Alexander "Foodie Bear" C.'s Profile

Ive been here on 3 different occasions and each time this place does nothing but awesome. The crust is light, chewy and has a slight crisp to the edges. Sauce is fresh with a nice acidity mellowed with silky mozzarella cheese. There isn't a bad pizza on the menu and the kitchen is fast cranking these killer pies out so no long waits for food.

Eating pizza with a knife fork.. really?

If you talk to any real estate agent they always give the same three words of advice, location, location, location. Another dial-a-realtor-cliche is getting the worst property in the best neighborhood. Usually if you don't follow these guidelines you may have a long hard road ahead. Well So I thought, Bertha's Cafe moved from their location at 40th Street and Thomas to a hidden corner at 32nd Street and Indian School, boy was I wrong.

First step through the door you will be surprised that the carpet doesn't match the drapes, so to speak. The small space is filled with charming farm and bistro tables and a large case filled with delectable baked treats beckons you for serious consideration. It seems that even at a perceived bad location, Bertha's is one of the best sandwich places that you've never heard of. Aside from the baked goods, Bertha's offers generously stuffed sandwiches, ample sized salads and a rotating soup menu.

The Asparagus and Havarti Panini is Bertha's signature sandwich and for good reason, its killer. Stacked onto fresh baked MJ Bakery bread is a composition of oven roasted asparagus, roasted red peppers, pesto mayo and havarti cheese. I opted to upgrade my sandwich with slices of roasted chicken breast which took something great and made it better. The crispy edges of the grilled bread combined with the salty-sweet flavors of meat, veggies and cheese made for sandwich perfection.

I am still thinking about the Club Sandwich with its roasted turkey, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and cheddar cheese. It's a classic that has only been improved with plenty of quality ingredients.

All sandwiches are simply served with a sinful chocolate cookie, so you might want to add a small side salad to your meal. I ordered the Pesto Pasta and Peas as well as the Dill Potato Salad. Both salads smelled great from the fragrance of fresh basil to the sharp earthy dill, but were a let down when the lack of salt and pepper left these both fairly bland. The problem was easily fixed with a few shakes of each.

Salads are fresh and crisp starting with the Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Salad. A pile of mixed greens is topped with pungent goat cheese, sweet roasted red peppers, tart sun-dried tomatoes and savory pesto was a hit. Thai Chicken Salad was another favorite loaded with crunchy bits of carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, peanuts, green onions and bell peppers. On top was sliced chicken breast, tomatoes and served with a side of spicy peanut dressing.

While I loved the chocolate cookie that came with my sandwich, I nearly had a food-gasm when I took my first taste of Bertha's Caramel Toffee Bar. The chewy madness starts with chocolate chip cookie dough then it's spiked with loads of Heath bar pieces, caramel and white chocolate chips, so wrong yet so right.

I wonder how busy Bertha's would have been opened in a prime location? With a lunch line nearly out the door on my last visit, one can only imagine.

There really isn't much I can add to the reviews but to say, great food and great service means this place is fucking killer!

Major happy face!

She's sassy, she's charismatic, she's Maria Manno and if you've ever wanted to know what its like to have a gorgeous Italian mother, I mean younger sister, than I have the place for you, Gasper's Casual Italian Eatery. Along with husband Gasper we were made to feel like a part of their family with a laid back atmosphere, fantastic Italian food and some of the most reasonable prices I've seen with cooking of this quality.

While Maria is busy making sure everything is running smoothly in the dining room, Gasper is manning the open pizza kitchen. Let me tell you, he cranks out some mighty fine pies, no wonder the place is named after him, and they're spot on. Before you even get to taste the pizza your table is graced with a basket of freshly baked focaccia bread slathered in nutty olive oil. Be careful not to eat the whole thing, there is so much to try from pasta to plates all the Italian classics are covered.

There are two camps when it comes to Toasted Ravioli ($7). Some say that it's a Sicilian Christmas tradition taking ravioli filled with cheese then breaded and deep frying until crisp. While the other camp uses the same preparation, they claim it's strictly a St. Louis invention. Either way we're talking about one tasty belief system.

Fried Calamari ($10) is pretty much a mainstay on any menu these days, though few can manage a light fluffy crust while keeping the inside tender and flavorful. A generous squeeze of fresh lemon and a spoonful of marinara sauce and these crispy rings were as good as they get.

I'm not sure who Regina ($15) is, but she must have been pretty awesome to have a pizza like this one named after her. Thin slightly charred crust was crisp on the outside chewy on the inside topped with red sauce and cheese then finished with fresh sliced prosciutto, Parmigianino cheese and arugula. This was the perfect balance of salty cured meat countered by the peppery greens.

Another favorite the Quattro Formaggi ($13) has the same crust but is covered with mozzarella, fontina, Parmigianino and provolone. The cheeses all played off each other, a milkiness from the mozzarella, a little bit sharp and tangy from the fontina and provolone with a nutty finish from the Parmigianino, its not wine tasting but its certainly has a subtle complexity.

If you order one pasta dish make sure it's the Fettuccini all Burina ($14). Ribbons of toothsome pasta bathed in a light cream sauce then tossed with prosciutto, mushrooms and basil was simply perfect. My next favorite was the Rigatoni con Ricotta ($12), thick tubes of pasta were the perfect vehicle for the fresh cheese and tomato sauce, heart and comforting.

Don't even get me started about dessert, Maria makes all of them. The Cheesecake ($6.50) was fresh baked that it was still slightly warm. The only time I've had cheesecake like that was when I made it myself and let me tell you what, mine doesn't even compare. If available, be sure to ask about the fresh made Cream Puffs ($6.50). Made with layers of flaky dough then filled with banana or vanilla pastry cream and like the Manno family, they were warm and delightful.

Closed Mondays

The City of Angles, Los Angles, has to be one of my favorite foodie destinations. Pretty much every food trend over the past 5 years or so has its epicenter in LA. From Korean style frozen yogurt to cupcakes and now food trucks, the people of LA know a good thing when they taste it. While all of these trends have some how made their way to the Valley of the Sun, there's one thing that I've never been able to find here, garlic sauce like the one that's served at the LA institution Zankou Chicken.  

If you've heard of Zankou and its amazing Lebanese chicken and tangy fluffy garlic sauce you know exactly what I mean when I say it's ethereal. For those who've never tried it either pack an overnight bag and head to LA or drive down to 20th Street and Van Buren to Al-Hana inside of Baiz market, its the closest thing to Zankou Chicken in Phoenix and its close location makes it even better.

The area located around Baiz Market might seem a little rough around the edges but the market itself is clean, well lit and packed with all sorts of interesting Middle Eastern grocery items from dairy and fresh produce to meat and hookah paraphernalia. Tucked in the corner of the market is Al-Hana, a postage stamp sized restaurant specializing in, you guessed it Middle Eastern cooking.

While the offerings might seem typical the flavors are bold and shouldn't be missed. The creamy roasted eggplant dip Babaghannuj ($4.49) had a smokiness usually not found in many other places. Al-Hana leaves their version thick and chunky with just the right amount of olive oil drizzled over the top.

Ordering the Falafel Plate ($5.99) will get you 6 deep fried cumin scented pucks of ground chickpeas and fava beans. Pile a couple of these onto a freshly baked pita, slather with tahini and enjoy the crunch. Id also highly recommend the Labneh Pie ($2.99) which is filled with labneh, a Lebanese cream cheese, onions and tomatoes all baked in a light tender crust.

The main dish for me was of course the Whole Roasted Chicken ($9.99). It comes with pita, pickles and garlic sauce. The chicken itself is so well seasoned and juicy it would seem like a crime to adorn it with anything until you get some garlic sauce on it. The texture is light and fluffy, almost like a garlicky mayonnaise. After one taste you might ask them for another container, seriously delicious.

After a wonderful meal you'd think there wouldn't be enough room left for desert, but my rule is there's always room. With that I sauntered to the back of Baiz Market where their in store bakery is located, most of the case filled delights are around $2 each including a flaky syrup soaked baklava.

While I love LA, knowing that I don't have to drive 300 miles to get my garlic sauce fix makes the drive across town all the tastier.

Al-Hana inside Baiz Market
Open Daily

Stopped by Friday night with a gang of friends for dinner.. was amazed how friendly the manger was, she greeted everyone who came in through the door. This location used to be a KFC so its bright, clean and relaxed.

We ordered up a whole mess of food, ribs, brisket, sausage and a bunch of sides. The meats were pretty good though you could taste they had been hanging out for a while. You see their on site smoker isn't up and running yet so the Indian School location is supplying #2 with smoked meats. Beans and tater salad were tasty as well as their house sauce. The sweet potato fries which had a coating of cinnamon and brown sugar, killer.

Kitchen was slow but since there were only 2 people running the show and they had only been open for 4 days we cut them some slack. Though location #1 has never been known for its fast service either. Somethings done right just take a little time.

Hopefully within the next few weeks they get the kinks worked out, smoker up and running and maybe a few more hands in the kitchen. Looking forward to getting back soon.

Overpriced and rude.. I wont give this place (or the asshole attendant) another cent of my money.

There was a spot on my hood so I was using the squeegee to get it off (it was less then the size of a dime) when the attendant runs out and tells me to stop using the squeegee on my hood. His reasoning, that the next person to use it expects a clean squeegee.. this doesn't make one bit of sense.. what would be the difference of me cleaning dead bugs off of my windshield or from the hood of my car? Nothing. Whether I used it on my hood or on my windshield the squeegee is getting dirty.

All it takes is one rude asshole to alienate a customer which he did with flying colors.

I remember back in the day when Mill Avenue was the place to go to eat, party and have a good time. There were movies theaters, plenty of places to grab a drink a bite and do some quick shopping. Well with the development of Tempe Marketplace and the crash of the economy both took their toll on the once beloved street. However some might disagree saying that Mill had lost its college town feel in lieu of a corporate take over. These days most of the corporations are gone and the empty commercial space is being slowly back filled with locally owned businesses, like the new stylish eatery, Canteen Modern Tequila Bar.

Opened by the same owner as my favorite La Bocca Urban Pizzeria, Canteen is located along Mill Avenue across the street from the pizzeria. Inside you'll find a hip contemporary space tinged with a Mexican rusticity like crushed vintage velvet booths and space age lighting elements. If you love tequila this will probably be your new drinking shrine, Canteen has more than 100 different tequilas to choose from. If you prefer your tequila mixed go for one of their expertly mixed cocktails including the blue agave and orange infused desert prickly pear ($6.50), I love a tangy buzz.

In the kitchen pretty much everything is made from scratch on sight, this was apparent after the first bite Mexico City Style Quesadilla ($9). Feathery hand formed masa is formed around roasted chicken then crowned with avocado, radish and a spicy tomato coulis. The quesadilla was so light it was like eating corn flavored air. Simple salads like the Grilled Steak with Romaine ($10) was adorned with cherry tomatoes, avocado and had just enough chipotle vinaigrette dressing to enhance the fresh produce not mask it.

If you want something with more heft order the Carne Asada Torta ($10). At first taste the beefy grilled flavors came bursting through only to meld with the gooey Oaxacan cheese. Pickled red and poblano peppers did an excellent job of cutting though the richness of the sandwich.

Flaky flour tortillas are also made in house and are one of the key components in the varied taco offerings. Fish Tacos ($9) were filled with beer battered fillet and fried until crispy and golden; a layer of spicy slaw completes the ensemble. Oh so light and oh so good but the real show stopper was yet to come. You know how much I love pork, so when I was so blown away by the Slow Roasted Achiote Pork Tacos ($9) that I actually ordered another plate full of three. The melt on your tongue pork was insanely additive and moist that for just a moment, nothing else existed.

Sweets were limited to only a few options but even then I was hard pressed not to order them all. Rum spiked Raisin and Cinnamon Rice Pudding ($6) was warm creamy and made me feel good all over. However the pudding was upstaged but the accompanied sopapillas. These were so warm and puffy; I filled each one with pudding for my own version of a hot pocket. I loved the delightful Trio of ice cream ($6) which included Horchata, Avocado Jalapeno and Chile Mango Sorbet. Though what's not to love, these were all made by our very own Sweet Republic.

I have a feeling if places like Canteen keep opening, the good old days of Mill are just starting to begin.

Have you ever heard of a salad that is so popular that it has its own Facebook page? I know I couldn't believe it either, but this isn't any ordinary salad. Think tidy rows of smoked salmon, Israeli couscous, asiago cheese, arugula, sweet dried corn, black currants and pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds) topped with a creamy pesto dressing all tossed table-side. The Stetson Chopped Salad should not only have its own fan page but its creator, Chef Bernie Kantak, should be given a hug every time you see him at his new Citizen Public House.

Located in what used to be the valleys original Trader Vic's, there isn't a tiki torch in sight. Instead you'll find a contemporary space outfitted with wood accents, leather booths and a stainless steel-topped bar. The vibe is casual and relaxed elevated by outstanding service on every one of my visits.

If you're wondering what a public house is, well simply put it's a tavern that also serves food. While they do serve some great drinks and have an excellent wine list, I'd be hard pressed to call Citizen a mere tavern. How many taverns have you ever heard of serving pork studded Bacon Fat Heirloom Popcorn ($5)? Or how about a pot filled with creamy 'Kilt Lifter' Fondue ($9) savory hunter's sausage, sweet tangy pears and toasted country bread? If you have, please let me know right away.

For dinner I couldn't recommend The Original Chopped Salad ($12) more but if you don't like smoked salmon, they can make it with chicken instead. The Mirliton Chopped Salad ($12), a composition including chayote, snow pea greens, tomatoes, popcorn, grilled halloumi cheese; cucumber-onion salad tossed with a tangy parsley-garlic dressing was a fantastic textural explosion but lives in the shadow of its older sibling.

I'm not even sure where to start with the entrees; I guess it comes down to price point. Take the lower priced lusciously juicy Lamb Burger ($12) topped with a cucumber salad, zesty tzatziki and served with fries, you'd think with flavor and quality like this would be much more expensive.

At the other end of the price range sit the fantastically meaty Fair Trade Coffee Charred Short Ribs ($28) complete with a side of brightly sour dried cherry bbq sauce and roasted parsnip puree. Somewhere in between is the juicy "Smart" Chicken ($18) which refers to the brand not the chicken's admission into the Mensa Society.

Desserts by Tracy Dempsey were all that and a bag of cookies, literally. Cookies and Milk ($6) were delightfully chewy and come served in a sealed pouch for freshness, of course the milk was ice cold just perfect for dunking. Three words, Strawberry Pound Cake ($9). A thick slice of strawberry olive oil pound cake is lightly grilled then served with vanilla malted ice cream, chocolate sauce and malted strawberry streusel and like the Stetson salad it was Facebook worthy.

Well once again I'm the last one to the party. Beckett's Table has been buzzing away since opening in the old That's Italiano space late last year. I've tried so many times to get in but for whatever reason or another didn't make it. Well finally made it in and I have to say, I wish I hadn't been so damn fashionably late.

A couple of notable thing, the space is killer, rustic-industrial and second, the waiters are hot, especially our beefy ginger waiter Scott, Sam, hmm, maybe Bill? Anyway I can't remember his name but what I do remember was his attention to detail and service. Looking around you can see that all the servers were attentive and helpful to all their guests. I'm just a sucker for a beard, I mean great service.

In case you're wondering who Beckett is, the name refers to local Chef Justin Beckett. The man has got some chops and has nothing to hide in his open kitchen. I love open kitchens, I think its an honest way of sharing how clean and organized a well lubed kitchen works, in other words the orders slid in and out with total ease. The menu is made up mainly of meat + starch with a few flare items that while are mostly comforting, shows the levels of sophistication, especially for a neighborhood kind of restaurant.

At first glance the Country Paté ($12) seemed to be overwhelmed with way to many accompaniments. I'm a mustard and bread only kind of guy, but after trying each delicate bite with a different topping it all made sense. Each component is representative of a different tasting experience. Vinegary whole grain mustard is completely different than sun dried tomato making for an interesting and interactive experience.

Another surprise appetizer was the Creamy Grits & Schreiner's Sausage Trio ($9). I generally avoid grits simply because I've never really had them made well, though Beckett's version is as advertised, creamy and delicious. You can never go wrong with Schreiner's sausages, simply the best as far as I'm concerned. The only real let down was the Grilled Cheese ($9) served with bacon, four cheeses and roasted red pepper tomato soup. Every component was good except that main one, the bread, which was dry and not very tasty which made the entire dish unravel.

Entrees were meat-centric starting with the oh-so-tender Osso Buco ($18). A pork shank braised in its own fat was melting tender, served atop butternut spaetzle and pepper reduction. The braising continues with fork tender Short Ribs ($19) that were big and beefier in flavor thanks to a red wine and herb reduction.

What's a great way to round of such a rich meal? How about a slab of Fig and Pecan Pie ($6)? The sweetness really cuts through the richness from so many savory items. If you're still in the mood for unique, try the hands on Chocolate Dipped Bacon S'mores ($6). Yes, you read it right, slices of thick cut bacon that have been enrobed in chocolate. Once over the novelty, you realize that it's far too messy to finish.

I think the party at Beckett's is only getting started.