April 2010
2 posts
DeFalco's = DeLicious
With Julie being from Pennsylvania, and me being a New Yorker, it’s pretty rare that we walk into a place out here that reminds us of being back home on the east coast. That’s especially true if that place is an italian deli and market, something there’s plenty of back in Philly and NY but not so much out here in the desert of AZ. DeFalco’s Italian Deli & Grocery is...
Taylor's Took Me Down...Twice
Man, i’m getting full again just from looking at these photos. The photos look innocent enough. The place itself looked innocent enough. Taylor’s Cafe is a charming, cozy little cafe tucked away in a shopping center in the beautiful eastern phoenix neighborhood of arcadia at the base of camelback mountain. its a bright, cheery & colorful neighborhood eatery serving a lot of the...
March 2010
7 posts
I
Not only is that a 100% accurate fact about myself, but it is also the name of my favorite new ice cream from Scottsdale’s own Sweet Republic Artisan Ice Cream. Seems as though lately there’ s some sort of bacon craze sweeping the culinary world, and i for one could not be happier about it! Julie and i recently went over to the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market, like we’ve done...
Four Peaks...Five Stars!
So we here at Bumbs & Crumbs are very happy to finally be able to blog about one of our absolute favorite places around, the always solid Four Peaks Brewery. Four Peaks happens to be my favorite bar in AZ, just behind the legendary incomparable Casey Moore’s. I know in previous posts i’ve made quick mention of some of Four Peaks delicious brews, most notably the seasonal, high...
Shoulda Stuck With The Memories...
This one kinda hurts to write. We hear at Bumbs & Crumbs though take our jobs very seriously, and have an OBLIGATION to go out, eat, and then report back to our small army of loyal readers with our 100% honest, non sugar coated opinion of said meal and dining experience. It’s what we (don’t) get paid to do. Los Olivos is a place that for so many years was very near and dear to me...
Downtown Disappointment
This just in…phoenix has no soul. I’m hesitant to even call it ‘downtown’ phoenix. we rarely venture downtown because, well, there’s really not much there for us. people live in the suburbs, drive downtown to work, then drive back home to suburbia. some restaurants and shops downtown aren’t even open nights and weekends because of a lack of customers walking...
Craving For Curry (Pt.2)
Last time i tried blogging about an indian restaurant it didn’t go so well. I uploaded all the pretty photos, but for some reason never actually wrote anything (sorry about that jewel of the crown). So lets try this again! Although this time it ain’t jewel of the crown, it’s scottsdale’s Tandoori Times. We love good indian food. Obviously it’s not something we eat...
Due For Some 'Que
It’s about that time! You know we couldn’t go TOO long without trying a new BBQ place. What, has it been about 2 or 3 posts, give or take a few, since we blogged about BBQ? For those of you sick of reading about my extreme, insatiable love and passion of all things smoked low ‘n slow, you’ll be happy to know that we’re coming dangerously close to exhausting all of our...
A Nice Light Dinner...
It’s an all too common problem. Julie and i will be trying to decide where to go to dinner, a daily event. As always, she wants texan food while i prefer local arizonian cuisine. Well, no longer is it a problem now that we found TEXAZ Grill! Finally all of our food problems have been solved. Now whether or not Texaz Grill really does serve a fusion of texan & arizonian food is...
February 2010
3 posts
Food Fidel Would Approve Of...
In a town that’s saturated with mexican food and taco shops, it was a welcome departure to enjoy some latin food but from a different part of the world. Havana Cafe has been serving up traditional cuban dishes since 1989, so obviously they must be doing something right to have stuck around for all these years. That’s not to say they haven’t been effected by the state of the...
We're On A Roll.....er, Bun.
Seems like burgers have taken over for BBQ lately on B&C, so i’ll go ahead and continue that trend with Chicago Hamburger Company. I promise though, after this no more burgers for a while. Not that we won’t be eating them, we just won’t be writing about them. Chicago Hamburger Co in the desert of Phoenix? Makes no sense you say, yet it’s been a fixture in Phoenix since...
A Modern Love Story...
Mmmmmm, i sure am loving this recent burger/slider trend going on. My arteries, not so much….but i’m loving it. And no that’s not a nod to mcdonald’s and their current advertising slogan. those are some burgers i could definitely do without as long as places like Modern Burger exist. Modern Burger is the not quite as smart, not quite as hip, younger brother of Modern Steak,...
January 2010
9 posts
Rosenberg Reveals Revo
The shopping plaza at the northwest corner of camelback and 32ndt steert is slowly becoming a somewhat of a gourmet food court , thanks in large part to restaurateur Lenny Rosenberg. Late last year he opened his 3rd restaurant in the shopping plaza, Revo Burrito. The all-natural, casual, counter-service mexican restaurant in sandwiched in between lenny’s other 2 culinary ventures, the...
Trick or Treat?
The Parlor quickly became a dining hotspot shortly after opening early last year. a short drive from phoenix favorite pizzeria bianco, the parlor might be stealing some of bianco’s customers serving up wood-fired pizzas, homemade pastas and rustic italian entrees minus the 5+ hour wait. nothing on the menu os over $20. julie, kari and i finally got there, after a couple failed attempts due...
Darin Hates the French
What Darin hates much less - dining out. If he’s not on his office computer catching up on the week’s Chowbella posts, he’s downloading the newest foodie app on his Iphone. The boy is seriously into food (and certainly has ignited my own foodstuff flame). Our weekend plans are centered around what breakfast, lunch and dinner we’ll have and where. Now while I only kid about...
Smashing!
Seems like burgers are rather hot lately. GOOD burgers though, not the crap they serve at McDonalds, Burger King and the like. Makes sense, with the economy the way its been the past year or so, people are cutting back on things such as dining out. With quality burger places like Smashburger, 5 Guys Burgers, and other places popping up, people can feel like they are eating out and getting a dining...
Pancakes Yes, Service Not So Much...
I’m 99% sure that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. It’s definitely my favorite meal of the morning. Obviously when we learn about a place that does breakfast and only breakfast, it’s a no brainer that we have to give it a try. If a restaurant does only 1 meal, they better do it damn well…or so we hoped. JP Pancake is a little neighborhood eatery about 15 north of...
The Perfect Present
Not much is better than a fancy dinner out. Unless of course, one is speaking of a fancy, FREE dinner out! Compliments of Darin’s charitable father, we were able to indulge at Scottdale’s South Bridge Cowboy Ciao. And indulge we did… and indulge and indulge and indulge.
Though Cowboy Ciao has been on our list (of course we have a list! Literally!) for many, many months we...
Late Hours, Lousy Food
Ok, ok, perhaps I’ve been a bit harsh in my titling of this piece. However, after months and months of waiting, my experience at the world famous Pizzeria Bianco was a complete and utter let down. Known for having America’s #1 pizza, of course Darin and I had to stop in for a bite. “Stop in”; however, is the last way to word any arrival to Pizzeria Bianco.
All patrons...
If a Restaurant Could Be My Doppelganger
Julie here. I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve been 100% neglecting Bumbs&Crumbs. I’d like to blame it on working 40 hours a week, starting grad school and/or preferring to venture around outdoors in this beautiful AZ “winter” weather. But, alas, there is just no excuse. While it’s never easy to break out of the loll, Central Phoenix’s Postino certainly...
This Metro Stops Locally
Usually when talking about the metro, one is usually talking about the underground electric railway of some of the world’s biggest and most well known cities, such as washington dc, montreal or, the most well known metro of paris, france. In this case, metro refers to something french, but its not a form of transportation, it’s Downtown Scottsdale’s french restaurant Metro...
December 2009
10 posts
You Like-a Da Sauce?
Casual. Quick. Fun. Delicious.
According to the Fox Restaurant Concepts website, those are the 4 words that sum up Sauce. I’m finding it hard to with any of those descriptions. From my experience so far, the guys at Fox just know what’s up. Whether it’s an ultra modern high end steak house, or just a casual lunch spot to grab a quick pizza or salad with a glass of wine, Fox does...
Santa Came Early...
…And He Brought Bacon!
If santa eats too much of this indulgent treat he might get too obese too ever slide down a chimney again. I received this early christmas gift of chocolate covered bacon a couple days ago. i’d say it was a late chanukah present, but seeing as pork is a no-no in the jewish religion, i’ll blame this one on santa. a rather unusual and unexpected gift, but...
Way More Than Crackers...
Unfortunately, not so much for us but for the folks a couple towns south of us in the suburbia known as Chandler, the breakfast options are rather limited. Considering breakfast is one of my favorite 3 meals of the day, i find that to be a large problem. Being the wonderful brother that I am, i agreed to drive out to Chandler to show my brother’s beautiful and very well painted condo to some...
Marcella's And A Movie
While shopping for clothes, housewares and various other items is a rather enjoyable activity to me (when i have a few extra bucks), my first thought when i saw the new wing opening up on the north side expansion of the Fashion Square Mall was, of course, are there any new restaurants going in? Not that downtown Scottsdale really needs anymore dining options than it already has, but i was pleased...
Not So Happy With Hap's
Hey, we tried another BBQ place! Big shocker.
With Kinfolks gone, i’m trying anything and everything to fill the BBQ void in my heart and in my stomach. Bryan’s Black Mountain BBQ so far is my top contender, but Cave Creek isn’t exactly convenient to get to. After a rather awkward, and frankly frightening, trip to the outdoor swap meat/fleamarket at Phoenix Greyhound Park during...
Bumble 4 Eva!!
I seriously am obsessed with my dog…
Thank you Adam Barton.
Christmas Spirit!
Grab Your Forks!
For quite some time i had been wanting to check out Roaring Fork. I had heard some good things, checked out the menu which was right up my alley, and at the time we lived in the very lush and beautiful Optima Camelview which was literally just next door to the office building which Roaring Fork resides in. Roaring Fork also happens to be possibly my favorite name for a restaurant. According to...
Glooooooorious
One of the great things about living here in Arizona is the ability to eat outdoors most of, if not all year long. Back in NY, especially on Long Island, the outdoor eating options are very limited, no matter what the season. And while there are plenty of beautiful restaurants out here, there really is nothing like enjoying a good meal outside on a sunny, breezy day in a beautiful location. If...
Home Sweet (& Savory) Home Round 3!
Toast & Co
When I heard Toast had opened up in Huntington Village i was all excited assuming it was the second outpost of my beloved Toast in Port Jefferson, but alas, just an imposter. No graham cracker encrusted peanut butter and banana stuffed french toast here, but they do have some interesting things in my favorite town on Long Island that seems to be struggling for real breakfast...
November 2009
9 posts
There's No Place Like Home
…or a friend’s home. And that’s just how it felt when we dined at the Oldtown Scottsdale’s Eddie’s House. After receiving a thumbs up review by our food loving friends Justine and Jeremiah, Darin and I headed to Eddie’s to fill up our Friday evening. (Eating is our main source of entertainment.) After crossing through the enormous doored entryway, we entered...
We Must Confess...
…we cheated. And we kinda liked it…
When it comes to thai food we are absolutely hooked on Royal Thai in Mesa. Every once in a while though we get the urge to stray just to see what else is out there. If nothing else, we at least will know what our options are if, god forbid, Royal Thai suffers the same sad and untimely fate as Kinfolks. If that ever does happen, once i’m out of...
Chicken And Wha?
Years back i had eaten in L.A. at the somewhat famous Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles. I recall being somewhat scared of the place, but loving the food. Lolo’s Chicken and Waffles had a home in downtown Phoenix since 2002, which for some reason we never got to. Luckily for us, they decided to expand their soul food empire and open a second location roughly a mile from our home. At this...
R.I.Pig
It is with a heavy heart and an empty stomach that i must report Kinfolks is gone. In honor of the passing of my favorite local BBQ joint, i will show my appreciation by not eating ANY bbq for the next 3 minutes. Times like this make me question the meaning of life, the existence of God, and where i’m supposed to get lunch now…
Scary Mr. Kinfolks guy that sits behind the counter and...
Indecisive, Yet Indulgent
I love a good burger, but i’m very very indecisive at times. Shoot, i even had a hard time deciding whether or not to add that second ‘very’ in the previous sentence. You ask what does loving a good burger have to do with being indecisive? Well at Indulge Burgers & More in central Scottsdale, there’s literally thousands of different ways to order a burger depending on...
Cave Cuisine
If you love good southwestern food, and have always dreamt of eating it not in a restaurant but in a cave, Carlsbad Tavern is the place for to go. Even if you just want good southwestern food but don’t care about the setting, go to Carlsbad Tavern. Make sure you’re VERY hungry when you go there though, trust me. It’s certainly not the place to go for some light fare. It’s...
Emasculating Darin
Da-duh! After a brief (or not so brief) haitus, I’m back in full swing. From time to time, one will find that I get hit with a mean streak of writer’s block. Thankfully our blog hasn’t suffered too much as Darin has stepped up his blogging game.
The restaurant in review tonight is Acardia Farms; located in the neighborhood streets of Scottsdale. Offering up locally grown and...
More Like Le Poop
According to the website, Le Peep describes itself as…Fresh. Simple. Elegant. Inviting.
No. No. No. Definitely no.
We walked into a mostly empty restaurant, yet still for some reason got seated in the way far back corner of the place. No people. No window to gaze out. Just a rather bad wall mural as far as i can recall. It was anything but warm and inviting like their website said. I...
Happy Halloween!
- from one unhappy puppy
It's Definitely Original...
So i must say i was rather skeptical of The Original Pancake House for quite some time. It’s a national chain, though this is the only one in the state of AZ, and somehow i’ve managed to never see one before in any other state. Secondly it’s attached to and shares a parking lot with a Motel 8. To be honest i’ve never stayed at a Motel 8, but to me it conjures up images of...
October 2009
11 posts
Bad To The...Just Bad
So it’s just about 3am and i can’t sleep. I find myself as usual daydreaming about food, so i figure i might as well do something productive and write about it. This was a meal we actually ate many many months ago, so while i don’t remember specifics, i remember enough to know this place wasn’t so great as it’s name would leave you to believe. Bad To The Bone BBQ....
I Out Eat My Boyfriend
I’m a big fan of sushi. So by no surprise, I opted for sushi when asked to pick my birthday dinner spot. The Oldtown Scottsdale location of RA has been the go-to sushi spot since my move West. I suppose since it was just Darin and I celebrating my big 2-7, we forewent the social/party scene of RA and hit up the smaller/less known Blue Wasabi instead. We didn’t know much about Blue...
Mole!!
Recently, Julie and I had the pleasure of being visited by my brother and his family. I know everyone probably says this, but i really do have the cutest niece and nephew in the world. Like many east coasters that come out here for a long weekend visit, good mexican food is usually on the list of must have eats. Luckily for them, and for us locals as well, there is no shortage of good mexican...
This Bigfoot Ain't No Myth
Why does it seem like every other post i do on here is about a BBQ place? Hmmmmm…
We’re quickly running out of new BBQ joints here in the phoenix area to try, so we’ve expanded our culinary horizons on a recent trip to flagstaff and got lunch at the fun, and funky, Bigfoot BBQ. As is true with any good BBQ place, the smoky smell of meats being cooked low and slow is evident the...
What Don't They Do?
Seriously, as if we haven’t already given LGO enough accolades…
Just next door to one of our favorite lunch spots, le grande orange, sits one of their sister restaurants, LGO pizza. From the couple friends i spoke to about lgo pizza, it came heavily recommended. Again, we must keep things in perspective here…this is NOT new york pizza as i know it. (nor philly pizza for that...
TT, Tortas & Tacos
I had known about Tacos Jalisco for some time before i finally made the decision to stop in. i also knew this place was good as soon as i walked in. there’s A LOT of mexican food out here in phoenix, and the fact that brian and i were the only two non-mexican people in the place meant something. if it’s good enough for the local mexican folks, that’s a sign to me that tacos...
I'd Become a Regular
We here in Arizona have been lucky enough not to be experiencing the east coast’s constant rain and drastically dropping temperatures. While I’ve heard my PA alma mater received almost 10 inches of snow, we just suffered through another 100+ degree weekend. Though I never thought I’d say it - I actually find myself missing the cool, crisp air of autumn, what some deem...
Bryan's Black Mmmmmmm.....
Bryan’s Black Mountain BBQ…thats what i was trying to say. This place is really good. Far, but good. About 45 minutes northwest of Scottsdale, on the outskirts of civilization here in the desert, is the town of Cave Creek. Nestled in between the questionably authentic biker bars, cowboy saloons and numerous shops to buy southwestern art and trinkets is Bryans Black mountain BBQ. Brick...