Archive for July, 2010

25 Degrees is a super cool burger bar that opened up at City North.  It is one of only two locations in the United States, there is a third location in Beijing, China.  If you live in the Phoenix area you are seriously in for a treat as the burger I had here is definitely on my top 5 list of best burgers I’ve ever had!Also, for you thirsty folks there is a full bar and an amazing wine list and large selection of draft beer on tap. 

I recently came here for a “tweet up” and had a great time with foodie friends, enjoying 25 Degrees Happy Hour specials and eating some of their delicious food.  While sipping on my dirty martini I decided to order some bacon wrapped dates ($8.0).  In my bacon loving life I have wrapped a lot of things with bacon, but haven’t had the pleasure of dates.  They were delicious, soft and sweet in the middle with the smoky salty crunch of the crisp bacon on the outside.  Another item I recommend that I tried of a friends was the tempura green and yellow beans ($9.0).  The beans were fresh and not over fried with the tempura, they still had a great crunch and came with a yummy dipping sauce.

bacon wrapped dates

yum, tempura green beans!

After a couple martinis my hunger was substantial as I saw lots of burgers and dogs coming out of the kitchen.  I decided it was time to order up a burger to see for myself.  Granted, this is not your $5. burger, so if  you’re coming here, be ready to spend about  $10-$15 on a burger alone.  Everything is a la carte, so it can certainly add up, but it’s worth it in the end.  I decided to build my own burger when I learned that you cannot make any substitutions to their 4 specialty burgers on the menu.  So, here is what I ordered,  that I so lovingly dubbed, “The Food Tramp” : ground sirloin, smoked mozzarella, jalapeno bacon, caramelized onions, fried egg over easy, and thousand island dressing ($14.5). 

The Food Tramp in all her glory!

alternate view, check out that egg yolk situation!

I don’t quite know what to say about this burger, as it was just so damn good!  The burger itself was cooked medium with tender juiciness in every bite.  The additions I had on the burger added the perfect blend of spicy, salty, cheesy goodness.  Definitely up there on my list of top burgers along with Umami Burger , BLT Burger, and The Raft Burger.  The only thing I would change next time, is that I would get the garlic aioli instead of thousand island.  I am  a lover of garlic and didn’t notice it on the list when I ordered the other dressing.  I also had a bite of my friends bacon wrapped Sonoran Dog ($10.5) which was also super delicious and I am eager to order one of those as well the next time I am there.  Oh, and did I mention that they even have adult milkshakes??!! I didn’t get one, but I tried a sip of the “bourbon bacon” milkshake and it was just cool, creamy and yum-E!!! 

I throughly enjoyed everything about 25 Degrees.  From the atmosphere, to the beautfiul wallpaper of half naked sexy ladies in the bathroom, to the food.  It’s really a great place to go for a drink, for a burger or both! Check it out SOON.

The newest BBQ kid on the block is Big Daddy’s BBQ in Scottsdale! It’s in a great location, right off of Shea and the 101 by the Bamboo Club. You won’t miss is when you look for the “Big Daddy’s” big red Fire Truck!

soon to be their catering truck!!

 I had the opportunity to check out Big Daddy’s early June with the Phoenix Tastecasting crew.  Upon arrival we were warmly greeted by general manager Owen and we got a run down on the eatery, then he took our drink orders.  I was pleasantly surprised to see they carried many varieties of “Dad’s” sodas.  I opted for a Dad’s orange cream soda with vanilla vodka.  The bartender swore by it and BOY was it good! 

As we sat at our umbrella covered picnic table, visions of tri tip and saucy ribs danced in our heads.  The first items we got to try on the menu was their smoked chicken wings and deep fried pickles.  I have been wanting to try fried pickles for a couple years now and finally got my chance and they were delicious.  Everything I ever expected and made from nice garlicky dill spears which are my favorite.  So so good!  The smoked chicken wings were also very good, you could certainly taste the smoky flavor and they were very tender.

smokin wings

yummy fried pickles

 Next came the BBQ and the sides.  We got to try pulled pork, ribs, tri tip, brisket, macaroni and cheese, creamed corn, cole slaw, sweet potato fries, baked beans, corn bread…the whole BBQ spread basically.  I have to say a few things about all of this.  First, their macaroni and cheese is absolutely amazing.  A perfect blend of real cheese and velveeta (processed cheese) to give you that smooth creamy taste and texture.  It really reminded me of the mac at Lo Lo’s Chicken and Waffles.  The sweet potato fries were also spectacular, with a light dusting of cinnamon sugar, these were hard to put down.  I thought the creamed corn was poorly executed.  Seeing as the pe0ple of Mastro’s Steakhouse is backing this restaurant, I expected delicious creamed corn like they have at Mastro’s, but that is not the case as it was heavily drenched in a cream sauce and had little flavor.  All of the meat was perfectly cooked.  The pulled pork platter was awesome, it came with raw red onion slices, bread n butter pickles, hunks of cornbread, and buttered dinner rolls…perfect set up to make a yummy sandwich and raw red onion is one of my favorite things!  My only problem was that I just didn’t like their sauce at all.  Big Daddy’s makes their own sauce in house.  They say it’s a mix between Kansas City and South Carolina moppin style sauce, but I just didn’t dig the flavor.  It was very acidic and almost too fruity for me, for some reason all I could taste was cherries and vinegar.  Maybe my tastes buds were having an off night, I’m not sure.  I’ll have to go in again and bring my husband and see what he thinks.  I’m hoping, maybe they’ll start making more than one kind of sauce.  I always love a BBQ  joint that gives you choices.  Other than that, the food there is for the most part,  very tasty.  I just wish I loved their sauce more, after all, it IS one of the main components of BBQ for me, next to the way the meat is cooked.  I will try it again soon though and see if I still come to that conclusion.

pulled pork platter

Don’t forget, Big Daddy’s also has a full bar, so add a cold beer to your BBQ next time you join them.  Friendly hospitality and fun casual atmosphere makes Big Daddy’s a pretty cool place.  When you leave, be sure to grab some penny candy near the register…they have it all, even my favorite, “Boston Baked Beans”!!

LOVE this, tub o' beer!!!

Who doesn’t love a great plate of poutine after a late night bender? Or how about some delicious roasted chicken or a perfectly cooked metro burger? Let’s not forget the warm, crispy, and sugary beignets for dessert!  Well, until September 17th at Metro Brasserie you can taste all of your favorites and get a fantastic discount on top of it.  Simply, click here and give Metro your email and they’ll send the coupon right to your inbox, it’s that easy! I already did one for myself and it worked perfectly…I think I may know where my GNO is going to be tomorrow

http://metrosouthbridge.com/enews/coupon_629/index.php?coupon=WEBSITE954