Month: July 2023

Haymaker – Peoria, AZ

We were staying at a beautiful resort in Peoria, Arizona and it was time for breakfast. Since we were not familiar with the area, we asked the front desk, and everyone recommended that we check out Haymaker.

Clearly everyone in town had the same idea because this restaurant was packed. We put our name on the list and probably had to wait about 30 minutes for a table.

When we finally for our table I was starving. We put in an order for the Jalapeno Stuffed Peppers. This would be a good starter. The fresh jalapenos were stuffed with pork sausage and cream cheese. Then they were wrapped in bacon and grilled up. The bacon did get crispy which I really enjoyed, and it added extra smokey flavor to the peppers. The creamy filling had a nice subtle savory taste, but it was overpowered by the jalapenos. These peppers were extremely hot. I have not had jalapenos this spicy before.

My eyes started watering. The cream cheese barley calmed down the heat. They served a Chipotle raspberry dipping sauce on the side. This was a great balance of sweet and spicy. It added a nice bonus flavor to the jalapeno and bacon combination. But it did not cut the heat.

For my breakfast, I ordered the Pulled Pork Skillet. This skillet started with a base layer of country potatoes, then layers of onions, peppers, cheddar cheese, and salsa verde.

Then the pulled pork was put on top with more cheddar cheese. And on top of all of that was two over-well eggs, and of course more cheese. This was a lot of food. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach.

The pulled pork was tender and very flavorful. It was not a BBQ pork, so the flavor was more savory than smokey. The potatoes were great with the peppers and onions. I ended up putting a little bit of ketchup on them to eat. The eggs are what made this dish breakfast, in a way they were nor necessary because everything else was so good.

The Monterey Chicken Sandwich was also ordered. The grilled chicken breast was topped with hickory smoked bacon and pepperjack cheese. For added toppings they layered on smashed avocado, lettuce, tomato and a chipotle aioli all on a soft Brioche bun.  This was a lot of sandwich. The chicken was juicy, and the bacon added a salty crunch. The avocado gave each bite a creamy texture.

The food was worth the wait at Haymaker. Everything tasted extremely fresh and made with a lot of care. Check out their complete menu at www.haymakeraz.com

Enjoy!

T

The Kettle Black – Phoenix, AZ

As I wrote about in a previous post, Phoenix has so many options when it comes to eating. The bartender at a different restaurant suggested I try The Kettle Black. He said he loves going to this place after work. He also said I could not miss the place because it has a big red door.

When you walk through the door you feel like you are in an English Pub. The bar looks amazing. There is solid wood everywhere. It is a very old school look.

They have a happy hour menu but I missed that timing on this visit. They have a ton of bourbon and whiskeys to choose from. I went for a local Phoenix cider called Six Byrd Cider. It had a nice crisp taste to it.

I was a little hungry while sitting at the bar. I ordered the Philly Cheesesteak Fries. These French fries were covered in shaved ribeye steak, sautéed peppers and onions, and a creamy cheese sauce. This was exactly like a Philly cheesesteak. The ribeye was spectacular. It was so tender and juicy. I could tell it was fresh shaved ribeye and not that frozen kind that tends to be really greasy.

The peppers and onions gave nice flavor. It was the cheese sauce that helped pull it all together. The sauce was extremely creamy and not overly salty. Each element of the dish worked perfectly together. And having French fries verses a roll was a better use of carbs. I highly recommend this dish and its’s perfect for sharing.

The Kettle Black is another great place in Phoenix that you need to check out.

Visit their website at www.thekettleblackpub.com

Enjoy!

T

Biergarten Dog Haus – Phoenix, AZ

If you are in the downtown Phoenix area, there are so many food and drink choices. I was looking for a good place to go for happy hour. Biergarten Dog Haus popped up in my search. It is a great place to go for hot dogs, sausages, and burgers.

They did not disappoint when it came to a happy hour menu. There were food, cocktails, and beer specials.

The Boulevard was a beer that was ordered. This was a Bourbon Barrel Quad. When I tried it, I could taste the hint of bourbon. It was a strong beer with a high alcohol content.

I ordered the Wyders Cider. This was a pear cider. It was interesting, it was a little sour and a little sweet to me.

One of the happy hour food items ordered was the That Burger. This was a burger patty with white American cheese, pickles, lettuce, onions, and 1000 Island dressing. This burger was simple but delicious. It was juicy and the cheese made it creamy. The dressing gave it a little kick.

We ordered a side of tater tots. These were classic, fried up till crispy. Just a little salt and ketchup and you can eat these like a kid.

We also ordered a Polish Kielbasa and a Spicy Italian Sausage. It was a little hard to tell them apart. But they both tasted great. They had a great crispy outside based on how they were grilled up.

We were able to get two sauces on the side for dipping. We tried the chipotle aioli and the spicy basil aioli. They both had a nice, subtle heat. While it tasted great with the sausage, but they were even better to dip the tater tots in.

Our bartender was fantastic. He was extremely friendly. He also gave us some great suggestions on other bars and restaurants we needed to check out while we were in town.

Check out their website at www.DogHaus.com

Enjoy!

T

Breakfast Station – Zephyrhills, FL

There is a breakfast place that a neighbor told me about that was a must visit. Just describing the homemade biscuits and gravy made me so hungry to try Breakfast Station. They first opened in 1995 in Port Richey, Florida and now they have locations all over the state.

A group of us went out to breakfast one Saturday morning. I was excited to see what everyone was going to order.

The one item we all agreed on was that the table would get the homemade biscuits and gravy. They put the homemade sausage gravy in a bowl for us. For the biscuits they did something unique with them; they actually fried up the biscuits – they cut them open and fried them on the griddle, so they were a little crispy and buttery. The gravy was so creamy and was full of savory sage flavor.

For my breakfast I ordered the Baggage Car Omelet. This huge omelet was loaded with diced ham, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and American cheese. The ham added a great saltiness and the cheese added the creamy texture. All the veggies helped make this omelet filling. I also got a side of grits. I loaded them up with butter to make them creamier.

The Southern Skillet was also ordered. The skillet started with a base of homefries that were cooked with peppers and onions. Then there was some ham mixed in. Then it was all covered with the homemade, delicious sausage gravy. Pepperjack cheese was sprinkled all over to melt. Finally eggs were placed on top. This was another large size breakfast. Make sure you are really hungry.

The Crossroads Omelet combined sausage, peppers, onions, and pepperjack cheese. After the omelet was folded up they covered it with the homemade sausage gravy. They use this gravy on so many dishes. It is absolutely amazing.

The last breakfast that was ordered was a Build Your Own Omelet. So this omelet combined ham, peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese. But for a twist, their homemade chili was poured on top. This made the omelet unique and with a little spice.

The breakfasts were so satisfying. The restaurant had such a crowd and there were people waiting outside to get in. They are a popular spot. I highly recommend them if you want a great breakfast.

Check them out at www.breakfaststationcentral.com

Enjoy!

T

Huss Brewing – Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix has a ton of craft breweries. We were in downtown Phoenix and checked out Huss Brewing.

They have a many beers on tap. I started off with Papago Cherry Blossom. This was a fruit beer. It used 100% real cherries in the brewing process. It was a combination of tart and sweet.

To help enjoy the beer, I ordered something to snack on. I thought the Classic Chips and Dip would be perfect. These were nice, salty kettle chips served with a homemade French onion-chive dip. There was a great balance between the flavor of the onions and chives. It was extremely creamy which was great.

I ordered another beer to enjoy with my chips. This time I ordered the Papago Orange Blossom. It was another fruit beer. I really enjoyed the first one so I figured I should try one of this brands other flavors. This wheat beer was flavored with mandarin oranges and a touch of vanilla. It was almost like a creamsicle.

Huss Brewing was a great place to grab a beer and a quick bite to eat. It would be a great place to watch a football or baseball game

Check them out at www.hussbrewing.com

Enjoy!

T

BLT – Doral, FL

If you love to golf and you are in the Miami area, you definitely need to check out Trump National Coral Miami. I golfed two of the courses and they were beautiful. But if you are not into golf, that is perfectly ok. Trump Doral has some amazing restaurants and you do not need to be staying at the resort to get to enjoy.

BLT is one of those restaurants that is a must try. The food is absolutely amazing and is perfect for sharing with friends.

When you visit, the Popovers are the first thing that needs to be ordered. This is not a normal bread for the table. These popover muffins are light and flakey. They are huge when they come out. One was enough for me. Make sure to put butter on them as soon as they come out so that it melts.

Another great appetizer to order for the table is the Shrimp Cocktail. It is a classic and somehow at BLT they make it special. The shrimp are huge. They were chilled to the perfect crispy temperature. The cocktail sauce they served was the perfect amount of tanginess from the horseradish and sweetness from the ketchup.

If you want a unique appetizer, order the Thick Cut Bacon. Some restaurants have fancy bacon on the menu, however BLT takes it up a notch. It is more like a pork belly than bacon because the pieces were so thick. These pieces were grilled up with herbs and sherry. I sliced through them like a steak. The flavor was amazing. The fat that was left melted away in almost a buttery flavor. This was a rich appetizer, so it is perfect to share so that you do not get too full.

If the table is feeling like they want something a little fresh, especially after the bacon, then order the Chopped Vegetable Salad. It is perfect for sharing. The fact that everything was chopped up made it much easier to eat. Tossed with the lettuce was feta cheese, olives, avocado, and tomatoes. They used a great vinaigrette as well.

For my main dish I ordered the Filet Mignon. It was a 10oz steak that was cooked to a perfect medium. The steak was buttery and tender. The seasoning on the outside was both salty and peppery. I just could not stop eating it.

There were a few sides ordered for the table. They were all created to share. The asparagus was a great steakhouse staple. They grilled the asparagus to give them a nice smokey taste. These were pretty big stalks. The ends were a little tough, so I just stuck to the tops.

The other side ordered was the mac and cheese. This was amazing. It was extremely rich and creamy. They had a breadcrumb crumble on top which got crispy when they put the mac and cheese in the oven. The crunch it created was a nice complement with the creaminess. I highly recommend this side.

Now it was time for dessert. We were all pretty full, but we figured we could share a few of them around the table.

The Guava Cheesecake was fantastic. There was a berry compote on the plate as well. The cheesecake was creamy and sweet. The guava added a tartness which was a nice complement.

The Brownie Bites were not even on the menu. Our waiter just brought them over to the table complementary. They were soft and chewy. The sweet taste of chocolate was amazing. It would have been great with a cup of coffee.

The final dessert was the Croissant Bread Pudding. I love bread pudding. It has a classic comfort feeling to it. I really like the twist they took by using croissants rather than regular bread.  It had a little different texture however it was still soft and gooey. They put a salted caramel sauce on top that soaked into all the nooks and crannies of the croissant.

The meal was amazing at BLT. I enjoyed everything that I ate. I really do not think you can go wrong with anything that you order here. Check out their menu and plan a visit at www.bltrestaurants.com

Enjoy!

T

American Social – Tampa, FL

I love having brunch on the weekends. Having brunch in Tampa, on the water, is amazing. There are several places to check out, but American Social is one of my favorite spots.

It is on the water so you can watch the boats go by. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. They have a lively outside bar that is perfect for watching football in the fall.

We were there with friends visiting from New Jersey on a Saturday. Good thing we had reservations because this place was packed.

To start off brunch, a mimosa is necessary. The fresh orange juice mixed with the bubbles of the champagne made the start of the brunch just perfect.

We started off with an appetizer that we all could share. The soft baked pretzel was the perfect choice for everyone to enjoy. The pretzels were made into long pieces, almost like breadsticks. This made it much easier to share. The pretzel had a buttery taste to it. The inside dough was extremely soft. I loved that doughy texture.

They served freshly made beer cheese and honey mustard on the sides. The mustard did have a sweet taste to it, but the beer cheese was my favorite. It was creamy and had a slight tang to it from the beer.

The Poke Tuna Tower was also ordered. This dish had a beautiful presentation. The layers were extremely colorful. There was diced Ahi tuna, guacamole, crispy wonton strips, wakume (seaweed), sesames, soy sauce, and sriracha.

The tuna was immensely tender. It just melted away in my mouth. The soy sauce gave it a salty taste, but it was subtle. The guacamole added a creamy texture to each bite. The sriracha did not add any heat, just additional flavor. Each layer added texture and flavor to the whole dish. It was amazing.

I was excited to try the Hot Chicken Sliders. I love hot chicken and I was excited to see how a restaurant in Tampa interpreted a Nashville staple.

These were small bites, came as a set of 3. For me, it was a complete meal, however it could work perfectly as a sharable appetizer for others. They made homemade buttermilk biscuits. They actually started falling apart as I picked them up. After a while I ate the biscuit and chicken separate, which was fine by me.

The chicken were like nuggets. They fit perfectly on the biscuit. There was not as much spice on the chicken as I was use to but it still had great heat. What really had the heat was the hot honey that came on the side. It was warm and had red pepper flakes added which is where the heat came from. When added to the chicken it was definitely hot. There was also a sweet taste to it as well which was the perfect complement of sweet and heat. It was a great brunch item. You did not feel overly stuffed when you were done eating.

American Social was a perfect place for brunch, especially if you have out of town guests and you want to treat them to something special and unique. Make sure you get a reservation before you get there. It makes getting a table faster for sure.

Check out their menu at www.americansocialbar.com

Enjoy!

T