Jonathan B.'s Profile

There are now "Notice of Trustee Sale" signs surrounding the property.

Simple, casual little Italian joint at Arizona Center tucked in next to the Subway.

Average pasta and pizza by the slice.

Be prepared to wait...  a while...  for your...  order...  yawn.

Order and prepay at the counter.  Alcohol served.  Outdoor dining also available.

I decided to roll the dice on my birthday and try a new restaurant with my wife.  I often pass the location of the former Marvin's Garden Cafe and saw the "Thai Food Coming Soon" signs tempting me and decided to finally take action.

On a Thursday night there were maybe 6 or 7 other tables filled when we walked in.  Still plenty of room for us to be seated immediately.  The service was outstanding.  Our orders were taken as soon as we were ready and everything came out quickly, but not so quickly that we felt rushed.

I was looking for a beer or glass of wine but, alas, no alcohol is served here.  I did enjoy a tall Thai iced tea that tasted nice and sweet like it should.

We ordered Spring Rolls for an appetizer.  They were stuffed full and already cut in half, so they were a bit cumbersome to eat (fork required).  The rolls were accompanied by a delicious peanut sauce and a sweet Thai dipping sauce (Nuoc Cham??)

My wife ordered Tofu Panang.  Unfortunately, we found some random pieces of chicken in it.  Not good for a vegetarian.  Other than that, it was slightly more sweet and less spicy (hot) than my ideal panang, but still quite yummy.  The leftovers the next day were even better!

I ordered the Pad Thai.  On my first bite I got a crunchy surprise when I bit into a shrimp tail.  Dearest Cooks: If you are going to leave the tails on the shrimp, please, please, please put them on top or around the side.  Make it obvious to me that I have some work to do before I dig in.  Better still - take the tails off!!   After I learned my lesson, I did enjoy the rest of my dish, which included tofu and chicken as well (as advertised on the menu).

The restaurant layout hasn't changed very much since it's days as Marvin's Garden.  The long diner-style bar lives on.  It looks like redecorating consisted of some paint, new tables and chairs, a few new light fixtures and wall decorations.  It's not the fanciest place in the valley for Thai.

To sum up, good food, great service in a casual atmosphere.  I'll certainly be back to try more of the menu and maybe even add a star if the preparation bugs are worked out.

Total bill with tax, tip and beverage = $36

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UPDATE:  Adding another star for service and spice.

I went back for lunch on Monday and was seated at the bar.  Less than a minute after I received the menu, I was also given the salty soup and petite crunchy spring roll that accompany all lunch specials.  I hadn't even looked at the second menu item yet!

This time around I opted to try the green curry with chicken.

The waitress double checked with me after I ordered.  "Spicy?" she asked.  "Spicy is good," I replied.

And spicy it was.  The dish included chicken, bamboo strips, green beans, green bell peppers and ...  jalapneos.  I made it through about half the dish before breaking out into a fierce sweat.  

Thanks to the excellent service, my water glass was never more than half-empty which allowed me to push forward to the end.

The lunch special was just shy of $8 with tax included.  No beverage - just water.

No frills.  Nothing fancy.  Just some honest burritos and tacos.  Voted "best taco" by New Times a few years back (in the 90's).  Not sure I agree, but they consistently satisfy.  They make a hearty breakfast burrito too.  If you're looking for Sonoran or Tex-Mex or anything beyond what you might find at Filiberto's, try somewhere else.  The red burro combo is my personal favorite.  It's saucy (enchilada style) and just spicy enough.  Bottled beer available.

Truly a hidden Thai treasure!

This tiny place is nestled between a country bar and Chinese video store on the same corner as the "Get Serious" Gym.

The lunch specials include an egg roll, rice and your selection; which for me is typically the beef panang.  PERFECT!  I used to work nearby and this restaurant was in heavy rotation for lunch.  I've never had a bad one here.

The very orderly presentation of the food makes the portion size appear to be small, but it is just the right amount to leave you feeling satisfied but not overstuffed.  I've never gone away hungry.

Please be patient with this tiny restaurant.  There has only ever been one server and one cook when I have been there.  The food will be worth the wait!

Loved the atmosphere most of all.  This is a converted bungalow house that should set an example for downtown revival in the future.   Very respectable selection of beer and wine and a limited menu, but with creative selections.

* The house beer, made by Four Peaks, tasted like something made by Four Peaks, which, if you've ever had a beer crafted by Four Peaks, is the sincerest of compliments.

*  The "G Red" blended red wine didn't suck.  

*  The Ham and Eggs:  Deviled eggs were quite tasty.  The ham was medium-thickly sliced and put on a stick.  Nicely warmed.  How could you possibly f up ham?

*  Grilled cheese and tomato soup:  Both quite delicious.

* Cheese plate:  Three cheeses with toasted almonds, crackers, dried apricot and apple half.  I've had better cheese.  Not the greatest selections.  Could stand to include a nice blue.

An overall pleasant experience, but I agree with Omer K. that the music was distractingly loud.

Fortunately, our service was acceptable.  No complaints about it.  Matt even passed through checking on customers a couple times and chatted with us briefly.