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The Dish with Jess Harter ~ Pursuing food and fun across the East Valley

Archive for August, 2009

Cork debuts $35 Sunday regional menus

August 31st, 2009, 3:12 pm by Jess Harter

Cork

If you need yet another reason to visit Cork — other than some of the best food in the entire Valley — Robert and Danielle Morris‘ south Chandler gem just introduced a special $35 supper on Sundays.

The four-course meal, available from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays, focuses on a different country or region each month, starting with Italy.

Diners start with a baby arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, Roca parmesan and basil vinaigrette (pictured top left), followed by a very tasty Tuscan soup of roasted vegetables and white beans (top right).

For the main course, diners get a choice of three entrees from chef Brian Peterson. I went with the open-face ravioli with organic chicken, spinach, pancetta and pine nuts (lower left), which was absolutely delicious.

Next time I’ll choose from the braised veal shoulder with parmesan risotto or pan-roasted sea bass with proscuitto consomme, both of which got rave reviews around the dining room.

For dessert, there’s a Sambucca milkshake with pizzelle cookie (lower right). In all, it’s a great deal for just $35.

For an extra $15, you can add a pre-dinner glass of Prosecco bubbly and Italian wine pairings for the first three courses.

A word of caution: The inaugural Sunday night was packed despite little publicity, so I’d recommend reservations for subsequent Sundays.

Also, the restaurant will be closed this Sunday due to the holiday weekend. The Italian menu will be offered Sept. 13, 20 and 27. The Morrises say they’re thinking about either French or Spanish for October.

Info: (480) 883-3773.

Pepe’s Mexican Grill closes in Chandler

August 31st, 2009, 12:43 pm by Jess Harter

Pepe’s Mexican Grill, which opened last October at Germann and Alma School roads in Chandler, has closed.

Pepe’s, launched by the former owners of Gilbert’s Cafe Posada, had taken over the strip-mall corner when Nothing But Noodles closed.

Restaurateur vies for SouthBridge threesome

August 28th, 2009, 2:42 pm by Jess Harter

Joseph Gutierrez

Most Valley restaurateurs are simply trying to ride out the current recession. Joseph Gutierrez thinks it’s the right time to open a new restaurant. Or three.

The 54-year-old chef, who owns the Italian-American eatery Cin-Cin in Old Town Scottsdale, is in the midst of launching a trio of new restaurants at Old Town’s much-plagued SouthBridge development:

Tutto, an Italian restaurant, took over the former Digestif space in July;

Acua, a French-Asian fusion restaurant, opened Aug. 20 in the former Canal space;

• Tapas Papa Fritas, a Spanish restaurant, is scheduled to open Oct. 12 in the space originally planned for Mexican Standoff.

Tutto“I didn’t want to do three places at once, but the way the lease is set up it’s a package deal,” says Gutierrez, who was head chef at the Arizona Biltmore’s L’Orangerie in the 1970s, ran the Fairmont Scottsdale’s Marquesa in the ‘80s and debuted Tapas Papa Fritas in Phoenix in the ‘90s (it’s now Tarbell’s).

The veteran has his work cut out for him at SouthBridge. Seven restaurants originally were announced for the complex, which opened in 2007. Only one of those, Estate House, is open today.

“The economy is bad,” Gutierrez says. “You’ve got to have prices people can afford for dinner.”

So Tutto (pictured at left) offers freshly made pastas for $15 to $17 and pizzas for $11 to $14 (see Tutto menu). At Acua, small plates start at $7 and large entrees at $16 (see Acua menu). Everything on Tapas Papa Fritas’ menu will be less than $25.

Gutierrez’s passion for food won’t allow him to sacrifice sophistication for affordability. A typical entrée at Acua, for example: oxtail ravioli with crispy sweet potato, foie gras perigourdiné emulsion and shaved truffle.

At Tapas Papa Fritas, Gutierrez says, the house sangria will be made with 19 ingredients.

“There are very sophisticated diners in Arizona now, especially in Scottsdale,” he says.

Gutierrez also suspects a management-heavy staff was part of the problem at Canal, something he discovered when many of its employees applied for positions at Acua

“Everyone wanted to be a manager,” he says. “Apparently, no one was a cook, no one was a busboy. Everyone was a manager.”

It promises to be a hectic next few months at SouthBridge for Gutierrez, especially since he has a 14-month-old at home and his wife is expecting another child.

“We need to make this work,” he says. “Diapers are very expensive.”

Tutto, 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, is open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Info: (480) 947-2129.

Acua, 7144 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, is open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Info: (480) 949-9000.

5 to try: Non-chain restaurants in Mesa

August 28th, 2009, 7:02 am by Jess Harter

Mesa’s underwhelming restaurant scene took more hits with the recent closures of EJ’s Steakhouse and Pizza Fusion. You have to wonder: Does any other U.S. city of a half-million people boast so seemingly few quality dining options?

While Arizona’s third-largest metropolis may appear to be all national chains and fast food, there are still a handful of standout independent restaurants that are worth seeking out. Here are five suggestions:

Flancer'sBlue Adobe Grill: A pecan-wood grill is the key ingredient at this decade-old New Mexican restaurant — even the salsa starts with blackened tomatoes and onions, resulting in a dark, sweet sauce. Must-haves include the chiles rellenos (filled with beef tenderloin, chorizo and two cheeses) and the bacon cheeseburger topped with green chiles. 144 N. Country Club Drive, Mesa, (480) 962-1000.

Flancer’s: Owner Jeff Flancer (pictured) opened a second, slightly larger location of his longtime Gilbert favorite in northeast Mesa last summer. It has all the attractions of the original fun-casual café — from its famous green chili turkey sandwich, dubbed the Chile Verde Birdie, to ’60s and ‘70s music artwork (in this case, posters instead of album covers) on the walls. 1902 N. Higley Road, Mesa, (480) 396-0077.

De la Cruz Bistro: If you’re looking for someplace to grab dinner before a show at the Mesa Arts Center, or a glass of wine afterward, you’ll find it right across Main Street at this year-old establishment from Mangos owners Omar and Silda de la Cruz. The Old World décor is rustic-romantic, and the menu ranges from bacon-wrapped meatloaf to Brazilian lobster tail. 10 W. Main St., Mesa, (480) 258-6942.

Cornish Pasty Co.: Owner Dean Thomas finally opened a spin-off of his popular Tempe eatery in January. The menu features nearly 40 different pasties (pronounced “PASS-tees”), savory English pastries stuffed with meats, cheeses and vegetables. CP also offers a nice selection of six draft beers and 18 bottled beers, about two-thirds European. 1941 W. Guadalupe Road, Mesa, (480) 838-3586.

Pastis: The three owners of this 10-month-old restaurant are Serbian-American, but the menu spans most of Europe. Pastis (pronounced “pass-TEESE”) has a dozen sandwiches, as well as entrees focused on grilled meats like sirloin sausage links called chevapi served with Bosnian bread called lepinja. Save room for crepes for dessert. 1935 S. Val Vista Drive, Mesa, (480) 926-3354.

Fusion closes in Old Town Scottsdale

August 26th, 2009, 12:35 pm by Jess Harter

FusionThis one really hurts: Fusion Restaurant & Lounge, one of my all-time Valley favorites, has closed in Old Town Scottsdale.

Fusion, owned by chef Matt Long and manager-wife JenLyn, offered an ecletic menu of sophisticated yet affordable comfort foods such as chorizo mac ‘n’ cheese, hoison-marinated duck breast and Kobe burgers with caramelized jalapenos and a red chili cheese sauce (pictured).

For the past few years, the restaurant was practically inaccessible due to the construction of  the W Scottsdale Hotel across the street. The hotel finally was finished last fall, about a year behind schedule.

If there’s a silver lining for Fusion fans, it’s that the Longs now can devote their full attention to Daily Dose, the all-day bistro they opened in October on Scottsdale Road just south of Indian School Road.

Daily Dose recently unveiled a new dinner menu featuring such dishes as Southwestern chicken and waffles, oat-and-horseradish-crusted trout and, yes, even Fusion’s chorizo mac ‘n’ cheese.

Pink Pony, Quilted Bear close in Scottsdale

August 25th, 2009, 3:48 pm by Jess Harter

Pink Pony and Quilted Bear, two venerable Scottsdale restaurants with nearly a century of history between them, are among the latest victims of the economic recession.

Pink Pony — once labeled the best baseball restaurant in America by famed baseball writer Roger Angell — had been an Old Town mainstay for 60 years.

Known for its huge steaks served with homemade biscuits and Pink Pony’s own steak sauce, the restaurant displayed a huge collection of commemorative bats behind the bar.

Quilted Bear was opened in 1973 by legendary restaurateur Dale Anderson, who died earlier this year. It offered steaks, seafood and a huge salad bar.

The two closures follow the May shutdown of 72-year-old El Chorro Lodge in Paradise Valley.

Downtown Mesa’s Il Vinaio hosts 1st wine dinner

August 25th, 2009, 11:18 am by Jess Harter

Il Vinaio, which recently replaced the Valley Eatery in downtown Mesa (read my preview), will host its first five-course wine dinner at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The five courses include coriander-crusted scallops, heirloom tomato salad, herb-crusted sea bass, bone-in pork tenderloin and coffee-chocolate cake (see menu)

About 10 spots remain for the 24-seat dinner, which costs $34.95. Info: (480) 649-6476 or www.ilvinaio.com.

Also closed: EJ’s Steakhouse, Ground Central

August 25th, 2009, 10:50 am by Jess Harter

EJ's SteakhousePizza Fusion (read my review) isn’t the only restaurant that’s closed in the northeast Mesa strip mall known as The Shoppes at Legacy House.

EJ’s Steakhouse (read review), the city’s only upscale steakhouse, has shut its doors after less than two years of operation. EJ’s also closed its stand-alone butcher shop next door.

Ground Central Coffee Hut, located next door to Pizza Fusion, also has closed.

A cryptic note posted on the door on Pizza Fusion reads, “Due to a structural defect in the complex, Pizza Fusion has chosen to relocate to help protect the health and welfare of its staff and guests.

“We regret having to make this move as our future location is yet undetermined and we will miss everyone greatly.”

What did I miss last week? Lots of restaurant news

August 24th, 2009, 4:32 pm by Jess Harter

Jeez, I take one week of vacation and miss all kinds of news. Where to start?

• Mesa apparently doesn’t have much of an appetite for organic pizza and Earth-friendly decor. Pizza Fusion, billed as the country’s first “green” pizza chain, has closed its only Arizona location — near McKellips and Recker roads in Mesa — after just nine months. The phone number no longer works, and the chain’s website says, “We’re currently seeking a new site location.”

Pizza Fusion• Chef Aaron May has closed his Spanish restaurant Sol y Sombra in north Scottsdale’s seemingly jinxed DC Ranch. The four-year-old tapas eatery shut down just a few days after May’s eight-month-old Autostrada closed next door. May also has scrapped plans for a Basque restaurant called Leche and a Texas barbecue joint called Ice House (the latter in the former Pischke’s spot) in Old Town Scottsdale.

Rendezvous Point, which took over the former Citrus Cafe space near Alma School and Warner roads in Chandler, has closed after just two months. If you recall, the longtime Citrus Cafe had closed after its new owner was charged with stealing diners’ credit card numbers.

• Not all the local dining news was bad last week. Chef James Porter, who closed Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar in Scottsdale in May, already has opened his new (much smaller) place: the French-inspired Petite Maison in Old Town Scottsdale. It’s dinner-only for now (see menu), but breakfast and lunch are coming.

Firehouse Subs, a Florida-based chain of firefighter-themed sandwich shops that opened its first Arizona location two years ago in Chandler, has opened a second at Mesa’s Dana Park (Baseline Road and Val Vista Drive).

Regions Bistro & Bar, which in late May closed its two locations in Scottsdale and Tempe after just four and three months, respectively, has reopened its Shea Boulevard restaurant under new ownership (see menu). The Mill Avenue restaurant is expected to reopen in October.

Dutch Bros. Coffee, an Oregon-based chain of drive-through coffee stands, celebrates the opening of its first Mesa location (McKellips and Gilbert roads) by giving away free drinks from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday. The chain’s five other Valley stands will offer 16-ounce hot or iced drinks for $2 all day.

• Need more proof that brew pubs are hot right now? Not one but two new ones are coming to Tempe this fall. Electric Dave’s Brewpub (formerly located in Bisbee) is coming to the corner of College Avenue and Fifth Street on Sept. 1, according to a sign in its window. Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery will open near University and McClintock drives in October.

• Mesa’s Blue Adobe Grill will host a Santa Fe Brewing beer dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The four tapas-sized courses — Santa Fe scampi, green chile and spinach mushroom caps, chile-rubbed baby back ribs and blueberry cheesecake — will be paired with four beers. There are only a few $22 tickets remaining. Info: (480) 962-1000.

• Also, SanTan Brewing in downtown Chandler will host its monthly Tuesday Night Tasting at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8. The $25 dinner, which is expected to sell out this week, features four courses — the highlight of which undoubtedly will be the chocolate-covered bacon lollipops (see menu) — paired with SanTan beers. Info: (480) 917-8700.

Chocolate-covered bacon – and beer!

August 19th, 2009, 5:22 pm by Jess Harter

Is this National Chocolate-Covered Bacon Week or something? Just a day after receiving a photo of Lynn’s Restaurant chef John Corey’s latest creation, SanTan Brewing sent me the menu for its next Tuesday Night Tasting.

The downtown Chandler brew pub’s Sept. 8 event features five courses with beer pairings, concluding with chocolate-covered bacon lollipops — thick-cut jowl bacon on a stick dipped in chocolate granache — for dessert.

Other items on the evening’s menu: proscuitto-and-melon salad, grilled flatbread pizza, stuffed portabella cap and a kiwi sorbet beer shooter. (See menu and beer pairings)

The TNTs, which start at 6:30 p.m. and cost just $25, sell out fast. Reservations: (480) 917-8700.

Queen Creek’s The Deli offers 3-course dinner Aug. 27

August 19th, 2009, 5:01 pm by Jess Harter

Chef Blake Mastyk and sommelier/wife Nicole are back from a two-week vacation. That means their fabulous Queen Creek restaurant, The Deli, is open again for business.

It also means The Deli’s monthly three-course dinners are back. The next is Wednesday, Aug. 27, and features roasted red pepper bisque, grilled skirt steak and seared scallops with sweet potato and corn hash.

The three-course dinner, available from 5 to 8 p.m., is $29.50 per person, $39.50 with wine pairings. Reservations recommended: (480) 279-3546.

Liberty Market unveils new dinner entrees

August 19th, 2009, 4:39 pm by Jess Harter

Downtown Gilbert’s Liberty Market is one of my favorite restaurants for lunch, but I can see how some might consider its menu of delicious sandwiches, salads and wood-fired pizzas too casual for a traditional “nice evening out.”

David Traina Liberty MarketSo starting today, restaurateur Joe Johnston and partner/chef David Traina (pictured) are introducing a half-dozen dinner entrees — some slightly “fancier” options, if you will.

If you already have some favorites on Liberty’s menu, don’t worry. Nothing is being eliminated, and all the former items are still available for lunch and dinner.

After 5 p.m. daily, though, you’ll also be able to enjoy:

• Apricot glazed chicken breast with mashed sweet potatoes and seasonal vegetables ($14);

• Flat iron steak with Mr Pibb marinade and chimichurri sauce, roasted garlic smashed potato and seasonal vegetable ($16);

• Grilled halibut with oven-roasted tomato salsa, mashed roasted cauliflower and seasonal vegetable ($16);

• Grilled chicken pasta with parmesan cream sauce, smoked mozzarella, chopped bacon and pecorino romano ($11);

• Grilled chicken sandwich with Monterey Jack cheese, spicy avocado spread, chipotle vinaigrette and kettle chips ($9);

• On Fridays and Saturdays, braised mussels in a chef’s “broth of the day” with grilled Sicilian bread ($10).

Photos: SanTan Brewing beer dinner at Cork

August 19th, 2009, 8:10 am by Jess Harter

Finally getting around to posting photos from Monday night’s SanTan Brewing dinner at Cork in Chandler. It was the first time Cork owners Robert and Danielle Morris, who host monthly winemaker dinners, have done a beer dinner.

Nearly 60 diners enjoyed a six-course dinner, which cost $65 (including gratuity), prepared by chef Brian Peterson and pastry chef Danielle.

(If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve already seen these.)

Cork

1st course: Passed appetizers included smoked antelope sausage with whole grain mustard and scratch-made sauerkraut on a puff pastry. There also were brandades, deep-fried balls of pureed salt cod (not pictured). Paired with SanTan’s Sunspot Gold.

2nd course: A trio of oysters (Deep Bay from British Columbia, Wellpoint from Cape Cod and Kumamoto from Japan) with a fiery red pepper sauce. Paired with Gordo Stout.

Cork

3rd course: Prawn and beer-battered halibut, with saffron aoili and a prosciutto, radish and melon salad. Paired with Hefeweizen.

4th course: BBQ pork belly and blackened boar tenderloin with jalapeño sweet corn cakes and fried shallots. Paired with Big Red Ale.

Cork

5th course: The “Better Burger,” a beef patty atop a mound of braised short rib meat with truffle aoili, foie gras, 6-year-old Widmer cheddar and duxelles. Paired with Sun Devil Ale.

6th course: Kiwi Napolean with fresh pastry cream and tumbleweed sugar. Paired with Strawberry Wit.

Chocolate-covered bacon!

August 17th, 2009, 2:58 pm by Jess Harter

Chocolate-covered bacon

Officially I’m supposed to be on vacation this week, but I just had to post this Twitter photo from chef John Corey at Lynn’s Restaurant in downtown Phoenix.

Chocolate-covered bacon! You can find more info at twitter.com/chefjohnaz.

Adventures in book buying

August 16th, 2009, 5:41 pm by Jess Harter

I lent one of my favorite food books to someone about a year ago, but can’t remember who. This isn’t unusual — probably half of the things I own currently reside with friends and acquaintances. So this weekend, I just decided to buy another copy of the book.

Since I’m a shop-local kind of guy, my first stop was Changing Hands Bookstore yesterday, but unfortunately they didn’t have it. So today I found myself driving past a Barnes & Noble. I found the book there, but …

B&N clerk: “How you doing today?”

Me: “Fine. Just this book, please.”

B&N clerk: “Are you a member of our book club? You can get —”

Me: ” No thanks.”

B&N clerk: “Well, just so you know what the club is, for an annual fee of $25—”

Me: “I’m really not interested.”

B&N clerk: “You understand that you could save as much as—”

Me: “Look, I’d just like the book. There’s a long line of people waiting.”

B&N clerk: “Could I get your e-mail address?”

Me: “No.”

B&N clerk: “What?”

Me: “No.”

B&N clerk: “Why not?”

Me: “Because you don’t need my e-mail address to sell me this book.”

B&N clerk: “Well, we like to keep our customers informed of—”

Me: “Actually, I don’t have e-mail.”

B&N clerk: “You don’t have e-mail?”

Me: “Nope. I’m not very ‘techie.’”

B&N clerk: “What kind of person doesn’t have e-mail?”

Me: “I didn’t want to say this, but I’m too poor to afford e-mail. But thanks a lot for embarrassing me in front of this long line of people.”

B&N clerk: “OK, that’ll be $32.34.”

Next time I’ll buy it on Amazon.com.

Breakfast eateries open for dinner event Friday

August 13th, 2009, 6:01 pm by Jess Harter

TC Eggington's

If breakfast isn’t your first meal of the day, can it technically still be called breakfast?

You can ponder this philosophical point Friday when nine Valley restaurants participate in a breakfast-for-dinner event to benefit Arizona’s Children Association statewide foster care programs.

Dubbed “PJs & Eggs,” the promotion is sponsored by Hickman’s Family Farms, Arizona’s only commercial egg producer, which is celebrating its 65th anniversary.

The nine breakfast spots, which typically close after lunch, will open at 5 p.m. Friday and offer their full breakfast menus.

Diners are encouraged to wear pajamas. Those who donate a pair of new pajamas in any size will receive a dozen free eggs and be entered in a drawing for a breakfast party for 65 people.

The participating restaurants:

TC Eggington’s (pictured), 1660 S. Alma School Road, Mesa, (480) 345-9288.

Stax/Breakfast Club, 4400 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 222-2582.

First Watch, 16455 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 248-9602.

Bacon, 4175 N. Goldwater Blvd., Scottsdale, (480) 947-3090.

Scramble, 9832 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, (602) 374-2294.

Over Easy, 4031 N. 40th St., Phoenix, (602) 468-3447.

Matt’s Big Breakfast, 801 N. First St., Phoenix, (602) 254-1074.

U.S. Egg, 402 E. Greenway Parkway, Phoenix, (602) 993-2122.

Kiss the Cook, 4915 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale, (623) 939-4663.

Restaurant review: Chino Bandido

August 11th, 2009, 10:05 pm by Jess Harter

Chino Bandido

It’s hard to think of a Valley restaurant with a more unusual menu than Chino Bandido’s.

I mean, we have plenty of Mexican restaurants, and lots of Chinese ones. Even a few Caribbean places.

But how many Mexican-Chinese-Caribbean fusion restaurants have you been to?

If you’ve never heard of Chino Bandido, I’m not surprised. The Chandler location (an offshoot of the north Phoenix original) opened in 2005, but the restaurant is fairly well-hidden southeast of the intersection of Chandler Boulvard and Dobson Road.

It’s hardly a small place, though. At 6,000 square feet, it’s the size of a warehouse and has a décor to match, including a concrete floor and a high ceiling with open ductwork.

The furnishings are low-budget: Community-style seating is provided at six- and eight-person folding tables with lightweight polyethylene tops. As you might expect, the atmosphere is ultra-casual and very family-friendly.

Chino BandidoThe menu, posted above the cash register where you place your order, lists just 14 items, ranging from carnitas to egg foo yung to jerk chicken. For sides, there are five varieties of rice and two kinds of beans

You can order any of the 14 main items in a burrito ($3.50), on a crispy quesadilla ($4.50) or with a bowl of rice ($5.95 for white, $6.74 for fried).

Most people, however, opt for a two-item combo bowl with rice and beans ($7.25 or $8). For no extra charge, you can get either or both of your items in a burrito or quesadilla.

Yes, if you want an egg foo yung burrito, this is your place.

Jade chicken (deep-fried pieces with a spicy-sweet sauce) and emerald chicken (grilled and skinless with a ginger-onion sauce) are Chino Bandido’s signature items, and I have plenty of friends who rave about both. Personally, though, I’m not overly fond of either.

My standard order — and I’ve been going to Chino’s Chandler location regularly since it opened — is teriyaki chicken (white-meat slices with a thick sauce) and a carnitas (slow-roasted pork) burrito.

I also like the seasoned jerk chicken, which can be very spicy some days, but I typically get my fix by choosing the jerk-fried rice as a side. I also like the Cuban black beans, although they’re not really Cuban and have the texture of refried beans.

Chino BandidoI have a love-hate relationship with the chile relleno (pictured above). It has a heavy, cornflake-like breading that can be very greasy. On the other hand, it’s filled with enough hot, oozing cheese to make a old shoe fairly palatable.

As a bonus, each combo bowl comes with a free cookie: a fresh-baked, thick Snickerdoodle bigger than the palm of your hand. Every other weekend, there’s a chocolate version called a “Volcano” (pictured at right).

No matter what you order, you get a lot of food. The “bowls” are takeout-ready aluminum containers, about two inches deep. With a two-item combo, expect to get about two cups of each item, plus two cups of beans and two cups of rice.

When you’ve eaten your fill, just fasten on one of the cardboard lids, available by the self-serve soda machines, and you likely will have a good-sized lunch for the next day.

Chino Bandido
Where: 1825 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler
Open: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Prices: Burrito $3.50, quesadilla $4.50, one-item bowl with rice $5.95-$6.74, two-item bowl with rice and beans $7.25-$8.
Info: (480) 889-5990 or chinobandido.com

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