Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
>>> And now an eight original
Production.
>>> Check, Please! is made
possible by -- ironwood crc, a
member of the association of
community cancer centers, and
the American society of clinic
oncology.
Patients have access to clinic
trials and conventional
therapies, administered in a
patient centered environment.
>>> Lawns by less, a family
owned business serving hoas
and commercial clients while
working to improve the local
community.
Proud to support eight, Arizona
PBS.
Enhancing Arizona landscape
since 1982.
>> Best dental care az
identifies selected dental
offices in the metro area
providing services from basic
cleanings and fillings to
advanced cosmetic procedures.
More information at
bestdentalcareaz.com.
>>> There is no need to produce
foods yourself to be sure they
are natural, now there is open
nature from Safeway, foods made
with natural ingredients.
Only at Safeway.
>>> Hello.
I'm Robert McGrath, and
welcome to Check, Please!
The show where people recommend
and talk about their favorite
restaurants.
This is how the show works.
Every week we have three new
guests.
Each recommends his or her
favorite spot, and then the
other two go and check them out
to see what they think.
Joining us this week is
Paralegal Debbie Alexander.
She grew up tasting every type
of cuisine available and wants
her children to love food as
much as she does.
Her favorite place to dine,
provides quick service and a
friendly atmosphere.
Our next guest is retired human
resources director Ron rose.
He spent his career traveling
across America and has been a
popular contact among friends
and co-workers.
His local favorite delivers a
fun dining experience with great
food and good prices.
But first is retired professor
Linda Granzow.
She will eat almost any food and
labels herself a flexitarian.
She loves dishes that excite the
palate.
Her favorite restaurant serves
home style food in a historic
setting.
It's the landmark restaurant on
main street west of extension
road in Mesa.
>> We wanted to provide comfort
food, you know, New England
style food.
We wanted things that mom used
to make at home.
But doing it in the restaurant
venue, and it worked out really
well.
It's what people liked.
A lot of people refer to it as
Midwestern, but we're from the
east, and that's our background.
So, we think of it more as the
pot roast, for example, I can
just picture my mother, taking
her container out of the on
which with a pot roast in the,
and the carrots and the onions
and the potatoes, and that's how
we do it here.
Prime rib is another seller for
us, and we slow cook that in a
special oven, and it's just --
it sells a lot, it's what people
like, and they come back for the
same thing.
We have got the main dining
room, and another small room,
which is across the entryway,
and then downstairs we have four
different rooms, mainly used for
the services, and then we have
the hall next door, and that's
used for weddings and large
group functions.
But the dining room is similar
to what you might find if you
are going to grandma's house or
to mom and dad's for a family
dinner, casual, comfortable.
We have maintained this same
standard for 33 years now, and
that's what people want.
They want the same thing, and
that's what we try to provide.
>> Linda, this is your choice.
It's a -- want to say the
landmark name suits it well.
It's an unusual kind of
building.
>> It's a, a former Mormon
church, so it's very historic.
When you go inside, you could
see that right away, that
historic setting, the furniture,
some of it looks antique-like.
I'm not sure if it is.
On the lower level, which is
where the restrooms are, there
is a photo gallery, and it has a
history of Mesa and kind of the
founding of that church and what
went on there.
They have a lot of different
dining rooms, and there is a
banquet room downstairs, the
main dining room is large, and
there is an extension now that
contains some other banquet and
conference type of rooms.
So, it's, it's actually, large.
It takes up most of that corner.
And it's very close to the Mesa
arts center.
>> How did it impress you all?
>> The main dining room, I
think, was once the sanctuary,
so it has very tall windows in
it.
Which brings in the light, and
it is still dark in there, I
think, but, it gives you the,
the feeling that you are in a
comfortable place where you
would be able to look out the
window and get a lot of light in
there.
>> I found it to be historic.
It was built in 1909 as the
Mormon church, but I really
found it interesting that it has
had several.
It was the home of the first
Mesa community college, and
that's where it began.
It looked very traditional on
the inside, like a church.
The dining room is very nice.
Really, a very unique place to
go for a meal.
>> It did feel like I was in an
older building.
It did not feel like it was
brand spanking new, interior.
I did notice that, that along
the, the top, there were
cabinets, and they had
collections.
>> It's like a museum.
>> Like a museum.
>> An older kitchen, not
utensils, but dishes and
whatnot, and they are just
displayed --
>> Very attractively.
>> Like you would find in
someone's older home.
>> Let's talk about the food.
Ron, what did you have during
your visit?
>> I went there with my wife,
and we went there for a dinner.
Found it to be very enjoyable.
We started off with a Saldo,
which was a ceasar.
It was very well done.
I do believe that they put a bit
too much dressing on.
I had the Beef Stroganoff, and
it was outstanding.
One of the things that I have
found with Beef Stroganoff, many
times the noodles will become
very chewy.
These weren't.
These were fresh.
You could really just tell the
difference of how well they were
prepared.
The chunks of meat and the sauce
that was in the Beef Stroganoff
was outstanding.
It was a very, very good dish.
>> I went to the Saldo room.
The Saldo room has probably 100
to 150 items, not just salads,
but also, some, some kind of
entrees like probably daily
specials, as in chicken and
dumplings or various things.
It also has very interesting
German potato salad that's like
none that I ever tasted.
And it has soup, and it had
southwest cheesy Chile potatoes,
when I took the first spoonful,
the Earth moved.
It's going to be the soup course
on my last meal on Earth.
It is that good.
>> I did try the German potato
salad, which is different.
I had not had it.
It's usually served hot.
This was not particularly hot
but tempid, and they had whole
rounds of the red potatoes as
opposed to chunks, Etc., and it
was -- it was very tasty.
I had -- I did have the tapioca
and the Ambrosia, which meant by
the time that she brought the
desert Tray around, I had no, no
ability to partake.
So, I had the crab cakes, and
they were wonderful.
They were some of the best crab
cakes that I have had anywhere
out here.
There is very little filler.
They were shaped like Patties
and not -- not the high, loaded
ones like they have out east.
But, they were sauteed, nice
golden brown with a chipolte
cream sauce.
Just exquisite.
The only other -- let's see, the
sides were -- I think the
vegetable of the day that day
was carrots, and I went ahead
and got the mashed sweet
potatoes so I was doing a -- I
was doing a beta carotene load,
with the Orange, and the crab
cakes and a side salad.
>> Did you have dessert?
>> Oh, yes, with the bread
pudding, you have a choice of
the traditional Bourbon sauce or
caramel sauce, so we went with
the Bourbon sauce and we split
it because we were getting close
to topped off at that point.
So, we just, you know, ate out
of one dish, and with two
spoons, and it was fabulous.
But, all of their desserts, when
they come around, it's very hard
to make a decision.
>> We were very full, but we
just could not pass up the
raspberry cheesecake, and it was
beyond good.
It was very, very good.
So, we did share that, at least
with my wife, and we enjoyed
that.
It was fantastic.
A good way to end a great meal.
>> If you would like to try the
landmark restaurant,
reservations are accepted and
the average tab for dinner
without drinks is $20.
>>> Our next restaurant is
Carolina's Mexican food on east
cactus road just east of cave
creek road in Phoenix.
>> Carolina's serves Hardy, high
quality, made from scratch
Mexican food.
We continually cook all day long
so that the food is fresh.
It is fast, and it's made to
order.
>> How long would it take?
From when you order to get your,
your food?
Seven minutes.
I do believe the tortilla is
made fresh.
You order a burro, and you get
it just made.
That's the big difference right
there.
We sell tortillas every day.
in the morning
until we close is the same menu
all day except for the asada,
that's in the breakfast, and
certain dishes only on
Saturdays.
The callins, by the time you get
here, the food is ready.
We're budget minded for our
customers, also.
Trying to save them money.
But, the food is quality food.
Carolina's makes the best
tortillas in town, and I stand
behind that, 100%.
>> Debbie, you finally get a
chance to talk about something
other than the soup.
>> You don't go to this
restaurant for the ambience or
for the fine dining experience.
This is Mexican grandma, hot
bubbly on every single burner,
comfort food.
They are always busy from the
time they open the door to the
time that they close the door.
But, there is always room for
one more.
They just stream in, from the
time you place your order to the
time you pick up the food is
probably a hot seven minutes,
which is saying, you know,
saying something.
You can watch them making it,
prepping it, putting yours
together.
You can just stand there and
watch, you know, talk to the
people who are getting ready to
make yours.
I kind of like that open kitchen
atmosphere.
That -- it does seem like you
are in somebody's kitchen that
way.
>> The curb appeal looks good on
the outside.
Whenever you go into the
restaurant, the cashier is right
on the left side, and it
probably has 25 tables there,
and you order your food, you sit
down, you wait for it, and you
go and you pick it up, and in to
go containers, and you can sit
there and eat it there, or to
go, and it's all self service,
soft drinks, same way.
And they have fountain drinks
there available to you, and you
self serve there, too.
And it's very utilitarian.
>> And they make their tamales
in the house, and they were --
we wanted to try the tamales but
they were out of them when we
got there, and I am sure that
they were making them.
>> What does that tell you?
>> That they are popular.
>> Right.
>> You need to get there early.
>> And those are something that
you cannot just whip up.
You need to make a finite amount
and when they are gone, they are
gone.
>> They are gone.
>> It's very traditional
Mexican, I would call it fast,
fast food.
The food, I think, you will find
pretty commonplace throughout
all of the Phoenix area here.
>> Linda, when you were at the
Carolinas, what did you --
>> We both had the combination,
which was a beef taco and a
cheese enchilada and a bean
Tostada.
So, we got to try some of each
filling.
And it was a lot of food.
We were quite hungry when we
arrived there, but I wound up
taking the whole Tostada home,
and most of the rice, and most
of the beans.
So, you know, I had enough for
the next day, as well.
And we did get some of the chips
and the red salsa, and what I
really liked about that was
because they are geared to
takeout, everything came in a
takeout container.
You did not have to say I need
to switch from my plate to a
styrofoam carryout thing.
So that's what we have.
We had the same item.
The salsa was wonderful.
We did save it since it was in a
to go because we could not eat
that much, and the food, it was
a lot of food.
>> My wife and I went in there
for lunch.
And we were -- it's looking at
the menu, do I want a
Chimichanga or the burro.
What we decided to do was to
have one of each.
So, we had that, so I could
taste both of them.
The burro was good.
I would not say it was
outstanding in any way.
But, it was good.
It's not something that I would
want to go back for, to be
honest with you.
But, the Chimichanga was the
same, the meat was, was ok.
And not, nothing what I would
call great.
But, it is one that I kind of
judge other restaurants by
because I always like to have
the beef, for some reason, if
they can do the beef good, they
can do many things good, but
this is one that I thought was
ok.
But, nothing that I would, I
would want to go back for.
>> And one of the highlights of
the restaurant, I found, was
the, the handmade tortillas.
And if you do like those and,
and you can take them, and in
packages to go.
That part I found to be very
unique and very worthwhile.
>> Debbie?
What did you enjoy?
>> I sometimes get a bean and
cheese burrito on my way into
work because that's just a good
way to start the day.
Usually, I order on the way
home, I get the bean and cheese
burrito, the green corn tamale,
the tortillas, and a pint of
beans, a pint of the pico de
gallo, and the guacamole.
>> Any of us try dessert?
>> Actually, we did.
They had something that caught
our attention, and they called
it chimis.
An apple one and a chocolate
one.
And it's exactly that.
It's a little Chimichanga with
apples in it, and another one
with chocolate.
Now, if you like chocolate, it's
like death by chocolate.
This thing is good.
It's hot, and you will love them
and probably want to take more
home.
But, I would really recommend
you eat them there because they
are hot, and the -- when you
bite into the chocolate, it
pours out.
The other is the apple.
It's like a little Mexican apple
pie.
And it is to die for.
It's very, very, very good.
Now, this is something that I
would tell you, stop and get
them.
They are very, very good.
>> If you would like to try
Carolina's Mexican food,
reservations are not accepted.
And the average tab for dinner
without drinks is $10.
>>> Up next is Texaz Grill on
north 16th street north of
Bethany home road in Phoenix.
>> We have a lot of the elements
of a classic Texas steakhouse.
All our steaks are made here
on-site, and we do slow smoked
barbecue, and we have a smoker
in back and smoke our briskets
for 12 to 14 hours.
The restaurant is eclectic.
We opened up over the last, and
over the last 28 years, it has
taken on a life and personality
of its own.
We have basic, the basic steaks,
a filet, a ribeye, a New York
and a T-bone, and we serve
smoked prime rib, which I think
is probably the best item on the
menu.
Our signature is chicken fried
steak.
We do chicken fried beef,
chicken, and pork.
We have catfish on the menu.
>> The quintessential Texas
barbecue is beef brisket, and
we, we have a brisket sandwich
every day at lunch, and do three
specials at lunch.
And I have a jukebox here that
plays real 45, and it took me
many, many years to get it the
way that I wanted it.
We have a pecan pie that's
probably the best in town, and a
broad pudding that will flock
off your so, and we have a high
quality product at a reasonable
price.
It seems to have worked.
>> Ron, this is your choice.
Texaz Grill is my favorite
restaurant in town.
It is one that I discovered when
I first moved here in 1985, just
after, after that, it was -- I
had had the opportunity to be
referred to go there, and I've
been there multiple times.
It is just a very, very
comfortable restaurant to go in.
People are fantastic, the food
is fantastic, and its casual.
And it's just good, comfort
food.
When you go into the restaurant,
you are, you swear that you are
in Texas.
They have all the memorabilia on
the wall, it's a comfortable
place.
The staff is fantastic.
The food is stalk.
>> The night that I was there,
it was absolutely slammed.
It was Friday night and, and we
waited exactly four minutes for
a table.
The women servers really gave me
that, that Texas diner kind of
vibe.
>> Yes.
>> They were always moving fast,
and calling you honey and, and,
you know, asking you what you
want, and going, can I get you
something else?
Jolly.
>> When we first went in I
thought, oh, this is just, you
know, a little bit much.
But, it really works.
All of the neon and the road
signs and the maps and the bar
tabs, and there is taxidermy in
there.
>> And the license plates.
It's fantastic.
>> Having traveled through small
towns in Texas, it's just got
enough of that catch that I
think it works -- well, it does
work.
You can go in there, and no
matter how you dress or
whatever, you would feel very
comfortable.
As we well know, most
restaurants try to outdo
themselves, this is a real
downhome good food, very
pleasant place to go, and you
will feel very, very comfortable
there.
And you will really enjoy the
food while you are there.
>> We sat down, and we had
menus, water, service,
instantaneously.
I swear that he did not wait 30
seconds to be served.
I don't know if they do this all
the time.
They have something that they
bring to the table called calas?
I think they call it?
>> This is their new appetizer
that they started, and I did a
little research on it because I
had never had it, and it's a
cajun dish, and it's White
House --
>> And flour, fried rice flour
balls with powdered sugar, and
they are hot, and they are,
there are two good sized ones,
so you get your rice ball and
just munch away.
It was fantastic.
>> I had the chicken fried
chicken.
>> There are two types, chicken
fried steak or chicken.
And normally, when I wife and I
go there, she orders one and I
order the other and we share
half and half.
It's probably some of the best
chicken you will ever have.
It's fantastic, and then they
put it over mashed potatoes, and
gravy, and that is to die for.
And it's just a great meal.
They give you a salad as part of
the meal, and just with the, the
mustard dressing.
It was, it's good.
And they also serve you a basket
of bread, with some biscuits and
rolls in them, and butter and so
forth.
>> I did have the salad, and I
did have it with the house
mustard dressing, and I wanted
to try that.
I thought it was very, very
good.
And I requested a small side of
bleu cheese crumbles.
Didn't bat an eye, brought it
and that amped up the salad
quite a bit.
My friend ordered the, the fish
fry because we were there on a
rainy night in Phoenix.
And they brought her platter out
on a forklift.
One piece of fish was about the
size of a fireplace log, and
then there were -- there was a
mound of fries.
>> That's Texas.
>> I know it.
And the fries, I think that the
fries are some of the best that
I have had in the valley.
They are probably double fried
because they are very crispy on
the outside, and they are very
tender on the inside, and
lightly salted, and I ordered
the mushrooms, and which are,
are sauteed, baby portabellos
served in a coffee mug, which I
thought was an interesting
presentation, and I had their
signature mashed potatoes, which
I believe are red potatoes with
the skins on, very buttery,
lightly salted, and so, I had a,
kind of a normal size of a filet
of catfish, but it was more than
enough.
It was lightly coated with flour
and grilled.
I had the option of fried or
grilled, and I usually will go
with the grilled.
It came with a side of their --
what do they call them?
I think fried potatoes, not home
fries.
It was fried potatoes.
Delicious.
It was fantastic!
And the salad.
So, with that, I was happy.
It was just enough.
It was not like, you know, full
to exploding, and we could have
room for dessert.
The specialty was peach cobbler
with the blue bell ice cream.
Got to have it with the ice
cream.
>> And blue bell is Texas.
>> It was just absolutely
fabulous.
So, I wanted to just, you know,
put it on the floor and roll
around in it a bit.
It was really good.
>> Yeah.
>> It does not have a crust on
top.
>> No.
>> What it has is, is crumbles
on top, so it's a lighter
version, and I don't believe
that, I don't believe that the,
the peaches were fresh but they
were very high quality peaches.
>> They were.
They retained their firmness,
and it was not too sweet.
It was just slightly tart.
It was really very good.
>> And I like peach anything.
>> If you would like to try
Texaz Grill, reservations are
accepted for parties of six or
more.
And the average tab for dinner
without drinks is $20.
>>> That's it for know show.
Don't forget to visit our
website where you can watch all
of our reviews and even nominate
your favorite restaurant.
We just might invite you to be
on the show.
On the go, check us out on your
mobile phone.
I want to thank my guests this
week, Linda, Ron and Debbie.
Join us next time when three new
guests will recommend their
favorite spots right here on
Check, Please! I'm Robert
McGrath, and I will see you
then.
Cheers.
>>> Check, Please! was made
possible by --
>> There is no need to produce
food yourself to be sure that
they are all natural.
Now there is open nature from
Safeway.
A line of foods made with
natural ingredients.
Open nature.
Only at Safeway.
>> Best dental care az
identifies selected dental
offices in the metro area
providing services from basic
cleanings and fillings to
advanced cosmetic procedures.
More information at
bestdentalcareaz.com.
>>> Lawns by less, a family
owned business serving hoas
and commercial clients for 30
years while working to improve
the local community.
Proud to support eight, Arizona
PBS.
More information at
lawnsbyless.com.
>>> Ironwood cancer research
centers, providing options
through research trials, genetic
testing and personalized
counseling.
Focused on emotional, physical,
and social support.
Outsmarting cancer one patient
at a time.