrots, with chili sauce.

Spicy Pumpkin Basil - sliced pumpkin stir-fried with onions, basil, bell peppers and your choice of protein.

Shrimp Pumpkin Curry - you can tell I like pumpkin. We first ate it as part of an entree, not as dessert, in Tasmania. It’s a shame it’s not regularly served in the U.S.

We were stuffed, but Marty insisted we try the mango with sticky rice ($4.50) for dessert. So then, of course, we had to also get some homemade coconut ice cream ($3.95). Both were yummy, but the mango was the star - fresh and sweet.

Service was efficient, friendly and unobtrusive. We had asked that the green peppers be left out of the curry and there was no problem.

A young Thai-food-virgin was dining with us. Virgin no more, he happily snarfed down everything except the mango. We know he’ll be back for more, and so will we. The bill came to $100 and change which, for six people and such good food, was a bargain.

Sala Thai Restaurant

10880 N. 32nd St., Phoenix

602-971-1293

Monday - Friday 11-2:30, 5-9

Saturday and Sunday 12 - 9

My newest BFF sandwich

  After reading a glowing review of Gallo Blanco Cafe (located in the Clarendon Hotel) in the New Times (May 26) we knew we had to try it. Normally we’re not great fans of Mexican food, but this is Mexico City style - much more subtle, refined and less spicy hot than Sonoran.

  The menu appears small, but it covers all the bases from breakfast, through lunch, dinner and dessert, with some interesting beverages. We opted for two appetizers to start. Chicharron de Queso ($7)is cheese thinly spread in a frying pan and cooked  ‘til lightly browned and somewhat rigid, then rolled around a cylinder and cooled until it holds its shape. It is served with a pleasantly hot aioli, which complements the chicharron perfectly. By the way, this is the perfect Atkins dish, not a carb in sight. The elote callejero ($4) is a grilled ear of corn sprinkled with cotija cheese and smoked paprika. Generally I’m not a corn lover, but I had trouble sharing this dish with Ken. The chef, from Mexico City by way of the Grand Orange/Postino group knows how to combine flavors so that they bring out the best in each other.

  My newest BFF sandwich, the cochinita torta, is made with pork marinated in orange juice and a few other things that I’d like to know about, cooked til meltingly tender, and served with avacado. The result is so incredibly soothing I wanted to take a nap with it. The serving was generous, enough to share - especially after two appetizers.

  Of course, we couldn’t leave without trying dessert since everything else had been so tasty. We chose crepa con cajeta y platano. Three crepes covered with a mound of sliced banana (I would have preferred cooked plantain, but Ken disagreed), a dollop of cajeta, sprinkled with peanuts and drizzled with caramel. I probably would have liked it a lot more if I wasn’t already satiated and still swooning over the torta. There’s also a homemade chocolate pudding covered with homemade marshmallow fluff. Another time ......

  The service was excellent. Our waitress wasn’t afraid to give her opinion of the various dishes, and came back frequently to see if we were happy.

  Now, for what I didn’t like. The room was very noisy. I think it would be intolerable if filled to capacity. The floor is concrete, and lots of wall and ceiling had been torn out - trendy perhaps, but loud.

Ken described the decor as “upscale Greyhound bus terminal”.

(although there is some mildly interesting art on the walls). The Clarendon Hotel gave me the creeps. It turns out that a reporter was shot just outside the hotel because of a story he was writing.

  I’d be happier if Gallo Blanco were in a different building, but I’ll ignore the hotel’s bad vibes and go back to try lots more things (as long as I can get a torta to go).

Gallo Blanco Cafe in the Clarendon Hotel

401 W. Clarendon Ave. , off Central south of Indian School

Phoenix     602-252-7363

"Real Greeks From Chicago"

On our own, we probably never would have stopped at George’s Famous Gyros. Located in a small strip mall on McKellips Rd., it looks like a fast food joint.  But we had a $25 certificate that we had purchased from Restaurant.com for $3. We had done this without knowing anything about George’s, which is unusual for us. But our friend Pat was visiting and we wanted to try some new places. I was a little worried when we entered, then my attention was caught by the large (and inexpensive) selection of food printed on a huge menu on one wall.

In order to use our $25 certificate we had to order $35 worth of food (beverages don’t count). It was going to be tough, but we were up to the challenge. Our 3 entrees came to only $27, so we were, happily, forced to get some appetizers.

This is what we had to eat:

Hummus with Pita ($3.95) - very thick and mild, with yummy pita served oven hot. I like my hummus more lemony/garlicky, but Pat and Ken both liked it.

Spanikopita ($3.95) and Falafel ($3.95) - both deep fried to perfection. I know, I know, spanikopita isn’t supposed to be fried, but now I won’t like it any other way. Good tzatziki accompanied these.

Shrimp Myconos ($8.25) - the shrimp were served in an excellent lemon,wine,garlic sauce (unlike the hummus there was lots of garlic here) over spaghetti. It was supposed to have been sprinkled with feta, but Pat didn’t want any. She was chastised for this omission. When I reheated the leftovers a few days later I put lots of Parmesan (not having any feta) on top and it made the dish even better.

Steak sandwich ($7.25) - this was charbroiled sirloin. I thought it was just ok, but the cold leftover steak couldn’t have been better.

Gyros Platter ($7.95) - although this was gyros from a box and it arrived piping hot, it was nice and tender and juicy and didn’t turn to shoe leather as it cooled. Again, leftovers, warmed in the microwave on the defrost setting, were as good, if not better, than the original. Basamati rice topped with tomato sauce and feta, and a salad were served along side. There was enough meat for three meals.

All sandwiches, burgers and platters are served with a choice of salad or fries. I can only imagine the fries are fabulous, given the skill of the fry master. There are also pita pizzas, entree salads, several types of wings (at, get this, $4.50 a dozen). Baklave and chocolate cheese cake are the desserts.

If you add up our order, it did come to more than $35, but I had a great time finishing up the huge amount of leftovers while Ken was away.

The young man who took our order and served us was either the owner of the owner’s son. He sat down and chatted with us for a while. We’ll go back for more food and conversation.

George’s Famous Gyros  (Real Greeks From Chicago)

7620 E. McKellips Rd.  Scottsdale

480-874-1354  

Monday - Friday 11 AM - 8 PM, Saturday 11 AM - 3 PM

Great pizza

    When we’re in the mood for good old fashioned pizza, as opposed to personal-size “gourmet” pies - which is 99% of the time-  we head to Stumpy’s Pizza in a strip mall on Northern at about 13th Street.

Our friend Randy introduced us to Stumpy’s while we were in mourning for Carusotti’s Restaurant up at Bell and Tatum. They would load the pizza up with good quality ingredients (although the crust would get soggy) and also served entrees that Ken liked. I stuck with the pizza. We tried a number of restaurants and pizza parlors but nothing really satisfied. So, prepared for another disappointing experience, we ordered Stumpy’s all meat pizza with extra ricotta. Smiles all around. The crust, fat around the edges and thin in the center was nice and chewy. It’s cooked in a gas oven so it doesn’t have the smokey taste of some, but it seems to be brushed with garlic butter before baking, and I’ll take garlic over smoke anytime. The amount of toppings was more than generous and contrasted beautifully with the sweet tasting ricotta. Ken, who ordinarily eats all the toppings off the crust and leaves it behind, ate every last bite. In order to make it a healthy meal we had a side salad. All the ingredients were nice and fresh, and instead of the lettuce and the one slice of tomato salad served in most places, this one had onions, mushrooms, olives and a few other things mixed in.

Since we’ve never made it beyond ordering the meat pizza, I can’t vouch for the rest of the menu. There are quite a few sub sandwiches ranging from Italian to several types of chicken to tuna and meatballs. They all seem to be $6.75. Entree salads are $7.25, and the pizza goes from $7 to $20. It’s also available by the slice for $2.25. Lasagna, manicotti and ziti with meatballs are in the $7 range. Randy didn’t love the pasta.

The place is kind of cute, with mis-matched tables and chairs, and a wrought iron butcher block serves as the ordering counter. The large room is divided in half, and you can watch the pizza being tossed and cooked. Service is friendly and efficient. One other thing worth noting -before being served, the pizza is placed on a piece of corrugated cardboard, then on the pizza pan so whatever grease accumulates doesn’t make the crust soggy.

Thank you Randy!!!

Stumpy’s Pizza

1331 E. Northern Ave. Phoenix

602-997-2727

pizzabystumpys.com