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