Phoenix Delicioso

Try as we might not to, we just tend to eat more when we eat out, though we have no compunction about splitting meals, ordering one entrée and one salad or appetizer, or asking for a container for leftovers. Most of the places we’ve been to don’t add on a "plate charge," and those that do usually won’t if you order a second, much cheaper item.

When I say Phoenix, I’m speaking of the greater metropolitan area that spreads L.A.-like (unfortunately, often including smog) around the hub of the central city. The freeway system allows for mostly fast and easy movement around the cities of the Valley of the Sun. This journal reviews restaurants in Phoenix itself, neighboring Scottsdale and Mesa, and suburbs Ahwatukee and Chandler 10 minutes south on the I-10.

How many links makes a chain? I’ve been giving this quite a bit of thought lately. We’re all familiar with fast-food chains; isn’t that how it all started? Since McDonald’s beginnings in California in the 1950s, in the last couple of decades, chain restaurants have made vast inroads into taking over the full-service restaurant business as well. Think of mega-chains Applebee’s, Chili’s, Olive Garden, and Tony Roma’s. Independent restaurants are fighting back, however. Phoenix independents are listed on ArizonaBistro.com and AZ ChainReaction.

Though I’ve avoided reviewing obvious upscale chains, it’s harder than I realized to avoid any restaurants with chain-like characteristics, namely, a set of related restaurants in many different locations either under shared corporate ownership or franchising agreements, built to a standard format and offering a standard menu (Wickipedia). In my reviews, I’ve included the degree of "chain-ness" or "independence" of each restaurant. And in doing so, I’ve come across that seeming anomaly, the "independent chain!" The Good Egg/ Eggery, with 17 restaurants total, and my favorite, Z-Tejas, with less than a dozen, are examples of such.

Quick Tips:

TGIF? Avoid eating out on Friday and Saturday nights if you can. Even though there is an abundance of restaurants, the high winter-visitor population added to the year-round regulars guarantee long waits in most establishments without reservation systems. Weeknights are a different story. Plus, then you can take advantage of discounted drink and appetizer happy hours, which tend to be between 4 and 7pm on weeknights.

Smoking: We’ve not come across smoking in restaurants for several years now in Arizona. In Greater Phoenix, Tempe, Guadalupe, and Surprise restaurants are all smoke-free. Maricopa County Tobacco Use Prevention Program lists smoke-free restaurants in Phoenix and surroundings.

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting around while here: Phoenix seems to have the latest cutting-edge busses in its metro system. Bob drove city bus for a few years in his younger days, and he’s always impressed with the sleek, modern busses we see out and about on Phoenix streets. But Phoenix is mostly a car city. New freeways sprout up and extend themselves yearly, never catching up to the winter-driver pressure (population dwindles as hot summer approaches). During rush hours, radio newscasters can hardly report traffic accidents fast enough before new ones happen. A thriving illegal street-racing subculture also contributes to road hazards. Defensive driving is a must here, especially in a big rig.

The Good Egg hatched its first three restaurants in Phoenix in December 1983. Through efficient management that kept food costs at 30% and labor costs at 30%, they raked in the profits and expanded, opening an out-of-state restaurant in San Diego in April 1985. My most recent menu lists 12 restaurants in greater Phoenix area; three in Tucson; one in Wichita, Kansas; and the one in San Diego, California.

Good Egg decor is French-country style, and many offer outdoor dining. There is an egg-straordinary (in Good-Eggese) variety of breakfast and lunch dishes on their menu. Eggs have been one of my very favorite foods every since I was old enough for solid foods, so I’m in egg heaven at these places. Here are some of my favorites: Florentine Benedict (basic Benedict with sautéed spinach, mushrooms, and onions, with a sprinkle of diced tomato and bacon over the Hollandaise) $7; for $2 more, they’ll add bay shrimp; and Farmer’s Garden Delight omelet (spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, celery, zucchini, corn, and peas inside, topped with Hollandaise, diced tomato, and feta) $7. Bob likes the Works, an omelet containing sausage, bacon, onions, mushrooms, celery, zucchini, and melted cheeses, topped with diced tomatoes, sour cream, and scallions ($8). Plates always arrive steamy and tantalizing, almost too hot to touch.

There are countless other choices, though, including skillet breakfasts, gigantic whole-wheat or buttermilk pancakes, luscious French toasts, fresh giant cinnamon rolls, blintzes, frittatas, and a hybrid called crepeggs. Healthy choices abound: the Doctor’s Choice uses no-cholesterol "eggs," and Nurse’s Bialy’s uses only the egg whites in their veggie-egg scrambles. Yogurt, granola, hot Irish oatmeal or roasted 7-grain wheat cereal, seasonal fruits, and fruit smoothies all tempt. There’s a whole section of Southwestern choices for breakfast and lunches. My favorite of those is the Wildcat Scramble, eggs scrambled with corn-tortilla slices, chorizo, green chilis, and onion, topped with black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and scallions ($8).

If you prefer lunch to breakfast, there’s a great selection of choices as well, including sandwiches, wraps, burgers, lots of big salads, and the soup of the day. Full lunch prices average $7. A full pot of coffee is left at the table for coffee-drinkers. Another perk to dining at the Good Egg is the Best Things in Life card. After five meals, your sixth meal is free.

There’s always something new to see. Between 1995 and 1998, we saw Bank One Ballpark (also known as BOB) going up. Last year, a street fair was livening up the Civic Plaza east of the Hyatt. This year, that entire block is in disarray, fenced off with little ant-sized workmen and a giant crane for major expansion and refurbishment.

March 2005: The manager seated us in the lounge at a window-side table. This section has dining areas on either end of it, and others were enjoying their lunches in these. The decor is minimalist black and white. Your eyes are inexorably drawn to the windows and scenes far below. All the tables are near or right at the windows. The central non-rotating core contains the kitchen and entry lobby.

We decided to try scallops with strawberry chutney, aioli, and leeks, accompanied by two Buds ($4 apiece). We sipped our beers and enjoyed the scallops awash in sweet chutney when they arrived about halfway through our rotation. Later, when we were handed the tab, we were surprised to find that the charge for the scallops was listed as $13, when we’d thought it was $10. We then discovered that the corner of the menu-holder covers the price of the top-listed item, making it confusing. Bob is a stickler for that kind of thing, and got the price lowered to $10. Views and the setting eclipse shortcomings, but I’ve got to say that the cocktail forks required a lot of pressure and back-and-forth sawing to cut the scallops (too big to eat in one bite). They should have either had sharper edges or should have included small knives.

No question that Hyatt’s a chain hotelier, but does that make the Compass one? My definitive answer is sort of but not really. No doubt it’s a classy joint, about as classy as we ever get. The appetizers and main course menus constantly change, featuring the creations of chef Norbert Roesch. The cuisine offered is international/American/Southwestern, and the restaurant features an impressive wine list. In 2004, they won awards for most romantic and best brunch. Full meals (not including tax or tip) average $32 for adults and $19 for children.

Hours:
Lunch: Monday-Saturday 11:30am - 2:00pm
Dinner: Monday-Sunday 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Lounge: Monday-Saturday 11:30am - 12:00midnight; Sunday 5:30pm - 12:00midnight
Champagne Brunch: Sunday 10:00am - 2:00pm

An L-shaped patio runs around the front and side of the El Paso, with a big fireplace in the corner. Balmy weather and partial clouding persuaded us to sit outside, where dining is sheltered from the street by a waist-high wall, leafy green trees, and the massive fireplace. Indoors, distinctive Texan-style decor features open ceilings; big, rough-hewn wooden support beams; and comfortable booths and tables for small and large parties. Accents include large potted plants; whimsical painted pigs; and long-legged, Stetson-hatted cowgirl posters by David DeVary.

El Paso is open for lunch and dinner. House specialties include baby back ribs (full rack $20), slow-smoked prime rib (16 oz $22), Porterhouse steak (20 oz $24), barbecued salmon ($17), and a pulled tequila pork sandwich ($8). On this particular day, though, we tried to keep our eating to less-filling choices, so decided to split a barbeque-chili nachos platter ($8), accompanied by schooners of Fat Tire beer ($5.50 each). The red, white, and blue tortilla chips were piled high with mildly spicy chili with chunks of tasty, tender beef, diced tomatoes, green onions, jalapeño pepper slices, shredded jack and cheddar cheeses, and sour cream. Our server brought extra sour cream on request. There weren’t many other customers, and we chatted with her after we’d polished off the nachos and were finishing our Fat Tires.

Ironically, no El Paso locations are found in Texas; they’re only in Arizona, with six in the greater Phoenix area and one in Tucson. Although El Paso Bar-B-Que Company has a CEO, Bill Prather, meeting criteria of corporate ownership and standardized menus, I hesitate to call a group of restaurants with less than 10 locations, none out-of-state, a chain. They also produce sauces and rib rubs, which you can buy when visiting their restaurants or order online. The classy posters are also for sale.

El Paso does full-service catering and deliveries, with per-person rates and combination packages. They offer individually boxed lunch specials as well: sandwich of choice plus one or two sides, pickle, napkin, utensils, and apple or brownie for dessert – for only $8.45 to $9.45 per person. Six desserts are offered on the in-restaurant menu: from old-fashioned cobblers to cowboy chocolate cake to mocha mud pie, with an average price of $4. El Paso’s full bar offers two happy hours daily, Monday through Friday, from 4pm to 7pm and 9pm to closing. There are $1- to $2-off drinks, and all appetizers are half-price.

The first time we drove by Macayo’s on Central, we knew we had to give this restaurant a try, if for nothing else than its intriguing exterior, dramatic in angularity and color, windowless, and resembling a fortress. When we pulled around back to park and were face-to-face with an elaborate mosaic Quetzal serpent stretched out imbedded into the back wall, we couldn’t wait to see what we’d find inside.

This is a very festive place. From the tiled entryway with painted tropical plants lining the walls to the greeting station backed with BIENVENIDOS in red on the wall to cheerful dining rooms buzzing with people under a passionate magenta-pink ceiling, your senses are assaulted with color and good smells. Even the carpeting is a riot of color and design, and if you look closely, you’ll spot the macaw for which Macayo’s is named in the trapezoids and circles of reds, blues, and greens.

Macayo’s is listed in an Arizona Food & Folklore brochure as a locally owned and operated restaurant with true western character. High-school sweethearts Woody and Victoria Johnson’s story has become a Phoenix legend. Married and with three young children, they opened tiny six-table Woody’s El Nido (the nest) in post-war downtown Phoenix in 1946. Over the years, the restaurants grew, expanded, and multiplied along with their growing family. Now with their seventeenth Macayo’s opened in 2004, the operations remain family-owned and operated. Their Fiesta Farm and Cannery produces their own locally grown chiles, sauces, and margarita mix.

Macayo’s changes with the times, and like a vintage wine, keeps getting better. A recent addition to their menu is a Lite-Minded section, including chicken enchiladas with honey-citrus grilled veggies and black beans, grilled salmon tacos, and delicious-sounding low-calorie salads. Detailed nutritional information is available for the many sauce and dressing choices.

Our dinner choice this time was one of our favorites, Fajitas de Macayo, with combined beef and chicken ($13). With bottomless bowls of crispy chips and salsa, along with our margaritas before, and refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, flour tortillas, and sizzling hot fajitas, the generous portions were enough to fill us up and then some. We took home enough for another dinner later that week.

Macayo’s extensive menu of Sonoran-style specialties makes selection challenging. It’s said that Woody Johnson invented the chimichanga; there are various kinds on the menu. You’ll also find traditional and unique versions of enchiladas, tacos, burros, quesadillas, and carnitas, and many combinaciones. The most decadent dessert is cheesecake-stuffed sopapilla (you can stop counting calories here); the puffy cheesecake-filled sopapilla is drizzled with chocolate sauce and Mexican caramel. My favorite, though, is their flan.

Last time we were there (February 2004), a life-sized smiling gray plaster donkey on wheels stood in front of the double glass doors. He blended in well with the unlikely gotta see-it-to-believe it architectural style of this building. Before going inside, walk the circumference of Los Olivos. Above the wooden back door looms a giant Cuauhtemoc head in Aztec headdress, further decorated by Christmas lights. On either side of the door, the faces of suns in stained-glass windows look out at you. Blooming bougainvillea cover entire portions of this building, adding to its organic feel.

Indoors is no less full of the unusual. Past carved wooden benches and colored glass skylights, there are several dining rooms. Last time, we ate in the one with the stage, with a retractable roof that can let in the starry sky when the weather is good, which is almost all the time in the Valley of the Sun. Completely dominating the stage is another big-headed figure, stern visage, small body, arms folded, and with what could possibly be large wings spread out on either side of him. He’s a very regal figure, and I wish I would have asked about his significance.

Tomás and Cecilia Corral arrived in Scottsdale from Mexico in 1919. They did not want their children to grow up to work in the mines of Mexico, so they took a chance on the land of opportunity. Tomás opened an adobe brickyard and built the adobe building that would serve as bakery, tavern, pool hall, chapel, and eventually, small restaurant over the years. During the Depression, Cecilia sold tamales door to door. At some point in time, Los Olivos Restaurant was named for the olive trees that used to grow on Second Street. And Corral family and kin helped the building to evolve and grow to its present state of grace.

Bob always zeros in on the Beefeater Favorites section of the menu, featuring steaks and carne asada. Notable is the steak picado ($10.50), lightly sautéed in a vegetable sauce. I favor the chicken and seafood section. The camarones (shrimp) a la veracruzana ($13.50) with an accompanying guacamole salad is delicious. For something lighter, try the whitefish or chicken tacos ($9-$11), full of nutrition with cabbage, beans, and rice.

Los Olivos’ menu is rounded out with appetizers, salads, soups, sides, specialties, and combinaciones. There’s also a children’s menu with selections under $4 and even American burgers, sandwiches, and fries. Los Olivos Norte, a second Corral family restaurant, is located at 15544 North Pima Road in Scottsdale. The Corrals say: Esta es su casa y vuelvan pronto.

March 2003, we first spotted On the Border when shopping in Ahwatukee, and its attractive tan, terracotta, and blue exterior highlighted with copper suns, as well as people enjoying lunch on the patio, looked inviting. It wasn’t until March 2004 that we decided to go check it out one Friday night. Big mistake Impatient spouse Bob was unwilling to wait for the 45 minutes we were told it would take to seat us. The vociferous noise level of exuberant 9-to-5ers initiating their weekend was earplug-level loud. So this year, March 2005, we were even more determined to eat at On the Border! We chose a mid-week night and were not disappointed.

Tall, handsome Juan, age 20, was our waiter. He could tell I spoke Spanish by the way I ordered our fajitas salad. From Nuevo Leon, Mexico, he’s here to make money, but also learning that money and the things it can buy, nice clothes, shoes, etc., is not worth the loneliness he feels missing his familia y amistades, who are dear to him. This we learned later, after we’d eaten and he was kind enough to chat, even though the restaurant remained quite busy.

The interior of On the Border has a Southwestern-Christmassy feel, with colored balls, stars, and miniature ollas perched among the cactus plants on the ledges in the dining rooms. There are booths and tables covered with oilcloth; we chose a booth. In the same room, a young man demonstrated his skill flipping tortillas on a grill under a "Tortillas Frescas" sign. He wasn’t making them, just flipping, but it was fun to watch anyway.

Unfortunately, we arrived just after Happy Hour, so our pitcher of Dos Equis Amber was the full price of $14, but very good. I had a sizzling chicken fajita salad ($8). Diced tomatoes, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, and grated cheese were arranged in neat little piles on the edges of the deep plate. Juan had recommended the smoked jalapeño vinaigrette, which really enhanced the salad – and left the taste buds buzzing pleasantly. Bob ordered the BIG bordurrito™ ($8), a lightly fried flour tortilla filled with lean, tender fajita steak; Mexican rice; grated cheeses; black beans; caramelized onions; red bell pepper slices; and sour cream. We split meals and found both to be very tasty and satisfying. There are five other On the Border restaurants in Greater Phoenix.

Keegan’s Grill opened in 1989. Photos of their regulars line the walls in the bar section, and small chalkboards announce upcoming events. The next event: Cigar Dinner April 4th – featuring La Flor Dominicana cigars. One entire wall is dominated by boldly painted veggies in reds, green, yellows, and browns. Keegan’s serves "neighborhood American fare."

We didn’t get off to a good start here when our 16-ounce beers ($3 each) arrived in 12-ounce bottles. Our server explained the glasses are 16-ounce glasses, but they looked about as full as they could get with only 12 ounces of beer. Amends were made by offering us two more on the house.

To start out, we ordered Cobb salad ($9). It was excellent – very fresh, with tomato, egg, smoked bacon, roasted chicken, avocado, smoked Gouda cheese, and blue corn chips, with bleu-cheese dressing on the side. Fresh-baked LaBrea French rolls that came with the salad were so good, we kept asking for more. For our main course, we ordered Rosemary Garlic Half Chicken ($11). Two options were given to us: to have it the healthier way, grilled and served with fresh fruit and veggies, or the irresistibly tasty way, roasted and served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes. You can guess which we chose; a feeble mentioning of what we should do was squelched by a withering look from my husband. Since not beating requires not only joining but outdoing, I ordered an extra side of green-chile mashed potatoes. Truly, it was a scrumptious meal, enhanced by its presentation on a very attractive plate.

Even though we didn’t take advantage of it, Keegan’s is to be commended for their Lifestyle menu selections, with lower salt, sugar, and carbohydrates, and bread served only on request. The salad dressings also offer many delectable low- and non-fat choices. Keegan’s lunch menu (to 4:30pm) offers full and half-sandwiches with one or two sides. After 4:30pm, many of the sandwiches are still available, and the dinner menu kicks in.

Keegan’s specialty is their signature barbebque baby-back ribs (full slab $20, half slab $12). Their Greek shrimp capellini also sounded very good to me – sautéed shrimp, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, white wine, fresh basil, and Peccorino Romano cheese served on angel-hair pasta ($12). Keegan’s also caters and creates party trays.

We occasionally spend a couple of nights (in our motor home) in their big parking lot en route through Phoenix. While here, we explore not only the casino, but beyond along the reborn Gila River to the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort, Aji Spa, and Whirlwind Golf Club. Wild horses still roam in the hills to the west; the Koli Equestrian Center provides trail rides and riding lessons. Free boats shuttle guests between the casino and resort, a pleasant, leisurely ride accompanied by sounds of river birds on shore and flute music (on the boat tape deck). In back of the resort, the river merges into natural swimming pools, and a down-sized replica of the ancient Casa Grande ruins doubles as a water slide.

As I was helping my son move from California to New Mexico, Bob was by himself on St. Patrick’s Day. Nightly dinners of Campbell’s soups were fast losing their allure. Wind Dance Restaurant’s posted menu for their St. Patrick’s Day Buffet had looked great to both of us before I left. Wind Dance is located in the casino; there are even more enticing restaurants at the resort and golf course. Bob agreed to record what he ate and take pictures for the express purpose of including Wind Dance in this journal. So, in this case, I’m reporting a second-hand account as told to me by my husband.

The buffet hours for St. Patrick’s were from 11am to 3:30pm. As this would be Bob’s big and only meal for the day, he waited until 3pm before arriving and didn’t have to wait in line. The dining room wasn’t even crowded. But there was plenty of good food left. Bob proceeded to load up two plates, one with fresh and simple tossed green salad, the other with entrées and side dishes, some with Irish names and flavors. The seared breast of chicken Dijon with dill was Bob’s favorite, but the carved corn beef, Irish pork loin, and beef medallions with cranberry and port sauce were all good, too. The green bean-and-corn casserole and steamed cabbage were the veggies. Rounding out the meal were steamed red and Boxty potatoes, along with an assortment of Irish soda rolls, cornbread, and muffins. Along with his meal, he was served Pepsi. For dessert, he chose a pretty crème de menthe cheesecake and blueberry pie with whipped cream. Needless to say, he didn’t leave hungry! Cost: $9.

From the looks of the full parking lot in front of Z-Tejas, we almost didn’t bother to stop and check it out. But the hostess told us it would only be a 20-minute wait as she handed us a remote that would flash and vibrate when our table was ready. As we were waiting, we took a peek at the food being prepared in the kitchen, visible from the entry. We saw plates of Z-salad, looking fresh and green, and small cast iron skillets of cornbread.

The large central dining area contains mostly tables and chairs, but booths line either side. On one side is the bar. If you like your music on the louder side, sit near the bar, or you can dine outside on the attractively sheltered patio. Jagged Z lines repeat themselves indoors and out in architectural motifs and decorations. Many-pointed stars hang over the light fixtures.

Once seated, we both ordered large Z-salads with their specialty house dressing, red-wine blue-cheese vinaigrette, which is sweet and delicious. They came with the cornbread skillets we’d seen before. After the first bite, Bob immediately asked me if I could make cornbread like this. My usual cornbread was crumblier and not as moist. For the best cornbread you ever tasted, here’s the Z recipe. The ingredients that make it so deliciously moist are buttermilk, yogurt, and creamed corn.

About halfway through our salads and Fat Tire pints, we were served our entrées. Actually, Bob had ordered an appetizer that was on special, Hector’s Chile Verde. It was more than sufficient as an entrée. It came with a cup of black beans and four very fresh homemade tortillas. My entrée was the chile relleno stuffed with smoked chicken, chopped pecans, apricots, raisins, and jack cheese served with green chile mole, roasted tomato cream, and black beans and Spanish rice on the side. The wonderful fusion of flavors melded scrumptiously on my taste buds as I tried not to eat too fast.

It was at this point that we noticed a pie and ice cream being shared by a neighboring couple. We rarely order dessert but hadn’t noticed any desserts on the menu, so we asked our waitress. She informed us that there was no printed dessert menu, but the pie we were seeing was their famous Ancho Chili Fudge Pie. But by the time we shared a third Fat Tire and ate about as much as we could (still requiring a container for what we couldn’t finish), there was simply no room left in any part of our digestive tracts.

March 2005: In this, my birthday month, I found a birthday surprise from Z-Tejas in my Yahoo mailbox. I’d joined the Z Club online while locating their cornbread recipe, and now they were sending me an e-coupon for $10 off a meal. Luckily, March usually finds us in Phoenix, and I was more than eager to sample some more of their delicious food. I knew immediately that their special of seafood enchiladas ($10) was what I wanted. They are corn tortillas filled with blackened tuna, salmon, and shrimp mixed with spinach and mushrooms. This delicacy came topped with salsa fresca and drizzled with sour cream. Jack cheese melted dreamily into the black beans on one side, while on the other side was perfect Mexican rice. Bob ordered pecan-crusted chicken spinach salad topped with goat cheese and bacon with a bacon vinaigrette ($10). This is an unusual selection for him, and he was not as crazy about his meal as I was about mine, though I had a taste of it and it was delicious.

The day before we’d both had unpleasant weight-gain surprises when we checked our weights for the first time in months after working out at 24-Hour Fitness. I think Bob would have been happier with one of their steaks, either the 14-ounce Gorgonzola New York strip ($20) or the 8-ounce grilled beef tenderloin with wild mushroom horseradish ancho sauce ($20). I firmly put weight issues out of my mind, determining tomorrow would be a good day to work out, when I got my second birthday treat from Z-Tejas: a big piece of that famous ancho chile fudge pie, with a birthday candle stuck through the dollop of whipped cream on top! Rich, dark, and chocolaty, and with just enough chile to give it some zing but not overpower, I let each bite linger a while before swallowing, to the great delight of my taste buds.

Z-Tejas’ roots are in Austin, where the first Z-Tejas Grill began in an old Victorian on 6th Street in 1989. The four chefs whose brainchild it was combined Southwestern, Cajun/Creole, Mexican, Native American, Pacific Rim, and California cuisine in new and visionary ways to create the Z-Tejas taste. One of those chefs, Jack Gilmore, is now the executive chef overseeing the culinary operations of at least 10 Z-Tejas restaurants: four in Phoenix, two in Austin, and one apiece in Las Vegas; Costa Mesa, CA, Bellevue, WA; and Salt Lake City. There may also be one in Maryland, but the Z-Tejas locator map does not show it. The Z-Tejas described above can be found at:
7221 West Ray Rd.
Chandler
phone: 480/893-7550
Open for lunch and dinner daily.
Very highly recommended