Bonfire Earns Its Vanities

At last, a restaurant worth blogging about!! It’s been a long dry spell filled with mediocre meals, and a few real losers. In fact, my despair was so great it drove me to diet. We’d go out occasionally, but it was always easy to order a salad (my fat free dressing traveled with me) and not feel deprived. So it was with low expectations that we went to Bonfire Grill and Bar.

This five month old newbie is in Old Town Scottsdale, occupying the building that had housed Furio. That it is close to The Mission (see my 7/1/10 blog “Kiss My Grits) is no coincidence. Matt Carter, executive chef and proprietor of both The Mission and

Zinc Bistro created the menu, and his former sous chef Eric Guerin is now Bonfire’s executive chef. Carter mentored the manager of Bonfire, Jimmy Swann, a firefighter and newcomer to the restaurant business. It’s rare to find a team so eager to please their customers.

Bonfire serves elevated American comfort food. Many of the selections are cooked over a pecan wood fire, and this divine smell greets you in the parking lot. There were so many temptations on the menu, I knew my diet dressing would remain hidden in my pocketbook. We started by sharing a grilled artichoke ($8) filled with sun dried tomatoes, and served with a delicious garlic aioli. It was quite large, perfectly tender, and fed three of us. 

It wasn’t easy to select our entrees. One of everything would have been nice. But eventually I ordered the BBQ Short Rib Skewer sandwich ($9) served on MJ bread with beer braised onions, Tillamook cheese and a chipotle BBQ sauce. It came with fries, lightly dusted with onion powder and a homemade chipotle ketchup. The chipotle taste was evident, but the heat level was happily low. The chunks of short rib were tender and moist even though all the fat had miraculously disappeared. Ken had short ribs too, but his entree came from the brunch menu - Short Rib Hash With Buttermilk Biscuits ($10).

The chef obligingly put the potatoes on the side in a cute little iron pot. The biscuits were both chewy and fluffy. Ernest decided on the Skewered Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($7) With Roasted Tomato, Bacon and Arugula. He seemed very pleased. Anna’s Pecan Grilled Harris Ranch Burger ($9) looked good, but her Honey Mustard Coleslaw was the real hit. It was lightly dressed, yet full of flavor. Given the size and quality of these dishes, the price was truly a bargain. The only nit I might pick here (I had to find one so you wouldn’t think I’d lost my edge) is the over-use of the skewer concept.

Since I’d already blown my diet, why pass up desert? A Cast Iron Toasted Marshmallow Smores dish with Shaved Chocolate, Graham Cracker Cookies (homemade, not the flat board-like kind), and Malted Vanilla Ice Cream ($6) went with the Bonfire concept, but Jimmy urged us to try the Chocolate Bread Pudding with Banana Ice Cream ($6). Good choice! A huge portion of warm, gooey chocolate with hints of banana and caramel paired perfectly with the ice cream. Eventually I gave my spoon to Ken and told him not to give it back no matter how much I begged.

The ambiance is pleasant. Lots of dark wood, with an impressive wooden collage on the wall behind the bar, commissioned from a local artist. I think it would be nice if more art work took the place of some of the innumerable TV sets lining the walls. But at least their sound was muted, and enjoyable music was being played at a reasonable noise level (live music Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights). There’s a communal table, booths, high and low top tables, and very comfortable upholstered chairs. A good thing if you can’t bring yourself to leave between lunch and dinner service.

Bonfire Grill and Bar

7210 E. 2nd St.     Scottsdale      480-945-6600

www.thebonfireaz.com

Lunch daily 11-5    

Dinner Sunday - Thursday 5-10, Friday & Saturday  5-11

Oinker Inspiration

We’ve been to a few new places lately, some were even pretty good, but none inspired me to write. Until today. We had lunch at a brand new place in Old Town Scottsdale called Big Earl’s. It’s a BBQ joint run by the people responsible for La Petite Maison.  Nice to be so multi-faceted!

While you can get the usual BBQ suspects (ribs, brisket, pulled pork, etc.) the big treat for us was “Tasty Parts”. This section of the menu included fried sweetbreads ($8.99), oven roasted beef bone marrow with pickled okra ($7.99), and pickled pig’s feet  ($5.99). I know a lot of you are cringing at the thought, but believe me, this is great stuff.

We had crispy pig tails with ranch dressing ($5.99) - two big deep fried items that were the shape of hot dog buns. I was thankful that they weren’t curled. The meat, which you strip from the bone was succulent, especially when eaten with the fried batter, dressing, and a little BBQ sauce. I’ll admit the remains did look kind of gross. Roasted pork belly with caramelized onions ($6.99) was our second dish. It wasn’t quite as good as the tails since it didn’t crunch, but I was licking my fingers anyway.

We had started with an appetizer of  Barbacoa nachos of Texas beef brisket, Memphis Pork Butt and Velveeta Love ($8.99). The chips had been more than generously layered with the tender, smokey meats - so much in fact that I ended up taking home a large cupful of meat, which will make a great sandwich tomorrow. We also shared a blue cheese wedge ($3.99). The lettuce was nice and fresh and the dressing actually tasted like blue cheese. The bacon bits raised the salad to a higher level, so tasty and crunchy. 

Both of us were stuffed, but there was one dessert that we had to try - Pecan and  Date pie ($3.99).  OMG, this was to die for. Somehow the chef managed to control the sweetness, and the creamy, tangy topping was a brilliant touch. 

The restaurant is cute, not overly kitchy. There’s a great soundtrack of old fashioned cowboy songs playing quietly in the background. The servers are very attentive but unobtrusive.I LOVE THIS PLACE. There’s a lot more on the menu we want to sample. I think Big Earl’s will become one of our go-to restaurants.

Big Earl’s BBQ

7213 E. 1st Ave.    Scottsdale

480-947-6800

open daily

www.BigEarlsBBQ.com

Family Values

     Once upon a long, long time ago life seemed simpler. Neighborhoods were more stable, everybody knew everybody. When you went into a store, the shopkeeper called you by name and probably knew what you were planning to buy. For better or worse (and it certainly wasn’t all good) those times are long gone - but we found a little slice of it last Friday.

     When we walked into Casella’s Italian Sub Shop at about 3PM, we were warmly greeted by Joe and Denise, a father/daughter team. Joe, originally from Philadelphia, opened the restaurant thirty-three years ago in this exact spot in a strip mall on Granite Reef, just south of McDonald in Scottsdale. Denise started working with him twenty some years ago. They instantly know if you’re part of the “family” or a newbie. If you’re curious about an item on the menu, you’re given a taste. Most of the things are made in house. Joe cooks 70 pounds of chicken breast a week for his famous chicken salad. Mom makes the meatballs, and Denise the cannoli filling. I could go on, but you get the idea. These are genuinely nice people who care about their product and want to please the customer. Joe gets in every morning at 7:30 (although service doesn’t start until  11 AM) and stays right through closing at 6 PM. He likes to know what’s going on. Saturday closing is at 3 PM so everybody can spend time with their families. And there’s a lengthy Christmas break for the same reason. Very nice.

     Naturally, Philadelphia Steak Sandwiches ($6.60 - $7.20) appear on the menu. Joe’s isn’t your typical greasy, cheese whiz loaded, meat too-tough-to-chew sandwich (which, I admit, often appeals to me): here the meat is meltingly tender, sauced with a little marinara, and topped with provolone, served on an outstanding roll made by a local family baker.

     We had to try the chicken salad sandwich ($3.70 fir a half, $7.20 full size) - we knew it would be fresh since Joe cooks up a batch most mornings. In the back cooler you can see huge jars of mayonnaise waiting their turn. The salad was very simple, not gussied up with lots of add-ins. I will say that when I ate the leftovers at home I added a dollop of cranberry sauce. I think I’ll bring some to Casella’s next time we go.

     After 2 PM, if you buy two sandwiches, you get a third free. So I chose the Italian Hoagie ($3.70/$6.80). Ken was astonished to find that he actually enjoyed this one. What made it truly delicious, oddly enough, were the onions. Thinly sliced, and sweet enough to be eaten on their own, they also graced the cheese steak. Our side of homemade coleslaw was one of the best versions in town. Can’t wait to try the potato and pasta salads. 

     Other sandwices on the menu include roast beef, ham and cheese, meatball, sausage, and pastrami (not made in-house). Also available are two entrees: Lasagna ($10) and Spaghetti & Meatballs ($8). 

     Now for dessert. Ken wanted a cannoli, usually not something I like. I’m now a convert, at least to Casella’s version. Denise makes the silky filling, garnished only with a few chocolate chips, and the large, wonderfully crispy shells don’t get filled until you’re ready to snarf one down. Homemade rice pudding is on the menu. We had a taste and it, too, was delicious, but it had no raisins. We’ll bring those next time, along with the cranberry sauce.

     Not much to say about the decor. I think it came from that long, long ago time. Basic wood paneling. There are photographs of years and years of Saguaro High (I think that’s the school) graduating classes. That’s about it. But the warmth of the Casella’s fills the room.

Casella’s Italian Sub Shop

5905 N. Granit Reef Rd.   Scottsdale    480-991-0770

Monday - Friday  11 - 6,    Saturday   11 - 3

CASH ONLY