Re Cap on Arizona's Restaurant Week

Hi everyone!

Hope you guys enjoyed ARW as much as we did, even though our plan didn't go as scheduled (we missed the Henry) we certainly had lots of fun and food during Arizona's fall restaurant week.

We have to say that we really enjoyed our experience at the Phoenician, we did a little family staycation to wrap up our summer. The hotel amenities are great, personnel is very friendly and attentive and they have an awesome pool, specially for kids, one of the reasons why we chose to stay there.

Back to eating, we dinned at J&G steakhouse, the menu for ARW was very eclectic which we really appreciate, lots of options for everyone.

Salmon with mashed potatoes

Menu for restaurant week

Creamed corn

Mojito

Chocolate cake with caramel ice cream

Review Criollo Latin Restaurant in Flagstaff

Hello my friends,

We recently made a quick trip to Flagstaff to visit the polar express, which is a family tradition we are keeping and we enjoyed a few great meals while there.

Our first stop was Criollo, a latin inspired restaurant with a great selection of not only Mexican food, but Cuban, Peruvian and Venezuelan. My very favorite were the plantains with alioli and guacamole.

Criollo, Flagstaff AZ

Guacamole and Salsas

Plantains with alioli

Over all the experience is great, specially to find a place with different cuisine influences is a big plus because you can taste a little of everything. One of my favorite Argentinian wines is the torrontes, which is so darn hard to find, so of course I had a glass of it.

Torrontes, Argentinian wine


I got the pork belly tacos and they were amazing, the meat was so tender and flavorful, rice and beans were delicious too.

And if you have been reading my blog for a while you know that I always have dessert so the churros con Chocolate were the perfect ending to this latin cuisine experience

Maggiano's

One of the hidden gems of Scottsdale is Maggiano's. This traditional Chicago born Italian restaurant is definitely a must when you want to enjoy a wide variety of foods at a great price.

Bread is always abundant, warm and fluffy, totally love it

You have to ask for balsamic to add to your oil

When you think Italian food pasta is the first thing that come to mind and we all know that it is hard to find lighter pasta dishes for those who watch their diet closely. Maggiano's offers at least 5 light option on their menu and I have to say that their are all delicious, hands down my favorite is the lighter take zitti dish, delicious turkey sausage baked over zitti pasta with ricotta cheese.

meat lasagna for those of you who want the real deal

For us dieters here is the baked zitti, so delicious!

By now you guys know that I always eat dessert right?  I always make some room for some indulgence. I have tried their apple crostata and their classic cheesecake and I have to say the latter is my absolute favorite, it's so creamy and light that I eat all by myself without feeling gilt.

Remember I mentioned great prices? Maggiano's offers a killer deal, dinner for 2 people including one appetizer, 2 entrees to dine in and 2 more to take home and a dessert to share; all that for just $40 bucks, I don't think I can get better than that.

For an appetizer we went for the sausage flatbread

their cheesecake is out of this world people, try it.

I hope you guys out Maggiano's in your must go to list and let me know how much you love it.

Arizona Restaurant Week

Hey guys!

So excited about AZ restaurant week. This event takes place twice a year and it's a great opportunity to try out new places at a great price.

This year our list includes some new places and other we simply heart and can't miss out:

• The Henry
• J&G Steak house at the Phoenician
• Brathaus

Which spots are on your list?

Waffle love

Hi guys!

Quick review on waffle crush food truck. Yesterday around 8:30 I read on Facebook that waffle love was near by my house so I decided to try it

I have to say I was surprised by how good this waffles was

Texture and flavor were so perfect it will leave you craving more

Tasty Empanadas

Hey guys!

If you enjoy Latin food you will absolutely love this place. Empanadas are a typical latinamerican finger food, they can be made of corn and deep fried (Colombian style) or made of dough and baked (Argentinian style). 

Sydney cafe in Tempe makes Argentinian style empanadas and they are so flavorful and tasty that you will think you are In a street of  Buenos Aires enjoying a mate with your empanadas 

The atmosphere is super vibrant and colorful

My absolute favorite has to be the paella empanadas. Made of chicken and Spanish style chorizo, I love the pepper flavor 

Don't forget to leave room for dessert. They make the most tasty key lime pie and also sweet empanadas 

Until next blog post!

Cafe Paris

Hi guys!

This week I discovered cafe Paris, a cozy, family owned restaurant in the heart of Arizona. 

The decor was absolutely cute and well thought. You can totally tell every detail was planned and they pour their heart on it

 I went for the lunch special were you get a cup of soup and a half sandwich, of course I had to try the onion soup and the chefs sandwich. Both were delicious, fresh, with a flavorful home made taste

Arrogant butcher

Hi guys!

Today for lunch visited the Arrogant Butcher in downtown Phoenix. Let's take a moment to appreciate a well designed environment, every detail about this place was perfectly done. 

The menu was short and sweet, with food selections for all preferences it was nice to see a menu that was not overwelmin but at the same time had enough variety to please every pallets 

I have been on a Cuban sandwich love affair lately and that's what I ordered. Pork was perfectly cooked; It was moist and flavorful, definitely a well done cubano. 

The French fries were crispy, fresh and well seasoned 

Loved the house dressing on my sandwich and the pickle

Of course there is always some room for dessert. The blueberry cheesecake was delicious, specially the strudel crumble on top 

Definitely planning on coming back. I'm excited to see what they have for next week during restaurant week

My favorite places for Taco Tuesday in Phoenix

I have to start with my favorite Mexican restaurant: La Hacienda at the Fairmont Princess hotel. Their trio tacos are just to die for. Flavorful and juicy you can't go wrong with this choice, my favorite of all three tacos are the carnitas, I just love the pickled red onion, the red cabbage coleslaw and the tender juicy pork.

My second recommendation goes to Barrio Queen, located in the heart of old town Scottsdale this place won my heart for their amazing barrio pollo tacos. Made with a secret creamy pine nut sauce these tacos just need a little sprinkle of cheese to make your mouth water. I have tried the carnitas and the asada tacos but I would not order those. Go for the barrio pollo tacos, their are the best.

                                      

Enjoy Taco Tuesday and let me know if you try any of these two places, I would love to hear your experience.

Union Public House Burger

On our weekend staycation in Tucson we visited Union Public House, famous for its burgers, which are handcrafted and cooked to perfection. Extra juicy patty, home made buns and imported cheese, they live up to the hype

The american breakfast with fennel sausage was out standing. The home made jam for the toast was definitely a highlight in this plate.

Home made potato chips

Looking forward to coming here and try out more items in the menu. This place has a lovely atmosphere, it's super kid friendly and you will definitely have a great dinning experience, check it out!

Brat Haus, Downtown Scottsdale

Came to Brat Haus for happy hour during the week, totally loved it the minute I walked in. Funky decor, a cozy environment and a refreshing selection of international beers were the highlight of my visit

Started off with a delicious cheese pretzel, lightly toasted on the outside, warm and soft on the inside.

Went for a local german ale, considered the strongest in the ale category, be aware of the 9.5% alcohol, so yeah, no driving foodies.

I went for the sweet brat, added pickled onions and sauerkraut. It was very tasty. Pictured below is the spicy brat, which is not that spicy, it has a nice kick to it.