A semi-regular feature, I publish Rubee Tuesday on Tuesdays to recap my recent drinking and dining adventures in the Phoenix area.

In this time of COVID-19 and self-isolation, I’ve been doing a lot of home cooking but also endeavoring to support our friends in the hospitality industry. For my list of restaurants offering takeout and delivery, visit this link..

Safe Food TLC

I’ve previously mentioned the delicious meals provided by Tom and Lin Baumbach of Tom and Lin Catering - TLC in my last Rubee Tuesday (see here). Lin recently made an appearance on Arizona Daily Mix, and you can learn more about how they created SafeFoodTLC.com due to the COVID situation in Jim David’s “Local Business Reinvented" mini-documentary.

The menu changes weekly and our most recent deliveries included Green Chile Braised Pork Tacos with house-pickled red onions, shredded cheese, salsa and flour tortillas (I added some fresh cilantro).

Each meal serves six, so for two of us, we feasted on tacos the first night, and used leftovers to make nachos, burritos, and green-chile-pork biscuits and gravy. This was one of my husband’s favorites from SafeFoodTLC, so he was a happy camper!

I don’t know how they do it, but their beef stays so tender and juicy, even after reheating. For their tri-tip and roasted potato meal, I made some homemade chimichurri from garlic chives, thyme, parsley and oregano from the garden. Tip: Beef stroganoff a couple of nights later was a great use of leftover tri-tip!

Our third meal was a three-pack of a dozen TLC tamales. One pack found their way into an al fresco meal on the back patio with margaritas, another was perfect for breakfast topped with fried eggs, and the third has been stored away in the freezer for future cravings. Tamales are priced $24 per dozen and can be ordered as Green Chile Pork, Red Chile Chicken, Red Chile Beef, Green Corn (Vegetarian), and Red Chile (Vegan).

Tom and Lin Catering is located at 2534 E Greenway Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85032. They offer delivery in the Northwest Phoenix area, and curbside pick-up.

Glai Baan

We live about 35 minutes away from Glai Baan, so when we found ourselves in the area (to pick up wine I had ordered at Tarbell’s Royal Tokaji wine dinner), I had to stop by again. The perfect excuse to return (see my last visit here) is that they now have Max Berlin’s craft cocktails to-go. Max is an award-winning cocktail artist and his creations are the perfect pairing to Chef Cat’s wonderful menu - I loved Sunshowers (passionfruit juice, unaged brandy and lemon), and his version of my favorite drink, the Negroni (local gin, campari, dry vermouth, Thai chile, ginger liqueur).

This time, Glai Baan is also supporting two other chefs whose restaurants are currently closed. Dom Ruggiero’s (Hush Public House) chicken liver mousse with drunken cherries and Tamara Stanger’s (Cotton & Copper) watermelon panna cotta pie with chocolate-acorn crust were decadent bonuses!

Dinner was a double order of steamed dumplings, plus crispy garlic wings, pad thai, crab fried rice and sticky rice with mango. Glai Baan is located at 2333 E Osborn Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85016.

Miracle Mile Deli

Miracle Mile Deli is a family-owned favorite and Phoenix institution, and they’re currently offering family meals starting at $55. The meal for four we ordered includes two pounds of pastrami, two kaiser rolls, two onion rolls, two lbs of coleslaw, two tins of mac & cheese and two slices of pie (we picked cherry and coconut meringue). For a past WriteOnRubee recap, visit this link.

A large menu offers sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, salads, soups, and desserts, along with loaves of local Noble Bread rye and food by the pound such as brisket and corned beef, lox, cheese, pickles, and potato, tuna or egg salad.

Call ahead for pick-up, or delivery through Postmates and UberEats. They also have a convenient pick-up window. And it’s always nice to run into owner Josh Garcia! Miracle Mile Deli is located at 4433 N 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 85016.

For the last installment of Rubee Tuesday with delivery by SafeFoodTLC and take-out from CRUjiente, Glai Baan, Il Capo Pizzeria, Fabio on Fire, visit this link.

RUBEE TUESDAY: Safe Food TLC, Glai Baan, Miracle Mile Deli