Hardee’s
2500 Conner St.
Noblesville, IN 46060
http://www.hardees.com/

Much like a few of the other writers here (well, probably all of them), I love me some Hardee’s whenever I’m not counting fat calories for the day month. And when Ms. Kate Upton tells me to buy something, I do it. Seriously watch this possibly-not-safe-for-work commercial (there’s no nudity, but people in your office may not take kindly to the innuendo).

(I’m pausing while you lift your collective jaws off the floor, boys)

Anyway, the ingredients on the Southwest Patty Melt appealed to me too. And I went in armed with a buy-one, get-one coupon.

What I Got: 1/3 pound Southwest Patty Melt, $3.99 (buy one, get one free — so, yeah, I got two)

The website describes this thing as such: “A charbroiled beef patty, with sliced jalapenos, grilled onions, pepper-Jack cheese and spicy Santa Fe sauce, all on grilled sourdough bread.” You can get the burger in 1/4 pound, 1/3 pound or “Six-Dollar size” (which I believe is a half-pound).

I was worried, after watching the commercial (you have to glance at the burger instead of Kate for at least a quick second) that there would be too many jalapenos on here. I mean, I wanted a decent amount, but too much and it overtakes the taste for the entire burger. This wasn’t the case. I thought this was the correct amount to have as a complement, but also the main secondary ingredient.

The cheese and sauce seemed to mix together a bit due to the heat and it was a beautiful marriage. I didn’t get a ton of the grilled onions’ taste, but they were on there. It’s just that there’s a lot going on and the onions may have been overpowered a bit.

Being that the Frisco Burger is my favorite at Hardee’s, I of course loved the sourdough touch with the bun. It’s far superior to a normal sesame seed bun, in my opinion.

Would I Buy It Again? Yes. I still prefer the Frisco, personally, and it’s not like anyone who doesn’t seek a heart attack should regularly stop by Hardee’s (this one was 730 calories and 410 calories from fat with 100 mg cholesterol and 46 grams of fat), but when I’m looking for a great, cheap, quick burger with some kick, this is a superb choice. It really worked. Well done, Hardee’s, yet again.

And I just realized that since I had two, I ate 1,460 calories in one sitting. Someone sign me up for an angioplasty.

-Show

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 entrance is between those two bushes, there is no signage…  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