MesaChow's Profile
Quaint little seafood restaurant in Madrid
Here's an interior shot of Maceiras taken a year ago.
Dinner in Bilbao for one night and dinner near Viura hotel in La Rioja, please help!!!
We spent a few days in La Rioja two years ago, staying at the Hotel Abalos (in Abalos - very near your location). We had breakfast and dinners at the hotel (convenient for enjoying the wine to the fullest), but we did enjoy 2 lunches out nearby.
The first, and one we enjoyed most, was at the Bistro Restaurant at the Marques de Riscal hotel in Elciego. We did the tasting menu and really enjoyed the croquettes, fresh fish and cheese course. The hotel is modern and unique, and we enjoyed a relaxing coffee after in the library.
The second was a place recommended by the hotel, Asador Lopez de Aguileta in Labastida (just 2 towns past Abalos). It was a very comfortable upstairs dining room, and I remember particularly enjoying the roasted red peppers and a local scrambled egg dish. The steak was nice too, but we had just been to Etxebarri the day before, so no comparison would be fair.
When we came home, I did regret that we didn't do the tapas crawl in Logrono one night (I just wasn't comfortable with driving back to Abalos after all the wine we were sure to enjoy). Enjoy your trip!
Looking for Great Paella in Valencia
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/757369
Above is a link to a thread where I asked the same question and a recap of our experience last year.
Poster erica also mentions paella in several threads, including this one where she recaps her Valencia trip:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/785066
Sunday breakfast near Madrid Atocha
We were unimpressed with the churros con chocolate at El Brillante during our visit last year. There will be better to be had in Sevilla. However, you will not go wrong with a bocadillo.
Great Mexican near airport?
I was going to recommend Mucho Gusto in Tempe, but now that Themis has mentioned Secreto, I would go that way. While I haven't yet been there, I've also heard great things and the location is much more convenient to your drive to Tucson.
Anniversary Dinner. NEED HELP!!!!
+1 on the butterscotch pudding. Last week husband had the grapefruit cake. It doesn't sound like much but, as usual at FnB, what sounds simple can be really phenomenal.
Anniversary Dinner. NEED HELP!!!!
You really can't go wrong. It depends on your personal taste, of course. I love the grilled broccoli and always enjoy whatever bite of cheese is being served.
Celiac visiting Scottsdale
Near your hotel I would recommend Calistro Bistro (either location), Picazzo's for a more casual pizza, or White Chocolate Grill for their tomato gin soup. Calistro and WCG both have nice fish options.
If you're willing to drive up to Cave Creek, Tonto Bar & Grill is a neat place.
If you plan to be near Old Town Scottsdale then make a reservation for the counter at FnB. Always one fish item on the menu, but have fun exploring the veg options, it's Chef Charleen's forte. Hope that butterscotch pudding is on the menu that evening. Citizens Public House has a wonderful scallop dish. Specify GF on the Original Chopped salad and no bacon with the scallops. Herb Box, POSH, Atlas Bistro and noca are also great spots that can accommodate. Beckett's Table has lots of great veg and GF options, but might be farther than you want to travel.
Please report back with any new finds you might make in the area and enjoy your visit.
Places for College Kids to eat...
The only Monastery now is in Mesa, and I don't recommend the drive from N. Scottsdale unless you are really into sand volleyball. However, in the N. Scottsdale area I would recommend Four Peaks Brewery (101 & Frank Lloyd Wright). Great local beer & food and a fun atmosphere.
Greasewood Flat is an excellent suggestion. If you are going as far north as Cave Creek there are several fun places up there depending on what they like. Bryan's BBQ is excellent. Harold's & The Horny Toad are fun.
Is there anything specific you are looking for? Or any more specifics on the area that you'll be in? Will you be going down near Old Town Scottsdale at all?
ham hock and bean soup
I made ham & bean soup for the first time last week with a ham hock (instead of a ham bone leftover from a spiral sliced ham, my usual way). I was truly surprised to see how the layer of fat began to congeal even when the pot went down to a low simmer. So much so that I took a photo!
The layer that was collecting on the top was very easily removed by using a wooden spoon and some paper towels (just taking the pot off of the heat for a few minutes), and spooning off the top layer of liquid into a fat strainer then simply pouring it away (the fat....returning the broth to the pot). I also removed the ham hock at this time from the pot then returned the meat to the soup before returning it back to a simmer to finish cooking.
Another surprise was that, upon refrigeration, the leftover soup was not nearly as congealed as the leftovers when I use a larger ham bone (that's probably the key, lots more collagen from the larger bone). In the end, I decided that I would make this again using the ham hock.
Can I cook a frozen pan of lasagna?
Frozen lasagna update: the Stouffer's website offered good confirmation of the previous advice. At 3:15 I placed it in the 300 degree (preheated) oven. After sitting on the counter for nearly 2 hours, it was still frozen solid. At 4:30 I used the thermometer and found it was only 68 degrees with the top middle portion still icy. I put on fresh foil (tightly) and bumped the temp to 375. At 5:30, it was hot, bubbly and 170 degrees. After a short drive to the in-laws' house, we added some shredded mozzarella and broiled for a few minutes in their oven. Along with a fresh marinara that my husband whipped up, we ended up with a nice impromptu welcome home dinner.
Can I cook a frozen pan of lasagna?
We have a similar situation with a frozen (previously uncooked) 9 x 13 pan of lasagna in the freezer that we'd like to serve for dinner tonight. Husband just put it on the counter to begin thawing, but we're 7 hours from dinner so I'd like to ask for some specifics on a good low temp (300 mentioned above, but someone mentioned going lower than that) and how long it may actually take to bake from frozen.
Family Christmas Vacation...There's a kitchen but Mom wants a vacation too...
I wasn't aware of that location - Even better!
Moderate-bargain southwestern/Mexican restaurants
Ha! That's quite a visual!
If OP is near downtown Chandler, Guedo's is also an inexpensive lunch option for tacos and the like.
This might be a little out of your way, but you could make a stop on your way to/from Chandler - Surprise at Tacos Atoyac, located just off of I-17 at Glendale & 19th Ave. It's small and very casual but everything I've had there has been fantastic. There's another dedicated thread that has more details.
Moderate-bargain southwestern/Mexican restaurants
I'm glad you mentioned this. Every time I see Elote recommended it reminds me that I need to get up there, but it's a solid 2 (if not 2.5) hour drive from where we live in north Mesa, and is only open for dinner (beginning at 5). I hate the 20 minute drive home from Phoenix after a nice dinner, which puts Sedona outside of striking distance without an overnight stay for me. But, I'm sure others are much more intrepid travelers than I.
Back to OP's request, Los Taquitos for lunch near Chandler would be a great inexpensive choice. Located just off of I-10 on Elliot Rd, it's a very casual family operated storefront next to a Safeway. They gained some national attention when they were featured on Guy Fieri's show, but I've enjoyed going there for many years before that. www.ltgrill.com
Moderate-bargain southwestern/Mexican restaurants
We go to Blue Adobe Grille in Mesa when I'm in the mood for their lobster dip appetizer. Their food is good, but not stellar, and sometimes inconsistent. If you're willing to travel a little further north from Mesa, I like Carlsbad Tavern better.
Haven't been to Si Señor for at least a year, but I enjoy the trio of salsas that come with the starter chips. I also like the sopapillas that end the meal. They focus on New Mexican flavors (i.e., hatch chilis), but presentation and quality-wise, i find it on par with or slightly better than several other local Mexican food sit-down chains.
Family Christmas Vacation...There's a kitchen but Mom wants a vacation too...
How far are you willing to travel?
Nearby is Picazzo's (Scottsdale & Frank Lloyd Wright), which is a favorite of two sets of friends who also stay in time shares in that area. Large menu, good pizza & salads. (also very gluten free friendly)
In the same complex as Picazzo's is Flo's Asian. I haven't been there in a very long time, but it's a local chain that has been pretty reliable in the past.
Some of the best ravioli in town can be found at Tutti Santi at 90th & Mountain View (easily accessed via the 101).
Agree with johnseberg about Persian Room, really delicious, interesting dishes that are also a great value given the portion sizes.
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Tutti Santi
19420 N. 59th Ave., Glendale, AZ 85308
Persian Room
17040 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Appetizers in Scottsdale
Tapas Papa Frita is fun if you're in the mood for Spanish tapas. Citizen Public House has a nice selection of appetizers as well. Both are in Old Town very near the Camelview.
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Citizen Public House
7111 E. 5th Avenue, Suite E, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Tapas Papa Frita
7114 E Stetson Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Gluten Free Menu's - Phoenix
Beaver Choice's menu is mostly gluten free. Located at McClintock & Broadway in Tempe (in the strip mall right behind Ted's Hot Dogs), this Scandanavian/Sweedish/Polish/Canadian family-run establishment is pretty bare bones, but with a lot of heart and soul. We started with a delicious and very satisfying schnitzel cordon bleu (which the owner said could also be made gluten free), and plan to return to explore some of the seafood offerings, It's BOYB, and calling ahead to reserve a table isn't a bad idea.
Thai Patio in northeast Mesa?
I had a very different experience there last week for lunch. I stopped in to order the Pad See Ew (which I think I've ordered for each of my 3 lunch visits) and when they said the wait would be 10 minutes, I decided to run over to Walgreens for a quick pick-up. When I returned within 10 minutes, they only then cooked my entree. The gal at the register explained that "he likes to make it fresh for you". It was as promised - hot and fresh, and very nicely prepared. I particularly enjoy the sesame dressing on the side salad. The wait staff there has never been anything but supremely friendly during the day, but I've not been in the evening, so can't speak to that.
Regarding the holes in the containers, I have noticed they do that when I've ordered egg rolls or crab puffs to-go. I had the impression is was to let the steam escape to ensure the items inside remain crispy. I thought it was a nice touch.
San Sebastian/Madrid/Seville - What food to buy and WHERE?
In San Sebastian, we had a great experience shopping in the Mercado de la Bretxa (accessible via Alameda del Boulevard 3 (lower level) or by way of the alley behind) right on the main boulevard of the Parte Vieja). In addition to jamon & cheese to enjoy during our trip, we picked up dried beans, rice, paprika and best of all, a jar of Espelette powder. When I asked for Espelette at a store nearby on the street level, the shopkeeper didn't have it, but I saw several kiosks at the subterranean Bretxa market that did have it.
Paella (Valencia & Madrid)
I couldn't find the hours of operation on Levante's website either (except for the note about Tuesday). We visited the Valencia location on a Wednesday at 2:30, so at the least, they are open during the day.
Paella (Valencia & Madrid)
I was also coming up with a daily rental car figure exceeding 100 euros. We mainly opted for the Valencia location so that we could visit the aquarium early in the day and still have time for a leisurely lunch (without the stress of the extra travel). I also hope that this information is helpful to that next intrepid traveler who does venture out.
Paella (Valencia & Madrid)
Yes, that's Levante's new location in Valencia. I think it opened in February, and we visited in March. If we would have been in the area longer and had our own car, I would have made the trek out to Benisano to visit the original ( especially after seeing that episode of From Spain!).
Last year we visited Barcelona, San Se and La Rioja, this year Madrid & Valencia. I'd love to visit Galicia & Portugal next year...we 'll see. Alicante is a nice beach town. Happy planning!
Paella (Valencia & Madrid)
We visited Valencia earlier this year. I thoroughly reviewed this board to try to find THE place for paella. Went so far as to tweet Jose Andres and ask a friend to contact a friend in Alicante. The friend in Alicante said "oh, just go anywhere, all the paella is good in Valencia". Jose Andres tweeted back with the answer of Restaurante Levante. We ended up with 3 paellas in 3 days. All were delicious, but none stood out head and shoulders above the rest. We stayed in the city and did not venture out to la Albufera or Benisano (original Levante location) as we had originally intended.
Casa Roberto – An old-school place full of local groups (mostly men, one couple) for dinner. When we made our reservations, they asked what paella we wanted, which surprised me a bit for our 9pm reservation. We requested paella de mariscos as our first authentic paella. It was delicious. Beautiful head-on shrimp. Lots of seafood and shellfish. The service was warm and they sent us off with a “Casa Roberto” logo souvenir wood paella spoon with their name on it.
Restaurante Levante (Valencia) - The new outpost of the original Levante location in Benisano. Large, modern space with very knowledgeable, friendly service. We requested the traditional paella Valenciana and it did not disappoint. The chicken & rabbit were incredibly flavorful and the whole dish was delicious. Ok, maybe it did disappoint just a tiny bit; when the waitress brought the pan to our table she made mention to be sure to get the “socarradito”, but sadly there was none. Despite that, it was still an excellent dish. The croquettas were wonderful as well, I particularly enjoyed the tuna. I don't know if they cook the paella over wood as the original location does, but given how good the chicken & rabbit were, I wouldn't be surprised. There is also a small retail wine shop in the restaurant. We asked for a nice local wine to accompany the classic paella, and thoroughly enjoyed the recommended bottle of Rafael Cambra “Uno”. After the meal, they provided a taste of a delightful local Alicante dessert wine that made an excellent gift for my friend who had lived in Alicante. Since we’ve been home, I’ve seen the original Levante (in Benisano) featured on the show “From Spain With Love”, where they mentioned that they offer paella cooking classes occasionally.
La Pepica – Anchors one end of “Paella Mile” (Paseo Neptuno) on the beach with a very large airy dining room decorated with vintage photos on the back wall. I did not go into this with high hopes (we really only ended up there because it was raining which put a damper on our exploration of the downtown area), but was very pleasantly surprised that the paella a Banda was really excellent. As a bonus, we finally got some socarrat in a pan, a ring of that crunchy goodness all around the edge of the pan and a little in the center. They also have an open kitchen so we were able to really appreciate the high heat that is needed to cook paella properly. Once again, the friendly servers sent us home with souvenirs – a postcard with a vintage photo, a logoed salt shaker and a couple of their wooden paella spoons.
In my original post I indicated that we were considering renting a car. However, rates were coming in around 100 euro for the day, so we scrapped that idea. When we travel, I always chat with the taxi drivers. Our taxi driver to La Pepica pointed out another place a couple of doors down that was his favorite. He also explained that the taxi drivers in Valencia are like independent contractors so if you wanted to go out to La Albufera you would just talk to a taxi driver to establish a price and they will take you to the restaurant of your choice, wait for you (enjoying paella of their own at his/her favorite place, I’m told), then bring you back to the city. I failed to ask for an example of what that might cost and wish that I had.
Visiting BCN for the first time - what are the must-try restaurants?
Given the time difference, I'm probably too late, but check out poster Erica's comments on Valencia. She explored more non-paella places than we did this spring.
I hope you report back if you end up in Benisano! Buen Viaje!
Visiting BCN for the first time - what are the must-try restaurants?
We visited Valencia earlier this year and I also gave a thorough review of the board to try to find THE place. Went so far as to tweet Jose Andres and ask a friend to contact a friend in Alicante. The friend in Alicante said "oh, just go anywhere, all the paella is good in Valencia". Jose Andres tweeted back with the answer of Restaurante Levante. We ended up with 3 paellas in 3 days. All were delicious, but none stood out head and shoulders above the rest. We stayed in the city and did not venture out to la Albufera or Benisano (original Levante location) as we had originally intended.
Casa Roberto – A quaint old-school place we found full of local groups (mostly men, one couple). We ordered paella de mariscos as our first authentic paella. It was delicious. Beautiful head-on shrimp. Lots of seafood and shellfish.
Restaurante Levante (Valencia) - The new outpost of the original Levante location in Benisano. We requested the traditional paella Valenciana and it did not disappoint. The chicken & rabbit were incredibly flavorful and the whole dish was delicious. Ok, maybe it did disappoint just a little. When the waitress brought the pan to our table she made mention to be sure to get the “socarradito”, but sadly there was none. It was still an excellent dish, as were their croquettas. I particularly enjoyed the tuna croquettas. I don't know if they cook over wood as the original location does, but given how good the chicken & rabbit were, I wouldn't be surprised.
La Pepica – Anchors one end of “Paella Mile” (Paseo Neptuno) on the beach. I did not go into this with high hopes, but was very pleasantly surprised that the paella a Banda was really excellent. And, we finally got some socarrat in a pan. They also have an open kitchen so we were able to really appreciate the high heat that is needed to cook paella properly.
Good luck with your paella search tomorrow!
Cheeses, sausage, jerky?
Wedge & Bottle in Chandler has a very nice selection of cheese and snacks with some sausage as well. Beer and wine too. They are located just a few miles off the 10 on Chandler Blvd. & 40th Street (near Trader Joes).
wedgebottle.com
Gluten Free Menu's - Phoenix
Indulge Burger at Shea & Scottsdale has gluten free options for their burgers and also for their breakfasts available on the weekend.
