mrs.inkling

Now that California has its own chef's category, it'll be interesting to see if Arizona's chefs can win in the Best Chef Southwest category.

I adore this place, but rarely go there. It's hard with a toddler and preschooler in tow. But we've always loved going to this farmer's market, getting lunch and buying lots of groceries. The chocolate croissants are soooooo good.

For cheap eats and an eclectic mix of Mexican, Chinese and Jamaican food, try Chino Bandido. http://www.chinobandido.com

I started watching the show a few episodes into its run, and was curious ... was her homosexuality discussed earlier in the series? Or was it mentioned for the first time last night?

I've heard nothing but good things about Atlas Bistro, and AZ Wine Co. is an awesome store. A must-see for wine lovers.

LOL. My question exactly. I'm so glad she's gone. No more watching her crying or being snippy to everyone. I think the way GR is going to reveal the winner next week is pretty cool. More exciting than just saying "And the winner is ... "

I was also curious if her classy remarks were her downfall last night. But I think the bottom line is she doesn't have what it takes ... she worked her butt off and turned out some good stuff, but she simpy doesn't have the experience necessary when compared with the others. That said, after the way the final three behaved last night, I wish none of them still had a shot at this thing. They're all jerks, IMHO. Although I loathe Jessica the most. She's either crying about something or acting snotty. Girlfriend needs to grow up and put on her big-girl panties.

I also found that cover to be extremely unappetizing. Right when I saw it, I showed it to DH, who shared my less-than-enthusiastic reaction. The food magazine I always thought had gorgeous photography is Savuer, although I haven't picked one up in about a year.

Yikes, that would be disappointing. I did not make it to The Farm at South Mountain after all due to a family illness. Someday I'll get there. :)

Incidentally, I'm going to The Farm at South Mountain tomorrow with my mom, aunt and my two urchins. We're going to have lunch ... don't know if we'll hit the Happydirt Veggie Patch, but I'd sure like to.

Try the Guadalupe Farmer's Market, which is actually a year-round store. It has a fair amount of produce, and is a great place to get the seasonal stuff. I love going there when tomatoes and mangos are at their peak. The place also sells a lot of dried chiles, and containers of fresh-roasted chiles, too. It's at Guadalupe Road and Avenida Del Yaqui, which is just east of Kyrene. 9210 S Avenida Del Yaqui Guadalupe, AZ 85283 - 2526 (480) 730-1945

I have only been to Richardson's once, and the food was very good. While I don't recall exactyl what I ate for the main course, as it's been quite awhile, I do remember that it had the red chile sauce. And of course, being a Los Dos Molinos fan, I wanted to see whose red sauce was better. I definitely prefer Los Dos. However, that said, Richardson's does offer very good New Mexican food.

Thanks, Melissa.

Oops, sorry to be vague. :) Greenville, S.C.

Barmouche closed down last year, I believe. All the talk of Barrio Cafe is making me hungry. I've only been once, but it was absolutely awesome. I wish it was closer to me. (I live in Mesa.)

My husband, almost 3-year-old and 15-month-old will be going to Greenville in a few weeks. While I'd love to say my children are angels, and therefore we can go to any restaurant and enjoy the cuisine, the truth is we need mostly family-friendly spots. I know that BBQ would be an obvious choice, but I'm more curious about non-BBQ places. TIA!

C-Fu Gourmet is at Dobson and Warner. C-Fu The dim sum there is pretty good. I wouldn't recommend it for dinner, though. The last few times I've had dinner there, it's been disappointing. Esterschindler: You just reminded me about Thai Pan. I haven't been there yet, but want to go. The guy in charge, Mark Gerding, seems pretty nice. I took a cooking class from him a few years ago at House of Rice.

For lunch spots, a couple of good restaurants to try are Tea Light Cafe and Flo's. Tea Light is a small Vietnamese spot that serves outstanding sandwiches and some other traditional Vietnamese dishes, including pho. I just went there recently, and really enjoyed my sandwich. I had chicken, served on a crusty roll with plenty of cilantro. Also had spring rolls, which were good, but not great. Flo's can best be described as Asian food with a twist. You'll see plenty of familiar dishes that have a little something extra added, or that simply taste better than what you've had elsewhere. Lunches come with a salad. There are a few different Flo's concepts, but the original is the one I'm recommending. If you go, you must try the chocolate wontons for dessert. Flo's Tea Light Cafe

Thanks much for sharing your dining experiences. I have been meaning to get to Barrio Cafe, but just haven't yet. I do love Cyclo, although I haven't been there in several months. (Having a new baby and a toddler entering the terrible twos kind of kills dining out.) I wish I'd gone to Gregory's before it shuttered. I did hit T. Cook's last fall, so I'll be curious to see what the food is like with Gregory at the helm.

Lee Lee is on the northeast corner of Dobson and Warner in Chandler.

One of my favorite places to shop for ethnic stuff is Lee Lee. It's not just Asian groceries, but also Indian, Middle Eastern, Latin, etc. If I need any kind of Asian ingredient, be it pantry staples like soy sauce or produce such as ginger, I go there because it's soooo much cheaper than at the regular supermarket. The meats and chicken are also extremely reasonably priced. I think boneless, skinless chicken breasts are $1.99 a pound, and ground beef was $1.59 a pound. I haven't tried the seafood, but everyone I know who has really raves about it. I like Lee Lee so much that I've told my husband that we can't ever move far away from it. For Italian grocers, I've only been to Guido's, and it's good.

Thought I'd jump in with a few comments. Indian food: I also agree Jewel of the Crown is probably the best Indian food in town. Copper Kettle is right by my house, and while I really like the veggie stuff there, the chicken is often fatty. Thai food: I'm not a huge fan of Malee's. I prefer Mint Thai Cafe in Gilbert. It's had several owners, but the same menu for years. If you want mild, it's mild. If you want incendiary, it'll put a lovely fire in your mouth.

I'll second the Cafe Poca Cosa recommendation. Janos is good, too. For another Mexican restaurant, you can try El Mezon del Cobre. I'm not sure if the two Mexican restaurants I mentioned serve chilaquiles, though.

Sea Saw is definitely on my list of places to go, except I'm not sure my husband would like the cuisine there. He's not crazy about Japanese food, and even though this is not your typical Japanese cooking, I'm still not sure he'd like it. But maybe if I remind him that the chef was one of "Food & Wine" magazine's best new chefs this year, he'll be adventurous.

Gary Soup: Due respect right back at you, but I don't think it's a crime to want to fix hot and sour soup according to the recipe and enjoy it. Begging everyone's pardon, but I think there are an awful lot of people out there who enjoy going out to eat and having hot and sour soup served to them without chile oil, pepper or vinegar set in front of them as condiments. And even if some restaurants do have these condiments, I know there are plenty of diners who don't bother using them in hot and sour soup. I'm one of those people, provided the soup tastes good. I just went out for Chinese food today and had a wonderful hot and sour that didn't need additional seasoning. My husband also does not adjust the seasoning in the soup at this particular restaurant. I certainly didn't mean to ruffle any feathers by asking for a recipe that results in a nicely balanced dish. One of the hallmarks of many Asian dishes, after all, is a balance of flavors, and that can often be achieved in the cooking process by following a good recipe.