Archive for the ‘Restaurant Reviews’ Category

Chicken Curry Noodles-comfort in a bowl

Really wish I could have gotten this picture larger for you guys, but enough is enough!  My favorite Thai meal of all time HAD to get on the blog now.  Lemongrass Thai Cafe is a quaint restaurant in a little known strip mall in Tempe.  Located on Broadway Blvd, just past Hardy Dr. , just look for the bright green and yellow signs and you will find your destination.

I came here about a year ago for the first time on a recommendation from my friend Christy who is a Thai food fiend, so I trusted her word.  That night I got to sample a few of Lemongrass’ amazing dishes.  The sheer size of their menu is daunting at first, but if you know what you like you can find it or something quite similar somewhere on their menu.  My second trip in is when I ordered the chicken curry noodles, the dish that ruined me for any other Thai dish  for the rest of my life.

yummy Thai Iced Tea

There is simply nothing in the world like these noodles, even in 110 degree weather.  Like last night, in steep desert temps, I will get in my car and drive from Fountain Hills to Tempe to get my fix. Yes, I said fix because this comforting Thai soup is an addiction that I will never kick.  Imagine a creamy, thin, brothy, spicy, chicken noodle soup.  Next, picture incredible flavor with raw red onion slices, thin sliced chicken, ramen noodles, and a panang broth.  This is fill your soul, curl up on your couch, feel good food.  I order it spicy and get a Thai Iced Tea to drink as a refreshing cool down from the heat of the curry.  Think the lime wedge on top is just useless decoration? Don’t set that baby aside, it is crucial in the final flavor of the dish.  The lime gets squeezed all over the top of these curry noodles that adds the perfect zing to the creamy spicy broth.  I’ll put up a few pics of the dishes that came before the Curry Noodles, and they were delicious, but if I’m driving 28 miles round trip, I am going to get my noodles on.  They are heavenly every single time.  I LOVE Lemongrass Thai Cafe.

green curry and beef

On August 3rd Red Robin began their fifth annual Kids’ Cook-Off which is a contest children ages 6-12 can enter for a chance to win their burger recipe on the Red Robin menu and Red Robin gift cards for one year! The grand prize winner also wins a family trip for 4 to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.  This summer debuts last year’s cook-off winner Emma and her winning “Spicy Honey Glazed Bacon Burger.” 

I had the chance to preview this delicious burger the day before it hit the menus on August 3rd.  Emma’s burger will be on all Red Robin menus until September 12th and from now until September 12th children can enter the cook-off for their burger to be in menus next summer.

Spicy Honey Glazed Bacon Burger w/Havarti cheese

I’ve always been a fan of Red Robin, from their Red Robin Royal burger with the over easy fried egg on top, to the bottomless steak fries, you simply can’t go wrong.  I have to honestly say, that this spicy honey glazed burger thought up by a four year old, is the BEST burger I have ever had at Red Robin.  No joke, it was more than good, it was fantastic! I think it all has to do with the honey cayenne mayo that is on the bun.  This sweet,  spicy, and creamy sauce adds so much character and extra moisture to the taste of the burger itself.  You can’t get a Red Robin burger medium rare like I normally order my burger, but you can get it with “some pink” and with the glaze it was very juicy.  The bacon and the havarti cheese were a perfect combo also to accompany the burger.

Another great thing about the Kid’s Cook-Off burger is that fifty cents of each burger ordered will go to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  NCMEC is an organization that Red Robin is passionate about fundraising for.  Since 2006, Red Robin has donated over $310,000.00 to this cause through the Kids’ Cook-Off as well as other programs.

The Food Tramp Diaries and Red Robin would like to give one of my readers a chance to win a $10.00 giftcard to Red Robin as well as a burger cookbook, “50 Gourmet Burger Creations From Kids Across the Country”. This will give you a chance to go in and try out Emma’s burger for yourself and give to a great cause.  I know you’ll LOVE this burger.

cookbook and giftcard

I will be running this giveaway until Saturday midnight.  Entry is per usual, follow ALL of these steps and you may enter as many times as you like.

1) Fan Red Robin on Facebook & follow them on Twitter (if you have Twitter)

2) Fan Food Tramp Diaries on Facebook and follow her on Twitter (if you have Twitter)

3) Suggest Food Tramp Diaries to two friends on Facebook

4) Leave a comment after this post of what you top your favorite burger with.

Good Luck!!!!!!!

In late June I found myself in L.A. for the weekend, all alone on the Sunset Strip. The first night I was there I decided I needed to go have a great dinner by myself.  Take my time, relax, really enjoy the meal and enjoy some “me” time.  I didn’t want to go far because it was dark and I had never been to L.A. before and I’d be on foot.  I decided BLT steak, just up the strip from my hotel would be perfect! BLT restaurants are part owned by executive chef Laurent Tourondel, the title of his restaurants “BLT” stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel.  They have BLT Steak, BLT Burger, BLT Fish, BLT Prime, BLT Market, BLT Bar & Grill, Fish Shack, and Nonna.  I have also been to BLT Burger inside the Mirage resort, in Las Vegas,  and it was really really great.  Juicy burgers, sweet potato fries, hand made milkshakes..can’t go wrong there as well.

Even though Open Table didn’t seem to have any reservations left for the evening, I figured there’s always room at the bar for a party of one.  I went pretty early, about 7:30pm and the restaurant was almost entirely empty.  I bellied up to the bar, ordered a dirty martini and my relaxing delicious evening had begun.  The bartenders there were awesome, fun to talk to and totally let me park there for 3 hours while I tried a little bit of everything and watched the restaurant fill up and come to life.

half eaten popover

Of course, first thing’s first.  If you are at BLT Steak, you need to start your meal with a delicious, airy yet rich popover with butter and sea salt.  They are complimentary and simply delicious.  They even include the cutest little recipe card on the plate so you can attempt to make your own at home.  I will include this near the end of the post.  I haven’t made my own yet, but I can’t wait to try.

Next, the chef de cuisine, Brian Moyers sent out an array of small bites for me try.  Marinaded olives, beautiful charcuterie, grilled cheese bites, and chicken livers were all delicious with the chicken livers and charcuterie being my favorite.  Growing up amongst a family of butchers may have swayed my picks, but their pate was so delicious and simple, pretty much just ground livers with a very light seasoning.  It was so delicious smeared on a piece of the warm popover.  The charcuterie was also very elementary, but the meat was superb and the dry salami was my favorite.  It has the  perfect texture and bitterness to it.

yummy chicken livers

a little taste of their charcuterie

 Next came my most favorite dish of the evening, their mussels.  Not sure if this item is on their menu any longer, but, when I was there it was on their dinner menu as well as their Happy Hour menu.  These mussels were steamed perfectly in a delicious savory broth that had bits of the holy trinity (onions, celery, and bell pepper) as well as thin slices of chorizo sausage.  This dish changed me for all other mussel dishes I will ever have.  Since my trip to BLT Steak L.A., I have had mussels twice and they don’t even come close to being as good as these mussels were.  I hope if I stop in at BLT Steak Scottsdale, they may have them as well, one can only dream.

no words to describe how good these were

After all of this delicious food I was getting full, but I couldn’t give up yet, as I really wanted to try their lamb.  Since I wasn’t sure when I’d have the money or the chance to return to BLT…I was going big or going home!! After taking a break and sipping on a cocktail for awhile, Iordered the Rack of Lamb ($40.0) medium rare and under recommendation of my bartender paired it with the red wine sauce.   This lamb was out of control good.  Perfectly cooked, easy to cut, melted in my mouth and served with a whole bulb of roasted garlic! Did they know that garlic is one of my favorite foods? I don’t know, but all I had to do was gently squeeze the garlic out of it’s skin and smear it on the lamb, pour on a little red wine sauce and viola!  It was so perfect.

whoa, what a rack!

Already planning a trip back to BLT Steak, this time at the Scottsdale location for my husbands birthday in January.  BLT Steak L.A. was just fantastic.  Amazing food, kind and friendly service, and a beautiful atmosphere.  They also have a great location on the Sunset Strip, you can’t miss it.  Remember, Monday thru Friday they have a fabulous $5.0 Happy Hour from 5pm-7pm.  I highly suggest you stop in on your next trip to Los Angeles.  Tell them the Food Tramp sent you

BLT Popovers

makes 12

Ingredients

4 Cups Milk, Warmed
8 Eggs
4 cups flour
1 1/2 heaping tbsp salt
2 1/4 cups grated gruyere cheese
Popover Pan

Directions

Makes 12. Place the popover pan in the oven. Heat oven and pan to 350 deg. Gently warm the milk over low heat and set aside. Whisk the eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in the milk (so as not to cook the eggs). Set the mixture aside. Sift the flour with the salt. Slowly add the dry mixture to the eggs and combine until mostly smooth. Once combined remove the popover pan from the oven and spray with non stick vegetable spray. Fill each popover cup 3/4 full and top each with 2 1/2 cups of gruyere cheese. bake at 350 deg for 50 minutes, rotating pan half a turn after 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

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!!!