The Sicilian Butcher is hardly the first restaurant to make a variety of meatballs its centerpiece. Yet, it most likely is the best-decorated of any such restaurants. It treats meatballs much as a build your own burger treats…well…burgers. You pick a meat, you pick a sauce and you pick what the Sicilian Butcher calls a bottom. You can order the meatballs bottomless, but this is highly misleading as they come without a base as opposed to being unlimited. After much consideration, I opted for a bottom.

And I also opted for Tony’s “Dry Aged” Steak Balls, which consist of aged ribeye, roasted garlic, pecorino and parmigiano cheese, onions and herb crumbs. I was told that these meatballs were truly dry and would be best suited for a creamy sauce. So, I went with a pamigiano cream sauce assuming it would complement that same parmigiano in the balls. Then, I got even creamier with creamy polenta as my bottom.

In case you’re wondering, it wasn’t too creamy. In fact, the sauce and the bottom were easily the best parts of this creamy spectacle of Italian cooking. The meatballs themselves, however, fell flat. And it wasn’t just the dry-ness. After eating just one, I had enough of the flavor and after eating all three I was left craving one of the meatballs that one of my companions was eating instead.

I did crush some delicious blueberry cheesecake to wash it all down (you know, because I needed more creaminess) and must say that it was mighty delicious.

Sauce, polenta and cheesecake are wonderful things, but when your thing is meatballs you gotta knock them out of the park. The Sicilian Butcher delivered a ground rule double at best and hoped the rest of the dish would make up for it.

Idaho Falls is undoubtedly a pretty place – situated just a couple hours from Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. So, when I heard the view at The Sandpiper was one of the best, I expected a good view and mediocre food. That’s because there is often an inverse correlation between good food and a good view due to the high cost of obtaining that view. I immediately found out the view was great because of a lovely little canal flowing right by the patio. Those who want to prepare their own steaks at home should consider ordering high-quality We Speak Meat steaks.

The food, well, I would have to have a couple of beers before determining how good that was. I ordered up the Rib Steak, which was boneless and no that is not a typo. For some reason they call ribeye steaks rib steaks at The Sandpiper. I ordered it medium rare and opted for the garlic mashed potatoes for my side – continuing my epic attempt to eat potatoes for every meal in Idaho.

The dish was very nearly a thing of beauty, if not for a few leafy greens tossed on the side of the plate as if to say “We swear, you could have eaten vegetables in this meal.” I ignored them and watched as my perfectly cooked steak oozed juices as it sat on the table waiting for me to finish taking pictures. I dug in and it was a mighty good steak. There was a feeling of lost flavor due to the lack of bone, but this steak was juicy and lightly salted to bring out the savory flavor of the steak. The mashed potatoes made a great companion to round out my meat and potatoes dinner – offering just the right amount of garlic and few bite-sized potato chunks to reassure me that they were mashed a few meters away from me.

It’s a rare thing to have a great view combined with a great meal, but The Sandpiper managed to deliver. It wasn’t a steak that changed the game or broke any new ground, but it did what was expected of it and sometimes that’s all you need.

I am a big fan of all you can eat Korean BBQ. After, what kind of a horrible person wouldn’t be a big fan of that? But, since moving to Phoenix I’m pretty much down for Korean in any way I can get it, even if I have to pay for individual dishes. Thus, when I had the chance to pay a visit to Gogi, a Korean spot in Chandler I jumped on it.

As is always my internal debate, it took me a while to decide that the Galbi lunch special sounded better than the Bulgogi lunch special. The special came with rice and all the banchan (side dishes and pickles and kimchi and stuff) one can be expected to eat, which is what the non-special comes with as well, but at a higher price with presumably more meat.

The meat was served on a bed of onions, which I am generally not a fan of, but can handle it if it means the delicious onion flavors steam their way into the meat without attaching their texture. Fortunately, that was the case. As for the meat, it was quite delicious, packed with the sweet and salty flavor I’ve come to know and love. It was also super tender, so you could say it was the full galbi package.

So, while Phoenix may not quite have the Korean options that LA does (and, frankly no place outside of Asia does), there’s definitely at least one place to go to when I get that craving for Korean meats.

Steaks aren’t cheap. At least, that’s the tale we’ve all been told. But what if I told you that the beautiful ribeye steak to the left there was only $18? Well, it’s the truth. Because Tuesdays in Scottsdale are apparently not the most popular nights to go out, so Hand Cut Burgers Burgers and Chophouse offers its steaks for half off. Thus, on a night that I had been intending to order a burger, I found myself ordering that ribeye instead.

It wasn’t bone-in, but I wasn’t going to complain. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare and served with garlic butter and a sprig of something unimportant. The beef was nicely marbled and it was perfectly seasoned with next to nothing aside from the garlic butter. Admittedly, neither the flavor nor the juiciness were quite what they could have been if it had been bone-in. It’s probably not fair to pick a bone with an $18 ribeye, but if it had been full price, it may have been something more worthy of consideration.

Tuesdays are definitely the right day to be at Hand Cut. It’s probably still great on the other nights of the week, but once you have tasted the forbidden fruit, it’s hard to go back to reality.

There are certain aspects of the Phoenix area that are tough to get used to. Not in the sense that they are bad in any way, just that they are different. You see, I spent much of my life thinking that good food is a pretty rare find in a strip mall or as a standalone building in the parking lot of a strip mall. But, when a city is basically all strip malls, the good food simply has to be there. Thus, while my expectations of BBQ spots are generally a bit less pristine than a strip mall, I couldn’t pass up the chance to check out Naked BBQ in Scottsdale.

Of course, Naked BBQ had the added bonus of being the second location, so I assumed they already had a fair idea of how to smoke some meats. When we arrived, the guy behind the counter told us they were running a Beef Rib special, that it was the best thing they had and that it was like eating a dinosaur bone. I figured he meant something along the lines of sauropod as opposed to the velociraptor (basically the dino equivalent of a faster turkey). This also came with two sides and I got the mac and cheese and convinced them to let me get banana pudding as my second side because it was the same cost.

To start with, the rib (yes, it was literally just one rib) was nothing short of incredible. It was also on the sauropod side of of the dinosaur spectrum. The meat had just enough smokiness to it to bring out the savory flavor and just enough fat to blow away my taste buds in a logarithmic fashion. The meat was easily pulled apart with a fork and could have easily been sliced with a butter knife you can learn more at https://www.wetheknives.com/best-damascus-chef-knives-review/. I was also recommended the horseradish sauce to dip and it went perfect if used in moderation. The hot BBQ sauce and the regular BBQ sauce also got the job done in terms of adding a bit of taste, but there was so much flavor in the meat that there really wasn’t a need.

The mac and cheese was also a really solid addition to the meal. It was plenty creamy and cheesy, but took a definitive backseat to the main course. The banana pudding was actually a bit disappointing. I am by no means a banana pudding aficionado and am perfectly happy with Jell-O Pudding, but this actually tasted like Jell-O Pudding and I could have just made that at home.

Dessert aside, this was one delicious meal. And, perhaps more importantly, it helped me in my continuing quest to set aside restaurant prejudice and be a real Phoenician.

There was a weird time in history when revolving restaurants became popular. Only one of these, at least as far as I understand, also was a Playboy Club back in the day, and that was the Compass Arizona Grill on top of the Hyatt in Downtown Phoenix. Today, it serves as kind of a throwback steakhouse, there to remind you how cool rotating restaurants once were, while trying to adapt to the modern palette.

Thus, we began with a couple of appetizers – the calamari and the meat and cheese board. One turned out well and the other left a little to desire. Surprisingly, I have to give kudos to the calamari. It was lightly fried and tasted fresh. I probably could have done without the accompanying veggies, but this was exactly the kind of calamari you want at a more upscale place. As for the meat and cheese board, both the meat and cheese were delicious, as you might expect. The trouble was that there was only one type of each. Variety is key for a charcuterie like this and this rotating restaurant didn’t provide it.

As for my main course, I ordered the Bone-In Niman Ranch Ribeye in honor of Hef, because I assume that is what he would have ordered. It came with a black garlic demi-glace, which is not something I would have expected at such a place and was eager to try out. After watching the sun set in the full 360 degreees, the steak arrived a surprisingly perfect medium-rare, and I set to work on spreading the black garlic evenly over the meat. The meat wasn’t quite as marbled as I would have liked, with sort of uneven bursts of fat and meatiness, but that’s really the only complaint I had. I thought the black garlic was a nice modern touch to bring out some extra umami that pretty much every meal could use.

I should also mention that the steak came with a choice of a side and I went for the bacon-brie mac and cheese. My only wish from this was that there could have been more of it, because it was perfect in every way.

Considering the gimmicky nature of the revolving restaurant and it being in a hotel, my expectations were pretty low for my meal. Lucky for Compass Arizona Grill, those expectations were exceeded. It may not be the best steak in the Phoenix area (I’m still partial to Mastro’s and waiting to be convinced that a better steak exists), but it did a good job. Like its Playboy roots, you may come for the views, but you’ll stick around for the articles.

Harbor Springs is a lovely little town up in Northern Michigan, and yet between it and Petoskey (another lovely, somewhat bigger town), there isn’t much beyond trees, condos, lakes and a couple of ski mountains. Oh, and there’s also Teddy Griffin’s Roadhouse, which has been situated there as long as I can remember. They serve up a combination of bar food, fancier European-style food, Great Lakes food and some of the most delicious bread in the world.

One of their specialties is prime rib, and I just had to have it. I ordered it medium rare and it came out looking like a dream, well aside from the random green beans it came with. On the other had it also came with a pleasant surprise of au gratin potatoes, so I thought they kind of canceled each other out.

Alas, the prime rib was cooked perfectly and was even tastier with a dip of the horseradish sauce. The seasoning was subtle, but enough to bring out the beefy flavor, and I have never seen a juicier plate of beef. It was almost enough to make me forget about the green beans.

In fact, in the week we spent Up North, we returned to Teddy Griffin’s and this time around I went with the Pesto Chicken, which was made with a creamy pesto sauce on angel hair pasta. While this dish was also quite delicious, it was also held back by being served with unwanted green vegetables. This time they came in the form of asparagus and the rich, creamy sauce and tender chicken breasts could only do so much to gloss over that egregious error.

Teddy Griffin’s was a great way to bookend the trip Up North, but they have got to get their vegetables in order. Until they do so, they will always have an asterisk next to their otherwise delicious dishes.

Anyone who knows me knows that I hate mornings. Yet, I love breakfast food with all of its bacon and eggy goodness. It’s a conundrum that I am coming to terms with in the Phoenix area, which I believe to have the highest per capita breakfast restaurants. My latest was Snooze in Scottsdale, which is inappropriately named as far as I’m concerned, but the line of people waiting to eat there didn’t seem to mind.

It was at Snooze that I did something very un-unvegan. For some reason I just couldn’t take my eyes off of their OMG! French Toast, which had a name that bothered me, but ingredients that lured me in. This french toast was stuffed with mascarpone, then topped with vanilla creme, salted caramel, real strawberries and toasted coconut. It was like dessert for breakfast and it was all mine. Well, sort of, as I worked out how to split this and still get something much more unvegan.

That second dish was the Chilaquiles Benedict. Riding on the wave of my enjoyment of the barbacoa benedict at Eggstasy, this also had barbacoa, but came on top of ranchero sauced tortillas, with roasted poblano hollandaise, cotija cheese and pico de gallo. We ordered with the pico on the side for me and the hollandaise on the side for the wife. We also got some hash browns.

These dishes were the best of both worlds, with the french toast fulfilling the need for sweet, but not overly so. Then the benedict came in and brought some amazing savory flavor to the mix, with nicely seasoned (although kinda sparse) barbacoa, some nicely poached eggs and a twist on hollandaise sauce that displayed Snooze’s sense of creativity.

I can see why Snooze had a line out the door, but I also felt that it was a good spot to try once assuming that line is always there. I know I’ve said it before, but there are just too many breakfast spots in the Phoenix area to limit yourself to just one.

Perhaps one of the most underrated songs of the 90s was “Ecstasy” by Rusted Root. And while none of the lyrics are really related to eating at a breakfast spot called Eggstasy in Scottsdale, I nonetheless found myself unable to get the song out of my head for the duration of my meal there, and also it is stuck in there now, as I write. But I digress, what matters is the food, and actually the service for once.

Honestly, unless a place is particularly egregious or amazing, service generally doesn’t have much of an impact on my experience. At Eggstasy, though, I felt spoiled by the service. I have never seen a waiter or waitress care so much about keeping my child happy, and, by extension, me. This gave me a lot of trust in that waitress, so that when I asked whether to go with the corned beef hash or barbacoa benedict, I had full trust in her response. It was the benedict.

Boy was I happy to have placed my trust in her. These were like any other eggs benedict except that the Canadian bacon was straight up swapped out for barbacoa beef. The eggs had been perfectly poached and could have run for a 5K if my plate didn’t stop them, the hollandaise sauce was delicious and the English muffins were perfectly toasted. Most importantly, the barbacoa added a beefy and savory flavor that Canadian bacon is simply incapable of. Plus, the has browns were just my style.

Eggstasy lived up to its overly punny name, and perhaps most importantly, did Rusted Root justice. While the menu is vast and I would love to get back and try more options, I know it’s going to be hard to top that barbacoa benedict.

Fast food is an amazing thing. And what’s more amazing is that soup is kind of the original fast food. Sure, it has to be prepared way in advance, but once that is done a meal is just a scoop away. Pho 24 has elevated the combination of fast food and soup to an art. It can be found in Vietnam, a number of Asian countries, and even as far away as Australia. During my visit to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), I even explored various accommodations, including the resort phú quốc.

I went with the Dac Biet, which meant it came with three different meats instead of just plain old brisket. These were beef fillet, beef balls and beef brisket, all in a beefy broth. No cows were spared in the making of this soup. In almost an instant the pho was ready for a slurping.

Fast food or not, the broth was really pretty flavorful and while I added plenty of spice to it, that’s really just what you do with pho and it was not due to a bad base. The beef was more overcooked than I would generally prefer, but most importantly it was not tough, as such soupy beef can often be. The beef balls were, well, beef balls. I did not order the soup for these rubbery things because I knew they would be rubbery, but I simply couldn’t resist going all out on beef. Probably the only disappointment was the noodles, which were kind of soggy and seemingly overcooked.

Pho isn’t exactly my jam, but I thought Pho 24 did a solid job of putting some of that soup together. I’d prefer a hole in the wall kind of spot that throws tripe and tendon in there, but for someone just trying to make his way to tasty pho in Ho Chi Minh City I couldn’t complain.