Almost a diner

About the only thing that makes me nostalgic for New York is the thought of a Greek diner, open all hours, serving a huge array of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Phil’s Place in Fountain Hills almost fills the bill. Since this is “early to bed” country, Phil’s closes at 8:30. But I feel forgiving as I peruse the 6 page menu.

It was lunch time. Should I go for a 10” sub?  Meatballs? Steak? Philly Cheese? A salad? One with coconut crusted tilapia, or whisky BBQ chicken? There are 12 different half pound burgers to choose from. But there are also five 20 ounce burgers stuffed with various cheeses and veggies. Then on to the sandwiches: BBQ pork, pastrami, gyros, Jamaican jerk chicken. Pizza. Pasta.

I ordered a cheeseburger delux, no problem when I asked for medium-rare, and instead of the fries (sweet potato, cajun or regular, refilled as many times as you wish) I chose the add-on onion rings.  Ken was in a dinner frame of mind and got the 14 ounce cut of roast beef. Baked potatoes were not available, so our friendly waitress said he could have as many kinds of fries as he wanted. The dinner also came with a salad and vegetables. When our plates arrived, we were both surprised by how nice the roast beef looked, thick, juicy and served medium-rare, as ordered. The sweet potato fries tasted notably like sweet potatoes (this is a rare thing). The “special sauce” on my burger had a nice peppery bite. The ground beef was ordinary, but the sandwich as a whole was delicious. And the Russian dressing on the salad was fabulous.

There are house specials - BBQ ribs, liver and onions(!), chicken fajitas, greek souvlaki. Prices for these range from $9.95 for the fish fry to $20.95 for a full rack of ribs. The prime rib was $17.95. Burgers and sandwiches cost from $5.25 to $10.95. For breakfast there are eggs, omelettes, wraps, pancakes and waffles. I brought home a piece of pecan pie for dessert - it’s huge and looks very good. If it isn’t, I’ll let you know.

The ambiance is homey and retro, filled with Coca Cola memorabilia. But there are also lots of TVs scattered around for those who can’t leave the games at home.

Phil’s Place

16758 E. Glenbrook Blvd.  off of Fountain Hills Blvd. You might want to take your GPS.

    Fountain Hills

480-816-5620

Monday - Saturday 7AM-8:30PM   Sunday - we were there at about 1PM, but call for  

   hours

There doesn’t seem to be a website

A Sporty Burger

If you find yourself in downtown Scottsdale at lunchtime you might drop in at Don & Charlie’s, the sports memorabilia paradise which incidentally serves really good steaks, chops and ribs. The main restaurant isn’t open, but the lounge hosts The Burger Bar from 11:30 to 2:30 PM. 

The menu is small. There are a few appetizers - guacamole (not the best in town) and a Cabo style shrimp cocktail ($6.95) which I’ve heard is quite good. A few salads - chicken  

Caesar and Mediterranean with chicken, both $8.95. They looked tasty and were quite large. And a few uninspiring sounding sandwiches.

The real reason to come here is the burgers; big, juicy and cooked to order (even if the menu says differently). The basic burger is $7.95, and nine variations are listed (all $8.95), but you can create your own for the same price. Slaw is served alongside. But, get this, for $1.95 you can get a huge plate of delicious onion “strings”. I don’t know why they’re called strings, which are often dry and overcooked. These are basically onion rings which have been cut open so they’re not round (again, I have no idea why). Fries are the same price, or you can have half and half.

The other reason to go to The Burger Bar is the broasted chicken. This is half a chicken  deep-fried in a pressure cooker. According to the explanation on the menu, “pressure frying seals in the flavors and seals out the oil”. Ken will attest to this. The chicken was nice and crispy, not greasy and not salty. And the price was right - $9.95 for a serving size that runs at least $16 almost anywhere else. A word of caution. The chicken isn’t pre-cooked (thank heavens) so it takes 20 minutes to a half hour to reach your table.

There’s a mini creme brulee ($1.95) for dessert. This lone little offering struck me as very funny. 

While you’re waiting for your chicken you can walk around and look for artifacts from you favorite team. It’s a fun place and a most reasonable price for lunch.

The Burger Bar at Don & Charlie’s

7501 E. Camelback    Scottsdale

480-990-0900

donandcharlies.com

Lunch   Monday - Friday   11:30 - 2:30

Out of the Ordinary

The dining gods were kind today, At lunchtime they led us to La Mirage, a Mediterranean restaurant in the almost deserted Bell Canyon Shopping Center near Rt. 17. On entering, you’re in for a surprise - a stage set up for musical entertainment, a dance floor, catering style cloth-covered dining tables with upholstered barrel chairs on wheels. And not a customer in sight.

The extensive menu is a combination of familiar Greek dishes, more exotic Lebanese ones, and a great many dishes I had never heard of (which made me very happy). The owner is Arab, so perhaps that’s what these dishes are. There are many combination plates and family platters. You can even get a whole lamb with rice (called Quzy) for $225.

We ordered the deluxe appetizer platter ($13.95) which came with stuffed grape leaves (served hot), falafel, a large plate of hummus, and fattoush, a salad with pieces of fried pita bread. This was more than enough for a meal, but we had also ordered an entree of

Shish Kafta ($13.95), skewered ground beef with onions and parsley. The two skewers were accompanied by a mound of fluffy rice and a pile of raw chopped onions coated with sumac, a spice not used enough in restaurants in the U.S. A bowl of lentil soup came with the entree, and it was delicious, as were all the various dishes. Our very nice waitress also supplied us with a bowl of curry potato stew because the sauce goes well on the rice.

Here’s a list of some of appetizers and entrees. I hope it whets your appetite and curiosity: Quail, Foul Mdmass, Bajilla, Kibbe done three ways, lamb chops, kabobs and shawarma, chicken cream chops,

ghallaba, lablabee, fruit smoothies.

If you go to the website you can check out La Mirage’s menu, and also their entertainment schedule. There are card games on Sunday and Wednesday evenings, belly dancing on Saturdays, and Latin and Salsa dancing on Thursdays.

This is another place that’s barely managing to hang on. So if you feel like having a Middle Eastern meal, safe or adventurous, please give them a try.

La Mirage Mediterranean Cuisine

2734 W. Bell Rd. #1330 Phoenix

602-978-2800

lamirage.info

Tuesday & Wednesday 11:30 - 10, Thursday - Saturday 11:30 - 2AM

Sunday noon - 10

I’m not sure if they’re open on Monday

D'Vine Est Omnis Divisa in Partes Tres

This entry is about D’Vine Bistro and Wine Bar in Chandler. I wish I was more competent with my word processor, because I’d like to divide the review into three columns: Very Successful, Adequate, and Giant Flop. I think it would mean more if you could see side-by-side comparisons, but you’ll just have to try and visualize it.

I’ll be nice and start with the Very Successful column. (1)The menu: it’s full of innovative selections. There are a number of Tapas, such as fried plantain cakes topped with grilled mango poke, seared pork belly, and a habanero vinaigrette ($8) and salmon cakes with chipotle molasses ($7). Many of the entrees come with interesting sides and sauces, for instance grilled pork tenderloin with a pan seared goat cheese polenta cake and roasted peppers, finished with a chipotle, espresso and raspberry BBQ sauce ($18). Which leads me to the Most Very Successful item of the evening. (2) Ken ordered one of the specials, a New Zealand farm-raised venison 2 rib chop with a juniper berry marinade, accompanied by spinach and roasted potato hash and the raspberry espresso BBQ sauce. Given how far the deer had to travel, the $32 price tag didn’t seem too unreasonable. The chop was truly superb, moist and flavorful but not gamey. The sauce suited it perfectly. (3): portion sizes were quite generous. And (4): White anchovies were featured in several of the dishes. That’s it for the Very Successful.

On to Adequate. (1) The ambience is pleasant, if somewhat noisy. There’s a bar, with a television above it, high top tables, and those of regular height. The paintings on the wall are for-sale originals, some good, some not-so. There is a patio (this will also appear in the Giant Flop column). (2); Our dessert selection of chocolate mousse cake was “corporate food”, not made in-house, and nothing special, but certainly both edible and size-able. The coffee fell in this column, too. (3) The nicoise salad ($12) ordered by our friend Sena came with seared Ahi tuna rather than the canned variety packed in olive oil. This would have put it in the Very Successful category for me, but Sena likes the more traditional canned tuna.

OK. Here’s the column you’ve probably been waiting for: Giant Flops. I’ll start with (1) the above mentioned patio. The misters were on and it felt like London on a foggy morning. When we asked that they be turned off, nobody warned us that we would get dripped on, and our drinks would get dripped in. We soggily moved inside. (2) Sangria shouldn’t be offered unless the proper ingredients are available. The white sangria ($5 at happy hour) given to us had a few slices of lemon in a poor quality wine. When we told our waitress that it was unacceptable she brought us a little carafe of “berry juice” to add to it. This made it even worse. (3) Nobody should ever put slices of cucumber in drinking water. While it may look stylish, after about 5 minutes it tastes really strange, and after 15 it’s horrible. Imagine drinking it while eating chocolate mousse cake!! (4) My entree. I ordered one of the specials - fried chicken marinated in buttermilk, served with gouda mac & cheese, sauteed vegetables and a rainbow peppercorn gravy ($18).

I asked for all dark meat, and my plate arrived with two huge chicken legs. I thought the coating was good, although the crispness of the coating was quickly lost to the gravy. The first few bites were quite good, the chicken was moist, with a pleasant taste. But then I noticed how pink the chicken meat was getting as I got closer to the bone, and it was actually almost raw in the center. The second leg, which I had given to Ken was somewhat smaller, and he said it was adequately cooked. The mac & cheese, if it had a flavor, was drowned out by the gravy which was cough-inducingly peppery. The sauteed vegetables consisted of a few strands of bell peppers.

When our bill arrived, $6 had been deducted from the price of my entree, and we had not been charged for the sangria (which we had not drunk). As we were leaving the restaurant a woman whom I assume is the manager asked how our meal was. I politely listed some of our complaints and she seemed genuinely upset and was quite apologetic. While we were getting into the car she came out to the parking lot and gave us a gift certificate to use if we’d give D’Vine a second chance. Because of the items in the Very Successful column, I think we will. It’s not every place that has pork belly, white anchovies and venison.

D’Vine Bistro and Wine Bar

3990 S. Alma School Rd. (at Ocotillo) Chandler

480-782-5550

dvinewine101.com

Monday - Thursday 11 - 10, Friday and Saturday 11 - 10:30, Sunday 4 - 9

Thanksgiving Feast

We stopped by Amy’s (see below) today to make our Thanksgiving reservation.

The menu sounds delicious:

Spinach and Cheese Puffs

Choice of:

Waldorf Salad with Crisp Romaine Lettuce

or

Creamy Butternut Sage Parmesan Soup

Choice of:

Oven Roasted Organic Turkey with Cider Sage Gravy

or

Prime Rib with Horseradish Mustard Aioli

with

Oyster Brioche Stuffing or Sage Chorizo Stuffing

Dried Cherry Cranberry Relish with Cognac

Creamy Garlic Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

Corn Pudding Souffle

Freshly Baked Brioche Rolls

and

Pumpkin Cheesecake or Dried Cranberry Creme Brulee

The cost is $35 per person (not including tax, tip and beverages). And just think, no dishes to wash, no last minute shopping to do, no “I forgot to thaw the turkey!!”. There’s also a children’s menu.

We’re planning to go to the first seating (I think there’s 3). We’d love it if you’d be there too. Call Amy to make a reservation: 480-607-0677. Please tell her that you’ll be sitting with us, then give us a call or an email so we’ll know to expect you.

Hallelujah, Amy's Back!!!!

For more than a year Amy’s Baking Company has stood empty. Periodically the faithful would drive through the parking lot at the N.E. corner of Scottsdale and Shea, craning their necks to check for signs of life. It was a pilgrimage. And finally we’ve been rewarded. We thank our friend Anna for calling us with the good news.

In the time before Amy’s closed it garnered glowing reviews from the likes of Phoenix Magazine and the Arizona Republic. Everyone mentioned the upscale decor and the friendliness of chef Amy Bouzaglo and her husband/host Samy. But mostly they raved about the food - especially the desserts. I’m more than happy to say that nothing’s changed, or maybe it’s even better. They’ve added a pizza oven and a long list of designer pizzas. The dessert case was full of cakes and tarts, some of which seem to be new recipes.

We ordered fried calamari with a pesto aioli ($10 ), and the hummus platter with wild mushrooms ($10 ). I asked Samy to take a piece of chocolate-orange-raspberry-truffle cake out of the refrigerator case so it would warm to room temperature while we ate our dinner. The calamari were tiny rounds, very tender, lightly breaded with seasoned crumbs. The aioli was delicious, I could have eaten it by itself. But the real hit was the hummus. It’s texture was perfect, and it was most thoughtfully seasoned. A very large helping of sauteed mushrooms sat atop. But what capped it off was that it was served with a pizza pan full of Italian flatbread (which is also used for the pizza crust) fresh and hot from the oven, blistered and crunchy. It would make any topping shine.

While we ordered from the antipasti section of the menu, there’s lots more to try. Salads, like Caramelized Pear ($12) and Vanilla Bean Coconut Shrimp ($16).Sandwiches: the MonteCristo ($17) is a house specialty, dipped in a French beignet batter and served with homemade raspberry preserves. Butternut squash ravioli is one of my favorites from the pasta selections. And then there’s the pizza: fig, pear and prosciutto ($16 for a 12 inch) is my next must-have. While the prices may strike you as on the high side, the portions are big enough to share and the ingredients are top quality.

Then, the cake. It’s time out of the refrigerator case had softened the buttercream and accentuated the flavors. Amy is master of the buttercream - it’s never overly sweet. The play of orange and raspberry was intriguing. We also shared a “creamy iced coffee” ($4) which went perfectly with the cake. Choosing a dessert isn’t easy. Everything looks beautiful - lemon curd tarts, cupcakes, bread pudding, cheese cake, creme brulee. Now that Amy’s back we can try all of them.

A note: Amy and Samy will be serving Thanksgiving dinner. There will be three seatings, and reservations are being taken now. You’ll find us there.

Amy’s Baking Company

7366 E. Shea Blvd. Scottsdale 480-607-- 0677

amysbakingco.com

alt="Amy's Baking Co. on Urbanspoon"

Dim Sum without Fear

A few days ago my favorite restaurant blogger, Seth Chadwick, wrote about a dim sum place with a twist - no carts. Instead you check off items on a printed menu, much like those in many sushi places, with an accompanying page of photos of the various dishes. I thought this was a great idea since I’ve always been intimidated by the servers who push the cart up to your table and try to force unwanted dishes on you.

China Chan is at the Metro Center, a place we seldom go. The freestanding building is unprepossessing, to say the least, as is the interior. A few sad lanterns hang from the ceiling. That’s about it for ambience. But the servers are very nice, and those who speak English are happy to make suggestions and give explanations of the various dishes. There are 28 dim sum dishes at $1.80 each including spareribs with black bean sauce, baked BBQ pork buns, and tripe with ginger and scallions. At $2.85 you can get steamed lotus flavor rice, pan fried rice noodles with dried shrimp, and 7 others. Next are those at $3.55; steamed shrimp filled rice noodles, beef tripe, chinese broccoli and shrimp roll steamed rice noodle. Finally, the chef’s specials, eight of them, are priced from $5.99 to $8.50. From this last group we chose roast pork and roast duck. We also selected daikon cakes (I know these as turnip cakes) at $1.80. Lastly, from the regular menu we ordered eggplant in garlic sauce. Our waitress, licking her lips, suggested we add beef to the dish and that we pour lots of chili oil on top.

The roast pork and daikon arrived first. Chunks of moist, slowly roasted pork were generously sprinkled with the cracklings of skin. Decadent. And the portion was huge. The daikon cakes, three large rectangles enough to serve 6 as part of a meal, were the silkiest I’ve had, with just enough pan fry crust to satisfy. A small bowl of hoisin was served alongside. Then the duck and eggplant were served. The eggplant sauce was quite mild (our server was right about the chili oil) but beautifully flavored and the beef slices were a great addition. Again, the serving was huge. I don’t recall how much this cost, but the dishes from the menu are remarkably low priced. The only thing not stellar was the roast duck. The skin wasn’t crackly, and there was lots of fat.

Both menus contained dishes you don’t often find, and there were lots of Asian diners, so China Chans felt like the real deal. I suggest you go there with lots of people so you can sample a great variety of dim sum. Give us a call - we’re ready to go!!

China Chan Restaurant

10227 N. Metro-Parkway Phoenix

602-331-1315

Closed Wednesday

dim sum served Monday-Friday 11-3, Saturday & Sunday 9:30-3

no website