lemniscate

Sure. The Marketside looks to be a few weeks from opening, so when it's ready I'll make the "sacrifice" and give my report. There's a new Fresh N Easy a couple miles away that looks like it may open nearly at the same time. Looks like the roller-derby of competing Specialty Markets openings will soon commence. Let's see who offers the best "get me in the door" incentives.

Here in Phoenix Metro we have the Fresh N Easy and Marketside going in old Osco Drugstores. I have not been in a Fresh N Easy, but have gotten lukewarm reviews from my friends who have. When I googled Fresh N Easy, it looks like they are not performing up to Tesco's expectations. I wonder if Marketside will be equally disappointing for WalMart. It seems Trader Joe's is the chief competition for them, but I think TJ shoppers are very loyal. I know I am a loyal TJ shopper so I probably won't entering a Marketside. I have a Marketside and a TJ's equidistant from me.

I was so disappointed in the SW episode also. I only got halfway thru it, lost interest. zzzzzz.

I'm trying to remember the popular food styles of the 80's. Didn't the whole "blackened" fish/chicken phenomena start then? Asian fusion? Did it begin that far back? I seem to recall sushi bars were the exotic new things that you had to travel to LA to experience. Maybe those braincells are long deceased though....................

When I visited Austin Tx and vicinity, there seemed to all kinds of German, Czech and Polish foods around. (oops, boy, this is an old thread, didn't notice the original poster date, 2004!!??. Welcome to Phx. belatedly.)

x2 on DeFalco's in Scottsdale for Italian deli meats and groceries. There's a couple small Indian markets in Tempe and Chandler. Don't forget the Super Mercado and Food City's for the Latino foods, but that is hardly a niche market in Phx Metro. I frequent LeeLee's a lot. Stanley's on McDowell is a proper Eastern European deli. Sausages, breads, lunchmeats, pierogis, cabbage rolls, etc. They have a few groceries and what I consider the best natural casing hotdogs in Az. (edited to add Stanley's)

I've bought the frozen marinated crayfish at my local Ikea and winged it myself on how to eat the bugs. Great fun and a wonderful mess. The brined crayfish are tasty, though we were woefully missing the aquavit. I think you have to be a little bit drunk to try your first crayfish.....

I *finally* got around to getting the jerky. Wow, very tasty, sweet, salty and a little spicy. I really like the sesame seeds on it. But very, very, sticky. Not something you can eat while driving nor posting on eGullet, lest you have keyboard and mouse cleaner handy. A wet papertowel is needed to enjoy this stuff. Trick, the cat, did not get to sample it but was very interested in the ingredients listed on the bag. This jerky was made in California. This is the original flavor, there is a bbQ and a curry flavor that I will be trying next.

I enjoyed the meal (STEAK!!) and atmosphere at The Butcher Shop. The Butcher Shop website. . It is located away from the tourist areas.

The Beef and Green Chile burritos are making me very happy. Good balance of meat to green chile. The chile is in strips, not diced.

I would recommend Killer Shrimp. I like the one in Marina del Rey, but there are other locations around the LA area.

I did a google for recipes before I posted. Many of the recipes out there just say use storebought "Archway" or others. Others just give a standard cookie recipe and say slap some ice cream in between and put in freezer. The brownie type recipes are on the right track, soft and pliable right from the freezer. I wonder if slightly undercooking the peanut butter chunk cookies would help keep them pliable in the freezer? Or increase the fat in the cookies to increase pliability? This seems to be a cookie science scenario. Good point about the ice cream keeping the cookies moist.

Trader Joe's had some awesome chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches. The cookies are soft and toothy right out of the freezer and match the texture of the ice cream so there's no fighting to get a bite. I thought I could replicate them at home using peanut butter chunk cookies. I bought a bag of the Sutter's Gold peanut butter cookies and tossed them in the freezer in a plastic bag to check their texture when frozen. Hard, brittle, dry. Not a smooth bite. They were soft and fresh when purchased. How do they make the cookies on ice cream sandwiches not freeze altogether? Anyone have a recipe? I am looking for that smooth bite and no crumbling.

I have always loved my Jet Stream convection Oven. It roasts a chicken perfectly, juicy, with paper thin crispy skin. It bakes biscuits fast and they puff up more. This is a throwback to the late 80's. I love it so much I scope out ebay for units for replacement/backup parts. Stay away from the one with the digital controls, terrible quality machine. Go for the vintage analog control models.

Last night my husband and I had dinner and drinks at the Lounge at the TCA. Click for TCA homepage.. It's situated in the TCA with a glass wall facing west up Tempe Lake, overlooking the bridges and the new lakefront buildings. A negative edge pool is just outside the Lounge which blends visually with Tempe Lake. There is a floating fireplace in the glass wall which is a very cool design element. There are maybe 8-10 tables in the lounge plus a small bar. The view after dark was spectacular with the lights on the bridges and the buildings reflecting in the water. We went on Thursday because the art gallery in the TCA is open until 9pm and I wanted to show my husband a very nice Trompe l'oeil show that's currently installed. The food was very, very good and I thought the prices were very reasonable. Husband had the flat iron steak frites and I had the watermelon nicoise salad. His steak was done to his liking and tender and the frites were nice and crispy with a garlicy demiglace drizzled over them. The watermelon nicoise was a very pleasing sweet, tangy, salty taste. The salty olives with the sweet watermelon and feta cheese and fennel was just a very good combo I would have never thought of. But of course, like a total noob, I didn't take any pics of the food or the scenery even though I had my camera in my purse. The bartender and young chef were very friendly. The bartender made my G&T's just right. This place needs and deserves more recognition. If you are anywhere in the the area, stop by for a drink or a meal and just enjoy this place. It's quite a breathtaking building.

Holbrook? I assume you are going there for the Petrified Forest. Don't get your hopes up on food there. You are going to do LOTS of driving with that schedule. Tortilla Flats in about as far out of Phoenix as you can get and still be technically near the Valley. The 88 Apache Trail gets very twisty turny near Canyon Lake and can be scary for flatlanders not used to hairpin turns and sheer dropoffs. It's a very kitschy, goofy kind of place. They serve prickly pear ice cream, which is pretty good. I can recommend Carlsbad Tavern in Scottsdale instead of Richardson's for a "New Mexican" inspired meal that would be much closer to Sun Devil Stadium. I really, really like this restaurant. Recommending other restaurants kind of depends on what part of the Valley you may be staying in. I'm in the East Valley so that's what I know best. I *think* Cyclo is closed on Mondays. If I'm passing by it, I'll try to remember to check the hours. The BevMo at Tempe Marketplace is east of the airport just off the 202, not quite on the way to the Grand Canyon, but close enough to get what you want and get back going the right direction. There's construction on the I-17, so that will affect travel time going north.

Is he going to live in Gold Canyon? Mesa and Gold Canyon are not next to each other. Gold Canyon, though much bigger than it was just a few short years ago, is still kinda isolated (mainly by Apache Junction, which is not known for its cuisine). I know there are some new strip malls in Gold Canyon, probably housing a pizza joint or sandwich shop (probably chains), but I'm not sure about restaurants. The Red Sage on Kings Ranch Rd. is solid for breakfast, I haven't eaten there for lunch/dinner. Gold Canyon Golf Resort has restaurants, but I have never heard anyone say they have ever eaten there. Gold Canyon is primarily a retiree population, albeit upper income. I can vouch for the white menudo at Los Hermanos in Superior. That's about a 20 mile drive east of Gold Canyon. Very old restaurant in an old mining town. Solid Mexican food, take the fresh tortillas and Mexican fruit turnovers home. Other than that you will need to drive into Scottsdale/Metro Phoenix if you are looking for more of a high end "foodie" experience. Or it you want Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Indian, etc.....

In my local Asian supermarket, at the bakery cases, there are packages of what is labeled Vietnamese beef jerky. They are rather large thin slices of beef coated with spices, mostly red chili flakes. I love beef jerky and at the next visit plan to pick some up, but after googling "vietnamese beef jerky" I'm a little confused. It looks like you are supposed to grill it to eat it. It's not sold in a refrigerated case nor vacuum pack, so I am assuming it's plenty dried out already. Does it have to be grilled? Or can you eat it out of hand like domestic beef jerky? ....i really can't believe i am confused by beef jerky

I don't love honey, but I do like it in hot tea now and then. But having a jar or a plastic bear around always lead to stickiness on the jar or the table, ya know, a minor irritation, but an irritation no less. I read about THESE on the National Honey Board's website a couple years ago as a test market item, and now it seems to be a real product. Anyone seen them in person? Especially the Canadian eGulleters, since they seem to be a product of PEI right now. Pricey too.

By Rt. 10, I think you mean I-10, the main freeway thru Tucson. You didn't specify what time of day you were arriving in Tucson. If its between 5am-2pm, I recommend Jerry Bob's on Valencia. Link to map and info for Jerry Bob's It's a local diner near the airport and Valencia will take you right to the I-10 eastbound for Benson. It's popular, has solid food with a Mexican influence. The waitstaff are great. I eat there everytime I'm in Tucson.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is the place for you then. It is rarely visited by the hordes but the views are no less spectacular and it is higher in elevation than the South Rim. It is a proper Ponderosa forest. Go here for info. It will still be monsoon season in September, so the thunderstorms over the canyon will provide natural fireworks for the scenery. Microbreweries in Phoenix area I can personally recommend: Papago Brewing in South Scottsdale, Four Peaks Brewing in Tempe (and one in North Scottsdale). I'm an East Valley resident, maybe a West Valley-ite can chime in with westside breweries. I can also recommend La Parilla Suiza in Mesa for Mexico-City style mexican (you can get Sonoran-style on every corner here), The Roaring Fork in Scottsdale (used to be chef Robert McGrath's, but I still think its excellent, especially the huckleberry margaritas!), Pizzeria Bianco in downtown Phoenix (which is a given choice). Rock Springs Cafe on the I-17 about 40 miles north of Phoenix has solid cafe roadfood and GREAT all American pies in a very vintage setting. Greasewood Flat is North Scottsdale is a outdoor bar that will give you what I consider a true Arizona experience. It is a stagecoach stop/bunkhouse from the true old west days and a great place to have a beer and a burger and hangout. Believe me, I understand what you are saying about the crowds. We travel out of season to places to avoid the crush. I personally would skip Santa Fe and go to Taos instead for that very reason. But Silver City/Gila National Forest of New Mexico owns my heart for uncrowded getaways from the heat of Arizona summers. Hope this helps.

Ok, this one is obscure and quite old. In fact I don't even recall the name of the business in the commercial. If you have a squeamish stomach, you might want to skip this post. The ad was for a oil change chain (believe it or not) and the message of the ad was something about the unexpected is not a good thing. A guy gets up out of bed in the middle of the night and stumbles to his fridge. He grabs a carton of milk and raises it to his mouth. The view cuts to the inside of the carton showing the chunky funky contents (bad bad milk) of the carton rushing into the guys mouth, next cut is the dude's face with a very distressed look on his face. It was a 15 second commercial at most. To this day I will not drink any liquid sight unseen out of a carton because of that commercial. I have to pour it into a cup first just in case. Heh, maybe a bit of cross post to the food neuroses thread. But that commercial messed me up on milk cartons. Oh, and I hate the BK3000 commericials. "He's really good with his hands"???!!!! That some weird double entendre right there.

Bloody Mary's on Bora Bora comes to mind first. It's been a long time, but I honeymooned on Bora Bora and Moorea. The fresh baguettes everyday were memorable, they have small boxes in front of the homes on Bora Bora where the bread is delivered fresh everyday. On Moorea, we stayed mostly on the resort (Club Med) but do not miss the local ice cream and you will NEVER, NEVER have a better pineapple than a tiny ripe Tahitian pineapple. Oh, and grilled lambchops were served with breakfast, lunch and dinner along with french fries, go figure.

Two friends and I visited Japan in 1997. We stayed in a wonderful ryokan in Kyoto. Meals were included and served in our room (tatami mats, futons, the whole beautiful experience). I have really no idea what I ate most of the time . The presentations were beautiful and exotic and delicious. The "house mother" Taka, who took care of us and served us our meals had a great sense of humor when we were a bit confused by how to eat certain dishes. She gave us a crash course in fine Japanese dining that we enjoyed immensely. No one particular meal stands out, but the whole experience of the food and the learning and the ceremony was great fun. Everything tasted wonderful. The Hida beef sticks at the Takayama Farmer's Market are the next memorable meal I have. Words cannot describe how good that street food was.

Very entertaining article about discontinued/rare liquors here at Wash. Post. The FARK thread about the article brings up even more obscure and unfortunate liquors and the experiences with them here.