chino bandido's

i'm gonna start this blog off differently than all the others...i'm gonna give you the ratings first. you'll understand why in a moment. out of 5 sporks, i give chino bandido's 4 sporks. the food is awesome in a very different way...and yes it was featured on the holy grail of shows, "diners, drive-ins and dives" with guy fieri.

onto the review.

so here's why i did the ratings first, chino bandido's (or chino's for short) is a chinese-mexican food restaurant. no, not a chinese and mexican food, chinese-mexican food. now aren't you glad that i gave you the ratings first?! otherwise you wouldn't have read this far. i had heard about this foodie spot from several people in various circles i run in. i was skeptical about chinese-mexican food at first...i mean, really, how good can it be?!

onto the food.

okay, so when you go to chino's, if it's your first time, they give you some samples and explain how the menu works. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE enjoy the 5 minutes of tastings and explanations...you'll understand why when you get there. it can be a bit confusing, but this step helps out immensely. after trying various chickens and rices, we decided to order. i got a jerk chicken quesadilla with a red chicken (kinda like orange chicken) burrito and some plain fried rice with their black beans...my wife got emerald chicken and carnitas with chicken fried rice and the black beans. sounds too bizarre to wanna try, i know, but trust me it all goes together well.

first of all, their black beans are legit! my wife who can't stand black beans said she wants the recipe so she can eat them all of the time! the quesadilla was good, but the burrito was phenomenal!!!! but i gotta tell you, the sleeper in all this was the emerald chicken. the emerald chicken was insanely good! the flavors were fresh and meshed so well together. and their carnitas blows anything else i've had out of the water; it's just so full o' flavor and tender!

like i said, chino's may sound like a cuisine to stay away from, but trust me it is VERY good. by the way, you get a snickerdoodle cookie with your meal...and yes, it is excellent too! go there with your friends. y'all will love it! oh! and they just opened a chandler location for you east valley-ites...

chino bandido's
15414 north 19th avenue
suite k
phoenix arizona 85032

1825 west chandler boulevard
chandler arizona

aiello's fine italian dining

aiello's italian food is by far, hands down, without a doubt the best italian food in the valley! carrie and i went there on our date night a few weeks back. we've passed by aiello's numerous times on the way to other restaurants in DoPho (downtown phoenix). for whatever reason, we've never stopped to eat italian there.

anyways, we decided that we would go out for italian dinner on our date night and thought that aiello's was the spot to go. from the outside, you expect a quaint dining experience and their trees covered in white lights out front are a sure sign of this. on the inside, the dining experience is enhanced by the open kitchen. on a personal note: i love open kitchens, they just feel fancy and really add to my dining experience. the owner, joe aiello, is intentional about visiting every table as they are seated to greet them and strike up a conversation.

as an appetizer, we ordered the calamari. i think that it is our way of determining how the rest of the meal is gonna go. and aiello's is no disappointment...we found that the best thing to do is take the marinara sauce and add a hint of the chili oil that they serve. just try it, you'll love it too!

for dinner, carrie has decided that linguini with clam sauce is her ultimate deciding factor in a good italian restaurant. me? i went for the special. ravioli stuffed with carmelized onions, prosciutto and cheese in a pink sauce. so how was the food? OMG! it was the best italian food we've had in the valley...hands down, no joke. the ravioli was perfectly offset with a fair amount of basil that was not offensive. carrie, who normally saves half of her meal, at the entire portion of linguini with clam sauce. not because it was small portion, but it was THAT good.

despite our fullness after an appetizer and entree, we ordered a canoli. i heart canoli. and aiello's canoli is out of this world. whatever you do, save room for this canoli. it was rich, but not oo rich, and had some cinnamon which made this desert incredible. OH! and don't forget to get a bite of the fresh strawberry with your fork full of canoli.

i don't think i even need to make another argument about aiello's. it's amazing and you'll definitely wanna go here! out of 5 sporks, we give aiello's 4.5! joe aiello came around to visit us after dinner and i was more than happy to tell him just how impressed i was with his food. and he followed up our dinner with a surprise that i won't tell you about. you'll just have to go and find out.

aiello's fine italian dining
5202 north central avenue
phoenix arizona 85012
602-277-8700

scotty dogs

so i'd like to believe that because i am from chicago, i have a bit of insight on chicago food. one of these quintessential foods is the hotdog. now i know what you're gonna say...hotdogs?! really?! yes, hotdogs.

my brother-in-law actually recommended scotty dogs to me. he said that i needed to verify if scott was creating the true chicago dog. now for those who do not know, true chicago dogs are made with steamed poppy seed buns, vienna hot dogs, tomato, relish, hot peppers, mustard (NO KETCHUP!!!) and a pickle slice. i have to admit, i was skeptical about going to scotty dogs to try a chicago dog. i've met scott bangs, owner of scotty dogs on a few ocassions, and he was happy to serve up a chicago dog. there was a mutual respect, he knew i loved chicago dogs and i had heard that he serves up a good one.

well, scott didn't disappoint. when he handed over the 'dog, i gave it a good look over...and then i asked, "is that celery salt on there?" with a smile, scott answered, "you know it!" i knew right then i was in for a true chicago 'dog. though i didn't mention it above, celery salt is an essential ingredient to the chicago 'dog. scott assembled the perfect concoction of necessary ingredients to create one of the best chicago hotdogs i've had in the valley.

but that wasn't enough. i needed a second 'dog. so i asked scott if he had a specialty 'dog...sure enough, he told me about his "scotty dog." cheddar cheese on the bottom, a hot dog, topped with tomatoes, hot peppers, sauerkraut, melted cheese, mustard and then the topper, siracha sauce. now i know this sounds like it would be a reason to call the fire department for your mouth, but it's not. it's got the perfect amount of kick. i can honestly say that the "scotty dog" is worthy of pink's hotdogs in hollywood status.

if you can only eat one hotdog for lunch, go two days in a row to try both of these. scotty dog definitely deserves 4 sporks out of 5! here's the kicker, scotty dogs is a mobile cart. so you're gonna wanna follow him on twitter to get his location. scotty brings the urban vendor experience in full force and the food is good, to boot!

scotty dogs
on twitter at @sbangs

Chicago Hamburger Co.

i've been going to this place for nearly 10 years and it never lets me down. i decided to take my wife there a few years ago, because quite frankly, it's the most authentic chicago-style joint in town. they have everything that true chicagoans want, and everything that non-chicagoans would envy because they're not from chicago! only kidding. but seriously, this place is very good!!!

when walk into the place you are bombarded (and that's an understatement) by chicago paraphenelia. posters of michael jordan, the "monsters of the midway" (if you know chicago, you know what i'm talking about with that reference), mayor daly election poster, street signs. there is memoribilia from the white sox and that other baseball team, too. everything that would take you back to the windy city...only it's here in phoenix. there's pinball machines for the kiddos and the kid in you...

okay, food. seriously folks, these guys at chicago hamburger company know how to do food right. their hamburgers are incredible...but personally, i prefer their sliders. a pack of 10 will run you about $9, but trust me, you'll be luck if two of you can eat ten...unless you're a champ. but the bread is super soft, which is rare to find appropriately on other places "sliders." the fries are yummy scrumptious...chicago hamburger company also sells...wait for it...wait for it...chili cheese fries! if you're from chicago you know that this is one of the four food groups (along with hot dogs, pizza, and funnel cakes). they have a pretty good menu and the prices are fairly reasonable. you can escape with two very full people for around $20.

out of five sporks, chicago hamburger company gets 4.5! yes, this place is that good. it's not a chain and it definitely takes me back to my days in the greatest city on earth. go there, get full and enjoy chicago in phoenix.

pho thanh

so we were in the mood for some asian food, whether it was thai, chinese, vietnamese, whatever; we just knew we wanted asian food. and we didn't want to try our usual haunts. i thought vietnamese sounded good. so we tried this little joint down the street from us by the name of pho thanh.

from the outside, pho thanh sits in a mini-strip mall with another asian restaurant, nail salon and an asian food market. from the outside, you would never want to try this place. but it is definitely a gem in the rough. the seating inside has some family tables, so you could sit right next somebody from somewhere else. although it's not identical, it definitely reminded me of my experience eating in chinatown in boston. so i knew right there it would be a good experience. the decor was pretty plain, but again, not something to judge a place's quality of food by (cause Lord knows i have eaten in some very nicely decorated restaurants whose food was horrible).

anyways, when i opened up the menu (which is a small novel in and of itself), i was happy to see a vast array of choices for dinner. i'm not a huge noodle fan, so i opted for a broken rice dish. my wife, she loves soups and so she went for pho tofu. service was a bit slow, but we did get around to ordering. i was pleasantly surprised by the waiter's recommendation after i had told him my order. i ended up with a broken rice dish that included shrimp warpped in beancurd skin, bbq pork, crab and egg cake, ground pork wrapped in grape leaves and some rice. i figure if a waiter is gonna recommend something it's gotta be worth trying. i also ordered a vietnamese egg soda. i'm not gonna lie, it was different, sort of an odd flavor of egg whipped with soda water. it was tasty, but i don't that it would be my drink of choice.

when food came, i realized just how exposed i was to americanized vietnamese food in my past. this stuff looked authentic. not that i know what authentic looked like...but this stuff had to be. my wife's pho tofu was HUGE! it was a bowl that was easily 12" across and 4-6" deep. she really enjoyed it...but i didn't try it because i have to be a very particular mood for soup. my food was equally great. if i could (which i think i can) i would eat the ground pork wrapped in grape leaves for dinner by themself. they're sort of like dolmas, but i like these better.

overall, the meal was pretty good. out of 5 sporks i'd give this place 3.5. i think i was expecting something different, so that may have thrown off my tastebuds. the food was good, but the service left a lot to be desired. plus, i don't know how i feel about servers walking around eating food in between serving food...just doesn't seem cleanly to me. i would go back for sure; at least now i know what to expect.

pho thanh
1702 west camelback road
phoenix arizona 85015

fast eddie's diner

so i'm a total diner freak and jump at the chance to enjoy a place that serves up food like it used to be. fast eddie's is that place...i had driven by this place for 10 years and now i'm kicking myself for waiting so long to try it.

we wanted some breakfast on sunday after church...pancakes, eggs, toast and jam. you know, breakfast food like you remember as a kid. the stuff that used fill up the house with awesome smells. we decided to try fast eddie's. my wife was a little nervous when i told her where we were going, but the only thing she was concerned about was the pancakes.

we walked into fast eddie's and we could see how the place had evolved, yet maintained it's classic charm. it's been around for awhile, i got those down home chills on my arms because i knew i was about to enjoy an incredible breakfast. then, a skillet passed me by and i about snatched it off the table it was going to. did that skillet look good!!! i knew what i was having.

the walls of fast eddie's are covered with quirky and comical sayings like, "if you don't like the food, send it back. if you do, don't." it provided us some entertainment while we waited to order and get our food.

my wife ordered pancakes, eggs, hashbrowns and bacon. you know, stick to your ribs kinda stuff. i ordered a mexican skillet. when the food came, i was amazed at how good it looked. the hashbrowns on my wife's plate were crispy brown on the outside. the bacon didn't look burnt or raw. the eggs looked cooked to perfection. the homestyle potatoes on my skillet looked as though they had been cooked with love. the cheese was that beautiful "in-between" of still melting and melted. then we ate. oh boy, did we eat! the food was so good. my skillet was perfectly cooked. i ate the whole thing (which i was later told had been witness only a handful of times by our waitress). my wife enjoyed her meal as well. i even tried her pancakes. now, i am not a pancake fan, but i can tell you this; i would order those pancakes. they were thick and fluffy. scrump-diddly-ocious.

okay, so i'm not going to lie, fast eddie's is good and we recommend you try it. don't wait 10 years, go next weekend. on a scale of 5 sporks, i'd give fast eddie's 4 sporks. it is a really good greasy spoon. i wouldn't give it 5 because it's not a complex, high-culinary experience of food, but it's great nonetheless.

fast eddie's diner

3422 west glendale avenue

phoenix arizona

Angie and Jimmie's Pizza

so we've been trying to find a good pizza delivery joint different than streets of new york...our usual place. we refuse to order dominos, pizza hut or papa john's. why? because that's not the type of cats we are. we're all about supporting the local people.

anyways, pizza. i had google mapped pizza places in my area and to no surprise i was surrounded by two dominos, two pizza huts, two papa john's. but then, there it was, angie and jimmie's. we were nervous, because our ventures in delivery pizza have been sketchy at best. but we thought, hey, let's give this place a shot.

first of all, the prices are cheap. we paid $21 for a large pizza and an order of garlic cheese bread. we were still a bit skeptical, but when it arrived in 35 minutes (not an hour like streets of new york), we were happier.

we opened up the boxes and immediately we were pleasantly surprised by the look of the food. after all, we first judge food with our eyes. the garlic cheese bread had cheese on it! go figure. and it looked like bread, not some burnt flattened piece of dough. the pizza had cheese on it and the toppings were visible. the crust looked tasty, just the right shade of brown.

we were pleasantly surprised with the pizza. the toppings were good, not great, but good. the crust was the best we've had yet in a delivery pizza. most pizzas come soggy, but not angie and jimmie's, it was the right consistency. it was crispy where it needed to be and soft where it needed to be. the garlic cheese bread was moist and we could actually taste the garlic and cheese.

out of 5 sporks we'd give angie and jimmie's pizza 3.5 sporks. this pizza place was good for delivery, the prices were good and the pizza was tasty. the only problem was that the black olives and mushrooms were from cans. if they used fresh vegetables, this place would be a 4+ spork delivery joint, for sure. but honestly, we'd order from there again, and that's what counts.

angie and jimmie's italian pizza

3126 west indian school road

phoenix arizona 85017

602-246-7833

MOIRA Sushi Bar and Kitchen

it's been a long while since we've had sushi, so we decided to head out on the town and enjoy an evening of some good raw fish. but we didn't want to hit up our usual spot because the wait is too long and so we discussed a few other places, but finally decided on MOIRA. located in downtown phoenix, this hip little jive joint was everything we were hoping for in a new sushi spot.

when we walked in the decor was immediately eye catching; but in a "ooh, this gonna be a cool chill spot to relax and enjoy our time together" sort of a way. the highly modern but slightly retro feel to the place was accentuated by the blue under lights below the bar, the red globe lights against a dark wood grain wall, and the lights which i would consider "buddha inspired." the stainless steel, sloped false ceiling above the bar/kitchen area was a bold and yet complimentary element in the restaurant.

but we're not here to just discuss the restaurant, you wanna hear about the food...so here it is.

happy hour goes until 7. we highly recommend making it there during happy hour. most places, and particularly sushi places, have only a handful of items that most people don't want anyway on their happy hour menu. not MOIRA. this place has a load of different types of sushi during happy hour. as a matter of fact, had we not ordered a roll after 7pm we would have gotten away with about $30 worth of sushi...about 5 rolls. and unless your king kong, 5 rolls is usually enough for two people. so get there during happy hour and save yourself some gas money.

but seriously, the sushi. we ordered some fried tofu, a dish called rock shrimp, a vegas roll, a philly roll and a white blossom roll. the tofu was okay, but reminded us of chicken mcnuggets in the way that they were formed and battered. it was okay, but we might pass on it next time. the rock shrimp was nothing short of phenomenally delicious! the carrot and radish shreds and the orange sauce on the bite size pieces of shrimp was amazing. usually, when we get a vegas roll we get pieces that warrant two bites. but MOIRA was smart in making them with just enough batter to make them crunchy and small enough that you did lose half your roll down your shirt biting it in half. MOIRA has the best vegas rolls we've had to date. the philly roll was a typical philly roll, but it had the right amount of cream cheese to taste the freshness of the fish. it was very good! and then there was the white blossom roll. this thing was heaven on a plate for me. crab filled roll with baked scallops on top and a slightly spicy cream sauce. the first bite had a bit of sweetness then left a lingering spiciness on the palette. i believe it to be one of the best rolls i've ever eaten.

after the happy hour round of rolls, we decided that we could eat one more roll. so we asked our server what he recommended. without skipping a beat he said the zu roll. then he rattled off about 3 more, but we decided on the zu roll. and i'm sooooo thankful that we did. the zu roll is red peppers, cream cheese rolled in nori, flash fried, topped w/ tuna & lotus chips. holy cow was this a tasty roll! and what a way to end the meal! it's a filling roll, but trust me, you'll wanna save some room for this one.

so we had to have something to drink at dinner. my wife ordered the plum wine which she found to be above par. she loved it, and i loved it because it too was on the happy hour menu! i'm always a sucker for thai tea, so that's what i had. i loved it and found it too be quite tasty, not the best ever, but tasty nonetheless.

out of 5 possible sporks we give MOIRA 4. why 4? the tofu was so-so...so perhaps it warrants a bit more than 4, but believe me if your tired of the usual sushi spots in the valley, MOIRA is the place to go. you'll dig the vibe and the food will be loved by your taste buds.

MOIRA Sushi Bar and Kitchen

215 east mckinley

suite 102

phoenix 85004

Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe

okay folks, i have to tell you that this is by far THE BEST soul food in phoenix. no lie. mrs. white's has been around for a loooooong time and is apparently a staple for athletes and out-of-towners. how do i know this? look at the walls and ceiling in this place. you will see autograph upon autograph giving this place that little hole-in-the-wall joint that is only known by true foodies.

walking into mrs. white's is what i would imagine it would be like walking into a roadside googie joint in alabama or mississippi. there's nothing fancy, but it feels like a place you've been before. people there are incredibly nice...and i'm not just talking about the staff. customers carry on with other customers like they're old neighbors. my wife and i were 2 of only 3 white people in the restaurant, but we carried on at least 3 conversations with different people around us (mostly revolving around our daughter).

the menu is pretty basic and everything costs the same price...and includes 2 sides. for myself, i ordered the southern chicken fried steak with black eyed peas and mac 'n cheese (which isn't on the menu, so that's an insider tip for ya). my wife ordered the fried chicken with mac 'n cheese and sweet potatoes. first off i'd like to say that i'm NOT a sweet potato fan, but mrs. white's sweet potatoes were absolutely incredible!!!! they weren't too sweet and the hint of cinnamon was just perfect. the chicken fried steak was tasty too. there wasn't so much breading that you couldn't taste the steak, and the gravy was smooth and velvety! the black eyed peas warranted a bowl-ful in and of themselves. and the mac 'n cheese was creamy with a hint of spice. my wife couldn't get enough of her two pieces of fried chicken. she picked the bone clean! our daughter had some black-eyed peas, mac 'n cheese and sweet potatoes. i wish i could upload a picture of her because she ate every bite in record time and it was apparent all over her face.

out of 5 sporks, i would give mrs. white's 4. the service was a bit slow, but if i wasn't so hungry it would have been nice to hang out there that long. the food was off the charts good and the people are very friendly! if you're looking for a lil' soul food, mrs. white's golden rule cafe is your place.

mrs. white's golden rule cafe

808 east jefferson street

phoenix, az

FEZ

so i've decided that i need to start eating better and made a deal with my wife that i would severely limit my hamburger intake if i could eat one more hamburger. but i wanted a good burger, something that would make me feel like all other burgers would pale in comparison. so we decided to try FEZ. my wife being a lover of sweet potato fries, found out that they had some out of this world good sweet potato fries. so we went.

we had passed by FEZ a number of times because we frequent the downtown area and often drive down central...as for me, i love taking the light rail, so i couldn't help but notice their three colorful dots that make up the FEZ brand.

much like Switch, i was immediately impressed as we walked into the door of FEZ. the translucent hanging panels were an awesome way to divide the bar area from the dining area. the orange tables were a beautiful choice for a pop of color. the menus were even cleverly designed. everything about this place oozed chic, hip and modern. it was exactly where i wanted to have my "final" burger before going on a diet.

we ordered a basket of sweet potato fries as an appetizer and honestly, we could have had just them for dinner. the fries were crispy and coated in the right amount of cinnamon! the aioli was absolutely out of this world!!!! i won't tell you the secret ingredient, but trust me, you'll love it! the sweet of the fries mixed with the savory of the aioli was exactly the right combination. if you go, the sweet potato fries are a must!

onto dinner...i ordered the FEZ burger, which was a 1/2 lb. of grilled angus beef with spicy honey molasses bbq, cinnamon pears, feta cheese, lemon garlic aioli, crispy onions and cilantro on ciabatta bread. it sounds like a lot of stuff on a burger, but the layers of flavors was absolutely amazing. the first bite leaves you with the flavor of the bbq sauce and then fades into the creaminess of the feta and then lingers with the pear. the burger was present through the whole bite. the aioli and cilantro added a bright flavor which was so good.

my wife ordered the casablanca chicken sandwich. this sandwich included a perfectly cooked piece of chicken with pomegranate vinaigrette, goat cheese, sliced pears, dried cherries and field greens on ciabatta. i only got one bite of this sandwich because my wife didn't want to share, it was that good! but the juiciness of the chicken mixed with the crispiness of the greens and the sweetness of the fruit and the creaminess of the cheese left nothing to be desired. it was an absolutely incredible chicken sandwich!

while there, we had overheard a table raving about the dessert. so we asked our server what they had ordered for dessert (after they left of course) and she told us it was their brownie with almond and vanilla ice cream. i'm not gonna lie about this...it was perhaps the gooiest, most chocolatiest, and amazing brownie i have EVER had. it was so good as the ice cream melted over the warm brownie. i know that this sounds like a lot of food, but you'll want to save room for this dessert.

out of 5 sporks, i definitely give this one 4.5 sporks. FEZ was on top of it all; their decor, their food, their service. it was all phenomenal! make sure you visit this place for dinner. they have brunch too, so i know i'll be going back to try that as well.

FEZ

3815 north central avenue

phoenix, arizona 85012

switch

located on central avenue near the light rail, this chill spot is a great place for a first date or an afternoon lunch with your wife.

having driven by (and ridden by) switch, i was curious as to their menu and quality. but alas, after being bored with some of our usual restaurants, we decided to try it on a sunday afternoon. off the bat, we immediately knew this place was something worthwhile, when you enter the restaurant through a courtyard in the back of the building; fully furnished with some lounge seating. as we entered the restaurant, i was absolutely impressed with the place for two reasons 1) it was all mellow blue lighting and 2) it's all ikea decor. in our book, doing more with less is always a plus.

so onto the food...i had ordered the jalisco chicken panini on the recommendation of the waiter. my wife ordered the mac n' cheese with lobster and crab. all i'm gonna say to either of these dishes was, WOW! they were absolutely incredible. the panini's chicken was cooked right; it wasn't dry. and the chipotle aioli was just spicy enough to still be able to taste the rest of the food, but let you know that it was on the sandwich. the mac n' cheese was nothing short of phenomenal. the cheese was super velvety and creamy and the chunks of lobster and crab were noticeable and added to the overall flavor of the mac n' cheese.

my wife ordered an blueberry italian soda. i wish i would have! it was made with real fruit, not just fruit syrup. and they balanced the sweet perfectly with club soda. it made her want two or three it was that good. i did try it and i have to say that it was BY FAR the best italian soda i have ever had.

out 5 possible sporks, i'd give this one 4. the only thing i would say about this place was the service was a bit slow, but nothing worth complaining over. though our waiter did recommend an awesome dish with the panini so i can overlook a bit of slow service.

switch

2603 north central avenue

phoenix az 85004

Nine05...

we were huge fans of Fate, which occupied this space before it was Nine05. we were hesitant to try Nine05 because we love johnny chu's old restaurant Fate and his new restaurant Sens. but we were craving some quality, local asian fusion cuisine.

after much deliberation, we decided to try Nine05. the decor was still beautiful, stark white tables with white and green chairs. the ambience was still hip and funky with amazing art, still adorning the aged brick walls.

but that's where the good stuff ends...

we picked up the menu to find out that the cheapest entree was $13. not that we were expecting inexpensive food, but $10+ appetizers and $18+ entrees, were a bit of sticker shock. i was very happy to see the iced chai tea...but was EXTREMELY disappointed to get a glass full of ice and milk, with a splash of chai.

but dinner had to be better right?! wrong. i ordered the pork belly fried rice with pineapple and my wife ordered the coconut shrimp...two things about the shrimp. the pieces were the size of peas and the coconut was barely present. but there was cilantro! wait, cilantro?! yep, it didn't mix well in either dish. the pork belly fried rice was under salted and over spiced. my tastebuds were screaming at me after 2 bites and we love spicy food. but the worst thing was that when you order a meal with things like pineapple, coconut or shrimp you want to taste those ingredients and honestly we could not taste any of these items as they were so over powered by the peppers.

okee dokee, so out of 5 sporks, we give this one 2. the ambience is cool and trendy for the arts district it is in, but the food is missing flavor and quality.

Nine05

905 north 4th street

(se corner of roosevelt and 4th street)

phoenix, az 85004