Tuesday, May 25, 2010

A Caribbean Holiday

     If you’re in the mood for a foodie adventure, I’ve got just the thing. A trip to the Caribbean! Head on over to Tempe and enter A Taste of the Caribbean restaurant. The bright yellow and green walls, red floor and outdoor furniture will make you feel like you’ve arrived. It’s kind of scruffy and laid back - this is not the place to come for a quick bite. First of all, you have to make the tough decision about what to order. Oxtails or goat? Jerk chicken, of course, or do you want the milder brown stew chicken? Fish? There’s snapper, tilapia, and shrimp. The menu is divided up into Caribbean Favorites, Friday and Saturday Menu, Lunch Specials, Rice Bowl Specials and Plate Specials. If all this has your head spinning, you’re not alone. Our server, part of the family who own and run the place, seemed equally confused. But she was charming. Just accept it, and the slow service as part of the experience - don’t worry, be happy.
     We ordered oxtails ($11.95) and Eggplant Curry Shrimp ($9.95). The oxtails, in a brown sauce, were fall-off-the-bone tender, fatty, as oxtails are, and totally delicious. The accompanying plantains were caramelized and a little crunchy. Perfection. A huge mound of rice and peas filled the center of the plate - moist and beautifully seasoned. And finally, a side of cabbage. There must have been a little sugar in the cooking pan, because it was sinfully delicious. Served on the side was a basket of roti, a homemade flatbread, similar to a flour tortilla but much softer. It was so hot we burned our fingers trying to pull off a piece. We had finished off the oxtails when the eggplant dish arrived (they were supposed to have come out together - it’s a good thing we like to share). Be forewarned, this curry is not for the faint-of-mouth. I wasn’t expecting the degree of heat - my nose started running and my eyes watered. But it was pure bliss, with flavor layered on flavor. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, although I wouldn’t have minded a few more, and the eggplant was so tender it was almost melting into the gravy. There were also some pieces of potato, which had not been mentioned on the menu, hiding in there. The heap of rice and peas helped mitigate some of the heat. As you might have gathered, between the roti, the plantains, the rice and peas,and the potatoes, this is a carb-lovers paradise.
     Two odd things: a wide variety of Caribbean sodas are sold here, but no ice tea. And the rest rooms are in a different building than the restaurant.
     The only disappointment was dessert. I got a pineapple tart to take home (I couldn’t have eaten another carb if my life depended on it). Our server had said it was the best of the two desserts available. Uh-oh. The tart was really bad - a smidgen of decent pineapple filling wedged between layers of leaden dough, tough and greasy. I was glad I hadn’t eaten it at the restaurant, because it would have put a bad ending onto an otherwise extraordinary meal.
A Taste of the Caribbean
219 E. Baseline  Tempe    480-275-5334
atasteofthecaribbeancuisine.com
Mon. - Thurs. 11 - 9:30    Fri. & Sat. 11 - 11

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The Olive Garden of BBQ

     I know why the people behind Big Daddy’s BBQ (the Maestro group, formerly of Maestro’s Steak House and the Ocean Club) named it that. It’s because they see hundreds of baby Big Daddy franchises spinning off this papa. And, sadly, they’re probably right. This is BBQ for the unadventurous, for those who don’t appreciate the glorious idiosyncrasies of the genre. As Olive Garden is to Italian, and Red Lobster to seafood, Big Daddy’s is to BBQ.
     Located on the west side of the Pima Crossing Shopping  on Shea Blvd. at the 101, you’ll have to walk a ways after you’ve parked. The ambiance is kind of fun. There’s a big mural of the Budweiser wagon on a brick side-wall. Several garage doors open to the picnic-tabled patio, and there are more picnic tables with umbrellas inside, as well as stainless steel topped tables. Paper towels are on each table as well as a rib bucket. I get the feeling the bucket is strictly for show and an alarm would go off if anyone dared to dirty one. As you enter you’ll see the menu on the wall. No selection is over $20. Decide what you want and proceed to the counter to order. Then you pay and will be given one of those annoying vibrating, flashing light things that let you know it’s time to pick up your order. It will be ready surprisingly quickly. This is a VERY bad thing at a BBQ restaurant.
     Ken and I shared a 3 meat combo (the menu on line says $13.95, but I think we paid more) with 2 sides and a piece of cornbread. The most exciting thing on the list of sides was creamed corn, which we ordered, along with coleslaw. Our platter contained one beef rib, three pork ribs, and about 5 slices of brisket which had a small amount of BBQ sauce on top. There is more sauce available on the counter with the drink machine, but there’s no selection - it’s the only one. Neither spicy nor sweet - just blah. All the meats were quite dry, and somehow they all tasted the same. We were wishing for a pepper shaker when we tried the coleslaw. It was totally bland, as was the creamed corn, which had a bizarrely large amount of flavorless white sauce to canned corn kernels. Ken thought the best thing on the platter was the onion slice. I thought the corn bread won out - it was moist and slightly sweet.
     As we headed home, the farther away from Big Daddy’s we drove, the more dissatisfied with our meal we became. When we reached Scottsdale Rd., before I could ask him to do it, Ken took a right and headed toward Chocolate Star Bakery. We were in desperate need of a happy ending to truly ungratifying experience. The most positive thing I can say is that it’s a whole lot better than Dickeys, the nadir of BBQ restaurants.
Big Daddy’s BBQ  (don’t confuse this with the Big Daddy’s on Cave Creek Rd.)
8698 E. Shea Blvd.  Scottsdale   480-609-0100
bigdaddysbbqaz.com
Lunch and Dinner  7 days  11 - 10 (or later)

Monday, May 17, 2010

Pizzeria's Kick Ass

     On Friday night we had dinner at Tommy V’s Osteria Pizzeria, across from the Biltmore Fashion Park at 32nd St. and Camelback. It’s a relatively new spin-off of Tomaso’s Restaurant which has been at that location for 32 years. Where Tomaso’s is upscale, dressier, and heavy on the proteins, Tommy V is casual and carb-oriented. It’s interesting that the prices on most of the appetizers, salads and pastas are pretty much the same at both locations.
     Tommy V’s is divided up into two rooms. You enter the bar area which also houses an open kitchen with wood burning pizza oven. It’s light-filled and colorful. and also very loud. The second room is more sedate, and unfortunately somewhat gloomy. It’s dimly lit, and the faux brick, dark wood, and taupe painted walls don’t help. There are some windows cut into the front and back walls, framed with curtains, which look into the bar area, and a third back room. Very weird. However, the gloom was dispelled when our cheerful waitress brought us a basket of crusty bread and some fabulous pesto butter, redolent of garlic. She informed us that happy hour was on (from 5 - 7), and we could get most of the wines on the menu for $5 a glass or $20 a bottle. We decided to share a glass of red Primitivo ‘Layer Cake’ (I don’t know why it was called that, but you knew that I wouldn’t be able to resist ordering it). It turned out to be delicious, rich and deeply fruity. Because we had arrived quite early - I didn’t know how busy the restaurant would be and reservations are only taken for tables of 6 - we ordered a roasted beet and goat cheese salad ($8) while we awaited our friends Walt and Maria. While it was quite good, it didn’t live up to the one we had at The Parlor since the beets weren’t multi-colored and the dressing didn’t have as much zing. However, there was lots of cheese and toasted pistachios.
     When Walt and Maria arrived, our bread basket and carafe of butter was swiftly refilled (the bussing was top notch). I suggested that they try the Primitivo, and they ordered the Romaine Wedge salad ($7) with bacon and gorgonzola. It was beautifully presented, with a pile of whole romaine leaves holding the accompaniments and dressing. All the salad ingredients were quite fresh. I ordered an Eggplant Torta ($15), described as “Baked Multi-layer of Eggplant, Cheese Fondue, Pasta”. Ken opted for V’s Kick Ass Burger 9 oz ($12) - “Handcrafted with Short Rib, Brisket & Kobe Beef, Caramelized Onions, Heirloom Tomatoes, Bacon, Blue Cheese, Arugula, Truffle Aioli & Parmesan Herb Roasted Potatoes”. The combination of meats made this too interesting to pass up. Walt and Maria decided to share a pizza. These are “personal size”, 10 - 12 inches, and range in price from $10 for a Margherita with mozzarella and tomatoes to 
$16 for a Proscuitto and Fig pie with gorgonzola and arugula. Unfortunately I don’t remember what kind they had, but they said they enjoyed it, and it was actually big enough that 2 pieces were taken home. The burger was great. It was big and juicy with a fascinating texture because of the short ribs and brisket - it’s now my favorite Phoenix burger, and the price is comparable to the other good ones served elsewhere. Ken loved the roasted potatoes, and while they were flavorful, I prefer nice crunchy fries. My eggplant torta was a pleasant, non-confrontational variant of eggplant parmesan. But having taken a Zantac, I was looking forward to confrontation - a spicy sauce and loads of gooey cheese. This was disappointing, but edible. It was also a fairly small portion.
     There were no surprises on the dessert menu - tiramisu, cannoli, etc. We ordered a tartufo for the table. When it arrived, nicely sliced, there was none of the zablione promised on the menu. I asked the waitress about that and she tried to tell me that it had been “mixed in”. When I gave her a skeptical, unhappy look she brought over the owner/manager (I’m not sure which he was), and he apologized, saying that there’s been a dispute with the distributor over that item. We weren’t charged for it, which was very nice, since we did eat it all.
     The parking in front of the restaurant is limited, but Walt said to tell you that immediately to the east of the strip mall containing the restaurant there’s a large parking lot, not particularly visible to the street. All in all I’d say this was a good dining experience and we’ll go back to try some of the interesting pastas like braised short rib gnocchi ($20) or butternut squash ravioli with amaretto cookies, toasted almonds and parmigiano sage sauce ($15). And especially to have another burger!!
Tommy V’s Osteria Pizzeria
3223 E. Camelback Rd.   Phoenix    602-955-8900
tomasos.com
11-3 and 5-10 (later on weekends)    Sunday  5 -10 

Friday, May 7, 2010

Fond of Fondue?

     Ken loves fondue. Some of you may even remember his birthday party at the Melting Pot, a restaurant which turned out to be a huge disappointment, and is now, fortunately, closed. So when I read about Le Chalet, a crepe and fondue place in Glendale, I knew we’d be going. 
    I want to apologize in advance for the tone of this review, and even urge you to visit Le Chalet despite my reservations, particularly since we tried only one dish. I really don’t know what it was about the place that made me so crabby. So, with that caveat, here goes.
     The place is cute, in a kitschy French/Swiss village-y kind of way. Dark wood and stuccoed white walls with lots of appropriate photos and posters. But I had the feeling that the whole thing, except the show kitchen, was done on a shoe-string budget. The silverware and plates were low end, but a cloth napkin was provided. The sink in the ladies room was supposed to look like it was carved out of a chunk of rock, but it was a laughable fake. I think perhaps the owners tried too hard.
     We ordered the Swiss Cheese Fondue ($17.50), one of the more expensive items on the menu. I had read that it was enough for two, and indeed it was. Before it came to the table we were given a complimentary tartine, basically a slice of toasted bread with some tasty cheese melted on top. This is served to every table, and it struck me as an odd choice since so many of the things on the menu involve bread and cheese. The fondue arrived in a timely manner, along with a bowl of bread cubes. Unhappily, the bread was refrigerator cold, which meant it had been cubed and stored beforehand. This took all the crispness out of the crust - it was really undistinguished bread. The fondue was delicious, redolent of wine and Kirsch. I don’t know why, but the cheese was 
extremely chewy - at least that forced us to eat very, very slowly. My biggest complaint is that fondue by itself is a very one-dimensional meal. While you can purchase a side salad, it seemed to me that for the price it should be included with the fondue. My final grump is that our water glasses were never refilled.
     I’ll repeat that this is a place you should experience for yourselves.  There’s beef ($22.75) and chicken ($18.75) fondues, and a specialty dish called “La Potence” ($24) which is a 10 ounce beef tenderloin flambeed tableside by the chef. The savory crepes are much less expensive, averaging about $10. One has roquefort cheese, caramelized apples and walnuts. Another has sliced sauteed potatoes with onions and bacon topped with melted Raclette cheese. Some entree salads are served in a savory crepe shell ($11.50). Simple sweet crepes average about $3.75, and there are more complex ones like Crepe Ultimate Chocolate ($8.25) with chocolate brownie, chocolate ice cream, chocolate ganache and chocolate powder. We actually were so full from our rich cheese fondue that we passed on dessert.
     Maybe if I start with a dessert crepe next time I won’t be so grumpy.
Le Chalet
5626 W. Bell Rd.     Glendale   602-337-8760
lechalet-llc.com
open 7 days   11 - 10 (later on weekends) for lunch and dinner (the menu is the same)
     
    

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Minimal Expectations.....

     I bought a Restaurant.com coupon for American Junkie after reading their on-line menu. Lots of my favorite bar foods, with a few intriguing additions. Then I looked on Yelp, a review site, and became uneasy about my purchase. Junkie sounded like one big drunken party with snooty bartenders and expensive drinks. There was hardly a mention of the food. This did not bode well.
     So, with minimal expectations, we went to American Junkie on a Sunday afternoon. As usual, we were practically alone, so there was no problem with the drunken party aspect. I was surprised to see that the menu had been radically trimmed, but there were still enough choices to satisfy me, and the prices were reasonable. Since we had to reach our $35 minimum (to qualify for the $25 Restaurant.com deduction) both Ken and I ordered the most expensive burger, which had two eight ounce patties, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and thousand Island dressing ($12 each including one side). There was a goodly selection of sides to choose from - I got onion strings, and Ken a green salad.
In the interest of serious research we also got an appetizer order of mac & cheese ($5).
The food was somewhat slow in arriving, especially considering there were no other diners, but that gave us a chance to look around.
     American Junkie is a large place with two patios, very pleasant except there were no umbrellas to shade the tables. There was, however, a basketball hoop, several TV screens, and a bar. Inside, on the higher of two levels there was another smallish bar, a ping-pong table, and foosball. I understand from our waitress that this is where a DJ holds forth late at night, pairing videos with the music (the place is supposed to be insanely loud at night). A huge circular bar is in the middle of the lower level, surrounded by bar stools upholstered in an interesting glittery gold-green material which coordinates well with the mosaic tiled wall. Another wall is montaged with rock posters. There are many more TV’s scattered through the space. Couches, tables and chairs are arranged with large groups in mind - this clearly is a place to mingle. And an attractive one, although starting to look a little worn around the edges.
     At last our food arrived. The hamburgers, of course, were huge. The first thing we both did was to remove the top patties from our sandwiches, to be taken home. The meat was properly cooked, we were not hassled when we asked for medium rare, and very flavorful - I would say it was on a par with any of the moderately upscale burgers served at places like DeLux or Zinburger. My side of onion strings was large, not greasy, and not over-salted. Ken’s salad wasn’t very interesting, but it was fresh. In fact, our only complaint was that the dressings, including the thousand island for the burgers, was on the thin, insipid side. But really, the burger was so good it didn’t matter. Two people could share one of these babies and be very happy. That would make for an incredibly cheap lunch. Our mac & cheese appetizer came in a large bowl. While not as creamy as I would prefer, it had a nice crunchy top, some bacon bits, and lots of cheese (we also took half of this home).The only dessert served was one of those hot cookie, ice cream things which I find universally disappointing since the only detectable flavor  is “sweet”.
     I suggest if you’re in downtown Scottsdale at lunch time you give American Junkie a try. If you have a coupon, so much the better. Our bill for two burgers (with a pound of beef patties to take home), mac & cheese, and two ice teas came to $10.80!! By the way, our waitress was very pleasant, and for those of you who are interested, she wore very short shorts.
American Junkie
4363 N. 75th St.   Scottsdale
480-990-3000
americanjunkieaz.com