Arizona Restaurant Reviews - Arizona Reviews

Little Thai Kitchen in Flagstaff

We were in Flagstaff recently looking for a place to eat. After seeing various Thai restaurants while walking around downtown Flagstaff we decided we absolutely must try some of the local Thai restaurants.

We decided to begin our tour of local Thai restaurants by sampling Little Thai Kitchen.

As the name suggests,this place is little. I think I only saw about 10 tables, but there were seats available as soon as we arrived.

We ordered pretty much what we order every time we eat Thai food: The red curry with chicken, and the Pad Thai with chicken.

While both entrees were flavorful, they were smaller than what is served at other restaurants in the area. It actually seemed like a lunch sized serving, but we were there for dinner.

The red curry was certainly flavorful, and it came with white rice on the side. I’d give it a B rating. Iv’e tried red curries at dozens of restaurants and nothing really stood out here.

The Pad Thai had an interesting sweetness to it. Almost as if it had been rolled in sugar during cooking. Some places make Pad Thai that way. It’s not my favorite, but I can’t discount them for doing what others do.

Overall, we were satisfied and left happy. Sure, I’d have been happy with a larger portion, but it was also 9 pm and I was glad they had stayed open late.

Getting there

Little Thai Kitchen
1051 S Milton Rd
# D
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Phone: (928) 226-9422

Thai House: The curry’s & my favorite dishes

Thai House just might be the best thai food in Scottsdale. All of the curry dishes at Thai House are served with white rice, and include either chicken, beef, tofu, shrimp, salmon, or duck. Lots of options! The dishes can be ordered on a heatness scale of 1 through 5, with 5 being the hottest. Oh, and just a note: You can ask for multiple meats to be included in each dish (may be an extra charge).

I have photos of most of the dishes here, and will update this post with additional photos as I take them.

As of this writing, I have checked in to Thai House 70 times on the Swarm app. No kidding. I’m probably their number 1 customer when it comes to frequency.

Massaman Curry

This curry dish has a distinct peanut taste. Let me clarify that: if you like peanut butter, you’ll love this dish! The curries at Thai House have two distinct ingredients, and in this one they have potatoes, and fresh vegetables. The Massaman Curry is one of the milder curries, because of the sweetness provided by the peanut butter. It is served over white rice and the peanut butter will really blow you away.

Panang Curry

Perhaps the most popular of the Thai curry dishes, the Panang Curry is sweeter than the others because brown sugar is used to create the curry. This is one of my favorite foods and Thai House is my favorite place to order Panang Curry in Arizona. It’s absolutely perfectly created, and has tons of flavor. If you’re new to Thai curries I recommend starting here. What makes a Panang Curry so popular and delicious is the use of brown sugar to create the base. This, along with fresh curry and chicken and vegetables creates one of the worlds greatest comfort foods.

Red Curry

The Red Curry dish has become my favorite Thai curry dish. If you like a Panang Curry, then you will definitely want to try a Red Curry. If you’re looking for a little bit less sweet curry, that has a little bit more spice, go with the red curry! It is served with the same ingredients as the Panang Curry, and doesn’t have potatoes. The red curry has such a delicious and refined flavor. Surely one of the best curry dishes. Like all of the curry dishes, it is served with white rice and your choice of chicken, beef, shrimp, salmon, or tofu. Also, it’s worth mentioning that the “red” doesn’t mean it’s spicy. You can order this dish with no heat. I like to order mine with a “three” (out of five) on the heat scale. Nice and spicy, but still consumable. The dinner portion comes with enough for almost two-meals.

Green Curry

The green curry is a milder curry with excellent flavors. The green curry has a base of vegetables with potatoes and brings out the curry flavors that aren’t as sweet as the red curries.

Pinapple Curry with Shrimp

Uses the red curry as a base and adds in delicious shrimp. The pineapple adds a sweeter flavor to this dish. If you like the Panang or Red Curry, you’ll also enjoy this one.

Other favorite dishes:

Pad Thai

We’ve tried all kinds of other dishes at Thai House, including the traditional Pad Thai. Easily one of my favorite pasta dishes in the state. The Thai House Pad Thai is served with crushed peanuts, lots of noodles, and your choice of meat. The flavors are spicy and if your comfort food is Pad Thai, this one will satisfy.

Pineapple Fried Rice

One other dish we often order is the Pineapple Fried Rice. It’s absolutely awesome, and can be ordered with no spice, or hot — your choice. This one is served with pineapple’s, cashews, rice, and yellow spices (not hot). Definitely one of the best side dishes that you can order. Can be ordered with no heat, or up to 5 on the scale.

Pan Fried Noodles

A personal favorite and our recommendation if you want a noodle dish. The pan fried noodles are absolutely a winner every time and the way it is fried in the pan creates awesome flavors. Can be ordered with chicken, beef, or any of the other meat options.

Teriyaki Chicken

One of the milder teriyaki chickens I have tried, but more authentic. While some teriyaki dishes have an extremely strong flavor this one doesn’t overpower the natural taste of the chicken. Served with white rice and broccoli and carrots.

Getting there

Go check out Thai House! They have two locations in Scottsdale, and one in Mesa. I’ve been going to the location on Shea most of the time.

Thai House On Shea
6949 East Shea Boulevard
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Phone: (480) 991-5004

Thai House
15576 N Pima Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85260-1915
Phone: (480) 607-2214

Superstition Marketplace
1155 South Power Road #121
Mesa, AZ 85206
Phone: (480) 924-1623

MOD Pizza

We tried MOD Pizza in Scottsdale recently. They have been open door only about one-month so far.

MOD Pizza is a new restaurant concept that follows the recent trend to build-your-own pizza. It’s literally a Subway sandwich shop but for making pizza. And, it’s somewhat fancier. We’ve tried several of these places for pizza. The notable differences were that MOD Pizza has a double crust pizza option as well as a single-serving size. The double crust option is a little strange. imagine if you will taking a thin crust pizza with cheese and throwing another thin crust pizza on top.

Even so, it was quite good. My only suggestion would be that the pizza could use a few more minutes in the oven. But, that’s a personal preference. I like mine crispy.

MOD Pizza also serves beer and wine, and has a huge assortment of salad options. You won’t leave hungry!

Getting there

It is located in the shopping center with Safeway, and across from a McDonalds on Scottsdale Rd. North of Shea Blvd.

Paradise Valley Burger Company

We have been on a quest to find the best burgers in Phoenix. On a recent Saturday we visited Paradise Valley Burger Company.

We arrived at 2 pm and there was a line. Yes, a line at 2 pm in the afternoon! It’s obvious that this hamburger place is a top destination for north Phoenix hamburgers!

After perusing the menu, we decided on two burgers and some sides. We ordered the PV Burger with Bacon, and the Beach House Burger.

We didn’t get any drinks, but just had water. They have some good looking milk shakes, however. They do not serve beer.

For sides, we ordered French Fries, French Toast Fries, Sweet Potato Tots, and Cole Slaw. It was a lot of food!

All of the entrees had very unique flavors. Fresh and unique flavors that taste like home. The hamburgers were booth double patties, and came with a sweet bun. The toppings were fresh and tasty. The bacon was crisp and thick cut. Personally, I would prefer to have one thick-and-juicy meat patty rather than two patties. I think there’s more room for the patty to have flavor if you can cook it to order. That aside, these are very good burgers and Paradise Valley Burger Company deserves the recognition.

My hamburger was really delicious, and definitely satisfied my hunger. My bun was perfect and a little bit sweet. It stayed together and held my burger in place. Paradise Valley Burger Company is always introducing new burgers. They have a constant stream of photos up on Facebook.

I’ll definitely be back! And I have been back…

Don’t let the simple strip mall appearance fool you. These guys know how to make a really good hamburger. They’ve been featured on the national television show on Food TV called Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri.

Compared to other nearby hamburger places, Paradise Valley Burger Company has awesome side options!

If you’re looking for something sweet, do not miss the French Toast Fries which come with maple syrup. Just imagine thin strips of French Toast cooked or fried to a crisp. They’re sweet and when you dip them into the maple syrup they’re even sweeter. Definitely one of the best sides available.

On the healthier side of the table, we had the cole-slaw which is a house-made original recipe. This was also a favorite and we’ll be ordering it again next time. We had a hard time identifying the flavors, but it may have had a pickle in it. Works really well!

The French Fries and Sweet Potato Tots were both excellent. They are served with ranch, ketchup, or a ketchup and Siracha hot sauce mix hot sauce mix. Quite good!

The ambiance is casual and simple, and after you place your order at the counter you seat yourself. No tipping is required.

Every month Paradise Valley Burger Company creates a different special burger for the menu. I recently tried one that had two beef patties beer battered with pickled onions. Delicious!

They do have options for the kids menu: you can get chicken nuggets with French fries. Honestly, they look like the Mickey Mouse nuggets from Costco. But, that didn’t really matter to our 4-year old daughter.

Getting there

Paradise Valley Burger Company is located on the south east corner of 40th St. and Bell Rd., in Phoenix. They have plenty of free parking, and indoor and patio seating.

Paradise Valley Burger Company
4001 E Bell Rd
#102
Phoenix, AZ 85032
Phone: (602) 535-4930

Mama Burger in Flagstaff

We drove up to Flagstaff recently for the weekend and one of our first stops was a burger shop called Mama Burger.

We didn’t meet Mama, but the people who work there were extremely friendly and served us some great burgers.

The interior is certainly not fancy. It reminds me of a 30 year old diner with old tables and chairs. However, we were there for the food!

And the food was great! The burgers are inexpensive, and you can choose from a variety of options on the menu. The burger was delicious and well cooked. They had lots of toppings. We ordered one of the “boats” of French fries. That was awesome, and enough fries for the four of us.

If you’re looking for a simple burger restaurant in Flagstaff, give Mama Burger a try!

Getting there

Mama Burger
991 N. Fort Valley Rd.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Phone: (928) 226-0616

Ethiopian Food in Phoenix – Abyssinia Restaurant & Cafe

We literally had our first date in over 10 months the other night. At least, our first without the kids.

We made the drive downtown to Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant, for our first time ever. It was absolutely fantastic and an awesome cultural experience. All of the food was prepared using authentic Ethiopian recipes and served family style.

And you eat with your hand!

We ordered two dishes, our first was the chicken tips meal, and our second was the beef.

If you have never been to an Ethiopian restaurant, I suggest you ask the waiter for a recommendation. We did, and I’m glad we did! I had no idea about the size of the dishes (huge!) and what would taste the best.

They have vegetarian and gluten free options on the menu.

Each dish is served on a platter and all of the ingredients are placed on top of an Ethiopian style pancake. The best way to describe it is a pancake, but it’s a high-protein pancake that is apparently served with all dishes.

In a random twist, it turns out I know the owner and her husband. They’re immigrants from Ethiopia and are bringing real Ethiopian cooking to Phoenix AZ.

Getting there

It is located near downtown Phoenix on Indian School Rd. just east of 7th St.

Abyssinia Restaurant
842 E. Indian School Road
Phoenix, AZ 85014
Phone: (602) 795-4113

Arcadia Farms Cafe

Arcadia Farms Cafe is located in Old Town Scottsdale and is a fine-dining restaurant with a casual atmosphere. The restaurant is situated in what appears to be an old home, and offers seating on the patio, or indoors.

Arcadia Farms boasts an extensive menu that is created with fresh local ingredients. They even list the local companies they buy their ingredients from. The menu is a mix of sandwiches, salads, and other entrees. We love ordering the sandwiches and salads, but tend to always order a few of the extremely delicious appetizers.

Some of the delicious appetizers include a brie cheese platter that comes with apple slices (it is all baked) glazed with balsamic vinnager. It’s delicious! Another favorite is the bruchetta plate, which includes a couple of different topping varieties.

One of my favorite sandwiches on the menu is a turkey, brie, and green delicious apple sandwich served on a walnut bread. The combination of brie and apple slices can’t be understated — it is fantastic. But, when you bite into the delicious walnut bread (with raisins) you’ll know they haven’t scrimped on the bread. This is such a delicious sandwich, that I’ve ordered it several times.

We also tend to like the sangria, but they don’t sell it by the pitcher any more. I’m not sure why, but sangria is best when you order it by the pitcher. They have a fairly large wine and beer menu. So, you’ll be covered.

Arcadia Farms Cafe is a perfect destination for a family brunch, or a romantic dinner for two. The patio is a favorite in our family, and we’ve made a tradition of eating here on Christmas Eve.

Don’t miss the delicious fruit and ice cream desserts!

Getting there

Located in Old Town Scottsdale on 1st Ave. Parking on the street is always free and easy to find. They accept reservations, but they are rarely so busy that they can’t take walk-ins. Enjoy!

Arcadia Farms Cafe
7014 E. 1st Ave.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: (480) 941-5665

Liberty Market

On Saturday we had the good pleasure of finding ourselves in Gilbert, AZ. One of my favorite downtown areas in the east valley. There’s something special about the old water tower, the splash pad under it, and the cool restaurants.

Liberty Market has been a personal favorite for years, and it’s almost always our first stop when we pass through Gilbert. Liberty Market is a restaurant and coffee bar, that has an almost idealistic setting, and delicious food.

We sat outside on the Liberty Market patio, which is shaded by nice big umbrellas. On this particular day in April, we were marveling at the amazing weather.

We ordered the following: The burger of the day, which was a 8 oz patty with ham and cheese on top, a wood fired sausage pizza, a sweet potato muffin, a chocolate and salt treat, as well as the house-made chai latte. After lunch we ordered two espresso drinks from the menu, including a Cortada and an iced almond-milk mocha.

Phew! Sounds like a lot, but we downed it because of our enormous appetites.

Food highlights: The burger was perfectly cooked to my medium-beef preference, and the sliced deli ham on top added a really interesting taste. The cheese was a smoked cheddar, which added a nice smokey flavor to the whole burger.

The sausage pizza was cooked in the Liberty Market wood fired pizza oven. They churn out these pizzas night and day.

The chai is home-made. I wrote about the recipe on Arizona Coffee.

Ordering at Liberty Market is an interesting experience. They get busy on weekends, but waiting in line is fun because you can talk to other people about what they are planning to order, as well as watch the cooks prepare food.

At the same time, you can oodle over the baked goods and decide what sides and desserts you want to order. That’s what happened to me. I wasn’t planning to order the chocolate and salt dessert, but it looked so good.

The espresso bar is situated in its own corner away from the main food line. This is perfect because it separates the coffee ordering experience. After lunch, you can stroll in and order coffee and watch them make it.

The espresso bar is surrounded by bar seating. So it’s a fun way to sit and enjoy your meal, and coffee!

The coffee is from Stumptown, and they also serve Mr. Espresso.

So, next time you are in Gilbert, AZ, do yourself a favor and enjoy the flavors at Liberty Market!

Getting there

Liberty Market
230 North Gilbert Road
Gilbert, Arizona
Phone: (480) 892-1900

The Parlor

The Parlor is a well known and popular pizza restaurant in Phoenix, AZ. It was recently named as one of the best places to get pizza by The Huffington Post.

It’s a valley favorite, and is often recommended as one of the best in the state.

On a recent visit, we tried the Pepperoni Pizza and the Spicy Barbecue Chicken Pizza.

We definitely made the right choice!

First of all, these are thin crust pizzas and wood fired. The crust was superb. Just the right level of crispness so it stays together, but not overdone.

You can order pizzas as either a 8″ personal, or a 12″ size. We ordered two of the 12″ pizzas as well as a salad.

They put basil on top of the pepperoni pizza and it’s amazing! It was so fresh and cooked to perfection. Easily ranks as one of my favorite pepperoni pizzas of all time. The pepperoni was quite good, and wasn’t spicy.

The barbecue chicken pizza was also a table favorite. The chicken was tasty and best of all the BBQ sauce had a really unique flavor. It was obvious it was a homemade sauce and that they’ve perfected it over the years.

We should mention that The Parlor also serves beer and wine, as well as mixed drinks. They made me a Long Island Iced Tea which was quite good. They also made a really good Margarita.

The interior of The Parlor is a mix of modern and ’60s. The modern wood beams and paneling along with the varnished cement flooring contrast nicely with the brickwork on the exterior. When we visited it was packed! They have a happy hour that goes from 4-6 pm and we just missed that. There was a 15 minute wait to get a table indoors.

Oh, and lest I forget to share the salad with you. We tried the spinach salad and loved it! It had spinach, tomatoes, avocado, and thick cut bacon. It also had some gorgonzola cheese bits throughout.

So, if you’re looking for a great place to go for a romantic pizza dinner. Check out The Parlor. It is located on Camelback Rd. just east of the 51. They have free parking.

Including tip, we spent $75 for two pizzas, a salad, and two drinks. Worth every penny.

Getting there

The Parlor is on the north side of Camelback directly east of The Armadillo Grill. They’ve got free parking in the back and also offer valet parking.

The Parlor
1916 E. Camelback Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85016
Phone: (602) 248-2480

Chloe’s Corner

Up in the Kierland Commons shopping center is a small breakfast and lunch spot called Chloe’s Corner. It’s quickly becoming one of our favorite places for breakfast meetings, or casual lunches with colleagues.

They serve delicious hand-made breakfast entrees and lunches on the spot. I’ve ordered both the Chorizo Breakfast Burrito as well as the Egg Breakfast. Both were great!

I’m a huge fan of chorizo, so that’s quickly becoming my personal favorite. That burrito comes with green salsa and I can eat the whole thing.

Coffee is fairly cheap, and they do charge $0.50 for refills. Seems expensive, but so is the rent at Kierland, Im sure. I didn’t ask them where they get the coffee, but I liked it.

One thing I really like about Chloe’s Corner is the friendly people, and the open seating. Find a spot anywhere, and the food comes quickly. There is no table service besides that, so you don’t need to leave a tip.

There’s also a big grab-n-go area where you can get lots of great pre-made entrees, drinks, and snacks.

Getting there

Chloe’s Corner is located one block west of Scottsdale Rd. inside Kierland Commons. The location is a little bit tricky to describe, but let’s just say it’s on the first road west of Scottsdale Rd. and north of the main square. By the parking garages, if that helps.

Chloe’s Corner
Kierland Commons
15215 N. Kierland Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Phone: (480) 998-0202