RUBEE TUESDAY: May 31-June 6: Crujiente Tacos, Pita Jungle, Market Street Kitchen
A weekly feature, Rubee Tuesday is a recap of my week's adventures in dining and drinking in the Phoenix area.
On Thursday, June 1st, I met with my friend David for an upcoming feature involving Glenfiddich in Modern Luxury Scottsdale. I'm usually conducting the interviews so it was nice to be on the other side this time, and it's always a fun time with David! Chef Hinojosa sent out some fabulous dishes he has just added to the menu as we sipped on his limited-edition Blood Orange Gose-style beer, a collaboration with Pedal Haus Brewery, and shared some Yuu Baal Pechuga mezcal.
Hallmarks of Chef Richard Hinojosa's cooking are rich flavors in even the simplest dish. His street corn starts with ears of corn poached in "corn tea" for double the punch, and his fantastic gazpacho (my new favorite in town) requires multiple steps of pureeing and straining to concentrate the flavor.
Afterwards, I joined my husband at the bar, where he ordered the taco of the week - marinated chicken with beans and pico de gallo. In fact, he liked it so much, he ordered...four more! Wise man. As usual, Chef Hinojosa packs so much flavor into a simple bite that it was the best chicken taco I've ever had.
We ended another great night at one of my favorite restaurants being schooled in some new-to-us spirits by co-owner Jason Morris.
On Sunday, June 4th, we stopped in at Pita Jungle for a quick dinner while running errands. We shared baba ganoush and hummus topped with grilled marinated chicken and pine nuts.
On Monday, June 5th, I returned to Market Street Kitchen for a media summer menu preview. If you're a regular reader of this website, it's no secret that I'm a huge fan. In fact, I was just there last week. Look for an upcoming photo recap, but here's a sneak peek.
Inigo Montoya's G&T
To browse past Rubee Tuesday recaps, visit this link.