restaurants Archives

02/25/2019

Phoenix Eats: Flower Child, Delux, Chompie’s

Besides seeing my friends and family, I make sure to eat from as many local restaurants as I can when I visit Phoenix. I am so thankful to have been able to revisit old favorites on our January trip to Arizona. Planning a trip to Phoenix? I’m sharing my meals at three spots, plus linking older posts about local restaurants. Hope it inspires you to visit one of these places and gives you an idea about what to order (or not order).

Flower Child

I usually get the Late Riser bowl at Flower Child, but I decided to try something different last time. I kind of regret my decision. I chose the ramen bowl, which contains spicy tofu, pickled cucumber, roasted corn, bok choy, bean sprout, and miso sesame broth. Not sure what I was expecting, but it just doesn’t compare to any ramen I’ve had. It wasn’t that spicy either. I would pass on the ramen bowl in favor of a build-your-own plate. This restaurant, which is on Central Avenue and Camelback Road but has three other locations, doesn’t serve soda, but you can enjoy fresh juices and lemonades, cold brew, teas and other beverages.

I would choose the Late Riser (pictured) and skip the ramen bowl (not pictured).

Delux

Graham and I were able to go on our first date night in months, too. We wanted sushi but our old place has closed, so we decided to try Delux. I used to eat here regularly when I worked nights at the newspaper, but I would mostly stick to burgers. We asked for a spicy sushi roll and we got what we asked for, but not in the best way. The Delux Phoenix roll is a super spicy roll that contains jalapeño, chili paste and spicy mayo, but I prefer a nice crunch or balancing flavor, like avocado. I would never order it again. The other rolls were decent. I did love the sweet potato fries, which are typically presented in mini shopping carts. (I asked for a half order, which apparently is just served on a plain plate.) Your best bet when eating at Delux, near 32nd Street and Camelback Road, is grabbing one of their delicious burgers. They are what the place is known for.

Chompie’s

It’s been many years since I’ve been to Chompie’s, a New York deli and bakery at Paradise Valley Mall. The menu is so extensive it can be difficult to choose what to eat. I went with breakfast for lunch on my visit because why not? It was delicious and SO MUCH FOOD. My skillet came with a bagel and cream cheese, and I picked the jalapeño option. I ate every bite. So good.

Have you visited Phoenix or any of these restaurants?

Phoenix Restaurants: Delux, Flower Child and Chompie's

Phoenix Eats: Farm and Craft

PURE SUSHI

CONNECT WITH ME:

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | PINTEREST

11/28/2017

D.C./Virginia Eats | Vegetarian and Pescatarian Options

After more than a year of not seeing my best friend Charlsy, I visited her in Alexandria, Va., for a short girls weekend with lots of D.C. and Virginia eats and catching up. I try to frequent only local eateries when I travel and we did plenty of that! Today I’m sharing my favorite D.C. and Alexandria area restaurants and what I ordered at each. Most of these restaurants are vegetarian friendly!

Duck Donuts, Alexandria

Duck Donuts was my favorite local discovery. It’s a doughnut place where you can order custom doughnuts! You pick which frosting, topping and drizzle you’d like and you get it just minutes later hot out of the oven/doughnut maker. I immediately daydreamed about opening up my own franchise! haha We liked our doughnuts so much that we came back every day of my trip and I brought one back to Chicago for Graham. (Shoutout to the TSA for not making me throw it out or eat it right there in line!) You could buy single doughnuts, a couple, or get a half or full dozen.

We chose chocolate frosting and sprinkles and vanilla frosting and coconut flakes on our second visit to Duck Donuts.

Jinya Ramen Bar, Fairfax

I was in the mood for ramen and my friend recommended a perfect place in Fairfax, Va. Jinya Ramen Bar lets you order just about any type of ramen you could crave. I went with the spicy vegan ramen and wasn’t disappointed. I only wish I would have skipped the spinach, which becomes a bit too mushy for my taste. The broth was creamy, spicy and delicious! You can also order a noodle refill for $2! This particular ramen comes with thick noodles but you can order some with thin noodles as well. In addition to ramen you can order small plates, rice bowls, salads and appetizers.

The Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen from Jinya Ramen Bar was a filling lunch.

Busboys and Poets, Arlington

I also really enjoyed Busboys and Poets, where we went for dinner one night. (They have various locations; we visited the Shirlington restaurant.) You can find plenty of vegan and vegetarian options here, but I was craving a crab cake sandwich with spicy mayo instead of the tartar sauce it normally comes with. It also is served with fries, but I was content with my sandwich. I also enjoyed the hummus and pita appetizer we shared. I highly recommend this restaurant! It’s more than just an eatery; various events are also held here. According to its website, “Busboys and Poets is a community gathering place. First established in 2005, Busboys and Poets was created by owner Anas ‘Andy’ Shallal, an Iraqi-American artist, activist and restaurateur.” My friend mentioned that campaign events are sometimes held here.

I asked for spicy mayo instead of tartar sauce for my crab cake sandwich at Busboys and Poets.

Epic Smokehouse, Arlington

Epic Smokehouse, as the name implies, is all about the meats and was probably the least vegetarian-friendly restaurant we visited, but they adjusted a popular dish for me and it was mouthwatering! I ordered the Mr. H, which typically has two fried corn tortillas with chorizo sausage, scrambled eggs and home fries topped with creamy cheese sauce and fire roasted EPIC sauce. I obviously ordered mine without the chorizo sausage and I added avocado. So good! They also have bottomless mimosas for brunch, in case you’re not pregnant like me and can partake! The restaurant has a Kentucky vibe and would be the perfect place to order a bourbon with your meal.

The Mr. H. was adjusted to take out the sausage and add avocado. It comes with potatoes.

What have been you favorite recent local eats? Share them with me in the comments!

Chicago Eats

09/13/2017

Chicago Eats: Oyster Bah, The Hampton Social and Firecakes Donuts

It’s been too long since I shared some of the delicious meals I’ve had lately in Chicago. My friend’s visit for the Lady Gaga concert at Wrigley Field gave me the opportunity to try a couple of new (to me) places, and I recently met up with Jessie (of Just Jessie blog) to catch up at another great place.

Oyster Bah, Lincoln Park

I was drawn to Oyster Bah by an Instagram photo. Yep. While the restaurant is known for oysters, hence the name, I chose the Maryland crab cake sandwich (blue crab, romaine, roma tomato, avocado, old bay mayonnaise) with one tweak: I asked for chipotle mayo instead of the old bay mayonnaise. (It came with fries.) Amazing! I ate every single bite. I was completely satisfied and I have craved it several times since then. We sipped Rosé with our entrees.

The Hampton Social, River North

Hampton Social is one of the most Instagrammed restaurants in Chicago. The Hamptons/East Coast-themed restaurant is adorable, often known for its “Rosé all day” sign in one of the dining rooms. It featured a live band that was actually pretty decent when we visited for an afternoon brunch recently. While the restaurant was packed, it was easy to get a reservation for the same day (for two people). We, of course, tried the Frosé, which had a peachy flavor. Peach isn’t my favorite so I thought it was just OK. I drank it all, though! My friend enjoyed the mojito as well, while I also had a mimosa. For my entree I almost picked the lobster roll, but for some reason the fish tacos were calling my name (again that weekend). I went with the beer batter fish vs. the grilled, and they had chipotle mayo. Can you see a pattern here? I will order anything with chipotle mayo/aioli on it. The fish tacos don’t come with a side, but I found them to be filling on their own.

Firecakes Donuts, River North

We stumbled across Firecakes while walking to brunch, so we picked up a couple of doughnuts to try as appetizers. haha Firecakes is home to the giant birthday cake doughnut that I’m dying to purchase for someone’s birthday. I tried the peanut butter cup doughnut, which I loved, and my friend chose another (that I can’t remember now). I really want to go back and try more!

What awesome restaurants have you tried recently? Have you been to any of these?

07/28/2017

Chicago Eats: Midnight Mac and Cheeserie, XO Marshmallow and Hutch

It’s been a minute since I’ve shared some of the meals I’ve had recently in Chicago. I like to write these posts regularly for those of you who appreciate a good meal as much as I do. Whether you live in Chicago or you plan to visit, you might consider browsing these posts to see if you want to add any of these restaurants to your Chicago dining list.

Midnight Mac and Cheeserie, Rogers Park

This restaurant took the place of Growling Rabbit, one of my favorite places for a vegan breakfast in my neighborhood. (I’m not vegan but I like to eat like one sometimes.) By the way, Growling Rabbit has the best Chai in the area that I’ve tried. Anyway, Midnight Mac and Cheeserie caught my eye because they offer so many varieties of mac and cheese, and you can build your own, too. The portions are quite large for one person, even with a small. I liked the veggie option, and the lobster was delicious, though they both become too much after a while. After so many bites I just couldn’t keep going. Bring a large appetite! As the name implies, the restaurant stays open late. When it first opened they kept having to close early because they ran out of food, but I believe they make it to midnight or later now. At first you could only order the food (like I did), but now you can dine in as well.

XO Marshmallow, Rogers Park

XO is also a new business in my neighborhood, and it’s located right next door to Midnight Mac and Cheeserie. (It’s owned by someone in the same family, too.) It basically sells marshmallow desserts, such as gourmet marshmallows in a bunch of flavors. We tried a chocolate one, as well as a classic s’more. I also order the Chai-cago, an iced Chai with marshmallow whipped cream. My total was about $14 for the three. You can also get s’more tacos and doughnut s’mores and enjoy them in the cute, pink-themed cafe. It’s quite small, with only two tables and some other seating, but it’s adorable. Besides that you can shop for mugs, T-shirts, marshmallows (including champagne!) and other goods. The s’mores were just what you’d expect in a s’more. My only suggestion would be to not serve them in plastic containers if you are eating them in the cafe. I’ve only visited once so far and I plan to return to try the other desserts.

Hutch, Lakeview

It’s been a while since I dined here with Jessie, but I liked the fish tacos ($12.99) and that they came with black beans. The sriracha aioli was delicious. I also added avocado to mine, obviously. The restaurant was nearly empty when we went, and I wondered why. The decor was so quaint; it has multiple hutch pieces, given the name.

Pin this post!

07/17/2017

Date Night Idea: Murder Mystery Dinner Show

** The Murder Mystery Co. provided complimentary tickets for this post. All opinions are my own.

Graham and don’t get to go on date nights often enough, so when The Murder Mystery Co. reached out to invite us to a dinner show, I was so excited! We had originally planned to attend a show in June, but our babysitter decided to not show up and not tell us. That’s another story, though. This time we had reliable child care so we our minds were at ease on our way to the “Till Death Do Us Part” show at Salvatore’s Ristorante in Chicago.

While parking is available via valet at the restaurant, we decided to instead use my trusted SpotHero app for parking nearby. It was an easy walk to the restaurant and we made it with plenty of time. The doors for the 7 p.m. show open 30 minutes before for VIP members and 20 minutes before for general admission.

Cast member Anita Goodman greeted us when we arrived, and I immediately suspected she would be the killer. I then proceeded to think each other person was also the killer. … When you walk into the restaurant, you are offered photos and props to use. Then you can grab a drink at the bar before heading upstairs to check in. I tried one of the $7 drink specials after taking a couple of photos.

We had VIP seats at a table near the front, and we were seated with eight other people. (VIP seats also included the photos we had taken when we arrived.) Soon after being seated by the bride of the show, Summer, we discovered that Graham would be a suspect named Skip Showers. He was hoping not to be in the limelight, but he was a great sport about the whole thing. His character was hilarious and we all had many laughs about it.

Dinner started with bread and salad before the pastas and chicken were served. Vegetarians can have the penne with marinara, while meat eaters can eat the sausage rigatoni or the chicken. It’s served in one large dish each, which means you have to pass the dishes around. It’s a bit tricky and the plates are warm, but that’s not a big deal. Don’t expect life-changing dishes, but I liked the vegetarian pasta. Ice cream was served for dessert.

The show revolves around a death at a wedding, and the entire audience must participate to make it a successful evening. If you are introvert like I am, you might have to come out of your shell a bit, as you need to ask questions of others throughout the night. A drink helped! Each table has a sheet to jot down clues, as well as faux money that you use to bride others for information. Since Graham was a suspect, he was bribed by other tables for clues, which were listed in a binder at our table. The suspects from each table were also called up in front of everyone for interrogation by the detective, all of which helped us get closer to figuring out who did it.

At the end of the show, each table has time to submit their pick for the murderer, and the correct and most specific answer wins! Certificates are handed out for best costume, best actor and best actress as well. (By the way, before the show you receive an email with suggestions on theme-appropriate attire for inspiration.) Many people went all out with their costumes, which made it more fun. I SO wished I had planned an outfit ahead of time.

Overall, I had a fantastic time! I feel like this is the type of activity during which your attitude determines your enjoyment level. Just go with it! I laughed more than I have in a while. I could see us doing this again with a group of friends, especially for a birthday. (Next time I’d like to see the other show, “Of Sound Mind and Dead Body.”)

The actors were entertaining and the crowd on Friday night was super enthusiastic. It made for a great experience.

FYI: Shows are available in Arizona, California, Colorado, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

One of our keepsake photos from the murder mystery show.

Have you ever been to a murder mystery dinner show? What did you think?

03/01/2017

Chicago Eats: The Dawson and Tuco & Blondie

Brunch is my middle name. Among my talents is an ability to pick great brunch places. It’s a gift! I recently tried two Chicago eateries I hadn’t visited yet: The Dawson and Tuco & Blondie. I loved both for different reasons.

The Dawson, West Town

I caught up with friends recently at the Dawson on the most gorgeous 65-degree day. We sipped on Bellinis ($11) as we waited for a table on the patio, which has a fireplace and plenty of seating areas. I basked in the sunshine while trying out the smoked salmon ($16), a large, beautiful platter. It was the best breakfast I’ve had in a while. The restaurant would be a great place to hold private events!

Tuco & Blondie, Lakeview

I came across this Mexican food restaurant while perusing the #InfatuationChi tag on Instagram. The food, drinks and decor looked amazing, so I suggested it to Jessie, who is quickly becoming a favorite brunch companion. I ordered the chilaquiles ($12) minus the chicken. It’s two overeasy eggs over tortillas in red sauce and avocado, corn, tomato. It’s also topped with sour cream. I paired that with black beans and rice. The rice wasn’t the best I’ve had, but I loved the beans. I also enjoyed the red sauce, though I wish I would have ordered the eggs overhard (just my preference). I also had a classic margarita because when in Rome … I also loved the decor. The walls next to the bar displayed framed cactus prints and a cactus adorned with holiday lights stood a few feet away from our table. We couldn’t resist a photo with the mural outside, either.

What restaurants have you been loving lately?

A Few Hours in Savannah, Georgia

I recently had a chance to either have lunch in Atlanta or Savannah during a road trip, and I jumped at the chance to see the latter, even if only for a little while. I knew we didn’t have much time, so I wanted to explore whatever we could.

We headed toward what seemed to be a cluster of restaurants listed on Yelp. That took us to East Bay Street. We parked next to Emmet Park for $4 and then walked toward the uneven, historic steps of River Street, which lies alongside the Savannah River. I instantly fell in love with the Spanish moss and cobblestone streets.

After checking out a few of the souvenir shops and being jealous of the people embarking on the history-tour buses, we stumbled upon a restaurant called Huey’s. When I saw a crab cake sandwich on the menu I was sold, so we walked in.

The restaurant ended up being more New Orleans style, but I am so glad we went there. I ordered the crab cake sandwich, which came with red beans and rice. Amazing and filling! I scraped my plate clean and wanted seconds. I left room for beignets to go instead, and the server was nice enough to give them to us for free!

The beignets were not nearly as good as those at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, but they were still tasty.

Huey’s windows face River Street and the Savannah River, offering a view of passers-by and the water. It was a lovely restaurant for lunch and I imagine dinner is more of the same. The server was professional, friendly and attentive.

I wished I had time to explore the Historic District and many more of the restaurants I passed by in Savannah, but just a little taste made me want to return in the future.

Have you been to Savannah? What are your favorite things to do there?

Road trip footage:

Watch our video and please subscribe on YouTube!