Rubee Tuesday: Sicilian Butcher Chandler, The Cambria Downtown Phoenix, The Brickyard Downtown, Fabio on Fire, Pita Jungle, George and Son's Asian Cuisine
Ginger stir-fry with shirataki noodles and kimchi at Pita Jungle
A semi-regular feature on Tuesdays, Rubee Tuesday is a photo recap of my recent adventures in dining and drinking in Phoenix. Here are my restaurant visits for the last two weeks.
Wednesday, December 18: We joined the Maggiore family at the Friends and Family soft opening and ribbon-cuttting ceremony of their newest Sicilian Butcher and Sicilian Baker locations at Chandler Fashion Mall.
We celebrated and ate and drank - signature cocktails, Monte Olimpo wines from the family-owned vineyard in Sicily, antipasti skewers, octopus salad, arancini, handmade pasta, spiedini, Italian pastries, and more. Look for the recipe for the spiedini below (a Sicilian specialty of pork stuffed with prosciutto cotto, salami, provolone and currants coated in breadcrumbs, skewered and grilled) in my cookbook, Phoenix Cooks, coming out this summer!
With chef Marco de Orta, Justin Piazza (chef/owner of La Piazza Al Forno and La Pizza Phx), Gino,Calabro and Chef Joey Maggiore.
Meanwhile, contributors Dedric Hendricks and Ana Velasquez were covering the Paint with a Brew grand opening event at Cambria Hotel Downtown Phoenix. You can check out that recap by clicking the photo below.
Friday, December 20: We had such a great book signing event last month at Sibley’s West, that I was invited to return to sign copies of my book Arizona Wine: A History of Perseverance and Passion (I have more signings scheduled next month, and you can order personalized copies here on the site).
Conveniently, it was located across the street from one of my favorite Chandler spots, Brickyard Downtown. A perfect excuse to visit for Happy Hour before my book signing. We dined on Loaded Potatoes with truffle cream, bacon and parmesan and honey-sriricha calamari.
And, thanks to Michael Carbajal and Matt Allen, we also got a sneak peek at two fantastic cocktails that will be launching with the next menu change. Michael’s Ruh Roh is a sophisticated tropical refresher made with Roku Japanese gin, Midori, coconut liqueur, pineapple amaro, and yuzu, topped with coconut whip and matcha:
And click the video below for all the details of Matt’s Not Tiki AF:
Tuesday, December 24: We picked up dinner from our favorite Italian neighborhood spot, Fabio on Fire.
Another fabulous feast included rosemary and garlic foccacia, three specials (seafood salad, veal Milanese, cotechino con lenticchie/sausage with lentils) and tiramisu. Grazie Fabio!
Friday, December 27: I was meeting mom and two of her friends at Norterra to see Little Women, and stopped in at Pita Jungle for a light lunch.
I had been craving the cauliflower hummus ever since a November visit where I was invited to explore seasonal dishes off their winter menu. Our delicious lunch that day included the cauliflower hummus, Ginger Stir Fry (shirataki noodles, kimchi, ginger, cilantro, mint, beef broth, pea sprouts), Wood-Fired Medchilada (garlic-cilantro chicken in enchilada sauce, cheddar, feta, turmeric cauliflower rice, cabbage-kale super greens, jalapenos, radish, pico de gallo, pine nuts), Bone Broth Ramen (beef broth, shirataki noodles, miso, kimchi, onion, garlic, ginger, shirataki noodles, spinach, and green onions) and chocolate-dipped walnut baklawa rolls.
The friendly GMs and co-owners Mike Kearns and Adan Cruz
After the movies, the four of us had dinner at George and Son’s Asian Cuisine. Three of my favorites here are George’s Seafood Pocket (a fried scallion pancake folded and stuffed with seafood), Beef Chow Fun and Crispy Spicy Pork.
No food photos this time, but here are a couple from a past visit.
For the last Rubee Tuesday with visits to Persepshen, Taco Guild, Schreiner's Sausage, Casa Filipina, Sel, Modern Oyster Bar and Chophouse, Four Seasons, and Atlas Bistro, click here.