Scottsdale | Arizona Reviews

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.

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

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

Fired Pie

I’ve made a few more visits to Fired Pie up in Scottsdale and wanted to let you guys know what I think now that I’ve had a few repeat visits.

As I said earlier, there was a visit to Fired Pie where the pizza preparer was quite stingy on the ingredients. I’ve since made three more visits to various Fired Pie locations around the valley and have not experienced the same thing. Either they’ve resolved it, or I got lucky.

Fired Pie is an amazing concept. Just like Kramer’s idea for a build-your-own pie shop (for pizza), at Fired Pie you can basically build your own pizza.

It works like at Subway, except you have way more control than at Subway. Here, you can choose the sauce, the cheeses, the meats, vegetables, and toppings. And, there are no theoretical limits. If you wanted every single topping, I don’t think they’d turn you down.

Fired Pie also has really good salads. I’ve tasted the Blue Cheese and Steak salad, the Southwestern Salad, and the Greek Salad. All very good, and definitely enough salad for two people. Maybe three.

The pizza’s are always delicious. They cook them in a wood fired pizza and there’s almost always enough to take-home afterwords.

Give Fired Pie a next time you’re hungry for pizza in Arizona!

Getting there

There are many locations around Arizona. While Fired Pie could be considered a chain at this point, they are all owned by the same company and all based here in Arizona.

Fired Pie
14740 N. Northsight Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Phone: (480) 404-9996

House of Yang

Who serves the best orange chicken in Scottsdale? The excellent House of Yang in North Scottsdale might just be the answer. Especially if you want authentic orange chicken without going to a chain.

House of Yang has been a personal favorite for me for over 7 years. It probably helps that it is within a mile of my home in Scottsdale. House of Yang is located in a strip mall just north of Thunderbird on the west side of Scottsdale Rd.

House of Yang is a family owned and operated business that serves consistently good Chinese food. They sell the majority of their food as take-out and delivery orders, but you can find comfortable seating in the restaurant. But, it shouldn’t be considered a fine-dining establishment. Most of the people who come in are doing take-out.

We like the Orange Chicken and the Kung Pow Chicken the best! They have a regular and large size. We tend to order the Large since it’s a few dollars more and gives you nearly twice as much food. The large size is about $9.85 and for two entrees with rice you can get out the door for about $20.

The Orange Chicken is served with white rice and is delicious! It is a spicy orange chicken dish (but you can order it without the spices). The folks at House of Yang are not stingy with the sauces, and you’ll find your chicken is coated with a nice thick coat of orange sauce. Awesome! It’s really good, and you can taste the strong orange flavor. The chicken is cooked just right, and pieces just right for eating.

The Kung Pow Chicken dish is also quite good. It’s served with white rice and comes with some vegetables included in the dish. The Kung Pow Chicken has a lot of really tasty sauce that goes well with the rice. Quite good and one of my personal favorites.

So, if you’re in the Scottsdale area and looking for a good Chinese restaurant near the Airpark be sure to give House of Yang a try. You won’t regret it.

Getting there

House of Yang
13802 N Scottsdale Rd
#138
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Phone: (480) 443-0188

Hopdoddy Burger Bar

Still the very best burger in Scottsdale, and possibly all of Phoenix! Hopdoddy Burger Bar is a superb place to go for tasty burgers, delicious milk shakes, and drinks!

On a recent visit, we tried the Poblano Burger and the Shroom Burger, along with french fries, a margarita, and a Hefeweizen beer. We topped all of that with one of their custom chocolate milkshakes. Delicious!

Hopdoddy’s interior has comfortable booth seating as well as tables and bar seating. The bar is on the other side of the restaurant, so when you’re having a burger with you family, it doesn’t seem like you’re sitting in a bar.

The burgers at Hopdoddy are the best, and let me tell you why: They’ll cook them to order, and the default is pink in the middle. They’re always just right!

Once you bite into the juicy, medium-rare burger patty you’ll realize why it’s so good. They are moist, and juicy. The buns they makke are also a big factor in why I like Hopdoddy. They’re fresh, and they are never dry. If you’ve had a burger with a dry bun, you’ll know it isn’t the same experience.

The variety of toppings, cheeses, and sauces is stunning! No matter what you want on your burger, they have it! I saw they even have a vegetarian option now (if you’re into that kind of thing).

Let’s talk about the drinks! The beers are $6 draft, and come in a humungous mug! Loved my Hefeweizen beer, and it had a tiny bit of slushy ice and was super-cold. The margarita was also delicious! I can tell you with certainty that they don’t skimp on the tequila! The ice is blended to a snow consistency, and was perfect.

The french fries are always delicious. Maybe not as good as some others I’ve had, but they’re thin and crisply.

Lastly, the milkshakes are awesome! I’m not sure what they put in them, but you must try them! They’re awesome!

So, get out there and go try the hamburgers at Hopdoddy in Scottsdale! It is located just north of Shea Blvd. on Scottsdale Rd.

Cartel Brewery: D.P.A. Desert Pale Ale

I had a chance to try the new Cartel Brewery beer. Specifically, the D.P.A. (Desert Pale Ale). It’s a take on a pale ale and I loved it. Strong beer, with solid sweet finish! More info: http://www.cartelbrewery.com/beer/

Scottsdale Food Truck Caravan

Last night we drove to Old Town Scottsdale for the monthly Scottsdale Food Truck Caravan. It is generally announced on the preferred social media channels of the day (that means Instagram, currently) by all of the food trucks involved.

They often use the hashtag #scottsdalefoodtruckcaravan when announcing the date.

Most of your favorite food trucks are involved on a rotating basis, including:

Affogato Truck
They serve coffee and desserts, as well as smoothies and other drinks. While I was there, they made a traditional macchiato for me.

Waffle Love AZ
One of my all-time favorite food trucks in the valley. They serve delicious Belgian Liege Waffles, which I’ve written about before. These are delicious, and they top them with a variety of fruits and ice cream or cream. Don’t miss them, if you spot their truck!

Spice It Up
They serve a variety of Thai and Asian dishes you’ll be familiar with, including a Panang Curry dish which I tried the other night. Surprisingly, it wasn’t anything like a Panang Curry… in fact, it was just a mix of rice, chicken, and grilled veggies. They threw on some curry, I think, but it wasn’t a curry dish as advertised. They also have a lemon chicken wrap entree, which sounded delicious but they had just sold out.

There are usually 8 – 10 different food trucks that show up, and so you can usually find a little bit of everything!

Getting there

They meet from 6 – 9:30 pm at the corner of 5th Ave. and Goldwater in Old Town Scottsdale. You can’t miss them, and parking is free along 5th Ave. We’ve always been able to find parking.

Chipotle Cultivate Review

Here’s my quick review of the Chipotle Cultivate event which we attended in Scottsdale on April 17, 2015.

There are no burritos.

How could they do that? We found tacos (two for $6), and meatball rice bowls (also $6), as well as Kale Salads ($6 again) and a few more options like ice cream and coffee.

Beer and music seem to be the highlights of this event. I must admit, I was impressed with the beer tents. There’s a line of over a dozen beer vendors. Each vendor was selling three different beers on tap. For a 12 oz cup, I paid $6. It seems like everything at the Chipotle Cultivate event is $6.

Entry to the event is free, and held outdoors. It was a nice day, so we didn’t get too hot.

They have a kids event section and surprisingly all of that food was free! We got hot dogs for the kids, and juice, milk, and snack packs were absolutely free! Awesome! They had drawing, painting, and a few other things for the kids to do like t-shirt painting and such. Our 3-year old loved this part of the day.

I had a chocolate ale beer which was terrific! Then, I had some of the tacos. After that, I tried the DPA Cartel Beer which was also tasty!

So, if you’re looking for a fun time, check out the Chipotle Cultivate event. It was a one-day event. I’m honestly not sure if it will come back to Scottsdale.

To be honest, the lack of a Chipotle burrito was a bit weird. I left hungry, and that’s a shame.