Kristi T.'s Profile

I always love it when new restaurants come to town - makes me giddy with excitement to see if it will be a place that I can call home. I had heard about Parc Central for a few months from friends who talked about their amazing Happy Hour and the live bands that play Thursday - Sunday. Needless to say, I was super excited to go check out this place in the Scottsdale Quarter. Just like the name suggests, Parc Central's ambiance and surroundings are inspired from Central Park - down to the swanky lounge atmosphere with unabashed New York City glamor set against Arizona's desert landscape. I was blessed to sit on their patio and enjoy a cool spring evening. Before I sat down though, I checked out both bars (that's right - 2 bars!), their private dining room, and of course the restrooms - I admit, I am always curious to see how they are decorated.

I saw the glorious Wine Wall and thought I died and went to Heaven. Do you think they'd let me move in?

First up was the City Garden - which was a bubbly blend of cucumber vodka, peach schnapps, champagne, and lime. Two of my favorite ingredients (champagne and lime) in one drink - sign me up! Ok, I might have had two... but shhhh, our secret.

I was happy to be there with my partner in crime, J.E. Pizarro with Foodies Like Us as we tried some of their Happy Hour menu. I have to say, that I was pleasantly surprised by the offerings, but also, about the prices. They sure know what Happy Hour means! The evening started out with a bowl of crispy beet chips. I need to state for the record that I *hate* beets. Seriously do. Well, let's just say, I love beet chips! Wow. I almost ordered a second bowl. We then shared the Prime Beef Carpaccio that came with Kalamata olives, salty capers, fresh arugula, and a tangy dijon vinaigrette for $6. Look at all meat on this plate! The Carpaccio was full of flavor and the arugula accented the beef beautifully.

Next up was the Fromage and Charcuterie Board, complete with figs, stuffed olives, and artisan crackers. If you don't know this about me by now - I love cheese. So anytime I can order a meat and cheese board, I'm on it. It came with three different types of meat and cheeses - I was in carnivore heaven! Hmmm prosciutto...

For dinner, J.E. chose the Grilled Lobster Lasagna and it came with a ton of lobster on top and on each layer. It was made with fresh-made lasagna noodles, fontina, baby wilted spinach, and buerre blanc. I kept asking for bites of this dish so I could taste the layers of flavors in this dish. I had never thought to put lobster into a lasagna and would definitely recommend this dinner to any seafood lover. This was paired with Sterling's Sauvignon Blanc - the dryness of the wine brought out the rich flavors in the sauce.

I have had a lot of steak over the years... it is by far my favorite dish. This is the first time I have had one with Boursin Cheese melted on top of it. This Bousin Cheese Crusted Ribeye is my new bff. A succulent, juicy ribeye drizzled with a truffle sauce as the Boursin cheese lends this steak a remarkable flavor. It is really hard to describe. I just know I want it again! The ribeye was coupled with au gratin potatos and a wild mushroom-asparagus ragout. I paired this beautifully with Rosenblum's Zinfandel - the richness of this wine balances well with the robustness of the ribeye. Match made in foodie heaven I tell ya.

What was cool about this night was that I had an assortment of friends join me over a few hour period. None of them had ever been to Parc Central before and I was happy to make the introduction. The servers here are so freaking nice and attentive, I was stunned - was I really in Scottsdale? One thing that Parc Central could improve upon is to have more gluten-free choices, or better yet, a whole gluten-free menu. One of my friends had a hard time with the menu because of his severe food allergies.

Call today to make reservations - you won't regret it. They do take walk-ins, but why chance it? This is a great place to bring your client for lunch, a perfect place to celebrate your birthday, and a romantic dinner setting for your anniversary. On a first date? Pony up to the bar and relax with one of their signature Martinis.

To read the review on the blog complete with photos: http://bit.ly/l6PfmP

I am always excited when a new restaurant opens up in my neighborhood. I am a big fan and proponent of shopping local, especially in food establishments. I won't lie, when I first researched the Mellow Mushroom and found out that they were a franchise, I was a tad sad. Then I learned that each of the 110 restaurants are completely different from one another - no cookie cutter layouts here!  I had the pleasure to sit down with owners Jay and Diana, and was impressed with how they give back to our community. One of the first things you notice about each Mellow Mushroom location is the unique art on the walls. At the Happy Valley location I recognized shots of the local Phoenix scene and great art from local Phoenicians. As part of being in the Mellow Mushroom family, each location gives back a substantial amount of money to local artists to outfit each location with visual wonderfulness.

I enjoy good wine, but when you go to the Mellow Mushroom, it is the beers that have top reign here. With more than 36 beers on tap, (Tempe has 48) it is very easy to pair the perfect beer to your pie. When you become a regular here and don't see your favorite libation on tap - just ask. If you are there often enough, they are more than happy to bring it in for you. I was stunned. Seriously? I could just name my poison and you will bring it in? Now that is what I call service! There is even a Beer Club that you can join if you want to taste all of their beers.

My love for root beer started when I was very young and I would ask for one each time we went out for pizza (long before there was delivery). The Sonoran Root Beer is crafted locally and made from Sonoran Desert honey, plus it is mighty delicious. Next time I go in I have to try it with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Yum!!

I admit, I have eaten at the Mushroom quite a few times, and often enjoy their Happy Hour from 3-6pm and I have been known to come back for their Reverse Happy Hour from 10pm-2am. Seriously - can't go wrong with half priced appetizers and beers. The crowd is usually those coming in for a beer after work and meeting a buddy to relax a bit before going home.

One of my favorite appetizers is definitely the Spinach & Artichoke Dip - tons of cheesy goodness with the right mix of spinach and artichoke hearts.  Often times, I split the Capri salad with its delicious mix of fresh mozzarella, vine-ripened tomatoes, basil, and the most orgasmic balsamic reduction that I have ever tasted. OMG - can I have a bottle of that reduction please!?!

Meatballs. Seriously. I just need to say it again - Meatballs. These are freaking awesome! The sauce is sweet, just the way I like it, fresh basil, shaved Parmesan, and inside each meatball is a soft cheesy center = Heaven. Please make more because I am not sharing!

I am not usually a fan of pretzels, but boy was I pleasantly surprised when I tasted theirs! You could taste the freshness and the softness when they came right out of the oven. The pretzel dough tasted like it had been mixed with honey - actually it's made with molasses and Georgia Spring Water. I was hooked! For all of the Vegan lovers out there, the dough is Vegan, but make sure to ask for it sans the Parmesan cheese. The same dough that made those awesome pretzels also creates the crust for their signatures pizzas. That is the only thing required from each franchise is that the dough is made in their flagship location in Atlanta, Georgia.

On one of my adventures to the Mellow Mushroom, I had the help of eating my way through a few of the pizzas with @skinnyjeans aka @noshtopia. Read her review as she talks about all the great gluten-free and vegan items that are on their menu.

The owners' son came up with a pizza that is unique to Arizona, but with the name of the establishment, I was quite surprised that not all of the franchises have it on their menus - the Fun Guy Pizza. This is by far my favorite pizza and it has five different types of mushrooms loaded on it: Shiitake, Crimini, Button, Portobello, and Oyster Mushrooms with lots of Mozzarella cheese and the sauce is a house-made Grilled Mushroom Vinaigrette. I'm in love. I seriously didn't want to share.

I have tried all of these pizza too:

   * Kosmic Karma: This pizza has a love of olive oil and pesto chicken, with tons of sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, Feta, and fresh tomatoes. Loved it!!
   * House Special: Their signature pizza loaded with flavor and freshness with Pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, tomatoes, ham, bacon, and of course, extra cheese.
   * Mighty Meaty: Stacked with Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, ground
beef, ham, and bacon

Read the full review here: http://bit.ly/ijJJXh

I started seeing Dr. Roxane Zamora a few months ago when I couldn't move my neck to the left. Seriously - I was in a lot of pain. First, she took x-rays of my back and neck to identity the problem. My Atlas was severely out of whack to say the least!

I was prescribed traction exercises to complete while I was in the office, plus being personally adjusted. I'm not going to lie, one of those traction devices looked like something I could hang myself with. But I tried it - and liked it. Then we went to a room that had this foam pillow with a triangle cut off ~ my absolute favorite! I need one of those for my home, please.

When I went in for my chiropractic adjustment, Dr. Zomara explained what she was going to do so I wouldn't be taken by surprise. My hips were off, my neck was out of alignment, and my back felt like it had been ran over by a Mack truck. I was a mess! Ten minutes with her using pressure and an activator, and I started to feel some relief from the pain.

The final touch comes in the form of this massage bed that has a heated core and a roller that literally rolls your stress and pain away. Pure Heaven!

Will I go back? Most definitely! I also learned a very important tip - Eggs Get Cracked... We Get Adjusted! There is a big difference.