Archive for the 'Gilbert' Category
September 1st, 2009, 7:17 am by Jess Harter
If you enjoy hot dogs as much as I do, you won’t want to miss Joe’s Farm Grill’s “Dog Days of Summer.” For the month of September, the Gilbert eatery will sell 14 specialty hot dogs.
“What goes better with summer than hot dogs?” Joe’s Farm Grill chef Chad Burnett asks. “Tim (Peelen, the restaurant’s operating partner) and I are both big fans of hot dogs.”
Burnett (pictured above) was tasked with creating the various dogs, which are available 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Two styles will be offered each day, so all 14 will be available each week.
The specialty dogs are:
 Hawaiian: Wrapped in ham and topped with mozzarella, bacon and pineapple-serrano sauce.
Asian: Topped with shredded carrots, bean sprouts, scallions, wasabi mayo and teriyaki glaze. (pictured at left top)
Cobb: Topped with romaine , bacon, tomato, egg and blue cheese dressing.
Carolina: Topped with pulled pork and creamy coleslaw.
The 3B: Top with bacon, bleu cheese and Joe’s Real BBQ sauce.
Sonoran: Wrapped in bacon and topped with farm beans, melted cheeses, jalapenos and sour cream. (pictured second)
Cordon Bleu: Wrapped in smoked ham and Swiss cheese and topped with a fried egg and Dijon aioli.
Swedish: Topped with garlic whipped potatoes and lingonberry sauce. (pictured third)
British: Topped with horseradish, caramelized onions and sharp cheddar.
Trailer Park: Topped with Cheese Wiz and crumbled potato chips.
Spanakopita: Topped with creamed spinach, artichokes and feta cheese. (pictured fourth)
Rueben: Topped with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing.
Mediterranean: Topped with feta cheese, kalamata olives, roasted peppers and pesto mayo. (pictured bottom)
Buffalo: Topped with carrots, celery, buffalo hot sauce and bleu cheese dressing.
All feature quarter-pound, all-beef dogs that are grilled with the exception of the Sonoran, which is deep-fried.
The 33-year-old chef says his favorites are the Swedish, Hawaiian, Asian and Cobb.
“This whole promotion has inspired me to do a hot dog place someday,” he says.
The dogs cost $6.99 with fries, or $9.99 for two dogs with fries. Joe’s also is selling lemonade and strawberry lemonade.
In addition, Joe’s is offering a breakfast dog — smothered with jalapeno-sausage gravy and topped with a scrambled or fried egg — for $7.99 every morning.
‘DOG DAYS’ SCHEDULE
Asian/Sonoran: Today, Sept. 10, 19, 23 and 30
Hawaiian/British: Wednesday, Sept. 11, 20 and 24
Buffalo/Cordon Bleu: Thursday, Sept. 12, 17 and 21
Trailer Park/Mediterranean: Friday, Sept. 13, 18, 22 and 28
Rueben/Cobb: Saturday, Sept. 8, 14, 26 and 29
Carolina/Swedish: Sunday, Sept. 9, 15 and 27
3B/Spanakopita: Monday, Sept. 16 and 25
Breakfast: Daily
Posted in: Gilbert • Joe's Farm Grill | 8 Comments »
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.”
 So 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).
Posted in: Gilbert • Liberty Market | Post a Comment »
July 21st, 2009, 3:55 pm by Jess Harter
Joe Johnston, the Gilbert restaurateur who brings the East Valley an annual Free BBQ Day at Joe’s Real BBQ and Free Cheeseburger Day at Joe’s Farm Grill, is at it again.
Wednesday, Johnston’s newest restaurant, Liberty Market, will be giving away free espresso drinks from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. to celebrate the 45th birthday of its Faema E61 espresso machine (pictured with Johnston above)
The E61 model, which Faema debuted in 1961, revolutionized the espresso industry by introducing many technological firsts commonly found on today’s machines.
Liberty Market purchased its E61, which was built on July 22, 1965, from an espresso bar in Milan, Italy.
Wednesday’s free offer only applies to classic Italian drinks — in other words, espresso, macchiato or cappuccino — with no other add-ins such as syrups.
There’s a limit of one drink per person, and the drinks must be consumed on the premises.
Liberty’s E61 espresso bar still will serve its regular menu of other drinks — at their regular prices — during Free Espresso Day.
Liberty Market is located on Gilbert Road between Guadalupe and Elliot roads. Info: (480) 892-1900 or libertymarket.com.
Posted in: Gilbert • Liberty Market | Post a Comment »
July 10th, 2009, 6:02 pm by Jess Harter
Ernie Serrano Sr., patriarch of the Serrano’s Mexican Food restaurants family, died today of bone cancer. He was 79.
The Serranos lay claim to operating the oldest, continuously family-owned business in Chandler, having opened its doors in 1919. For the first 60 years, Serrano’s sold clothing. It wasn’t until 1979 that Ernie and Eva Serrano decided to open a small Mexican restaurant.
Today, the family has seven Serrano’s in the East Valley, plus a Mexican breakfast eatery called Brunchies in downtown Chandler. (Read my July 2007 review of Serrano’s in Chandler.)
Serrano is survived by his wife, eight children, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
The visitation for Ernie Serrano Sr. will be 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chandler. The rosary will be said at 7 p.m.
The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary’s.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be sent to the St. Mary’s Building Fund.
Posted in: Chandler • Gilbert • Mesa • Tempe • Serrano's | Post a Comment »
July 7th, 2009, 5:42 pm by Jess Harter
Mint Thai Café doesn’t make a good first impression.
Some 20 years ago, its small strip mill, located on Gilbert Road between Baseline and Guadalupe roads, was part of one of the most up-and-coming commercial areas of the East Valley.
Unfortunately, the years have been kind to neither the neighborhood nor the aging strip mall. And though the restaurant’s dimly lit interior has been refreshed a couple times over the decades, the atmosphere remains, well, somewhat tired and bleak.
But it doesn’t deter this family-owned eatery’s regular clientele — a surprisingly large and devoted group — from enjoying more than 100 authentic Thai dishes on the menu.
Many of the dishes strike a singular note in terms of flavor profiles, but do you need complexity if that note is sound?
 Take the spicy cashew ($9.95, pictured at left), for example. Like most dishes, it comes with a choice of chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, squid or tofu, which always seem to be perfectly cooked.
The same goes for the array of vegetables — onions, carrots, zucchini, broccoli, red and green peppers and cauliflower — that are combined with a couple handfuls of nuts and doused in a simple red chili sauce.
Pad kao pod ($9.95), on the other hand, comes with a lighter sauce, a nice complement to the sautéed mushrooms, snow peas, carrots, onions and baby corn.
Curries, another Thai staple, run the color spectrum. I’ve never had an affinity for yellow curries, but Mint Thai’s smooth and flavorful gang kari ($9.95), its amber broth thickened with coconut milk, is perhaps my favorite dish on the menu.
For red curry, try the spicy gang ped ($9.95) with tender bamboo shoots and peas. For green, the gang kew wan ($9.95) with green beans, bamboo shoots and sweet basil.
Those who choose to be adventurous often are rewarded at Mint Thai, but those who play it safe can be disappointed. Commonplace items like Thai spring rolls ($7.95 for four), Thai fried rice ($9.95) and pad thai ($9.95, pictured below) are average at best.
 The most confounding dish for me is Mint Thai’s signature rama beef ($9.95), sliced beef in a thick peanut sauce. I couldn’t manage more than a couple bites — think beef covered with melted peanut butter — but it’s one of the more popular items on the menu.
Dishes come in four degrees of spiciness, rated one to four stars. Not all start equally; some, like the spicy cashew, are hotter to begin with. But I sampled various dishes one to three stars and was never uncomfortable.
Service at Mint Thai is more courteous than friendly and more efficient than attentive, not that out of the ordinary for many of the Asian restaurants in the Valley.
Dinner prices — entrees range from $9.95 to $16.95 — are a bit steep given the quality and quantity of food. At lunch, however, 15 of the most popular dishes are just $6.95.
Mint Thai Café
Where: 1111 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert (half-mile south of Baseline, on southeast corner of Gilbert and Houston roads)
Open: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Prices: Appetizers $3.95-$10.95, salads $7.95-9.95, lunch specials $6.95, entrees $9.95-$16.95, desserts $3.95-$4.95.
Info: (480) 497-5366 or mintthaicafe.com.
Posted in: Gilbert • Mint Thai Cafe | 2 Comments »
July 3rd, 2009, 1:53 pm by Jess Harter
Udder Delights is an up-and-coming Gilbert ice cream shop looking to expand its dessert menu. Tracy Dempsey is perhaps the Valley’s best-known pastry chef and has a few months of free time on her hands.
A perfect match? Udder Delights co-owner Casey Stechnij (pictured above) thinks so.
When he heard Dempsey recently left her position with Peter Kasperski’s Old Town Scottsdale restaurant group (Cowboy Ciao, Digestif and Kazimierz World Wine Bar), he contacted her.
For Dempsey, the timing was perfect. She plans to open her own dessert restaurant, Galette, by the end of the year. In the meantime, though, she was looking for a challenge.
 The idea is for Dempsey (pictured left at Digestif) to develop what Stechnij calls a “tapas-style dessert bar” menu to complement the two dozen homemade ice creams at Udder Delights.
“We’re talking about playful twists on some of the classics,” says Dempsey, who will unveil her first few creations at the store this weekend.
Over the next few months, she will experiment with a number of dishes, the best of which eventually will be incorporated into the permanent menu.
Dempsey has a lot to work with. The shop offers such ice cream flavors (pictured below) as its best-selling white birthday cake, blueberry muffin, banana cream pie and even potato chip.
“I call Udder Delights a flavor laboratory,” says Stechnij.
The Gilbert native splits his time between the strip-mall shop, which he opened in 2007 with friend Sherene Robinson, and Superstition Farm, his family’s dairy operation in southeast Mesa.
Stechnij and the farm are actively involved in the Valley’s slow food movement emphasizing locally produced meats, produce and dairy products.
 Udder Delights, Stechnij says, just got approval to make its own butter and cheeses, which will be available soon.
The opportunity to build on her relationships with the local-food community was a draw for Dempsey, who hopes to stay involved with Udder Delights after her own restaurant opens.
In the meantime?
“I see it being my obsession for a couple of months,” she says.
After five years of creating some of the best-known and complex desserts in Scottsdale, Dempsey is excited about trying to invent simpler but just as delicious dishes that will appeal to families and children in the southeast Valley.
“It’s not that different,” she says. “It’s just tailoring a menu to meet the needs of the concept and the demographics.
“It’s a good challenge to see if I can do this and still be ‘Tracy.’”
Udder Delights
Where: 1385 E. Warner Road, Gilbert (southwest corner of Warner and Val Vista Drive)
Open: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Prices: Single-scoop cone $3.50, pints $5.99, quarts $7.99
Info: (480) 507-3859 or udderdelightsaz.com
Posted in: Gilbert • Tracy Dempsey • Udder Delights | 1 Comment »
July 2nd, 2009, 4:51 pm by Jess Harter
 The Food Writers Act of 1902 requires me, as well as every other food writer in America, to produce a story every Fourth of July about either hot dogs or apple pie. I flipped a coin, and this year it’s hot dogs:
Ted’s Hot Dogs: This longtime Tempe favorite is famous for its charcoal-broiled hot dogs, footlongs, cheese dogs and chili dogs, as well as delicious homemade onion rings. The lines can get long during peak hours, but they usually move quickly. 1755 E. Broadway Road, Tempe, (480) 968-6678.
Pittsburgh Willy’s: The Wild Willy (pictured) — an all-beef kosher dog topped with chipped ham sauteed in butter and then covered with cheddar cheese — is a bestseller at this small shop inside the Market Square antique mall. 1509 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, (480) 857-2860.
Al’s Chicago Style: The walls are covered with Windy City memorabilia, but it’s the Vienna Beef hot dogs, Gonnella rolls and Giardiniera peppers — not to mention the neon green relish — that establish the Chicago authenticity of this shop’s dogs. 53 N. Val Vista Drive, Gilbert, (480) 545-3267.
Giant Hamburgers: Its name references burgers, but this inexpensive strip-mall hangout also serves tasty hot dogs and chili dogs cooked on its flat-top grill. Be sure to include a side of some of the best French fries in the East Valley. 2753 E. Broadway Road, Mesa, (480) 733-6542.
The Mission: This Old Town Scottsdale restaurant’s Latin American food can get a bit pricey, but the lunch menu offers a fantastic Kobe beef dog wrapped in bacon and topped with green chile pintos, Cotija cheese and grilled onions. 3815 N. Brown Ave., Scottsdale, (480) 636-5005.
Posted in: Chandler • Gilbert • Mesa • Scottsdale • Tempe • 5 to Try • Al's Chicago Style • Giant Hamburgers • Pittsburgh Willy's • Ted's Hot Dogs • The Mission | 3 Comments »
July 1st, 2009, 9:20 am by Jess Harter
Pastry chef Tracy Dempsey, who recently left her position with Spaghetti Western restaurants (Cowboy Ciao, Digestif and Kazimierz World Wine Bar), still hasn’t found a home for her planned Galette Dessert Bar.
 In the meantime, though, she’s keeping busy. Dempsey (pictured at left) has been hired as guest chef for the summer at Gilbert ice cream shop Udder Delights. She will create a new dessert menu for the shop, as well as new ice cream flavors.
That means Southeast Valley residents will soon be enjoying treats like Dempsey’s famous ice cream sandwiches (pictured above at Digestif).
Udder Delights, owned by Superstition Farm’s Casey Stechnij and business partner Sherene Robinson, sells 28 year-round flavors of homemade ice cream — from blueberry muffin to bubblegum — plus some seasonal ones.
Udder Delights is located on the southwest corner of Warner Road and Val Vista Drive in Gilbert. Info: (480) 507-3859.
Posted in: Gilbert • Superstition Farm • Tracy Dempsey • Udder Delights | Post a Comment »
June 30th, 2009, 8:52 am by Jess Harter
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has opened at San Tan Village in Gilbert, becoming the Colorado-based chain’s eighth East Valley location. To celebrate, the restaurant is donating 50 cents from every burger sold this week to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Posted in: Gilbert • Red Robin | Post a Comment »
June 29th, 2009, 9:44 pm by Jess Harter
Nearly three months after launching regular Espresso 101 classes, Liberty Market has unveiled its latest class, Pizza 101. The first session was held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. today at the downtown Gilbert market.
David Traina, executive chef and co-owner of Liberty Market, addresses the half-dozen inaugural participants at the pizza counter. Each paid $10 for the two-hour class, which included their own pizza and beverages.
Liberty Market makes its wood-fired pizzas in a Renato oven that ranges from 600 degrees to nearly 1,000 degrees. The oven never goes cold. At night, the doors are closed and the embers glow until morning.
Traina regales the class with personal tales of oven maker Renato Riccio, an Italian immigrant who makes his famous ovens in Texas.
Pecan from right here in Arizona is the only wood used in the oven. One of its characteristics is it burns very evenly.
Off to the kitchen, where the class helps make a batch of pizza dough in Liberty’s refurbished 1934 Hobart 80-quart mixer. Some trivia: Liberty Market co-owner Joe Johnston’s grandfather invented this mixer.
Thirty pounds of freshly mixed pizza dough — made with just flour, water, salt and yeast — are placed into a clear container that will be placed in the walk-in cooler to rise overnight. Pizza cook Mike Mickelson pulls out a white plastic container of dough mixed the previous day for the class to use.
Traina demonstrates how to toss dough in the air. Fortunately, such moves are not necessary to make pizza, he says.
A class member gets instruction from Mickelson on how to stretch the dough into the proper shape and thickness.
Mickelson shows a class member how to check the dough for “window panes,” areas where the dough is thin enough to see light through. “The more sections you can see through the better,” Traina says.
A class member and Traina share a laugh.
Traina watches a class member ladle sauce onto her dough. Liberty Market’s sauce is made with San Marzano tomatoes (considered the world’s best for sauces), garlic, salt, pepper and basil.
Liberty Market does not cook its pizza sauce while making it because cooking it a second time in the oven would destroy its flavor.
Traina helps a class member put her pizza into the oven using a metal pizza peel. Pizzas are moved to various positions around the oven during the four or so minutes they take to cook.
Class members get straight A’s on their “final exams.” Then they eat them. Plus, each class member receives a pound of starter dough to take home.
Afterward, the inaugural Pizza 101 class and their instructors pose for a graduation photo.
For information on the future Pizza 101 classes, which will be held monthly, call (480) 892-1900 and leave your name and e-mail address. Or send the info in a direct message via Twitter to @libertymarket.
Posted in: Gilbert • Liberty Market | 3 Comments »
June 23rd, 2009, 11:09 am by Jess Harter
 Old World Pizza Kitchen, an artisanal pizzeria that opened in Gilbert just last October (read my story), has closed its doors.
Located on Gilbert Road between Elliot and Warner roads, Old World was the first foray into the restaurant business by retired Brooklyn firefighter Jim Donnelly and his wife, Sue.
The high-end interior showcased Jim Donnelly’s paintings of firefighters.
While the pizzas were pretty good, Old World suffered from a poor location. Its country-ish JD’s Homestead strip mall runs perpendicular to busy Gilbert Road. You could drive by a hundred times without even knowing Old World was there, as many potential customers undoubtedly did.
It would have been interesting to see how Old World would have fared in a more high-profile location.
Posted in: Gilbert • Old World Pizza Kitchen | 5 Comments »
June 12th, 2009, 9:03 am by Jess Harter
When scorching summer temperatures descend upon the Valley — and, despite our current respite, they are coming — I can’t stomach the thought of a heavy meal. Here are five summer salads that, thanks to lots of fresh fruit, are light and refreshing entrees any time of the year.
Cork: This south Chandler restaurant and wine bar starts its unnamed salad ($9) with purple loose-leaf lettuce known as lollo rosso, which is mixed with strips of dried apricot, candied kumquats and fresh strawberries and blackberries in a Meyer lemon-thyme vinaigrette. It’s served on a big piece of delicious Bucheron goat cheese. 4991 S. Alma School Road, Chandler, (480) 883-3773.
Pita Jungle: This popular local chain of Mediterranean eateries offers 11 salads, including the Caribbean ($9.49) with pineapple, orange, grapefruit, apple, strawberry and banana over a bed of mixed greens, topped with shredded coconut and raisins and served with a strawberry vinaigrette. Locations in Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix and Glendale.
Crackers & Co. Cafe: The Fruited Chicken Salad ($8.99) at these dishes-from-scratch cafes is made with white-meat chicken, raisins, celery, pineapple, mandarin oranges, strawberries and almonds on a bed of mixed greens with a creamy lemon dressing. 535 W. Iron Ave., Mesa, (480) 898-1717; 1325 N. Greenfield Road, Mesa, (480) 924-9977; 1285 W. Elliot Road, Tempe, (480) 705-7900.
S’Bistro: This downtown Mesa bistro counters the chili-spiced chicken in its Las Cruses Salad ($8 lunch, $14 dinner) with the sweetness of grilled pineapple, strawberries and mango. It also comes with blue cheese, all served on a bed of California field greens and topped with a berry vinaigrette. 124 W. Main Street, Mesa, (480) 962-0344.
Pier 54: This patio restaurant on an urban lake borrows from Down Under for its Strawberry Kiwi Salad ($6.99 small, $7.99 regular). Sliced strawberries and kiwi are placed on a bed of greens, tossed with a raspberry vinaigrette and topped with dried cranberries and candied walnuts. 5394 S. Lakeshore Drive, Tempe, (480) 820-0660.
Posted in: Chandler • Gilbert • Mesa • Tempe • 5 to Try • Cork • Crackers & Co. • Pier 54 • Pita Jungle • S'Bistro | Post a Comment »
June 10th, 2009, 6:45 am by Jess Harter
One of the joys of being a professional restaurant critic is every once in a while you run across a menu item that’s truly amazing. Oftentimes, it’s when you least expect it.
I’ve visited Gilbert Pizza, a family-run restaurant on Gilbert Road south of Warner Road, nearly a dozen times in recent years. I went three more times last week to prepare for this review.
But it wasn’t until my last visit when, as the server had taken our order and was walking away, I impulsively decided to add one more item, the Baked Ziti Pizza.
Now if you think the idea of a thin-crust pizza covered with pasta and vodka sauce sounds a little strange, I was just as curious. And when it arrived at our table some 30 minutes later, it certainly looked … interesting.
 Nothing, however, prepared me for that first bite.
As my teeth squeezed the soft pasta tubes, the rich and creamy sauce oozed out, mingling with the warm oil, gooey mozzarella cheese and flaky crust. For just a moment, I think I might have blacked out from pleasure.
“Wow!” I said.
“Is it any good?” one of my dining companions asked, not sure whether my exclamation indicated good or bad.
“Wow!” I repeated.
Eventually I was able to regain my senses. As I slowly savored every bite of that first slice, I realized there would be no words adequate to describe how delicious this pizza tasted.
I mournfully looked at the other items we had ordered, knowing I was duty-bound to try them all. So I took a well-analyzed (albeit small) bite from each, then turned back to indulge in more of the ziti pie.
Alas, my newfound love quickly proved too rich for my blood, which already was beginning to feel like sludge in my veins. I barely was able to finish a second slice. The 14-inch pie ($18.95) was more than enough to send three hungry diners into a lipid-induced haze of happiness.
Credit this culinary masterpiece to Sal Cuffaro, who bought Gilbert Pizza three years ago and serves as chef (while his wife, Grace, takes orders). He also make pretty good other pizzas, available in round thin-crust and square thick-crust versions.
 Cuffaro’s family-recipe pasta dishes and entrees also are very good, especially considering the prices. For example, an ample plate of spaghetti matrigiana with pancetta and onions in a chunky marinara will run you just $9.99 — and that includes a large garden salad and basket of garlic knots.
It’s a price point that obviously appeals to those who live in the area. Extended families often pull together tables and rearrange the chairs and bench seating from pulled-apart booths.
The large number of small children, sometimes loud and running around the dining room, make it less than ideal for a quiet or romantic dinner, but no one seems to mind much, at least during my visits.
There’s been an earnest, if only partially successful, attempt to decorate the strip-mall space (with faux-granite laminate flooring and faux-stained walls with faux-window decals) and rechristen it (the outside signage now reads “Sal’s Gilbert Pizza Italian Trattoria”).
And they really should do something to clear up the confusion over the ordering process — some people order at the counter and then sit down, others sit down and wait for table service. After all my visits, I’m still not sure which is right.
Overall, though, I just chalk these things up to a quirkiness that only adds to the charm of this worthwhile restaurant.
Gilbert Pizza
Where: 1150 S. Gilbert Road, Gilbert (south of Warner in Gilbert Town Square)
Open: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Appetizers $2-$12.95, salads $4.25-$9.50, pizzas $10.95-$19.50, pastas $7.95-$10.95, entrees $12.95-$15.95, desserts $2.95-$3.25.
Info: (480) 633-2226 or gilbertpizzaaz.com
Posted in: Gilbert • Gilbert Pizza | 10 Comments »
June 8th, 2009, 2:46 pm by Jess Harter
 After this morning’s post about Joe’s Real BBQ’s unsuccessful attempt to win Best Brisket on the “Live with Regis and Kelly” TV show, several readers e-mailed to say there was no shame in losing in the finals to Rudy’s BBQ and Catering from Sinton, Texas.
For example, Nick Sharkey of Gilbert wrote: “I spent a year and a half in Austin and, as great as Joe’s is, nothing comes close to Rudy’s.”
Rudy’s even had the support of Tribune sports columnist Scott Bordow, who said Valley sportswriters never missed a chance to visit the Leon Springs restaurant just outside of San Antonio. (Remember when the Suns used to make the playoffs and play a series against the Spurs every year?)
Wait a minute, you’re probably thinking. Sinton? Austin? Leon Springs?
That’s right. They’re not talking about the same Rudy’s. The Sinton restaurant in the TV contest — called Rudy’s BBQ and Catering — is not related to the nationally famous Texas chain — called Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q — which has 27 locations in Texas (including Austin and Leon Springs) and three other states.
The confusion undoubtedly helped Rudy’s — the Sinton one — garner a lot of votes from fans of the more famous Rudy’s.
If only Joe’s Real BBQ co-owner Joe Johnston had a “famous” partner named “Dave” …
Posted in: Gilbert • Joe's Real BBQ | Post a Comment »
June 8th, 2009, 10:37 am by Jess Harter
Joe’s Real BBQ fell short in its bid to be named Best Brisket on this morning’s “Live with Regis & Kelly” TV show. Instead, the top online vote-winner was Rudy’s BBQ and Catering from Sinton, Texas.
Joe’s was one of five national finalists in the nationally syndicated show’s Ultimate Hometown Grill Off. If the downtown Gilbert restaurant had won, staffers would have appeared on Friday’s show to show off its brisket.
The other finalists were Dad’s Smoke Wagon in Fountain, Colo.; Homeboy Barbeque in Flushing, Mich.; and Let’s Party & Catering in Deland, Fla.
There’s some consolation for the hard-working staff at Joe’s: This wasn’t a taste test. Viewers were asked to vote for the best brisket simply by watching one-minute videos of each restaurant.
Perhaps we need a Joe’s vs. Rudy’s “taste-off” to crown a true champion?
Posted in: Gilbert • Joe's Real BBQ | 1 Comment »
June 5th, 2009, 3:33 pm by Jess Harter
I’ve always thought Joe’s Real BBQ has some of the best brisket in the entire country. Now you don’t just have to take my word for it. The Gilbert smokehouse was named one of five finalists in an Ultimate Hometown Grill Off on this morning’s “Live with Regis and Kelly” show.
Customers across the country nominated their favorite barbecue joints last month. Joe’s learned it was a finalist last Friday and was asked to submit a one-minute video on the making its brisket.
“We have no clue what customer or group of customers nominated us,” says Joe Johnston, who co-owns Joe’s with Tad Peelen.
The public can view the videos of all five finalists on the show’s website and cast their vote before 7 a.m. Sunday. The winner will be announced during Monday’s show at 10 a.m. on NBC.
 The other finalists are Dad’s Smoke Wagon in Fountain, Colo.; Homeboy Barbeque in Flushing, Mich.; Let’s Party & Catering in Deland, Fla.; and Rudy’s BBQ and Catering in Sinton, Texas.
Word is the other finalists are orchestrating media campaigns in their respective cities to muster votes, so if you want to see Arizona get the barbecue love it deserves, click here to see the videos (you’ll be asked to register on the site, but it’s free and only takes a few seconds) and cast your vote.
Remember: You only have until 7 a.m. Sunday. And once you vote, you’ll no longer be able to see the videos or vote again.
“I think our chances are good,” Johnston says. “I think we submitted an interesting video.”
The only problem may be getting the word out. While “Live with Regis and Kelly” aired in most of the country this morning, the Valley’s NBC affiliate, Channel 12, pre-empted the show in favor of — believe it or not — the French Open tennis tournament.
“First of all, I hate sports,” Johnston laughs. “Then, I hate all things French. It couldn’t have been any worse.”
Posted in: Gilbert • Joe's Real BBQ | 3 Comments »
June 4th, 2009, 9:47 pm by Jess Harter
Until a few days ago, I didn’t know June is National Turkey Lovers Month. (Who declares these things anyway?) I guess the timing makes sense, though. It’s just over the halfway point between last year’s Thanksgiving and this year’s. What better time to remind diners of the wonders of the bird that almost became the symbol of our country? To tide you over until November, here are my five favorite turkey sandwiches in the East Valley:
 Chile Verde Birdie at Flancers: A few years ago, the Tribune enlisted a panel of reader-judges to find the best sandwich — of any type — in the East Valley. After nearly three months and 30 sandwiches, the Chile Verde Birdie ($7) emerged victorious. Hunks of roasted turkey pulled straight off the bone are topped with provolone, tomato, lettuce and Flancer’s homemade New Mexican green chile mayonnaise. You can add bacon and avocado for an extra $1.50. 610 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert, (480) 926-9077; 1902 N. Higley Road, Mesa, (480) 396-0077.
 Smoky Mountain at Dilly’s Deli: My personal favorite for more than a decade, the Smoky Mountain ($6.99) gets its name from the trio of smoked Pepper Mill turkey, smoked gouda and smoked bacon, all combined with red onions and spicy Russian mustard and served between thick slabs of freshly grilled foccacia bread. So filling, but so delicious. 3330 S. Price Road, Tempe, (480) 491-1196; 414 W. University Drive, Tempe, (480) 929-0111; 14202 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 596-3354; 2895 S. Alma School Road, Chandler, (480) 722-0645.
 Picnic at Liberty Market: Although this downtown Gilbert market/eatery is less than a year old, the Picnic ($8 with side) is fast becoming the Smoky Mountain’s main rival for my turkey-related affections. A soft roll is filled with roasted turkey, mixed greens, gorgonzola, thin slices of green apple, caramelized pecans and a roasted red pepper aioli. Sharp and sweet, crunchy and smooth, warm and cool — all at the same time. It’s also available as a salad (also $8). 230 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert, (480) 892-1900.
 Turkey Sue-ben at Teakwoods Tavern & Grill: Named for one of Teakwoods owner’s best friends in college, the Sue-ben ($8.99 with side and pickle) is this popular neighborhood hangout’s companion to its traditional Rueben sandwich. Nearly an inch of shaved turkey is covered with Swiss cheese, sautéed onions and jalapeno cole slaw on grilled sourdough bread. For my side, I always get the crunchy tater tots. 151 E. Williams Field Road, Gilbert, (480) 899-8325; 5965 W. Ray Road, Chandler, (480) 961-0945.
 Blue 32 Turkey Rueben at Blue 32 Sports Grill: Another turkey version of the Rueben, the Blue 32 ($7.99 with side and pickle) comes with roasted turkey and Swiss cheese on grilled rye bread — but the extra special ingredient is the “black and blue” cole slaw infused with pungent blue cheese and little bits of Applewood Smoked Bacon. After all, doesn’t bacon make just about anything taste even better? I’m also a big fan of this 5-month-old sports bar’s flaky “pub-style” fries. 1524 E. Williams Field Road, Gilbert, (480) 963-0032.
Posted in: Chandler • Gilbert • Mesa • Scottsdale • Tempe • Blue 32 • Dilly's Deli • Flancer's • Liberty Market • Teakwoods | 3 Comments »
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