Amaro's, Not Your Mama's Pizzeria

     There’s an odd disconnect between the name, the menu, and the ambience of Amaro Pizzeria & Vino Lounge. I’ve never seen a pizzeria that looked like this: dark wood paneling, carpeting, a huge chandelier, cloth napkins. It’s a very traditional, upscale Italian look which I think would appeal more to the 40-and-up crowd than the 20 somethings. The menu has way more than pizza on it, and some of the dishes are even a little adventurous. Prices fall in between the two concepts.

     The team behind Amaro has had lots of restaurant experience, including stints at Kazimierz Wine Bar and The Estate House. Chef Bernie Kantak of Cowboy Ciao played a part in developing the menu. In fact he loaned his name to the signature salad, The Kantak Chop ($12). This salad alone makes the trek to Cave Creek worthwhile. It comes to the table with bands of finely chopped smoked salmon, asiago cheese, dried corn, pepitas, currents, couscous, arugula, and tomatoes. Our waiter dressed it lightly with pesto/buttermilk dressing, and tossed it for us. The melding of tastes and textures was perfect. I’ve never had dried corn before; its sweet crunch is a revelation. 

     We decided to try the Dolce Arrabiatta pizza ($15). Our server asked if we liked spicy food. When I asked how spicy, and he said “VERY”, we opted to have the Calabrian chili peppers on the side. A good decision. We carefully picked all the seeds off the tiny pieces of pepper before gingerly putting them (sparingly) on our slices. Even so, it was a sinus-clearing experience, but truly delicious. The pizza here reminds me of an Americanized version of the outstanding pizza served at Pomo (where you should go if you haven’t yet). The crust is a little firmer than Pomo’s and the topping choices more familiar. In addition to the chiles our pizza had lots of Taleggio cheese, both sweet and spicy sausage, and caramelized onions. We added some sliced garlic. We used perhaps one tenth of the peppers that were brought to us in a little ramekin - the full amount (including seeds, the hottest part of the pepper) is what is usually put on the pizza. Beware.

     There was a very unusual dessert on the menu, Baba Au Rhum, with a twist. The large brioche was soaked in rum, split, and filled with marscapone mousse and fresh raspberries, drizzled with hazelnut/milk chocolate sauce, sprinkled with chopped hazelnuts, and served warm. It was soothing, and put out the fire raging in our mouths. For $7, this dessert was big enough to serve 4. 

     As I said, this isn’t your mama’s pizzeria. There’s a choice of 9 antipasti including shrimp scampi and meatballs (both $9); 5 pasta dishes, and 4 entrees, ranging in price from ($17 - $23). The Filet Marinato, a house specialty, sounded good - an 8 ounce piece of beef tenderloin in a black peppercorn demi glace served with an asiago baked potato and pancetta sauteed spinach. Eight pizzas, plus a design-your-own range in price from $10 -$15 and can feed two or three people.

     The wine bar, separated from the restaurant by a clear plastic partition is large and attractive. I understand its jumping on weekends. Happy Hour is from 4 - 6 daily, and Reverse Happy Hour from 9 - 10 daily.

     All in all, Amaro’s is a very nice place to come if you want something more upscale than the usual formica tabled neighborhood place. More interesting food for not much more money. A good deal.

Amaro Pizzeria and Vino Lounge

28234 N. Tatum (at Dynamite)  Cave Creek      480-502-1920

Monday - Thursday & Suday  4PM-10PM,   Friday & Saturday  4PM-11PM

amaroaz.com

Beaver Choice Responds

     I thought you might be interested in reading the response of Hannah, the owner of Beaver Choice
to yesterday's entry Scandinavian Survival Kit:

Comment from hanna g. of Beaver Choice 12/13/2010    « Hide

well unfortunately we did ask you to leave our bistro after the unacceptable way you were behaving from the minute you walked in.
here follows some explanations and  corrections to your review.
1.yes,  all food is prepared on spot and delivered when ready and we are not going to change it.
2. we do not defrost the fish because we do not use frozen products other then shrimp,  fries and burgers. i am not going to comment on the imaginary parasites.
3. we informed you that the coffee we serve is strong but you insisted to have it anyway.
4. yes we do have only 6 burners in our kitchen. we will add more as soon as we can afford it.
5.i did have seared gravlax but it was to pricey for you. i was serving this popular dish throughout the day.
6.somehow you forgot to  pay for one of  your meals. but it's fine with me.
7. you came around 12.30 and you were asked to leave around 1.40 after you finished your meal.
8. you presented yourself as a well known food critic. we do not treat food critics in any different or better way then other customers. all customers have the same value regardless of their position and wealth.
9. when Chris mentioned Howard Seftel it was more as a reference to the article where he himself explains our way of cooking and serving.
10. you never told me about your 2 pm engagement, you asked me with a mean undertone if somebody is cooking in the kitchen.
To my all other valued customers Howard Seftel included thank you so much for your support and ratings. Thank you so much.

     Needless to say, we don't see eye-to-eye on the events of that afternoon. So I guess we'll just have to agree that the food is delicious.

Scandinavian Survival Kit

     The food at Beaver Choice Scandinavian Bistro is delicious; a little unusual, but easily understood. Hearty and reasonably priced. You can find out all about it at azcentral.com in an article by Howard Seftel. Then, after reading this survival guide, you should go and try it.

     Things you will need:

1. An afternoon or evening with no commitments other than your meal. This could take a long, long time.

2. A pen and a piece of paper on which to write your order (along with an alternate choice).

3. Dining companions who all enjoy the same foods and are willing to eat off the same plate.

4. A snack to tide you over until your food arrives.

5. A sense of humor (but try not to laugh out loud),

     Here’s our experience:

     Four of us entered the small, 20 seat restaurant at 12:10. There were six other people seated at the minimalist glass top tables. A large, and very appetizing looking catering order was taking up another table. We were given menus and told to order at the counter. There were many, many choices of entrees (a few warned that they would take between 20 and 35 minutes to prepare - we avoided those), and each one came with a choice of four side dishes. You can see why a paper and pen might come in handy. Ken went to place our order, but he had to wait for three other people who had arrived before him. It took a while.  Then he was told that my entree choice was not available because they had run out of gravlax. I came up with another selection, and Ken went back to the counter - where another group of people had taken his place and were ordering. Another wait, then my second choice wasn’t available either. The sauce had to be reduced and wouldn’t be ready until Tuesday. I figured I’d be safe with a third choice of Swedish meatballs, so I yelled over to Ken who saw that each of our orders was being written on a separate piece of paper. Odd.

     We settled in to wait for our food. Our drinks were brought to the table. Sena’s eyes popped when she sipped the pitch black coffee. The waitress said it was always that strong and that there was no milk or half and half available, but she could bring out some heavy cream. I noticed that food was coming out of the kitchen painfully slowly. One dish to one table, a while later, one dish to a different table. Companions were left twiddling their thumbs. It so reminded me of Hell’s Kitchen - I could hear Gordon Ramsey going ballistic: “Shut it down you &*#$%!!!!” . At about 1 PM my Swedish Meatballs were delivered. I put the plate in the middle of the table and invited everybody to dig in. Luckily the servings are large. We finished that off and waited another ten minutes before Sena’s chicken schnitzel arrived. That too was shared. At about 1:35 Ken’s entree was brought. That left Leon, who had ordered Tilapia. We flagged down the owner and told her that we had a 2 PM engagement and would like our remaining dish. She said she’d look into it, went into the kitchen and was not seen again. A while later another staff member came over and told us that there had been a large catering order, that they had only a six burner stove  and that 2 employees had called in sick. I mentioned that I didn’t think it was right to serve some people at a table and not others. “This is the way we do it, we’re not going to change it, and Howard Seftel thought it was all right”, was the emphatic reply. More waiting. At 1:50 a different staff member came over and said it would be a few more minutes. To our disconcerted rumblings he said - and you’re not going to believe this - “The fish has to be defrosted slowly because of the parasites....”  At this point, I’ll confess, I started to laugh loudly and somewhat

hysterically. It may have been rude, but I couldn’t help myself. 

     We were out of time, so Leon decided he’d take the fish to go. Ken went up to the counter and gave one of my Valley Vittles cards to the “parasite” staff member, saying that the food was great but the service terrible. At which point the staff member had a melt-down, yelled at Ken to get out of his restaurant, then went slamming through the kitchen kicking something on the way out. 

     This was truly one of the oddest dining experiences I’ve ever had. Very Alice in Wonderland. But if you go equipped with the five items mentioned above, you’ll have some excellent food. 

Beaver Choice Scandinavian Bistro

1743 E. Broadway Rd.  Tempe   480-921-3137

Tuesday - Saturday 11-9    Sunday  12 - 8

     

Southwest Averse? Try This!

       I’ve deleted the opening lines of this blog entry at least ten times. I think it’s because I don’t want to put Renegade Canteen in a niche - doing so might cause some of you not to go, and that would be a shame.

     So I’ll start by telling you what we had to eat. We shared a wonderful Caesar salad, replete with white anchovies ($7), more than enough for two. I chose to have soup for my entree: Oxtail and Onion Soup with Caramelized Shallots & Sweet Onion topped with Gruyere Cheese ($13). It was delivered to the table in a soup bowl that had a very large, inwardly tilting rim around it on which were sitting three slices of grilled baguette. The bowl itself was covered with a lid. When the server removed it, the toast slid down into the soup, ready to sop up the broth. An oxtail bone was in the middle of the bowl, surrounded by lots of meat (way more than would be on one segment of bone). It struck me as both odd and clever. Presentation is a big part of the experience of eating here, and it’s done with flair. The soup was gorgeous, sweet and savory, the meat succulent, and the onions perfectly caramelized. At first I was mildly disappointed that there wasn’t a huge amount of cheese, but the oxtail was so rich that more cheese would have been cloying. Ken ordered the special of the day, Roasted Rack of Lamb with Creamed Spinach ($20). The five double chops were lined up on a long narrow plate, the bones of one chop leaning on the meaty portion of the next, all of them balanced in a ribbon of creamed spinach. The meat was cooked perfectly to order, but it was the spinach that blew Ken away. Rather than being pasty, it was lightly sauced and beautifully seasoned. Now, hopefully I’ve caught your interest, so I can go back to the niche part.

     Robert McGrath, formerly of Roaring Fork is the chef here. He’s won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in America-Southwest. But this isn’t the hit-you-over-the-head-with-a-chili-pepper Southwest food. The peppers sing quietly in the background, getting along happily with the rest of the well thought out flavors. While many of the dishes have a Southwestern twist, there’s lots that are straight American.

Chef McGrath has bought along his famous “Big Ass Burger”, now called Bob’s Big Burger - 12 ounces for $13 - one of the best in town. Steamed Pacific Clams with Copious Amounts of Butter, Garlic, Wine and Bread are $12. A 20 ounce Berkshire Pork Porterhouse weighs in at $22. One of the more entertaining specials is Friday night’s

“Peter;s Smelly-Old Fish From Last Week”.

     The only bad thing, and it really was a bummer, was our dessert. Rather than go with  the flourless chocolate cake, i decided to be different and try the Red Beet Root Cake with Carrot-Vanilla Gelato, Candied Pistachios and Carrot & Beet Powder ($7). What was brought to the table was a desiccated scoop of ice cream, too hard to even get the tines of a fork into, and cake which was not much better. Our waiter was appalled by this, saying that the ice cream had been pre-scooped, and he went running back to the kitchen to replace the dessert. Its texture was somewhat better, but for me, the whole concoction was pretty much flavorless. I detected neither beet nor carrot. The candied pistachios were good though. As an apology, our waiter comped Ken’s double espresso.

     The ambience is upscale but not stuffy. Lot’s of dark wood, big upholstered chairs at the dining tables. There’s a stunning fireplace on a small patio out back, and a larger patio for diners to one side. Up front there’s some leather upholstered couches and arm chairs, which is a good thing, because there were lots of people waiting. The place was shockingly busy for a week night, and I’ve heard it’s a zoo on the week ends. Reservations would seem to be a good idea. I can certainly understand the popularity of Renegade Canteen. It manages to be trendy yet unintimidating for us non-trendy people, has great service and excellent food (I’m willing to overlook the dessert), and very reasonable prices.I think you’ll enjoy it, even those of you who are Southwest food averse. 

Renegade Canteen

9343 East Shea Blvd.    Scottsdale    480-614-9400

Daily  3-10 PM 

Modern Comfort

    It’s a brilliant concept, really, non-threatening food (brussels sprouts are probably the scariest thing on the menu) given an interesting tweak here and there to make it worthy of a night out. And judging from the crowd that showed up on a rainy Sunday evening, it’s working. The diners were a mixed bunch: lots of families with their kids, lots of singles at the community table. 

     Chef Justin Beckett, formerly of Canal, his wife and some friends took over the space previously occupied by That’s Italiano, a restaurant that deserved to close. They did a lovely renovation, with exposed wood beams, an open kitchen, lots of windows, and the above mentioned community table, made from a fallen black walnut tree. To put you in a good mood there’s a number of specialty cocktails, a nice wine list, and 4 draught beers, plus others by the bottle. Our server, Allison, was delightful - very funny, but also very professional. 

     The menu isn’t large, but it was hard to make a selection since everything sounds good. An interesting appetizer entry is Beckett’s Original Grilled Cheese served with  roasted red pepper tomato soup ($9). Creamy Grits & Spicy Andouille Sausage ($8) was tempting. Ken opted to get two appetizers for his meal, the Chef’s Country Pate ($8) and those scary Roasted Brussels Sprouts with pancetta, shaved manchego cheese and lemon thyme vinaigrette ($6). I thought it strange that this was considered an appetizer. For me, the Crisp Butter Lettuce Salad, green grapes, toasted pecans, candied lemon vinaigrette ($6) and a side of Mac and Cheese ($5, as are all the side dishes including the bacon cheddar biscuits which we ordered while trying to decide on the rest of our meal). Our friend Sena decided, after much pondering, on the pork osso bucco ($17). And Leon ordered his usual hamburger - in this case the “B”  Burger with Buttered Brioche, Boursin, Bib lettuce, Beefsteak tomato ($13).

     So how was it? The biscuits, which arrived first were a good omen. They were more scone-like than biscuity, but they were delicious, especially with the accompanying apple honey butter. Ken enjoyed his pate, which came with lots of things to eat with it, including peanut brittle. Sena’s osso bucco was delicious, tender and rich. The only problem was that the carrots served in the roasted vegetable medley were terribly undercooked. The same was true, to a lesser extent, of the brussels sprouts plus they were pretty much tasteless. The vinaigrette on my salad was outstanding, but the grapes and pecans were in short supply. Leon said his burger was just okay, but he seems to feel that way about most of the burgers he orders. One day we’ll find him one that will knock his socks off! If anybody has any suggestions, please let me know.

     The entrees didn’t live up to the biscuits, but I had high hopes for dessert ($5 each). There’s a strange one - Chocolate Dipped Bacon S’Mores with caramel, housemade marshmallow, whipped peanut butter, and graham crackers. But I had to go with the Fig & Pecan Pie which came with cream cheese and citrus zest ice cream. This was delectable, rich but not too sweet. I usually don’t like cream cheese ice cream, but this was a perfect match for the pie and the citrus zest just sung out. Loved it. Ken grumbled a little about the poor selection of tea, and the fact that there was no espresso.

     All things considered, despite the negatives, I’d go back. I have the feeling that things will get better and better. 

Beckett’s Table

3717 E. Indian School      Phoenix     602-954-1700 (reservations are a good idea)

5 - 10PM  Tuesday through Sunday

beckettstable.com

     

Tucson Tripping

     Because we were sooo vacation-deprived this summer, we decided to take a quick trip to Tucson over the weekend. Showup.com was touting an event called Carnival of Illusion which included two tickets, a room at the Double Tree Tucson hotel, and a free entree at one of the hotel’s two restaurants, all for $163. The show is “parlor magic”, supposedly as it was performed at private salons in the Victorian era. With magic and card tricks (pretty impressive), some belly dancing, and some silly mind reading it was a very entertaining hour and a half. Ken even won a free return pass. The show will be running in Tucson on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings until the end of January. You can see more about it at carnivalofillusion.com.

     I bet you already know that we didn’t confine ourselves to eating mediocre hotel food. I did my research and came up with a place called The Dish Bistro, which is located inside The Rum Runner Wine Shop. The wine store is big, the restaurant is tiny, seating only 26, so reservations are a must. The decor is classy and the food is upscale fusion-y American, as cooked by an Australian. A lot of thought has gone into the pairing of dishes with the accompanying sides. For instance, there’s an appetizer of Buttermilk Fried Sweetbreads with Marcona almond crumble / heirloom tomato confit / black olive rusks ($9.50). Or Long Stemmed Artichoke Hearts with shitake duxelles / parmesan polenta / truffle oil / almond basil pesto ($11.50). We shared a bowl of Cream of Parsnip Soup ($8.75) garnished with bacon, raisins and apples - it was heavenly. The delicious bread from The Village Bakeshop was served with a spread consisting of four kinds of onions which had been grilled, chopped and then mixed with both browned and regular butter. I’ve got to try making some at home.

    We ordered two entrees to share. The first was sesame crusted ahi tuna, pan seared rare (as requested), served on a mash of garbanzo beans along with sauteed green beans, fried spears of eggplant, and a feta cream sauce ($28). I thought the garbanzo mash was a brilliant idea that went beautifully with the fish. The green beans were perfectly cooked. Unfortunately the sauce, while tasty on its own, was overpowered by the fish. The eggplant, again perfectly cooked, was really overkill. Ken felt like it was a dish from Top Chef, trying too hard to stand out. The portion was quite large and I was stuffed and almost dreading the arrival of our second entree, veal cheek ravioli. If you’ve never had cheek, it’s probably the most tender, succulent part of the animal; sadly, it almost never appears on a menu. So I was conflicted when our waiter said there was a misunderstanding and he hadn’t put in the order for it. Although it could have been quickly prepared we decided to try dessert instead. There were many fascinating selections, but of course I went with the chocolate cake. Unfortunately it was brought to the table at refrigerator temperature so the flavor of the chocolate didn’t shine. Our server said that they had tried serving it a room temperature but the texture of the cake suffered.

     By the way, our waiter was personable and knowledgeable about both the food and the wine. After telling him what we planned to eat, we asked him to choose our wine (a shared glass), and he picked a delicious pinot noir. If you choose to get a bottle from the vast selection in the store, you’ll pay retail plus a $12 corkage fee, which I’m told is a good deal. Because of the mix up with our entrees, we were not charged for dessert.

     Despite the few small glitches, we were  taken with so many aspects of the food and setting that we’ll happily go back. Actually, we wouldn’t mind seeing Carnival of Illusion again too. It was an excellent vacation, and we were exhausted when arrived home - as it should be.

The Dish Bistro

3131 E. 1st St.  Tucson     520-326-1714      reservations essential

www.rumrunnertucson.com/thedish

Centurion Redux

     Shortly after posting my entry about Centurion (see below) I received an email from chef/owner Eric Osburn stating that the had, indeed, not been in the restaurant during our lunch because someone had set fire to their fence, and he was taking care of that. We had noticed the damage on our way in. He asked that we give Centurion another try.

Since, as I said in my review, there were many intriguing things about the place, we decided to do that.

     The patio had been repaired, and even improved on, with the addition of canvas “sails” overhead to block the sun. It was 2PM, there were few customers, and we were able to have a good conversation with Eric. He’s a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and is passionate about food. With Centurion, he wants to overturn many of the problems he’s noticed in other restaurants. He aims to be high-end, but with reasonable prices and no pretension. His kitchen is right in back of the windows looking out on Roosevelt, so the cooks don’t feel shut in. And like many chefs now, he tries to use local and sustainable products, making for a seasonal menu.

He even told me a great way to cook butternut squash - using a cider reduction and vanilla.

     The truly notable changes in our meal were with the stuffed mushrooms and the sauce that came with the mussels. Instead of being ugly lumps, the mushrooms were a work of art. They had been split, stuffed with rice, and wrapped in proscuitto. Looking like exotic oysters, they were so pretty I hated to cut into them. But I was glad I did, because this time they were perfectly cooked and delicious. The mustard sauce on the mussels was well balanced, with the flavors of mustard and white wine playing off each other. We kept soaking it up with the accompanying tasty house-made bread. I have to say I still wasn’t crazy about the eggplant panini, but it was more thoroughly cooked than the last time. I guess it’s just a matter of taste.

     Because it was Eric who served us, things went well. I’m willing to accept the fact that the staff had been upset about the fire and not functioning as well as they ordinarily would. We’ll be going back to try the dinner entrees, so I guess we’ll find out.

Centurion

214 W. Roosevelt    Phoenix

602-687-8796

     

Pride and Caring

     Judging by the twenty minute wait to be seated for lunch at 1 PM on a Friday afternoon, Flancer’s Cafe in Gilbert (there’s one in Mesa, too), doesn’t need any publicity from me. There’s also more than 50 mostly four and five star reviews on Yelp. And  the Arizona Republic gave it a glowing review in September. After our lunch, I can tell you that Ken and I heartily agree with all the praise.

     Flancer’s is a small, unpretentious place. The menu is basically bar food - wings, salads, sandwiches, pizza, and some pasta. What made it worth our 30 minute drive is the care and thought that goes into the preparation. Jeff Flancer, the owner, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. When he gives you a steak sandwich, its a 

filet mignon sandwich ($10.75), tender and cooked to order - and served on a freshly baked homemade roll. With caramelized onions and house made chipotle mayo that has the perfect amount of kick. Oh, and gorgonzola cheese, too. Accompanied with an interesting choice of sides, like jalapeno & cheddar mashed potato pie or sweet potato fries. Ken says that Jeff knows what people like to eat, then he thinks of a way to improve on it. Like the onion soup ($3/5) that has a ton of cheese on top, not the thin slice that lots of places try to get away with these days. The pastrami in Ken’s “Cure Heaven” sandwich (every item on the menu has a name) was very flavorful, served hot with provolone and mustard ($8). Portions are large, but not overwhelming. The only disappointment was the pickle - not bad, but not up to the level of the rest of the meal.

     For nine years, Jeff had a restaurant in Santa Fe. There are a number of dishes using a variety of chilis, like the Santa Fe BLT ($8) that comes with New Mexican green chili mayonnaise. Or the Baked Chipotle Fettuccini (Jeff’s spelling) ($11): “Baked fettuccini with sausage, pepperoni & ground beef with chipotle cream marinara sauce & melted mozzarella cheese”. An appetizer I have to try is Flancer’s Green Chile Mushroom Phyllos ($7.50).

     Something that shines through at Flancer’s is pride in the staff (our waiter was excellent), and caring for the community. On the website there are pictures and bios of many of the staff members. If you order a particular dessert, proceeds are donated to a youngster from the community who needs a heart transplant. There are raffles and a yearly pizza eating contest with proceeds also going to charity. The vibe here is really good. 

     Flancer’s is open daily from 10:30 to 9 PM, with Happy Hour from 3 - 7 (they serve a Prickly Pear Lemonade spiked with vodka that sounds really good). There’s free wi-fi, and on some nights there’s music. Check out the menu on their website.

Flancer’s

in Gilbert at 610 N. Gilbert Rd      480-926-9077

in Mesa  at 1902 N. Gigley Rd.    480-396-0077

flancers.com

When Reach Exceeds Grasp

     An intriguing concept: Food from areas that the Roman centurions conquered. Places like Achaea (Greece), Hispania (Spain), Gaul (France), Judea (the Middle East), and Britannia (England).

     An intriguing menu:  Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Spinach Strudel ($10); Bricked Fired Poached Tilapia with Sage Butter, served with Coconut and Shrimp Risotto ($23);

Gnocchi in Shitake Dijon Cream Sauce ($13).

     An intriguing venue: A tiny place with old world decor - red walls, chandeliers, lots of empty wine bottles on the ledge behind the banquette, and a cute little patio with an amusing statue of a centurion outside the wrought iron fence.

     So what more could you ask? Regrettably, lots...

     We were four, for lunch. Ken and I arrived first and ordered an appetizer of Stuffed Mushrooms wrapped in Prosciutto ($8). It did not arrive until well after our friends, Leon and Sena came in. They wanted to try the Strudel, but were told it wasn’t available. Our mushrooms were three of the ugliest lumpy things I’ve seen in a long time. They had been cooked in the pizza oven which pretty much incinerated the ham and dried out the mushrooms However, with enough of the accompanying Aged Cheddar Tarragon Sauce spooned over them, they were fairly tasty. Sena got a panini of eggplant in tomato sauce. The eggplant was almost raw, so it was chewy and bitter. Ken ordered Mussels in a Mustard Sauce ($10) served with Endless Bread. The jar of mustard had never found the sauce. Leon asked for a hamburger with ketchup. He was told that no ketchup was served in the restaurant because it would interfere with the bold flavors of the food. I would applaud this as a policy had there been any bold flavors. Ken quipped that most of the food seemed to have its roots in Britannia. My Espana Pizza ($14) had a nice amount of manchengo and mozzarella cheeses, but was pretty low on the chorizo topping.The crust was something of a disaster - burnt on the edges and flabby in the center.

     Service was poor.. With only two other customers in the restaurant, there was no excuse for ice tea glasses that were not refilled until we pointed it out, dishes that were not cleared from the table to make way for new ones, a long wait for Ken’s entree to be served after the other three had arrived, and the lack of a bowl to put his mussel shells in. The restaurant also had a general air of sloppiness about it. I don’t believe that chef/owner Eric Osburn was in the house while we were there, at least I hope he wasn’t. But he needs to be more aware of what’s going on when he isn’t present.

     Hopefully Centurion will make the effort to live up to its concept, menu and venue. I’d like to be intrigued.

Centurion

214 W. Roosevelt St.  Phoenix    (there’s a free parking garage behind the building)

602-687-8796

Lunch Tues. - Sat. 11 - 3, Sunday 11-4

Dinner Weds. 6 - 9, Thurs. - Sat.  6 - 11

The Good Burp

     Forgive me for being gross, but I have to tell you my favorite way to judge a Jewish-style deli. It’s by how much you enjoy the post-meal burps. And the new JJ’s Delicatessen at Pinnacle Peak and Scottsdale Road rates high on the burp-o-meter!! It’s been open since July in the spot once occupied by Kashman’s. In my opinion, JJ’s is much better. The service is lovely (a big change), the menu extensive, and the food delicious.

     I ordered the signature sandwich, a “Pnish” ($8.95). It’s a “square potato knish sliced in half and filled with your favorite meat, cheese and dressing, then grilled panini style”. I chose corned beef, swiss cheese, and Russian dressing. For my included-in-the-price side, I got cole slaw. In general I’m not a great fan of knishes, but this one did make a great (and unusual) sandwich. The corned beef was a tad dry, but with Russian dressing and cole slaw, who’d notice? The cole slaw was fabulous; I appreciated its sweetness, and Ken its sourness. We both loved the freshness. All the salads are made daily. As are the breads and bagels. Ken had a cinnamon raisin bagel, which I, of course, tried. It was more dense than most Arizona bagels, and chewy, so it reminded me somewhat of New York bagels. Ken’s fruit platter was quite large, and the fruit was ripe and tasty.

     All the pastry looked delicious. We took home a chocolate horn and an apricot hamantaschan. Both were shockingly good. The hamantaschan dough was melt-in-your-mouth rich, and the tart filling was a pleasant contrast. The texture of the chocolate horn was perfect, it shattered when I bit into it, yet it wasn’t dry. The chocolate had a good flavor. By the way, iced coffee goes perfectly with chocolate horns, and JJ’s makes theirs using a cold drip method. I had ice tea with my sandwich, and it was excellent.

     We’re planning to try breakfast at JJ’s. There’s a huge variety of options including a L.E.O.($9.95), matzo brie ($8.95), and a whitefish salad platter ($10.95). Latkes and blintzes are both available at $10.95. Not cheap, but I bet there’d be enough to share. Coffee comes in many forms: cappucino, latte, macchiato, etc. And more pastry.

     As we were getting ready to leave I experienced my first JJ’s burp. I got into the car with a big smile on my face.

JJ’s Delicatessen at Pinnacle

23425 N. Scottsdale Rd.    Scottsdale     480-563-4557

jjsdeliaz.com

open 7 days, 6AM - 3PM

The Pits, Again

     It’s a really sad thing when the final meal of an outstanding vacation is a lousy one. We had spent a week in San Francisco, foodie nirvana, dining on Indonesian, Basque and Moroccan cuisines. On the last leg of our journey we reached Phoenix at about 1PM. We were tired, hungry, and hadn’t been able to find the restaurant we were planning on going to, so as a default we ended up at Thee Pitts Again, a BBQ joint on Bell Road at about 57th Ave. 

     When Thee Pitts Again had first opened it had been pretty good, with a few out-of-the-ordinary entrees, like smoked turkey, available. Over the years, I felt it had gone down hill. This visit more than confirmed my opinion. The place was almost empty. We sat on the side usually reserved for groups (tables and chairs as opposed to booths). It felt like a nursing home dining room, trying to be kindergarten cheerful. I became more depressed by the minute. 

     We decided to share a slab of ribs - ordering potato salad and fresh fruit as our sides. Our dishes arrived almost instantly, really not a good sign. Especially since it looked like nursing home food. The ribs were on one plate, with pools of orange fat and a lone piece of decorative kale. They had a slightly off smell, but the taste was even worse. Either they had been reheated on a dirty grill, or they had spent a lot of time absorbing odors in the refrigerator (or both). YUCK. The potato salad had turned grey with age and was inedible. It matched my mood. The corn bread was served with margarine... What more can I say?

     A few years ago Thee Pitts Again had made it onto the Food Network show Diners, Drive Ins & Dives. The chef/owner had won many prizes at BBQ cook-offs. Too bad there was no competitive spirit in the restaurant. It sure was a loser.

Thee Pitts Again

5558 W. Bell Rd.  Glendale

NASA Should Do So Well

     Have I got a place for you un-health conscious, frugal foodies out there!  Rocket Burger and Subs serves up huge sandwiches and fried delights for astonishingly low prices, and much of the food is home-made. There’s also an enormous section of unusual soft drinks; for instance, there’s over two dozen brands of root beer to choose from. Dennis, one of the owners worked for A&W for 8 years, so he probably has root beer running through his veins by now. 

     I saw Rocket Burger in a listing of new valley eateries, then did a little research. The reviews I saw were all stellar, so I knew we had to give it a try. It doesn’t look like much, inside or out - it’s in a little strip mall tucked behind Churches Chicken at 35th Ave. and Cactus. But it’s clean, and everybody is helpful and pleasant. Ken gave a happy whoop when he saw Cheese Curds ($2.49/$4.49) on the menu. We decided to get an order while waiting for our friends Randy and Marty to join us. The curds came quickly out of the kitchen, piping hot, served with some tasty homemade marinara. They were a touch greasy, as they should be, and the oil was fresh. Marty and Randy arrived in time to save us from ourselves by helping to finish off the curds. Then we took a while trying to make our selections from the extensive menu. Eventually Randy and I both went for the New Yorker: pastrami with homemade slaw and thousand island dressing ($2.99, $3.99 or $4.99). Ken had a homemade-meatball  sub, with more of that good marinara and some provolone. It was the same price structure as our New Yorkers and all the rest of the entries under Classic Subs and Sandwiches. Marty went with a double burger ($3.89, the singles are $1 less). He could have opted for a Rocket Burger - !0 inch sub with three burgers and the fixings in either plain, cheese, bacon, teriyaki, or chili style ($4.99 to $5.99). Of course we had to try the fries and onion rings.

     Again our food arrived quickly, served in plastic baskets. It became very quiet, except for the occasional growl of pleasure. The onion rings ($1.99) had been dipped in a thin cornmeal batter which made them nice and crunchy.  The handcut fries ($1.49) were skinny, the way I like them. Randy thought they were undersalted, but I thought they were fine - our usual disagreement. At any rate, they disappeared quickly. Unlike the sandwiches. They were so big that we all ended up taking half of each sub home. The slaw on the New Yorkers was delicious, as was my whole wheat sub roll. The meat balls were nice and tender, and there was plenty of cheese on top. Randy had found a bottle of ginger beer imported from Australia that had a wonderfully refreshing true ginger taste. There seemed to be actual pieces of ginger in it - instructions on the label said to invert the bottle before opening. It never did tell you to turn it right side up again - the Aussies give us more credit than we deserve. 

     Other food items available: Hebrew National hot dogs in several styles ($2.49), Pizza  

Bread with various toppings, Gyros ($3.69), salads ($1.99 - $3.99), a fish sandwich ($2.49) served with homemade tartar sauce. And lots more. I don’t know how Dennis and Steve manage to turn out food of this quality for so little money, but I surely do hope they continue and prosper!

Rocket Burger & Subs

35th Ave. and Cactus    602-993-0834

therocketburger.com

Seasonal Subtlety

     Back in the gold rush days before the real-estate bubble burst, we went to Fiamma Restaurant in the Mondrian Hotel (or was it called the James Hotel?) for a post theater dinner. The driveway was lined with hummers, manned by twenty-somethings in their $200 jeans, all screaming for attention. It was no better inside: the noise was deafening, the service poor, the food downright bad and the prices outrageous.

     How things have changed! The hotel is now The Theodore, and the parking lot, when we arrived at 6 PM on a Saturday, was deserted, as was the lobby. As, indeed was the restaurant, although by 7:30 (the hour when people more civilized than we go out to eat) several more tables were occupied.  Service was outstanding, the food excellent and reasonably priced. Under Chef Comer Smith the seasonal menu is Italian, with the emphasis on local and sustainable ingredients. The pasta is made from scratch daily, and it tastes like it - toothsome and fresh. Gelato is also house-made. 

     The menu changes frequently and I forgot to write down the descriptions and cost of our entrees, so please forgive any errors. Ken had the special of tuna and olives in a tomato sauce with big fat spaghetti (I don’t know it’s technical name). From his first bite he raved about the quality of the pasta. The serving size was generous. I ordered braised pork shoulder with brussels sprouts served over polenta with gorgonzola ($20). The combination was divine as was the rich sauce served on it. I had read that the truffled mac & cheese ($6) was good, so I had to give it a try. At first I thought it was bland and under truffle-oiled, but after a few forkfuls I could appreciate the subtlety. I forced myself to leave a bite or two so I’d have room for dessert. Panacotta ($8) was one of the choices, and something Ken loves. It was a peach version, served atop a disc of white chocolate and accompanied by a limoncello granita. I had the intriguing sensation of being able to taste the colors. This truly is food made by a thoughtful chef.

     I looked on line at some of the past menus so I could give you a few more examples of the cuisine and the prices. One of the appetizers was Polpettine Siciliano ($10): little meatballs with raisins, pinenuts, tomato sauce and baked ricotta salata. Braised Oxtail Tortellini ($17) served with tomato sugo and parmesan crema was something I have to go back and try (I think it was on our menu). Jumbo Sea Scallops ($26) with blood orange and fennel caponata didn’t sound bad either. Pizzas ($14) are made in a wood burning oven.And, of course, here’s the best part - you guessed it! - Ciello (pronounced chee-EL-oh) is on Restaurant.com.

     I have to comment here about the decor of both the hotel lobby and the restaurant. If I thought Athena (see below) was over-the-top, Ciello takes the cake. Actually you feel like you’re inside a wedding cake, all white and rococo, although there is some odd rooster art left over from a previous incarnation. The mishmash of styles - huge steer heads and abstract sculptures - was a great conversation maker.

Ciello at Hotel Theodore

7353 E. Indian School Rd.    Scottsdale

480-308-1131

Dinner Tuesday - Saturday   6-10

Gifts From the Gods

     About three weeks ago the Greek gods decided to take a break from their endless squabbling, descend from Mt. Olympus, and pay a visit to us mortals. Fortunately they landed in Phoenix, and they came bearing gifts. These can be sampled at Athena Greek Cuisine, a new restaurant in the shopping center at Mayo and Scottsdale Rd.

     If the Scordalia ($6) isn’t heaven sent, I don’t know what is. This spread, made from bread, almonds, potato, olive oil, white wine vinegar and GARLIC is jaw-droppingly good. It has a mellow, almost sweet taste and is good smeared on anything, but especially on the Greek Sausage appetizer ($7), another gift. In fact, all the appetizers we had were delicious. Ken chose Grilled Octopus ($12); Pat had Greek Style Wings ($9), which had been marinated in olive oil, parsley, oregano and lemon (these were even better cold the next day). Marinated Beets ($7) were refreshing. Meg, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude for introducing us to Athena, says the Fried Smelts ($7) are tasty too. It’s so nice to have out-of-the-ordinary menu selections available. And the servings are surprisingly large, great for sharing.

     The entrees don’t reach the sublime level of the appetizers, but for the most part they were good and reasonably priced. Meg and I split Moussaka ($13). It was as good as any I’ve had in Phoenix, but there was nothing to lift it out of the ordinary. Stewed green beans were served with all the entrees, and these were a nice foil for the richness of the moussaka. Ken had the Combination Plate ($15) which had Pastitsio, Moussaka, Dolmades with Avgolemono Sauce, and Roasted Leg of Lamb. I thought the lamb was 

overcooked (but that seems to be the norm for Greek restaurants) and tasted curiously liver-y. Pat was disappointed with her Greek Spaghetti ($12) which was way too salty.

     We were quite full, but Pat, being half Greek, felt we had to sample the Galaktoboureko, a filo and custard concoction. The custard was pasty, rather than

silky, and the lemon sauce needed some zest to wake it up. But it was nice to see something besides Baklava on the menu (in fact there were a number of Greek desserts). 

     I loved Athena’s decor. It’s happily over the top. There’s a statue of Athena centered in the doorway, an aqua back-lit frieze on one wall, a white bar framed with Greek columns. The white painted wooden chairs (which Ken said were not very comfortable) look great against the dark floor. The only jarring note is the two TV screens flanking the bar. If you go on Athena’s website you can get a virtual tour of the restaurant, and also check out the menu. 

     Our waiter Chris and his “shadow” were both very pleasant and seemed familiar with the menu. There was a huge amount of staff for the number of patrons, but better too many than too few. Given that Athena has been open only for a short time, I find it easy to overlook the shortcomings - in fact we’re planning to return this weekend. We’ll probably stick to the appetizers, but believe me, that’s no sacrifice!

Athena Greek Cuisine

7000 E. Mayo Blvd.    Phoenix     480-502-4466

athenagreekcuisine.com

daily, 11AM-midnights

Sensibly Seasoned Southwest

Do you remember Richardson’s, probably the best known Southwestern restaurant in Phoenix? It closed a while ago without our ever having been there - the wait was always too long, and I was leery because I had heard that the food, while good, was very, very spicy hot. So I was pleased when Ken informed me that Secreto, a new restaurant in Ahwatukee Foothills, had been opened by Barbara Brown, co-owner of Richardson’s. 

I’m going to start by telling you how outstanding the food is, because you really should give it a try. Then I’ll move on to what I didn’t like.

We met foodie friends Leon, Sena and their granddaughter Julie for Sunday lunch. The breakfast menu was also being served. I ordered a stuffed poblano pepper from the appetizer menu (prices ranging from $4-$12). This had been roasted, unlike chile rellenos which are deep fried. It was filled with oozy Mexican cheeses and chorizo, and topped with creme fraiche. The heat level was perfect for me, my lips tingled, but only for a moment. For an appetizer, the serving was good sized. Sena also ordered from the appetizer menu. Her crab cakes,  two atop some salad greens, drizzled with chipotle aioli, were on the hot side for her, but she seemed to enjoy them anyway. When I tasted them, I again felt the seasoning and heat level were perfect, but I thought they had an odd texture. Although they were quite crabby, no pieces of crab were detectable, perhaps they had been too thoroughly mixed with the filler. At any rate, they were delicious.

Ken had intended to order from the breakfast menu because he wanted the carne adovada to come with a fried egg and potatoes, rather than eggless, with rice and beans from the lunch menu. When his food arrived on a dangerously hot metal plate, it was cross-dressed. The egg was there, but served with rice and beans rather than potatoes. We both loved the meat, it had a deep smokey taste with slightly charred edges and was served with just the right amount of red chile sauce. The portion was quite generous - Ken kept passing chunks of meat over to me. There was no liquid on the beans, and they didn’t stick together at all. I’ve never seen them served with rice this way and I didn’t care for it, but Ken did. Leon ordered a chicken sandwich. It was huge and looked really good, but was a little hot for him. I really have to remember to stay away from places where the heat level can’t be requested for each dish when we’re dining together. The mound of curly fries that came with his sandwich were perfectly crispy.

We had flan for dessert. It was delightful in its simplicity, light yet rich and creamy. Thank goodness no one felt compelled to spray phony whipped cream on top or add spices to it. This seemed to be the only dessert offered, but when Julie, Leon and Sena’s granddaughter, didn’t like it, she was offered Haagen Daaz with chocolate sauce. 

Now for the negatives. You can see that a lot of money was spent on the interior, with its attractive copper bar, raised banquettes, and shades made of saguaro spines, but to me it felt dark, heavy and depressing. Because my scooter couldn’t be accommodated in the main dining room, we were put in an unpleasant room used for business meetings and large parties. It’s a long narrow room and feels like an after thought, only half decorated. Second, there’s a charge for chips and salsa. But our real complaint was with the service. It was very slow yet chaotic. Ice teas went unfilled, dishes were given to the wrong people - and this was in an almost empty restaurant. The owner came over a few times, and although she’s a lovely lady her presence didn’t make the service any more smooth. Since Secreto has been open only since June, perhaps this is a glitch that will disappear over time.

I know we’ll go back to try it again. The dinner menu has some interesting items on it that demand our attention.

Secreto

4232 E. Chandler Blvd.  Ahwatukee Foothills

(480) 706-2200

11AM - midnite daily (food served til 10PM).  Brunch starts at 9AM Sunday.

no website that I could find

Road Food: Dambar Steakhouse and the Himalayan Grill

     Recently we made our second “escape-the-heat” trip out of town, this time to the Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, Utah. The weather was great, in the low 90’s during the day and the 70’s at night. We saw an excellent production of Macbeth, an entertaining Pride and Prejudice, and an abysmal musical production of Great Expectations. The big disappointment was Cedar City itself. While the festival theaters were positively lush, and the Southern Utah University campus very pretty, there was nothing to do in town - no interesting places to shop, no art galleries, and horror-of-horrors, no good places to eat. Needless to say, we left a day early.

      But we did have two very interesting dining experiences.

      On our way to Utah we stopped in Kingman for a late lunch. Ken remembered a place we had discovered on our last trip through the area called The Dambar Steakhouse. It’s decorated in a rustic cowboy theme, with sawdust on the floor, corrugated tin dividers, and red checkered tablecloths. The menu holds no surprises - there’s lots of fried appetizers, a few Southwestern dishes, and much meat. Ken decided on pork chops ($13.99), and I ordered chopped steak ($9.99). Meals come with soup or salad, biscuits, cowboy beans and choice of potato. The biscuits are fabulous, light and flakey, with herbs mixed into the dough, served with herb butter. But even better than the biscuits is the meat. My chopped steak seemed to be freshly ground, and handled with the lightest touch imaginable. Recipes always tell you not to be rough when mixing and shaping hamburger, that kneading it to mix in seasoning or other ingredients will make it tough. I never appreciated that bit of information until I ate this ground steak. It felt like there were little air pillows between the bits of meat so that when I chewed a mouthful, I could appreciate the beefy taste, rather than just chomping my way through seasoned rubber. A light bulb moment! I promised then and there to never manhandle the beef again. And Ken’s pork chops - they actually tasted like meat, almost like a cross between pork and beef, with a nice chew. If you closed your eyes you could see the actual pig, not a styrofoam, plastic-wrapped tray of pallid pork. As Ken said, it was “REAL” food. Our shared piece of mixed fruit pie lived up to the standard, too. The filling was almost tart, not overly sugared and cooked to death, and each piece of fruit could be identified. Even the pieces of rhubarb still had texture. Debbie, our server, was friendly yet professional, and seemed genuinely pleased that we had enjoyed our meal.

     We had lunch in Flagstaff on the way home. I wasn’t looking forward to it, having never had an interesting meal there, but we had a Restaurant.com coupon for the Himalayan Grill: Cuisine and Bar of India, Nepal and Tibet and thought we’d give it a try. The outside of the restaurant is off-putting, it reminded me of a cheap Chinese restaurant, but on entering you’re in an attractive room painted in yellows and orange, with maroon hangings. There are stemmed glasses and cloth napkins, and my favorite: twinkly little lights. Although the $8.99 lunch buffet looked and smelled good, we decided to order from the menu. Nine of the almost 100 dishes are labeled “Cuisine of the Himalayas” but they sounded more bland than the spicy Indian dishes. We shared Kofta Curry ($13.95) minced lamb meatballs in a creamy curry sauce; Saag Lamb ($13.95) gingered lamb cooked with spinach; Bengan Barta ($9.95) roasted and

pureed eggplant in a special blend of spices; Himalayan Naan ($3.95) bread stuffed with raisins and cashew nuts; a side of mango chutney ($2.00); and a chai tea ($2.50). The prices seemed comparable to our favorite Indian restaurant in Phoenix, The Dhaba, but when our meal arrived we found the portions to be somewhat larger and the food more substantial. The sauces were thicker, and there was considerably more meat in each dish: in fact, we ended up taking home an additional meal’s worth. Everything was truly delicious, perfectly seasoned, and spiced to our requested “mild”. Ken even “oohed” over his cup of chai, and declared that this meal was the best Indian food he’d had outside of India. Excuse me for being crude, but even my post-lunch burps were enjoyable. The restaurant has been open for 3 1/2 years and, justifiably, has won many awards. We asked the proprietor if he’d consider moving to Phoenix, but he said he couldn’t take the heat. Our loss.

Dambar Steakhouse

1960 E. Andy Devine Ave.    Kingman    AZ     928-753-3523

open daily at 11AM

Himalayan Grill

801 Milton Ave.    Flagstaff    AZ     928-213-5444

open daily  Lunch: 11-3,  Dinner: 5-10

www.himalayangrill.com

This Improv Isn't Funny

     The concept at Posh restaurant is “improvisational cuisine”. I think of something improvised as being made up on the spot, done without preparation. What an exciting dining experience that would be, albeit fraught with danger for both the chef and the patrons. But don’t go to Posh expecting that. The days menu is set long before you arrive and all you get to do is check off on a printed list what proteins you dislike so they won’t be served to you. It’s disconcerting to be asked to think about food you don’t like at the beginning of a meal. Your other decision is how many courses you desire and if you want wine pairings: from $45 per person for 4 courses ($77 with wine) to $110/$165 for a full tasting, which is more than 7 courses.

     Our meal started off promisingly. We shared a nice cocktail called a Cosmonade ($9) made with Hangar 1 Citron, Chambord, and lemon. An amuse bouche of papaya sorbet with mint “caviar” was delicious (this tiny spoonful doesn’t count as a course).  My first course was an heirloom tomato salad with haricot vert and a few shavings of cheese. With something this simple  the ingredients need to shine, and these did not - the tomato, while ripe, had little flavor, and there was so little cheese it’s impact on the dish was negligible. Ken’s vichyssoise with chive oil was pleasant enough. For me, the fish course was sea bream with bok choy. The fish skin had been blasted with a propane torch which rendered it beautifully crispy. The Asian-y sauce on the vegetable was pretty salty, a harbinger of things to come. Ken received shrimp (they were called some fancy name) served with gnocchi, baby garlic, and a blastingly peppery aioli. The shrimp had been way overcooked, rendering them rubbery and tasteless. 

     On to the meat course. Mine was venison served on farro (which is an Italian whole grain), with a rhubarb gastrique. First I took a bite of meat - it was flavorful but tough. Then the farro. I gasped and almost choked. It was that salty. The insipid gastrique was totally overpowered by the other elements of the dish. Ken was kind enough to swap plates with me, and his braised short rib (hardly a seasonal dish) was at least edible, though also oversalted. Interestingly enough it was served with fingerling potatoes, making this the third dish in a row served to Ken that contained potatoes (assuming that the gnocchi had been made with them). When our waitress, cooly professional throughout, asked if we enjoyed this course, we mentioned the salt issue and she said she would inform the kitchen.

     Finally, dessert. We were both given chocolate cake, cut into unattractive chunks. Mine topped with cubes of apricot, and Ken’s with plum. Neither of these fruits complemented the cake, which contained a distractingly large amount of pepper. The drizzle of chocolate ganache was tasty. At this point we were seriously considering going to Crudo to have dessert since we needed a satisfying conclusion to the evening.

Just then our server brought us a complimentary cheese plate, an apology for the salty food. That turned out to be the high point of our experience (along with the amuse bouche). The cheese selection was excellent, and the buttery grilled bread outstanding.

But for $130 you’d expect more, wouldn’t you?

     I strongly suggest that if you want a an exceptional “tasting” experience you should visit Crudo Cafe. You even get to choose the foods you like to eat, not those you don’t.

Posh Improvisational Cuisine

7167 E. Rancho Vista Dr.   Scottsdale    480-663-7674

poshscottsdale.com

     

     

Cyrillic Soul - Кириллица души

          Ordinarily I wouldn’t bother you with reviews of out-of-town restaurants, but while in San Diego last week we had some of the most soul satisfying food in our long foodie history. This bliss took place in Pomegranate Restaurant, an unprepossessing  Russian/Georgian establishment that you wouldn’t look at twice while driving by. 

     On entering you’re transported to another place (although I’m not sure where). Every inch of the walls, ceiling, and even the piano, are covered with writing - witty sayings, and some not-so witty ones, comments about the food, etc. - put there by patrons. The owner, Mark, will supply you with a Sharpie if you can find a spot to write your own. Tree branches hold up little twinkly lights. Samovars are displayed, along with 

tchotskys (junk to some, treasures to others). Delightful. You’re given a fairly extensive menu to peruse, but our server, Dimitri, was more than happy to help us decide.

     There’s lots of appetizers (zakuski in Russian закуски). Lots of salads: Salat Vesna made of fresh cabbage, berries and herbs ($10.75), Lobio with beans and walnuts ($7.75). We had a dish made of roasted eggplant, scooped out of its skin and mashed with walnuts, garlic (much garlic!), and herbs, put back in the skin and topped with tomatoes and red onions. Right then we knew we were in for an amazing experience. I’ll tell you here that we came back for dinner the next evening, so if it looks like we ate a huge number of things, divide by two ( and it will still be huge). Dumplings are well represented. Vareniki with potato and onions or cheese ($10.25); Khinkali, peasant style meat or vegetarian dumplings, and the fabulous pelmeni (($9.50) a Siberian treat filled with meat, served in a delectable broth with a side of yogurt. You can also get them filled with a mixture of salmon and chicken - we’ll try those next time. Borscht made with beets, cabbage and meat ($9.75), or a vegetarian version and Schi, sorrel soup.

     While waiting for our main course, Dimitri brought us tea. Hot for Ken, served in a glass with sugar cubes to hold between your teeth and a little pitcher of black currant syrup to add. I had iced tea, with my very own pitcher of cherry syrup. This is not your mother’s Lipton, so the $4 for each didn’t seem too outrageous.

     I ordered a special of the day, “Russian Meatloaf”. Two large patties of ground meat, each stuffed with blue cheese, then topped with a sour cream and blue cheese sauce, sent me to heaven. A dish that could sit in your stomach like a cannon ball was light as a feather. It was served with spears of English cucumber which was the perfect foil. On the side was a plate of kasha (a buckwheat grain) and a few new potatoes. When Dimitri came by I asked if by any chance the restaurant had ever published a cookbook. In answer, he sent out John, the chef. John graciously sat down and told me in detail how to make the meatloaf. You can bet I’m going to try. If it comes out well I’ll have Dexter blog about - he still owes you a recipe for arepas, which he has perfected. Ken happily ate his pot of Zharkoyie ($18.50) a beef stew of the tsars, made with onions, dried fruit and spices. The meat was a tad tough, but the sauce was delectable. The following day we shared a lamb shank in a broth loaded with fresh herbs, onion and garlic. On the weekend Shaslik is served, either beef, pork, both $17.50, or lamb ($23.50) marinated in yogurt or pomegranate juice  cooked outdoors over charcoal and prunings. There’s Beef Stroganoff ($20.50); Chakapuli - lamb, onions, tarragon, wine and plum sauce ($19.50), and Smoked Trout or Salmon ($19.50). And lots more.

     The first night we asked John what he would recommend for dessert. He suggested the sour cherry soup ($7.50). While it was delicious, I actually would have preferred it as a starter rather than dessert because it was quite tart. On the second night, we capped off our experience with Napoleon Torte ($8.75). This is an exquisite cake, made of many layers of a wafer thin cookie alternated with custardy, almost cheese-like filling, then left to meld together (quite different than the French Napoleon). It was served with a slightly orange flavored ice cream topped with pomegranate molasses. Ken is still raving about it. John gave me an short explanation of how it is made, and I was able to find a recipe on line. It’s a huge amount of work, but Ken is willing to help me. 

     Now, if you’ve been looking at the prices of the various dishes, you’ll see that this is not an inexpensive place. And be forewarned, they don’t take credit cards. But if you’re looking for something totally different, and, as our friend Matt would say, “Life Affirming”, this is the place for you. We’re actually thinking of returning for Ken’s birthday. Would you like to join us? If we can gather 15 people for lunch we can have the whole place to ourselves.....

Pomegranate Russian-Georgian Restaurant

2302 El Cajon Blvd.   San Diego, CA    619-297-4700

daily 5 - 10 PM

russiangeorgianfood.homestead.com