Category: Dog Friendly

Road Trip – Rumfish y Vino and Leashless Brewing (Ventura)

American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Dog Friendly, Latin American Cuisine, Road Trip, Travel, Ventura County

After returning from a rather long road trip; the Missus still wanted to head somewhere for a few nights with JJ. After going thru the usual suspects, I thought we’d head out to an place we hadn’t been before; downtown Ventura. Yes, we’ve been to Ventura Harbor, which we thought was fine and we’ve stayed in Oxnard when we visited the Channel Islands. But we’ve never really stayed in downtown Ventura….in fact, I’d really never had recommendations for the area even when we lived in LA. Until, when one of the young ladies who used to work at Bay Park Coffee told me she went to school in the area and said, you and the Missus might enjoy downtown Ventura. She said it’s very relaxed and chill, and most of all, knowing the Missus said there are like 8 consignment-thrift stores along Main Street. So, we decided to head on over and spend two evenings in the area. We stayed at the Best Western Ventura Pier….since…well, we were tourists, right?

We were basically across the street from a lovely park; Plaza Park.

And, as we strolled thru the park, we came across this huge tree.

It’s a huge Moreton Bay Fig tree that was planted in the 1870’s! You can read more about it here!

Main Street is basically a block away. And most of it is pedestrian only.

There are a number of restaurant, bars, and yes many shops along the corridor.

The Missus would spend a good amount of time there the following day and I’d even purchase something for myself!

And near the end of the street is Mission San Buenaventura, which is one of the 21 missions on the El Camino Real.

Sierra also recommended Rumfish y Vino, telling us it’s quite popular with the locals. She told us to go during Happy Hour, which extends to the patio area and can be quite busy. Well no kidding; this was before five on a Friday.

Luckily, HH extends until 6pm during the week. The prices seemed super reasonable compared to SD as well.

I went with a Smokey Tamarindo, which I enjoyed.

Sierra had told me to order the Mussels during Happy Hour which was just $10. The Missus wasn’t too sure about it; but it turned out to be Her favorite dish of the evening.

Nice mild garlic tones, very savory broth, some acidity, I’m thinking from the beer, with the mussels being very plump, tender, and sweet. It took us back to the meals we had enjoyed in the Cinque Terre.

On the other hand, we didn’t care for the House Ceviche, it was too watery, the fish too chewy, not enough acidity. Though it was hard to complain at the $8 price.

Tacos were six bucks a piece for Happy Hour; which seemed a bit pricey, but both choices were pretty good.

The Cochinita Pibil was slightly tangy-smokey, with a mild sweetness.

Loved the pickled onions and the tortilla, though a bit stiff, had some good maize tones. Our lovely Server told us they make their own tortillas.

Though the pork ran a bit on the sweet side, it had a nice toothsome texture.

The aioli really did well on this somewhat hipster taco, adding richness and a mild acidity.

This was a fun dinner and the overall price seemed quite reasonable. And those mussels……..

Rumfish y Vino
34 N Palm St.
Ventura, CA 93001

After dinner we headed back to the Best Western, then took JJ for a walk. We enjoyed the location of the hotel, it was close to Main Street, and also just a block away from the bridge over the busy 101 to the beach. We crossed over the freeway and then took a short stroll on the Ventura Pier.

Which had an interesting mix of tourists and locals who were mostly fishing.

We would take a walk down the following afternoon.

Back at the room, we relaxed a bit; JJ had his “dinny”, then Momma needed some time. I had a place in mind I’d seen earlier on our way to Main Street.

I loved the name of the place; Leashless Brewing! So, you know I had to take JJ there. Man, it was bustling, yet when the nice young lady running the bar saw JJ she smiled and said “come on in” and even pointed us to some open seats.

Looking at the selection, I quickly noticed that Leashless is a certified organic brewery. I also noticed how much fun folks were having.

Especially that gentleman with the Aloha looking shirt and hat….he was just having a blast, dancing by himself! I have a video of him boogieing out…you know

“So let’s sink another drink
‘Cause it’ll give me time to think
If I had the chance
I’d ask the world to dance
And I’ll be dancing with myself“

Dancing with Myself by Billy Idol. Yes, I’m that old……

Everyone, even the pooches were having a good time!

I got a “250”, a Belgian Dark Ale. Good boozy – fruity tones, but what at kick at 10.3 ABV!

The nice gal manning the bar told me the food truck was quite good, but I told her I’d already had dinner.

JJ and I enjoyed our nightcap…..in fact we’d return the following evening!

Leashless Brewing
585 E Thompson Blvd.
Ventura, CA 93001

We had never really given thought to staying near downtown Ventura. I’m glad Sierra recommended it for a visit!

Happy Howl-lo-ween!

Dog Friendly, Seafood, yoso-silly

So says JJ!

Though I don’t think he’s so happy about his costume…..though folks do get a good laugh!

After a visit to the Little Italy Mercato, JJ and I had lunch at Bay Park Fish. That portion size for the Smoked Fish Stack is quite generous and is still $17. Which seems like a bargain right now.

This was quite enjoyable and I had someone, who is from Honolulu recommend the poke here? Hmmm…..not sure; but perhaps I’ll try it out one day.

Bay Park Fish Company
4121 Ashton St
San Diego, CA 92110

And then, before dinner JJ got to visit one of his favorite spots….Bay Hill Tavern to visit his Aunties and Uncles….

Where Neptune can meet “flavortown”??????

And Dad can get a beer before the rain!

Bay Hill Tavern
3010 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117

Here are some random photos from the neighborhood.

For some reason; I kinda like this RIP Pickleball themed display!

Well, the rain has started moving in….so hope everyone stays dry and has a safe and fun “Howl-lo-ween”!

Road Trip – Ponzu Sushi Palm Springs

Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Dog Friendly, Japanese Restaurants, Road Trip, Sushi and Sashimi, Temecula/Idyllwild/Palm Springs - Riverside, CA, Travel

Not wanting a super long drive home from Sedona, we decided to make an overnight stop. Idyllwild immediately came to mind, but this was in February. After discussing options for a bit; we decided on staying a night in Palm Springs. The last time we had been to Palm Springs was waaay back when we lived in LA. We recalled being treated quite rudely by both the tourists visiting and by the folks working there, so we never returned. So, we were quite interested to see that if almost three decades of time would have changed our opinion.

We decided to stay at the Casa Cody, which I read was the oldest continuously operating hotel in the city. I thought we’d enjoy the location, which was close to the heart of the city, but still tucked a few blocks away. We had enjoyed our stays at Marina Riviera in Big Bear, which is a sister property of Casa Cody. And we did enjoy our stay in the almost Adobe/Hacienda style motel. Even though the parking is on the street, JJ liked riding in the wagon that we used to take our luggage to our room.

We enjoyed staying at Casa Cody, which had a nice, retro-relaxed vibe to it.

The staff were really friendly as well.

Casa Cody
175 S Cahuilla Rd.
Palm Springs, CA 92262

Of course, as soon as we checked in….well JJ kept throwing hints that we needed to get on out and explore a bit.

So, the Missus got to do some shopping.

There were some interesting places……

There’s also quite a bit of public art around the city.

It was getting close to dinner time, so we decided to walk up North Palm Canyon Drive to a really dog friendly restaurant named Boozehounds. The menu seemed interesting with everything from Shrimp and Grits to Chicken Adobo to Maguro Tataki. But the Missus really didn’t seem interested. So, we headed back down…..

And finally settled on a Japanese-Sushi styled restaurant named Ponzu Sushi which was just a block from where we were staying.

The menu here is also somewhat fusiony and I understand that the Chefs are Thai. Though there seemed to be some interesting menu items. There were the usual suspects beerwise; but I decided to try the “Old Timer Tokyo” a version of an Old Fashioned which was also smoked.

Which was pretty good; not overly sweet.

First to arrive the Miso Black Cod, which lacked decent carmelization…a big no-no for me.

The flavor seemed a bit watered down; though the fish was quite tender.

Next up was the Uni Hotate Yuzu which was $28. It was basically two scallops sliced lengthwise into three piece portions and two uni divided the same way.

Basically two bites made into six. This was fine though the yuzu and citrusy tones pretty much ruled the dish.

We got two A5 Wagyu Nigiri ($12 each), which was served with one of those tabletop smoke infusers.

While it looked like the beef was a bit overly cooked, it was very tender and velvety; the smoke flavor wasn’t overwhelming and added a nice savory layer to the beef.

The rice was a bit too chewy; but this was by far our favorite dish on the evening.

The Bluefin Tuna Tartare ($28) was a close second.

Not super fond of those won ton chips; but the velvety quail egg added a nice creaminess to the chu-toro which was texturally good; not mushy or too chewy. I actually enjoyed the thin slices of black truffle which didn’t overwhelm the dish.

I saw that they had Kinmedai on the menu so we got two orders of nigiri ($17 each).

I like kinmedai because it’s usually a bit more creamy-fatty than tai, but this was on the drier and chewier side of the scale. Again, the rice was a bit harder than we prefer.

The service was professional and the place filled up pretty quickly. It’s obviously quite a popular restaurant it seems.

Not a bad dinner.

Ponzu Sushi – Palm Springs
100 West Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262

And if you think this looks good. I recently read that Ponzu will be opening here in San Diego at Liberty Station, where El Jardin used to be. I’m thinking they might do well at that location.

We took JJ to a nice after dinner stroll. Palm Springs has a long history of being a retreat for the Hollywood Elite. In fact Elvis himself spent an extended honeymoon in Palm Springs! And of course, Marilyn Monroe obviously has a history here as well! And there’s a 26 foot tall statue of her in an iconic pose. It’s named Forever Marilyn.

Of course, in this pose, it seems like Marilyn has pooped a pup!

We had a nice night of rest. Our accommodation served breakfast and coffee, so after getting my caffeine fix; we took JJ for a nice morning walk.

This was an interesting looking home. It’s called the Aluminaire House. You can read about it here.

Lots of photo-ops for JJ…….

Before we headed back to pack and head on home. Another road trip in the books; though we’d be headed back out again in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for stopping by!

Papa Guapo Cantina and some other stuffs (Old Town)

Dog Friendly, Exploring San Diego, Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

We recently took JJ to Old Town since we hadn’t been in a while. Even though it was the weekend…it’s not major tourist season right now and things were pretty mellow.

All the Dia de los Muertos displays were up and we strolled around a bit.

The Missus enjoyed the La Calavera Catrina Fashion is the U.S. House Building.

The small, but colorful display of dresses, hats, crowns and such by various artists was very nice.

In case you want to know the history behind La Catrina – this article is short but informative.

U.S. House Museum
2765 San Diego Ave.
San Diego, CA 92110

And of course, since Dia de los Muertos is on November 3rd this year, Old Town is having some major events this weekend if you’re interested.

After walking around a bit we decided to get some lunch……unfortunately, our favorite stop in Old Town, Tahona is not open for lunch. And the Missus wasn’t feeling like having an $25 arepa at Encuentro. I had read that a spot specializing in Double Baked Stuffed Potatoes had replaced the Living Room on San Diego Avenue….named…well, Papa Guapo! Now, I thought having a “handsome potato” might be fun. Plus the lovely courtyard was perfect for JJ.

We walked over and the place was totally empty. In fact, we were the only customers for the entire meal! In addition to the usual “taco suspects”, like carne asada, pollo asado, and the strangely spelled “el pastor” (???), the menu included Barbacoa….so I ordered the Barbacoa Tacos, which, with the Old Town upcharge was $17.99. We also wanted the Baked Potato with El, ahem Al Pastor…but the rather serious woman working told us that the potatoes weren’t going to be ready for another hour or more….so we decided on getting the Al Pastor Fries ($16).

The Barbacoa was quite stringy, the marinade was very mild and lacking in the smokiness and spices I enjoy. I mean, I wasn’t expecting Aqui es Texcoco or even the now closed El Borrego. But along with the brittle tortillas this was a miss for us.

The salsa roja was super mild, really lacking in spice as well.

As for the fries; well, I guess I couldn’t complain about the portion size.

Man, this was pretty salty, the chewy pork lacking in carmelization, so closure to an adobada, than al pastor….definitely not from the trompo. Also lacking in the touch of smokey mildly spicy-sweetness of a decent al pastor.

What wasn’t lacking was the cheese……..

Same bland salsa though the fries stayed crisp thru the entire meal.

Not really our kind of meal. Kind of dumbed down for our taste….though perhaps typical for the location. Man do we miss Tuetano! Heck, I’d even take Hola Paris! I’m wondering if El Agave allows pups? Or perhaps we need to do a staycation and even though we can’t stay at the Cosmopolitan with JJ, I think the Fairfield is pup friendly….and then we can go beck to Tahona?

Papa Guapo
2541 San Diego Ave.
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 8pm
Sat – Sun 10am – 8pm

Well, at least we had fun walking around Old Town.

Tanuki Revisited

Dog Friendly, Japanese Restaurants

During the recent heat wave, I was wanting to take JJ out to lunch. After thinking things thru for a bit, I decided on Tanuki. It had been about 6 months since we last visited and the place has a covered porch to dine on.

We arrived right at opening time and had a seat on the covered wrap around patio. It wasn’t too hot in the shade.

They’ve always been really nice to JJ here and it was no different on this visit as he was brought water along with the menus.

I decided on getting the Chirashi Bowl ($20) with a side of Toro Wasa ($12). I was actually wanting some of the items that used to be on the menu here; like shiokara and kakiage….but of course, based on location (Kensington); items like that haven’t lasted on the menu.

It was good to note that the already small portion of chu-toro in the Toro Wasa hasn’t changed since our last visit and neither has the price.

The toro had some chewy connective tissue this time around, but was not bad. The wasabi and what seems to be ponzu based sauce was nice and pungent without being too strong and all of it goes well with the shiso. This was fine.

The really nice woman working who seemed to enjoy having JJ around brought me a complementary bowl of miso soup! She said “I know it’s hot, but I thought you might want to have some miso soup!”

So very sweet! JJ got his bowl of water and I got some miso soup! Nice!

The Chirashi Bowl was priced fairly low for these times so I didn’t expect much and it was fairly routine.

Texture wise; the salmon was very tender and meaty in comparison to the maguro which was starting to oxidize. The hamachi was decent, a bit more chewy than I prefer but not bad. The tako was pleasantly toothsome and had a mild “hint of the sea” that went well with the wasabi and shoyu.

The rice was quite chewy, but the seasoning spot on.

All in all, while not in the same league as lunch Chirashi at Sakura or Ju-ichi, I can bring JJ here, the service is nice. I do prefer Tanuki’s Chirashi to what is served at Kiiro or Oishi as well.

Tanuki
4191 Adams Ave.
San Diego, CA 92116

Road Trip – Margs Draw Trail and a Revisit to Rene At Tlaquepaque (Sedona)

Dog Friendly, European Restaurants, Fine Dining, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Road Trip, Travel

For our last full day in Sedona, the Missus decided to go easy on me and chose the Margs Draw Trail for the morning hike.

The trail is located in the Munds Mountain Wilderness area.

Lots of desert vegetation.

But of course, it’s all those red rocks that capture your attention and imagination.

And JJ did enjoy himself.

There are some nice views as well.

And we finished things up before it got too hot.

We headed back to town and went for a walk around the uptown area.

Where the Missus got to do some shopping.

We were really having a much more enjoyable time on this visit.

We then had a nice nap. After relaxing for a bit, we headed out to dinner, taking time to enjoy the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village a bit more.

A lot of folks were enjoying the area….taking photos and stuff.

And for dinner; well, we had enjoyed our meal the previous night at Rene’s, so we had made reservations for this evening.

It was good having a point of reference, so we got the dishes we had enjoyed the previous evening. Which were just as good. As was the Old Fashioned.

This time we got the Grilled Noble Bread with just pesto.

And the Foie Gras with Brioche…..

And the Duck Liver Pate….was a definite winnah!

The one “new” dish we ordered was the Escargot. Which was fine.

What took it over the top was the puff pastry like bread provided. Light and buttery, it just went so well with the garlicky – butteriness of the Escargot.

Which would have just been ok, without it.

So, I guess we’ve got a place to eat whenever we’re back in Sedona…..so yes, I guess we’ll be returning since JJ enjoys the hikes here.

Rene At Tlaquepaque
336 Az-179 Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village
Sedona, AZ 86336

Road Trip – Dinner at Rene At Tlaquepaque, the West Fork of Oak Creek, and Happy Hour at Creekside American Bistro (Sedona)

American/New American Restaurants, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, European Restaurants, Fine Dining, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, French Restaurants, Road Trip, Travel

On our first full day in Sedona, the Missus wanted to head out to Her favorite trail here; the West Fork of Oak Creek. It turns out that JJ loved it here too. There are 13 river crossings and the in and back hike is 6 1/2 mils long.

Once in the canyons, we came across ice….in the streams…..

And on the canyon walls.

But this didn’t deter JJ in the least.

And he had fun crossing the streams.

Returning to El Portal, we took a short nap, then decided to head to uptown so the Missus could do some shopping. We enjoyed the views from the Oak Creek Scenic Overlook.

And we took a short “tea break” at the Sedona location of the Spice & Tea Exchange.

Yes, it’s a big time chain, but some iced Oolong after a busy morning did just fine.

We then walked back to our room and had a nice nap. We headed out a bit early for “dinner”, because….well, JJ needed his beef tartare fix at Creekside. So arrived for happy hour and got a table out front.

I had a nice HH Old Fashioned.

The Missus got a margarita. We got some chips……

And JJ got his beef tartare……

Creekside American Bistro
251 AZ-179
Sedona, AZ 86336

And then we headed off for our dinner; which was in Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village at a French Restaurant named Rene’s. I did read that it has the same ownership as Creekside, but the menu looked interesting.

We arrived and were seated in the patio area. Our Server was super friendly. And we really liked the menu. So many items that piqued our interest….we finally settled on 4.

And I celebrated with an Old Fashioned.

Like many places these days; Rene’s charges for bread. Though I gotta say; this one may be worth it.

The bread had been lightly toasted, was quite rustic. The bread came with an olive oil-balsamic dipping sauce, tapenade, and pesto. We really enjoyed the herbaceous-garlic forward pesto the best.

The Steak Tartare was next. This was the only “clunker” of the meal as the steak was really chewy and had a metallic finish.

Too bad, because we enjoyed the chips and homemade cornichons. And that egg yolk looked so lovely. Bummer!

Of course we had to get the Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras.

This came with some wonderful pork belly! Kind of overkill, but we enjoyed the sweet-tart glaze on the pork. The brioche and the Port wine reduction edged on being too sweet, but in the end it complimented the wonderfully seared, savory bomb that was the foie gras. Such nice offal-ly flavors.

And the Pate Maison was also a winnah!

It came with more of that lovely bread. The duck liver pate was so rich and buttery, the fragrance of black truffle danced in the air. Wonderfully textured….with that lovely gelee topping the pate. The mustard and other accoutrements paired well with bites of the pate.

This was our favorite meal of the trip. Service was laid back and nice…..in fact, we made reservations to return the following evening!

Rene At Tlaquepaque
336 Az-179 Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village
Sedona, AZ 86336

And just like the previous evening….I ended the night relaxing on the patio with JJ.

Izakaya En (Scripps Ranch)

Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Dog Friendly, Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

A few weeks ago; Calvin mentioned that Todo Sushi (which Cathy has been to), right off the 15 and Carroll Canyon Road had closed and been replaced by an Izakaya. So, I did a bit of checking and it seemed kinda interesting. The place also had a patio, so you know, yeah? The patio looked covered and I decided to take JJ there for lunch.

Man, I hadn’t been in this area for ages…..remember Mo’s Island Grindz???? It’s interesting to note that the other restaurants in this complex is a Subway and a Carl’s Jr. Though there are some other restaurants across the street.

JJ and I walked over and were greeted by a very nice young lady, who told us to have a seat anywhere on the covered patio.

While the patio furniture was a bit worn….the tables a bit lopsided, this was fine. JJ was happy to be out and about and sure wasn’t complaining!

The menu was interesting; everything from sushi/sashimi to fusiony sounding carpaccio, ramen, etc…. And the small dishes were under the heading of “tapas”. I quickly noticed some interesting dishes like kimchi and bacon and Gochu – hmmmm…..Korean Chili Peppers? I quickly asked and was told that the owners are Korean.

Still, I was interested in trying some more Japanese items. So, I went with the Toro Sashimi, which seemed on the pricey side at $20 for 3 pieces and of course some Karaage ($12).

So, here’s the Toro….which was nicely marbled….definitely O-toro.

It was interestingly topped with Caviar, which added a tinge of saltiness. The toro was tender; but cut much too thick for my taste. Though I guess for $20…..

I actually had to ask for wasabi. Which the nice young lady quickly brought to the table.

The portion size for the karaage was quite generous, this surely wasn’t $7 for two pieces. It was not to my liking though.

The batter seemed to be of the “lacquered” type and was already soft when the chicken reached the table. I don’t think it was fried enough.

The “sauce” was too sour and had a more watery texture than I enjoy.

The chicken had a mild soy sauce taste and was on the saltier side; lacking in the light aromatics and sweetness which adds to things. Of course, like I’ve said before, I’ve got like a dozen karaage recipes.

That light colors really indicates that the marinade was too mild. The chicken was moist, though on the very chewy side.

Hmmmm…….well, this seemed like one of those “new style, fusion sushi-izakaya places” that have started opening around San Diego. That toro was not bad though and I saw a dish come out to the one other customer in the place; so I decided to return to try that out.

The same really nice young lady was working and I saw the dish on the menu; with one “typo”.

It’s the Blue Fin Tuna Tartare ($28). Which I ordered. And when it arrived…..

The “Real Carb”….is actually real crab. A generous portion of crab meat. Well, at least they didn’t misspell crab with an “upside down b” if you know what I mean.

The tartare was actually tuna bone scraping; nakaochi….which is pretty rich, though this seemed a bit more mushy than I care for. Ponzu sauce was used for flavoring; though I think something a bit more salty should have been used.

The Taro Chips were…taro chips….

The avocado was perfectly rips and creamy; the caviar was fine; though it really didn’t make a difference in terms of flavor. That crab meat made the dish; it was sweet and oceany.

I thought this dish was worth the price.

So, overall a pretty fusiony sushi/Japanese – Korean spot. The service was very nice; so I might return with JJ again…perhaps to try the Smoked Pork Belly….which seems to be served bossom style. You might want to check out Soo’s post on Izakaya En as well.

Izakaya En
9823 Carroll Canyon Rd.
San Diego, CA 92131
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 11am – 845pm
Saturday 1145am – 845pm
Sunday 1145am – 8pm

Road Trip – Creekside American Bistro (Sedona)

American/New American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, Flagstaff/ Sedona/Winslow/Northern AZ, Road Trip, Travel

After spending two nights in Scottsdale, we headed off to Sedona. The Missus was looking forward to the hikes and such in Sedona….but well, to be perfectly honest, I was kinda underwhelmed by what we ate there on our last trip back during Covid. I think it might have been that we stayed close to the very touristy Uptown area. So, this time, with JJ in tow, I booked us a dog friendly room with patio at the somewhat expensive El Portal Hotel. It was in the Tlaquepaque Arts area. The hotel had only 12 rooms and it had a somewhat historic, Hacienda fell to it.

Check out the lobby.

And our enclosed patio with a firepit.

We enjoyed the vibe here.

And JJ got his own goodie basket.

El Portal Sedona Hotel
95 Portal Lane
Sedona, AZ 86336

After unpacking we headed out for a walk. and explore a bit. There’s a charming little church in the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village.

The Hilton Vacation Club Los Abrigados is also in the area. They have a cute little Javelina statues along Oak Creek.

Which of course meant a photo-op for JJ. Can you figure out which one is the “little piggy”?

We then decided to head off to dinner. There’s an pedestrian underpass to the 179 close by.

And we strolled over to our dinner destination; Creekside American Bistro. I had reserved an outdoor table since we had JJ.

Which had a lovely view.

Service here was very nice…..JJ quickly was brought a bowl of water.

While we got our liquid refreshment.

One of the main reasons we booked Creekside was that they have a doggie menu! And on that menu is “beef tartare”. And you know how much Dad likes his Beef Tartare, right?

So, of course we had to order some for JJ. Though he really wasn’t sure about it at first….

But once he got started…..

Well, that’s all she wrote…..

He finished everything before our appetizers arrived!

The Shishito’s were supposed to come two different ways; blistered and charred.

That shishitos were on the chewy side….kind so strange and that what I think is a sesame based sauce didn’t pair well with it.

The Lamb Lollipops was supposedly flavored with a “Korean” style BBQ sauce, but it was quite mild and didn’t pair well with the mint based dipping sauce.

The lamb chops were really tough and not gamey enough for taste.

The flavor of the Lamb Shank in the Adobo sauce was much better; gamey and enjoyably tender. Not a big fan for the abodo – red curry….kind of a bit too much.

The bean were delicious though.

It was an interesting meal. And the view was quite nice.

We would actually return the next afternoon; but for Happy Hour to get JJ his now favorite tartare, and us a drink.

Creekside American Bistro
251 AZ-179
Sedona, AZ 86336

We walked back to El Portal. This was at the end of January, so weather at night was quite mild. I sat at the fire pit and had a cold one with JJ.

It was the end to another fun day!

Road Trip – Zuzu Revisited and Grabbing a Beer from Craft 64 (Scottsdale)

American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Dog Friendly, Phoenix/Scottsdale/Chandler/Central AZ, Road Trip, Travel

Back in January, we took JJ for his first road trip of the year. The Missus really wanted to take him to Sedona. Well, I figured we’d stop for a couple of nights in Scottsdale again. The Hotel Valley Ho is very dog friendly and the Missus really enjoyed the restaurant there; Zuzu.

The weather was much more pleasant this time around. On our previous trip, which was during the month of March, Phoenix was experiencing record heat! This time, JJ really enjoyed walking around old town Scottsdale.

And we decided on an early dinner at Zuzu.

I settled in with a nice, stiff Old Fashioned.

The Missus enjoyed the Cauliflower the last time….it was replaced by Romanesco ($14).

We find it interesting that the combination of fromage blanc and Thai Basil works well together. Though the capers were a bit too much for the dish. Still, this was our favorite dish of the meal.

If there’s one thing I want right away after leaving the state of California, it’s foie gras. So, I just needed to order the Beef Cheek and Foie Gras Gyoza ($22) from the Chef’s Special menu.

Well, this was a bit of a disappointment. The wrappers were plasticky and brittle, the chili crunch overwhelmed the dish. We could barely make out the offal-ly-savory flavor of the foie gras, the beef cheeks was really stringy. It was perhaps a too “over-the-top” dish?

We got 2 Short Rib Empanadas ($5 each).

The Chimichurri was very oily and bland…I like a lot of garlic and good sharp tones in my chimichurri and it was missing here. The crust of the empanada was much more crumbly and delicate than I was used to.

The filling was tasty, but a bit on the dry side.

Of course we had to get our favorite dish from our last visit; the Terra Heritage Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, which is amazingly, still just $21!

While still a bargain, this was not as good as what we’d had previously. The beef was room temp, so it lacked that refreshing edge. It also had a metallic taste to it. Loved all the Grana Padano which added some milky-savory-saltiness to the dish and the pumpernickel crumble added textural contrast. Not enough Dijonnaise this time around and we missed the anise tones of caraway which was missing this time around. Kind of a bummer since we really loved this dish last time.

Oh well, at least the service was nice, the price with my cocktail and the Missus’s wine was under $100 before tip! And our dinner the following night was a winnah!

ZuZu (In Hotel Valley Ho)
6850 E Main St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

After dinner, the Missus wanted some time to relax, so “Da Boyz” had to find something to do. Well, there’s a Brew Pub – Pizza place less than a block away from the hotel named Craft 64. I walked over and the place has a nice back patio….and it wasn’t super busy so JJ and I got a table on the patio.

They’ve got over 30 beers on tap here! Talk about analysis-paralysis right?

In the end I got a light and refreshing Rocky Point Blonde.

4.5 ABV, low IBU. Just a nice and light brew.

And JJ enjoyed hanging out as well.

Craft 64 – Scottsdale
6922 E Main St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

We enjoyed our evening in Scottsdale and the Missus had some activities up Her sleeve for the following day!