Yes, yes. I know. Where have I been? Well, the short of it is that sometimes you have to take a step back and focus on some other things in life including family, friends, health and prosperity (or lack of prosperity in my case). But, everything is fine, although there are still some rough edges. [...]

J. and I had finally made our way to Montreal. After an overnight flight and a quick drive from Burlington, VT, we grabbed a quick nap before heading out to our first meal in Montreal. We had planned at the beginning to head to Schwartz’s for one of their world famous smoked meat sandwiches. (Smoked [...]

Along the strip mall that sits on the southeast corner of 36th Street and Indian School is a world of history. What is now an antique shop one was the Food-A-Rama, the best grocery store in the City of Phoenix. It had fantastic produce, a pharmacy and a lunch counter with killer burgers and Cherry [...]

It seems like every other month some new eatery is moving into space near the intersection of 44th Street and Indian School Road in East Phoenix. My beloved Arcadia District is seeing a resurgence of new restaurants along with the survival of wonderful old standbys like La Fontanella. This bodes well for East Phoenix as [...]

When the weather turns cold in Phoenix (which means we dip below 80 F in most parts of the Valley), I find that I have this deep craving for Matzoh Ball soup. There is something very mothering about a cup or bowl of a rich broth with some chicken, a few veggies, and a big [...]

I am always curious about regional difference in food. I like knowing the difference between Mandarin and Cantonese or Hong Kong Style cooking. Mexican food has some great regional differences as well. That always intrigues me because I like being able to see and sample the difference between an enchilada made in Sonora as opposed [...]

A couple of months ago, I had a craving for a Philly Cheese Steak and found myself in the midst of a new place called “Corleone’s” at 16th Street and Camelback in Phoenix. While I admitted that I liked the steak, I found the whole lunch less than stellar because of the awful fries and [...]

I have found myself spending more time in Tempe eating. This is due to a double-whammy effect for me: cheap and ethnic. Of course, I know the reason for the cheap is the catering to the ASU crowd. Since I am an alumnus of that fine institution of higher education, I take my emeritus status [...]

Every so often, I stumble across the most out of place eatery. Often, it is stuck in some cruddy, little strip mall that hasn’t seen fresh paint in decades. But it is always mixed emotions for me because I dearly fear walking in, ordering, paying my hard earned dollars and then sitting back and trying [...]

About a decade ago, I was in Philadelphia looking at all of the historical sites and visiting Independence Hall to see where my personal hero – President John Adams – sat as the delegate from Massachusettes and helped lead the way to the American Revolution. It was such a wonderful trip for me. Little did [...]