When 95 degrees was not hot enough for us, my wife and I made the decision to travel to Arizona and hang out in 117 degree heat.  However, we had a great time and had some wonderful food and some really bad food.  Our trip to Los Reyes De La Torta can be found here, otherwise I will lump the rest under this post.  When we arrived, we went straight to:

Dick’s Hideaway
6008 N 16th St
Phoenix, AZ 85016
http://www.burningembersphoenix.com

Based on the picture above, I get the “hideaway” part.   The place smelled great and was really cool inside as it was someplace I could hang out here for a while.

What I Ate:  Rellenos and Eggs. I chose one duck and one pork and had it with green sauce. It was served with two eggs any style, potatoes and pinto beans, for around $11.

I really liked this.  Their green sauce is amongst the best that I have ever had.  My wife had the Huevos Rancheros with red sauce and neither of us liked it. If you go to Dick’s, remember…go green!!

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, though I am not sure it is a must have. The green sauce is great and I really liked this place.  I would feel comfortable recommending this to a friend.

Hotel Valley Ho, Trader Vic’s and Café ZuZu
6850 East Main Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

We stayed at the Hotel Valley Ho for a night as it was soooo cheap and has a retro vibe to it that I thought was cool.  We visited happy hours at both restaurants ( Cafe ZuZu for earlier happy hour and Trader Vic’s for late night menu) that are at the hotel and both were horrible.  It is not worth even going into.

Would I Buy It Again?  No.  Horrible food, bad service a train wreck. 

Cafe ZuZu:

Trader Vic’s:

Because our food was so bad and the service was horrible, we went to:

Metro Brasserie & Bar
7114 E Stetson Dr #105
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
http://www.metrosouthbridge.com

Because it is 117 degrees and no one is around, there are happy hours everywhere.  At Metro, we had the poutine and a carmelized onion flatbread. The poutine was really really good and the flat bread was tasty as well.  The gravy was thinner on this version, but it was really, really, really good.  Then again, what did I expect out of putting all these awesome ingredients together?

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, easily.  Great food, good service and I would like to go back the next time I am there.  I can’t help but think this place would do lights out in Indy.

Cowboy Ciao
7133 E Stetson Dr
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
http://www.cowboyciao.com

This place is influential in defining modern southwest food.  Their signature dish is a mushroom stir fry for $12.95. They have over six or seven different types of mushrooms in a cream sauce served with polenta. 

I really liked this quite a bit.  It was really rich and I couldn’t imagine eating more than a lunch portion, but it was pretty tasty.  My wife had a roasted duck sandwich that we didn’t care for that much.

Would I Buy it Again?  No.  I enjoyed the mushroom dish, but the sandwich was a mess.  I just didn’t love the place.  However, if someone really wanted to go, I would give it another try, but it is not making my “must have” list.

Meals without pictures:

Spotted Donkey – A cool little place with upscale Mexican food.  They make a mean margarita (of which I consumed many) and have a great happy hour.  Since it is so close to my in-laws house, I will definitely go again.  The food is ok, but there is something about it that I just like being there.

Would I Buy it Again? Yes, for drinks and chilling out.

A Different Pointe of View – A Four Diamond Award winner that is perched on a mountain top, this is knows to be one of Scottsdale’s best.   However, it wasn’t that night.  The five course tasting menu was a major disappointment.  With wine pairing, the bill was around $240 without the tip.  Again, a major disappointment. However, the service was great and you really can’t beat the view. 

Would I Buy It Again? No.

Binkley’s - Another Four Diamond Award winner.  This meal was unlike any other I have had.  Seven amuse bouches throughout the five course tasting menu.  I enjoyed the service and it was just a constant onslaught of food.  Extremely creative food and presentations.  For two people, it was around $215 without the tip, but I thought it was well worth it.  A great meal.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes and I would like to go there the next time I am in Arizona. 

I think that is it. Some really good food and we had a great time.  If you have never been, you should go…and I hope this list helps you.

-wibia

Black Diamond Barbecue
6404 Rucker Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46220
http://www.blackdiamondbbqcatering.com

I’ve driven by this place on Binford Boulevard (it’s on a side street right off Binford) about a thousand times over the years and have never stopped.  In all honesty, when it first opened, I figured it would last about three months and then go out of business because it’s not in the greatest location.  Three years later, it’s still chugging along and has even expanded to include outdoor seating.  Good for them.

Ordinarily, I do all my barbecue smoking by myself, but I was feeling lazy one Sunday and didn’t want to spend my entire day waiting for meats to smoke.  So, seeing that this place recently expanded, I figured it must be good and finally gave it a shot (one of the owners was working and gave me a little ribbing by saying, “you know we’ve been here for three years right?”).

What I Got:  Hungry Man’s Special (not listed on the online menu), $19.99.  This includes three meats (I got ribs, brisket and chicken wings) and two sides (I got cole slaw and macaroni and cheese).

First things first, the name of this combo does not lie…this is a TON of food.  Any regular reader of this site knows that I can throw down some food from time to time, but even this was too much for me for one meal.  It was actually enough for two meals because they serve you ample portions of all the meats and all the sides.  As such, let’s address these individually:

Ribs:  I’ve got to say, I was really impressed by these.  You often hear the term “fall off the bone” to describe how ribs should be cooked and these ribs fit that description to the letter of the law.  They were tender and had a strong smoky flavor.  A little greasy, but when you smoke meats as opposed to grilling them, that is to be expected.  Honestly, these were the best ribs I’ve had in a while.

Brisket:  These were served in a separate container because there was so much of it (LOL) and much like the ribs, this was also tender and had a strong smoky flavor.  I prefer my brisket to have juice oozing from it when I cook it and unfortunately, this brisket did not have that.  That said, when compared to other barbecue restaurants in the area, the brisket was exceptional.  The only reason I can complain at all is because of my ego when it comes to making it myself.  Ha!

Chicken Wings:  I’ll admit, I don’t know that I’ve ever had smoked chicken wings before and since I am thinking of doing it on my own smoker, I decided to give these a try in order to see what I was in store for.  My first impression of the wings was that they were HUGE (a good thing) and there were A LOT of them (a recurring theme).  What I found interesting about these wings was that while they were meaty, tender and juicy on the inside, they had a crispy outer skin that provided a nice texture contradiction to the softness of the inside.  As with the ribs and brisket, these also had a strong smoky flavor and I liked them quite a bit.  So much so that I’m anxious to try this myself.

Sides:  Along the lines of the recurring theme, the sides didn’t come in little miniature cups…they came in sizeable containers as you can see in the picture above.  The cole slaw was obviously homemade (big positive in my book) and was more vinegar based as opposed to mayonnaise based, which I prefer.  It was crunchy and fresh, although it could have used a little something extra to give it some kick.  I would rate this as a B/B+ effort.

As for the macaroni and cheese, well, I’ve got some strong thoughts on this one.  I will be the first to admit that I’ve never been a huge macaroni and cheese fan because it is so often botched and lazily made (cheeses are too bland, not enough cheese, etc.) in so many different places.  Because of that, about the only time I will eat macaroni and cheese is when it is out of the Kraft box and yes, I know that is pathetic.  So, in what I thought at the time was an act of stupidity, I decided to give Black Diamond’s macaroni and cheese a try and I am so glad that I did because this was incredible.  It was easily the creamiest and richest macaroni and cheese that I have ever had and I loved it.  They certainly didn’t skimp on the cheese and unlike most places that I’ve eaten macroni and cheese, they actually used a cheese that had a little kick to it and I LOVED that.   Honestly, if you skipped all the meat and just got a huge order of macaroni and cheese, you would be delighted with your order.

Would I Buy It Again?  Absolutely and without hesitation. I can see why that despite an odd location, Black Diamond has managed to stay in business and actually expand in the three years that it has been open.  This is damn fine barbecue and it will always be my FIRST choice on the days that I decide to not make it on my own.  There are not a lot of great barbecue options in this city, so I would strongly advise you to give it a try if you are a barbecue lover.

By the way, Black Diamond caters (one of the owners made sure to let me know that) and also has coupons on my new favorite website, Coupons4Indy.com.

-IndianapolisEater

Saigon Restaurant
3103 Lafayette Rd
Indianapolis, Indiana 46222

Yup, that is me…and my best Perez Hilton imitation.

Saigon is reviewed quite a bit, check out their page on Urbanspoon.  After reading Indianapolis Restaurant Scene’s review, I had to give it a try based on everyone LOVING IT!!!!!!

The interior of the restaurant was refreshingly clean.  The menu is big…Cheesecake Factory big.  I think over 140 dishes on the menu.   It took me about five minutes to get through, though the subliminal message of the sticker on the window led me to Pho.

What I Ate:  Appetizer Sampler $7.50.  #34 BBQ Pork and Seafood PHO.

The appetizer sampler included spring roll, egg roll, crab rangoon, rocket shrimp and fried dumplings.  Honestly, I wasn’t impressed by anything here.  I could squeeze oil out of the fried dumpling, the rocket shrimp were fried with a slice of onion mixed in.  The spring roll wasn’t bad, but not as good as others that I have had in town.   All in all, I was nervous to get my pho.

However, this arrived to quickly restore my faith:

The picture doesn’t do it justice.  The BBQ Pork was tender and excellent.  In fact, some of the best I have ever had. However, the general “seafood” title to the dish included shrimp, salmon,  and scallops.  The seafood was so overcooked that I found myself spitting out a piece giving my mouth a break from chewing.  The difference between the pork and the seafood was the food equivalent of Danny DeVito and Arnold Swarzenegger in “Twins.”

What really hooked me was the broth and the smell.  If I had a cold, I am 99% sure this would cure it.  I found myself just continually eating and drinking this broth…it was really something to talk about.  However, if you are not a fan of pepper, you might want to choose something else.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes.  With 140 menu items, I am going to assume there are a few misfires.  I would get PHO again, but skip the addition of any seafood.

Btw, did I mention how big this bowl was?  I was starving and this is all that I ate.  There were a ton of rice noodles, about a pack and a half of Ramen (couldn’t think of a better comparison.)  See, check it out including an awesome painted on mustache on mini-wibia (he is in disguise to maintain anonymity)  However, he is possibly the best future eater in the land:

-wibia

Tamale Place
5242 Rockville Road
Indianapoils, IN 46224
http://www.thetamaleplace.com

If you are a WIBIA regular, you know that taquerias are my “thing.”  I have received mutiple e-mails about the Tamale Place telling me that I have to go.  Smokin’ DB was one of those e-mails so we decided to grab lunch and talk shop.  The Tamale Place opened in 2003 and with plenty of competition in the area, so you know they have to be doing something right.  In fact, probably a lot of things right.

Most tamales are between $2.75 -$3.50 range.  There were nine available tamales on the chalkboard.  Three of them were vegetarian options:  cheese, tofu, veggies.  Meat offerings were pretty standard, beef, chicken, pork and a few wild cards.

I asked the lady behind the counter, “How much would a normal person eat?”  She said, ”two Tamales if you are pretty hungry and haven’t had breakfast.”  I was starving and ordered three tamales.

What I Ate:

Beef and pobalano chili with cheese, Chicken with in a banana leaf (Oaxaca style) and pork in roasted red sauce.

Yes, that is a full size plate.  The tamales were above average in size, no doubt about that.  I first tried the beef/poblano and cheese tamales.  I liked it because the masa was crazy fresh…made with a lot of love and attention to detail.  The flavors didn’t slap me across the face and in fact, they were very subtle.  Nice balance between masa and filling.

Next up was the Oaxaca Chicken.  Oaxaca is a region in Mexico, so this is really more about how they prepared this.  If it is still not making sense, think along the same lines of regional BBQ.  It is a lot different in South Carolina than it is in Memphis.  Moving on…

When I think about an Oaxaca preparation of tamales, I think banana leaf (check) and a black mole sauce.  Unfortunately, the mole sauce was non-existent, though there was some seasoning to enhance the flavor.  I found it to be a little dry and it was my least favorite of the three.

Finally, a top shelf Tamale!  The pork in roasted red sauce was absolutely delicious.  A healthy dose of moist roasted pork and the masa soaked up the majority of the red sauce.  As good as it gets in this city.  My favorite of the day.

I am not going to jump on my soapbox about the argument that you can’t base a restaurant off one visit.  I say that you can and in fact, most people do.  So instead of coming back to places, I usually just order more food.  My appetite is rarely challenged.

I was eyeing Smokin DB’s tacos the whole meal, so I had to try one myself.  I got a Chorizo Taco ($2.00) and the taco was outstanding.  I found the chorizo to be a little greasy, but perfectly cooked.  There as a little dab of sour cream and it brought a nice richness to the taco.  My favorite part of the taco was the tortillas. A corn tortilla that was thicker than most, but I found it to be pillowy, not sure if that is a word.  Give me credit for trying.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, but I would order all new items.  The Tamale Place has a true command over masa and tortillas.  It is really what they do best.  They didn’t have a lot of spicy menu items as they are more about subtle, pure flavors.  Next time, I am going to order nachos and a few tacos.  All in all, it was a great meal, a good value and probably some of the best and most authentic tamales in the city.  Although, I would’ve liked to see more options for sauces that you can add on to the tamales.

Btw, there are only six seats at a counter.  This is primarily a take-out place, but I question how well the tacos and nachos would travel.

-wibia

Thai Papaya
3905 West 96th Street, Suite 1000
Indianapolis, Indiana 46268

WIBIA and I had been working together to help him move and we saw this place nearby.  Since I had never eaten Thai food before and wanted to try it (the food education of IndianapolisEater is a never-ending process), we decided to pop in here for a visit. 

What I Got:  Kao Padd Gra Prow (Pork) $9.95
Spicy Thai fried rice served with eggs, banana peppers, green and white onions and Thai basil.  Comes with your choice of soup, a spring roll or Thai salad (I got the spring roll).

Kao Padd Gra Prow

Since this was my first venture into Thai food, I figured I’d order something that seemed vaguely familiar, so I got this dish served with pork (chicken and beef were the other options).  You can also choose the temperature of the dish and the options were mild, medium, hot or super hot.  Since I’m semi-adventurous when it comes to hot food, I chose the hot option.  Despite this, all I can really say about this dish is “blah.”  It was pretty much just a pile of all the foods listed in the description with a nice spicy kick.  There was nothing really special about it and I must say that I was bored after eating it.  The pork was also a little dry, so that definitely subtracted from the dish as well.  If this had one thing going for it, it was a healthy portion size which was good because I needed it after the pathetically small spring roll that came with the dish.  Check out the picture below…that thing was barely bigger than a AA battery and was covered with grease.   It was not really appetizing at all.

Thai Spring Roll

Would I Buy It Again?  Definitely not. For my first venture into Thai food, I was not impressed.  Maybe it was the dish that I ordered, maybe it was the particular restaurant (this place does get positive reviews online.  Hmm…) or maybe it was just the food not being something my palate prefers, but I’m definitely not in a hurry to eat Thai food again.  It’s too bad too, because I really would like to expand my horizons and try all different kinds of cuisines.  

-IndianapolisEater

Credit to Robby Virus @flickr.com

Syd’s Bar & Grill
808 Logan Street
Noblesville, Indiana  46060

I used to go to Syd’s a lot for in high school when our school had an open campus for lunch, so I’ve been there many times before.  It’s an OLD bar on the square in downtown Noblesville and let’s just say that it has a lot of “charm” (check out the old-fashioned sign!).  When you walk up to the building (especially if you are coming up from the parking lot behind the building), you can smell the grease from the deep fried goodness that this place has been making since what seems like the beginning of time.

I’ve only been a few times in the 12+ years since then and since I was back for my first trip in quite a few years recently, I figured that I’d go with one of my two old standby orders (the Steak Sandwich was the other).  Not to steal any thunder from the Tenderloin Connoisseur, but I figured I would review his bread and butter…

What I Got:  Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich served with chips $6.95.

Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

When you look at the picture, your first thought is probably “WOW, that thing is huge” and if that is what you were thinking, then you would be correct.  Like a true Indiana tenderloin, this one took up most of the plate.  What differed about Syd’s is that they at least attempted to serve it on a toasted bun that it is somewhat larger than the buns that you usually find served with a breaded tenderloin sandwich.

As for the actual tenderloin patty, it was breaded with a nice crispy crust and pounded very thin.  I usually prefer my tenderloins to a little thicker, but in this instance, I was okay with it being pounded out so thin.  It was perfectly fried and still very juicy on the inside.  I’ve been to Syd’s before where they’ve fried it too long and dried out the piece of meat, but this one was absolutely perfect as it was a perfect mix of juicy meat and crunchy breading.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, I definitely would. I’ve bought it countless times before and I will continue to buy it next time I go to Syd’s.  Because of its size, it was EXTREMELY filling (I had to stand up for a while after this one because it made me uncomfortable to sit because I was so full) and with a cost of only $6.95, you are getting an extremely great value.

So, if you are ever in the neighborhood of downtown Noblesville, give this one a shot (FYI, it’s very smoky in there).  If you don’t want a tenderloin, I would recommend (based on my prior experiences) the Steak Sandwich or the fried pickles.  I know fried pickles seem odd, but something about Syd’s fried pickles make them oddly addicting.

-IndianapolisEater

Kind of food related, so I had to post it…. 3:30 of total nonsense.

Thanks to Rick @ All tenderloins, all the time for posting the link.

-WIBIA

Eddy’s Sports Pub
14160 Mundy Drive
Noblesville, IN
http://www.eddyssportspub.com/index.html

The first two days of the NCAA tournament are two of my favorite days of the year and being such, I usually spend my time in a sports bar enjoying the basketball and camaraderie.  This year, I chose Eddy’s Sports Pub and ended up having two different meals.

What I Ate: Breaded Tenderloin sandwich ($6.95) with kettle chips & “The Wacki” sandwich with kettle chips. ($6.95 as well)

I’ve always been a HUGE fan of breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches. A tenderloin done right the Indiana way (oversized; it’s the state sandwich…seriously) is a great meal.  This one was breaded perfectly and it was juicy. The breading was done by hand (always a very big plus) and was fried to a golden brown crispness.  It came with the usual toppings (tomato, onion, lettuce, mayo, pickle).  This was a great sandwich and it didn’t disappoint.

The Wacki is a fat man’s (or drunk person’s) delight.  It’s a thick, perfectly cooked sausage patty with pepperoni on top and then the melted mozzarella slathered all over both and then covered with marinara sauce. It was served on the slightly oversized and toasted hamburger bun and I slathered it with the side of marinara sauce.  The whole burger was definitely on the greasy side, but if you are going to eat some unhealthy comfort food, this really is a great option.

Would I But It Again?  Yes to both. The tenderloin filled all the requirements that I would have in that particular kind of sandwich and The Wacki was exactly the right sandwich at exactly the right time.  Neither sandwich is going to make you look good in a bathing suit, but you do have to cheat from time to time or else life gets miserable.

-IndianapolisEater