Sunday, July 16, 2006

Bloom--Scottsdale, AZ

This restaurant is considered to have unique american food. You can get salads like Calamari Salad, and Lobster with Roasted Asparagus. The beauty of this place is that fact that it is a very hip & cool hangout. It is the best place for that quintessential Scottsdale Power Lunch. The fact that the servers spend less time at your table is not poor service, its because most people dont want to be bothered but they are around enough so when you need something they are there.
I had the Calamari salad. It was a little on the greasy side, but overall it was still a nice change and I enjoyed the environment. You have to try the Lobster salad though.... it Rocks!!!

The Pink Taco--Scottsdale, AZ

This restaurant is the second one. The other is in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel. A few things about this place.

1) The Hype - Ok. This kind of sillyness about the name is almost like those students that giggled in humanities class when they saw the naked pictures drawn/painted by the rennaissance artists. For those of you that don't now the controversy: The name Pink Taco can sometimes be a derogatory word for a part of a woman's anatomy. Some people are offended by the name while others think those offended are just being silly. I think the latter. Strangely enough there is a little Georgia Okeefe going on in the restaurant. The bar has a few nooks that based on their shape could also resemble... well, "a pink taco". Although some would see this as meerely a more sharply curved arch.... I think its a double antandre.

2) The food - I did not have any drinks, but based on the popularity of them, I can imagine they are probably very good. I had the beer battered shrimp with spicy mayo dipping sauce. It was good but it was a bit greasy for my taste. I also had the Carne Asada steak. I personally thought it wasnt bad but the steak was a lot thicker than traditonal carne asada and it came with a bit more fat than I like. The chicken fajitas on the other hand was the best I have had any where. They cook them in a sauce that tastes mildly similiar to indian chicken tikka, and it was extremely moist. I am definitely coming back for fajitas and next time I will dive into the margaritas. The salsa was a bit to gringo for my taste (sorry but it was too bland).

3) Service - Definitely Scottsdale quality. Fun, & Friendly.

Overall: I think this place is a great hangout for singles, couples, and anyone who wants to have a good time. With all due respect to the owner, who completely shot down all of the finest mexican establishments in Arizona as non-authentic, he's not exactly all that. He has good mexican food, and I will come back, but he is definitely not the best in Arizona as he claimed he was going to be.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Jade Palace, Scottsdale, AZ

Wow! Cant beat this place for all out best Chinese in Arizona

This awesome restaurant has 2 locations, one on Shea & 92nd Street and the other is North Scottsdale Rd north of Pinnacle Peek. I havent had better chinese food since I was at China Town in San Francisco, and China Town in New York. 2 dishes you have to get is the Shrimp Schezuan Garlic and the Hunan Beef. I could eat their almost every day except that at over $10 pp check average.... enough said! I have a slight preference to North Scottsdale over the Shea & 92nd Street restaurant but overall both are excellent choices. I am also amazed at the phenomenal service by the staff. We came in at closing time and they happily served us.

Pros: Best in AZ, Service, Ambience
Cons: Price
Overall user rating: Highly Recommended

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Copper Kettle--Tempe, AZ

If you like Pakistani Food, this is hands down one of the best places to go for Pakistani Food in Phoenix. Seekh Kababs, Tikka Boti, are incredible. Located very close to Arizona State University it attracts students and families alike. Its not exactly the coolest, hippest place to hang out so ambience doesnt quite get 5 stars, but I have been to restaurants in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, and without having to drive or fly 2500 miles its the best in the Valley. There are 2 locations. I prefer the Tempe location far better than the Mesa location. Nihari, Biryani, and Afghan Kabab are on the menu occasionally as specials so if you are looking for Nihari, call first. For the newcomer it might be a bit spicy so be careful, but for anyone who love's authentic pakistani cuisine, Copper Kettle Tempe... hands down!!!!

Pros: Great Prices, Authentic Pakistani
Cons: Service, Ambience
Overall user rating: Highly Recommended


Copper Kettle-Salads Balti
1050 E Lemon StTempe, AZ 85281-3904
(480) 894-1276
No Website

Friday, July 07, 2006

El Encanto Mexican Restaurant--Cavecreek, AZ

OK! I am a pretty picky person here in the Valley of the Sun. My honest opinion was it was pretty good. Carefree/Cavecreek area is far outside of Central Phoenix but its definitely an experience. They are located in a authentic looking Mexican style building in a very old part of Cavecreek/Carefree. They have a beautiful pond with live ducks and swans. The service could have been a tad faster but being that the restaurant seats over 400 and it was a Friday night rush, I can over look that part a little. Flan was phenomenal. We shared the fajitas which were tasty but if I were you I would ask for them straight from the kitchen and not wrapped. When you wrap up a tortilla too tightly you run the risk of them cracking, and if you ever had a hole in your fajita you can forget about that new shirt :).

Pros: Awesome Ambience, Beautiful Views, Very Good Mexican Food
Cons: Service on Weekends, Too Far from Greater Phoenix
Overall rating: Recommended

Restaurant Web Address: http://www.elencantorestaurant.com/
Location: 6428 E Cavecreek Rd, Cave Creek, Arizona
Phone: 480-488-1752

Welcome to Credibly Edible

Hi,

I am a self proclaimed restaurant critic. After spending thousands of dollars at area restaurants (in the past 5 years as a Phoenician), and getting frustrated by "Commercial" Reviews, I decided I would start talking about my experiences. I am hoping that this will eventually become a source for my fellow Phoenecians to learn about the goods and bads of each restaurant. I will however be blatantly honest. I am not affiliated or compensated by an restaurant so the reviews are a good indication of what the restaurant is really about.

Thanks,

Credibly Edible