I have a 13 lb choice standing rib roast that I am roasting for Christmas. Given that 1/2 of the people at the dinner like medium to well and the others like rare-medium rare, I am wondering if I should just split the roast in two and start on one of the roasts, 20 minutes (or so) before the other one. Or, I can just cook to medium rare in the center and hopefully the ends will be more "well". Any insights?

Thanks!

I am getting a Kamado grill shortly and am really interested in making my own pizzas. My previous attempts at making pizza on the grill was woeful (at best). Can anyone recommend a local class?

Thank

I am a bit worried. I really don't want Noca to head down the Italian path. I really enjoyed their "modern American" spin and I think Chef Taylor's southern spin fit as it is "American".

Hmmm......

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bell...

Also, the outdoor patio at TCooks at the Royal Palms would be a good fit.

Sounds like a good plan. Although others disagree, I am not a big fan of Cafe Zuzu, unless you are staying at the Valley Ho. For that brunch, you might want to consider the Herb Box at Southbridge. They have a great patio and the food, IMO, is very good. If you want to stay in the Old Scottsdale area, for Mexican Street food (not Southwest), try Barrio Queen (from the owner of the Barrio Cafe).

Other lunch options, Distrito (new Jose Garces restaurant) or AZ88 (both in the same area).

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AZ88
7353 E Scottsdale Mall, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

The Herb Box Southbridge
7134 E Stetson Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Distrito
4000 N Drinkwater Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Try BLT. Make sure you arrive a bit early, preferably at Sunset, for a cocktail on the Patio. Very cool experience.

Great list. I might add Noca to the list if you need another choice.

Just read this on Chow Bella. Apparently, he had a difference of opinion on the business operations with the Owners. That is really too bad. I finally found a good Italian restaurant that wasn't quite as pricey as Marcellino's, but just as good.

When I was dining I was thinking that the food was very close to, if not better than, Marcellino's. When the bill came, I was convinced.

Congrats! I really enjoyed your reviews.

Are you the same uhockey from DS back in the day?

Wow! I was there on Friday and had the same dishes (minus the bibb Caesar). Both were stellar. It was my first time and definitely not my last. Beer list was quite good as well.

There is also a WALLY'S AMERICAN PUB N' GRILLE right down the street. I am not sure if they have pool or shuffleboard, but I have been told they have about average bar food.

Will be going downtown for a concert on Sunday night. We originally wanted to eat at Cibo but just realized that they are closed on Sunday. Any recommendations? Thanks!

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Cibo
603 N. 5th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 850103

Thanks Everyone.

Unfortunately, we ended up at the Thirsty Lion in the Tempe Marketplace. Apparently they just opened and you can certainly understand a few hiccups, but the dinner was a disaster. Although earnest, the inexperienced waitstaff were primarily college students looking to earn a few bucks during school. The space is quite large, new and fairly "modern" for a pub. The highlight of the trip was a quite decent list of draft beers. My wife and I ordered standard "fish and chips" while my friend ordered the Lamb Shank which was a house specialty. We had ordered a pretzel appetizer and some fries "stat" for our 2 year old who was out a bit past his normal time to eat. We have been to a number of places where our initial dialogue after "hello" to our server is "Fries, please". However, we had to wait 10 minutes for standard fries that arrived along with the pretzels which were pretty standard fare. My friend ordered his lamb medium rare if possible and our server returned after delivering the appetizers stating that the lamb shank is not made to order. My friend said "fine" and we returned to drinking our beer and eating the pretzels. About 10-15 minutes later our fish and chips arrived and our friend was assured that the lamb shank would be forthcoming shortly. Our friend urged us to eat, so we started to chow down on basic fish and chips. The fries were a bit soggy, but they weren't too bad. Although styled "IPA battered" the fish was standard and I would rate it a 5 on a scale of 1-10. After finishing our fish and chips, the server came back to say that the Lamb Shank should be done shortly. My friend said to forget it and continued to devour the last remaining crumbs of the Pretzels. During the meal, our 2 year old fluctuated between impishness to full aggro mode. My wife had to walk him around the mall during our meal to keep him occupied. I note this just to add atmosphere to our dining experience. During our initial order, my wife ordered a chicken salad which was delivered with our bill. Noting the that the lamb shank was still on the bill, our server went back to correct our bill. No apologies for the lamb shank. In fact, a "suit" which I believe to be the manager delivered our salad and did not inquire about our meal or apologize for the meal. To top it off, my wife opened up her salad today for lunch to discover that there was no chicken on the "chicken salad". So, all in all, it appears that The Thirsty Lion is nothing but a "sheeple" with a good beer list. So, it may be a good place to grab a beer and watch a game, but I would not recommend it as a dining destination.

A friend is coming into town today staying around 101 and Elliot. I need to find a good kid friendly restaurant nearby. Any ideas?

I'm taking the family to McDonalds' ranch this weekend and wanted to grab some breakfast before. I'm thinking Over Easy in the Ice Den is somewhat close, but am looking for a few more options.

Thanks!

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Over Easy
4730 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85018

Not much to recommend that close by. What I typically do is grab some pizza at La Piazza Al Forno which is pretty good pie (family run place) and relatively close

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La Piazza Al Forno
5803 W Glendale Ave, Glendale, AZ 85301

i'm heading to a concert tomorrow at the Ashley Furniture Pavilion (formerly Cricket). It's located around 83rd Ave. and I-10. Trying to place to eat before the concert. Any ideas? Thanks.

Can't get any more old school than Durants.

I'll also echo Bourbon and add BLT and J&G. Technically, I believe, these are chains, but high end celeb chef type chains.

This is purely my perspective, but growing up in So Cal, the "original" chain cheap taco shop was Roberto's. After the success of Roberto's, the other "berto's" soon exploded on the market. Seemingly to take advantage of the success of Roberto's.

Thanks everyone. I think we will go to humble pie and save the MIM Cafe for next week when we can take our son. It is too bad that 25 degrees went out of business. It was a shame that it got stuck up in City North.

First, I need to apologize for my double faux pas on CH. I originally posted a new thread on the Phx group. Then it was transfered over here and there was already a nice long thread on Flag. Oops. In any event I am heading up to flag for the fourth and need a few recommendations. We will visit Tinderbox and try Diablo burgers, but would like a few more recommendations. Any help? How about a breakfast spot other than Mike and Rhondas? Thanks .

I'm heading up to Flagstaff for the 4th and was wondering I'd there is anything new and exciting to try? We try to hit Tinderbox when we are up and hopefully we will try Diablo Burger. Any other ideas?

I am looking for a good lunch sport close to the 51 and the 101. Willing to venture 5-10 miles from there, but I have a meeting in the afternoon up there. Thanks

i just read this from Michelle Laudig's twitter feed. Wow. What a surprise.

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Noca
3118 E. Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85016

How about going across the street to the BLT Steak at the Camelback Inn? Hanging out on the Patio for Cocktails with a nice view of Camelback mountain is quite nice and also very "Phoenix". The food is good + (I've had three great meals and one "eh" meal).

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BLT Steak
5402 East Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85253

I think Durant's would be a good choice. Old school steakhouse with great cocktails. Think Mad Men.

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Durant's
2611 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Noca, BLT, J&G Steakhouse (I have revised my opinion of this spot as a result of a tremendous meal a few week ago).

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Noca
3118 E. Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85016

J&G Steakhouse
6000 East Camelback Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

I have to meet a friend in Glendale for lunch tomorrow. He wants me to pick the restuarant.. Are there any new restaurants that I should check out? If not, I will have to go to me old standby "Pizzaria al forno". THanks