Di Reggae - Whalley

In the less than spiffy area around 108th and King George, there are surprisingly some interesting international noshing choices for the hungry citizen. We have enjoyed Mexican, Korean, Asian fusion, and intend to try Ghanaian and Nigerian food all within a few blocks. Most recently, we made it to Di Reggae and enjoyed some Caribbean cuisine.

Di Reggae is an informal mix, to say the least, of mismatched tables and chairs and plants and Bob Marley posters and it feels warm and homey! We sat on a couple of squeaky chairs at a table with a map of Jamaica, reveled in the music and the friendly manner of our hostess. 

Jamaican Patty

We started with a requisite Jamaican Patty. This one was chicken, not too stuffed with filling but there was a bit of spice to it. The pastry was wonderfully flaky.

Deep Fried Plantains

We also enjoyed some Deep Fried Plantain Chips. I was expecting something crispier but these were on the meaty side and tasty. They were served with an nice house dressing that was along the lines of honey-mustard and a Caribbean style Scotch Bonnet Pepper sauce. This pepper sauce was of the blow-your-fool-head-off if you're not careful variety. 

Ackee and Saltfish

For main courses, we had the Ackee and Saltfish and their braise of Oxtail. The saltfish (cod) is soaked overnight to remove the salt before being cooked with Ackee, which is a fruit that reminded me a little bit of jackfruit. It was a subtly flavoured dish that we both enjoyed. The oxtail was 

Oxtail

amazing. Tender and rich with potatoes and dumplings. Very Nice! Both entrees were accompanied by rice and peas, salad and a deep fried bun.

There is a lot on the calendar at Di Reggae. You can check their website to see when they have live music and even comedians and other fun sounding events. Decent pricing and lots of other menu choices including curries, rotis and various jerk dishes as you might expect. Park where you can see

your car and then enjoy the warm atmosphere and tasty food at Di Reggae.

Firecrust Pizza - Langley, BC

During Pizza Palooza organized by Van Foodster almost 2 months ago, one of our brief stops on the trail was Firecrust Pizza in Vancouver. I was very impressed with their product and in chatting with the manager, was thrilled to learn about their new Langley branch. Yesterday, my partner and I got to visit that store and can confirm that high quality pizza is now available in Langley. Previously, I was embarrassed and refused to acknowledge my maybe once a month Dominoes habit. That was before I saw that David Chang is an occasional, not so closet Dominoes consumer as revealed on "Ugly Delicious",  his Netflicks series. But there is quite a difference between Dominoes pizza and what Firecrust is striving for in their Neapolitan 'style' pizza.

Maybe the biggest single difference is the use of 00 flour in their pizza crusts and then cooking those crusts (and their toppings) in a 900 degree wood burning oven for 90 seconds. The result is a

Rosemary Ham and Pineapple

pizza whose crust is a little bit charred and has a lovely distinct chew. The crust becomes more than just a vehicle for toppings and is a wonderful element in itself. Despite informing my partner that pineapple was specifically shamed as a pizza topping on "Ugly Delicious", that is her go to, so that is what we ordered. A happy partner is more important than all of you believing that I am too sophisticated to eat such things (well, I already confessed about Dominoes , didn't I?) ! To be honest, it was tasty enough as the tomato sauce and Fior di Latte (fresh Mozzarella) and  rosemary ham made for a very good base. Neapolitan style a always little leaner on the toppings presumably so that the crust is not lost. All in all, a very good pizza. 

Prosciutto and Arugula 

We also ordered Prosciutto Arugula. There was quite a bit less char on this pizza (more is better to a point) and I assume the bakers are still learning their craft. I watched them minding and organizing the wood fire and performing a balancing act with three pies to give each one time in the hot spots of the oven. Not a simple process. This time the final 2 toppings, peppery Arugula and thinly shaved and excellent Prosciutto were added after the crust, cheeses, olive oil and garlic are baked. Again beautiful and delicious final product. 

Caprese (our way)

We decided to try a salad, a Caprese (labeled 'our way' on the menu) that came with a nice mix of greens including more arugula, some spinach, frisee etc. The star was the Fior di Latte. A very mild fresh cheese with lovely texture. Of course, we had left over pizza, having ordered too much but I am happily enjoying it for breakfast now. Line up at Firecrust and order your pizza cafeteria style. The staff are friendly and helpful. A few of the pizzas are available personal size and they also offer salads, soups and beer and wine and a couple of desserts.

The finished product gets delivered to your table. Then enjoy your pizza!

Portillo's - Phoenix, Arizona

Last full day in Phoenix and we decided to keep it simple but find a good place to look around at the city from somewhere up high. We decided to tackle Hayden Butte, a little hill in Tempe just close to Tempe Town Lake. One Google review claimed you can hike up in 10 to 15 minutes but I assume that reviewer is an Olympic athlete. This group of 7 had enough groceries and water for an overnight camp out and required at least 3 lengthy pauses on the path!

The view was somewhat anticlimactic but it is kind of nice up there and you can see the whole city. We had some laughs and got some exercise. Despite all the food we dragged up the hill, we still got hungry. I had tagged a place while looking at Google Maps and it turned out to be a amazing fluke of a great choice!

Portillo's Hot Dogs is a Chicago joint that has spread across the country (established in 1963). They were crazy busy when we got there at lunch time. You line up and place your order. Our order person was a little on the cranky side but I can understand why. Her feet probably hurt and it is very noisy and hard to hear. Plus we were placing an order for 7 which involved some changes!

Next, line up with your number and wait to pick up your food!

It is a fun dining area with memorabilia from Chicago (second signed picture of Guy Fieri that I have seen this week). Apparently, everyone in Chicago eats here (well not here but at Portillo's in Chicago)!

Maxwell Street Style Polish

It is not what I would call photogenic food. It gets a little mushed in the wrapping but my taste buds had no complaints! I had a Char-grilled Maxwell Street Polish! Poppy seed bun, Polish sausage with some serious snap to the casing and a pile of grilled onions and mustard. I was in heaven!

Tamale

I also had a Tamale buried under cheese and onions. This is not a Mexican style tamale but what I would call the soul food version. More filling inside a thinner masa wrapping. Very good! The group put away a couple of Jumbo Chilli Cheese Dogs, Cheese Fries and a burger or two. Each item was 

Cheese Fries

less photographically cooperative than the previous. But so good! Our last meal out before the trip home and back to work is what I would choose for any last meal! A little taste of Chicago in Phoenix!

Can't Stop Smokin' - Phoenix, Arizona

Here's a silly thing to try when it is 33 Celsius in the desert at 2:00 in the afternoon. Go hiking in the hills of Phoenix!

My partner and I did not  want to be on the news as the Arizona version of geniuses that get lost in the Vancouver mountains and have to be saved by North Shore Search and Rescue. So as the sign suggested, we turned  back when out water was half gone. Unfortunately, that made for a somewhat short hike.

The dessert is beautiful and full of interesting flora and fauna (most of the fauna have the good sense to be sleeping in the shade at this time of day) but there is not an enormous difference from one hillside  to the next, so a short hike really gives you the full variety available.

There are few things as beautiful as the cacti when they are in bloom.

But watch out for these guys. They look cute and cuddly but they seem to prefer not to be touched.

Thank goodness we survived our dessert odyssey as tonight is barbecue night again!

I have been to Can't Stop Smokin' on past visits to Phoenix and have had pretty good food each time.

You order cafeteria style from their decent selection of meats and sides and impressive desserts.

The dining room is unique and fun but comfortable. On this occasion we ordered meats by the pound to bring home. Dinner would be waiting when the kids got home from the zoo.

Two pounds of pork ribs.

One pound each of brisket, pulled pork and carnitas.

Sides were corn, mustard greens, mashed potatoes, gravy, mac and cheese and slaw.

Peach and blackberry cobbler for dessert. Everything was very good. The brisket was moist and endowed with decent bark. We had dryish brisket at Porkopolis so I know that moist brisket takes some good control. The ribs had a deep smoke ring and deep smoke flavour. The other meats were moist and smokey as well. As for the sides, the mustard greens stood out for me. They were tender and close to creamy with flavorful pot liquor. And the mac and cheese was excellent. Finally, the cobbler made me remember why I love southern food. Rich and sweet, a very small portion is enough! It came to $95 after I wrangled a 15% discount (I downloaded and tried to use their app which offered a 15%  discount on your first order. Alas, at the zip/postal code line there was no way to enter letters. So I phoned in the order and whined about it and they gave me the discount!) When we got it all home, I worried that this would not feed the 7 of us. It turns out that we had enough for two dinners! So delicious barbecue at a very good price! 

Chino Bandidio - Phoenix, Arizona

Today's vacation adventure began with a failed attempt to entertain 7 people using Phoenix light rail and blindly exploring the downtown part of the city. For me the chance to wander the unknown is fun but not everyone shares my willingness to walk a lot and chance across interesting sights and enjoy the architecture. I had said in advance that there were no guarantees as I had never been there before but somehow I felt the weight on my shoulders of my less than amused followers! New rule: I am not in charge of anything beyond choosing a restaurant! We ended up at the Phoenix Science Centre which was mildly entertaining but not as good as what we have in Vancouver and everything beyond the basic seemed to come with an extra price.
I was buoyed by the fact that in the pm, we were planning a trip to Chino Bandido. Like everyone else, we first heard about CB by watching Diners, Drive Ins and Drives. Marie and I went a couple of years ago when they had a branch in Chandler. She had such fond memories of the Chile Relleno but alas, it did not seem to measure up on this trip. Don't tell her but I thought the Chile Relleno was

Chile Relleno

the best thing that we ate. The exterior was seriously crispy. I don't know what they have in the breading. I am inclined to think of corn flakes or something like that. In this case the Anaheim Chile was firm and meaty. It did not get cooked to mush but had some chew to it. And they do not skimp on the cheese! Like any of the fourteen proteins on the menu, you can order it as a bowl, a burrito or a quesadilla (somehow, I don't think that the Chile Relleno would work as a quesadilla or a burrito but everything else would) 

Jade Red Pork Quesadillas and Machaca

I ordered a combo and this is the only price that I remember. It was $8,90 for a combo of two items with $1.10 for beans. So I had Jade Red Pork as a quesadilla and Machaca on the side with black beans and rice. Both were both quite good. Jade Red Pork is deep fried pork with a spicy sweet sauce (makes me think Korean a bit) while the Machaca is shredded beef, cooked Mexican style. The beans left a little to be desired and were basically mush. Tasty mush with a bit of cheese sprinkled on top.

Machaca

RN who is a man of few words ordered Machaca and Rice and polished it off. Nuff said.

Teriyaki Chicken and Pork Fried Rice

RJ who is a man of even fewer words, had Teriyaki Chicken and Pork Fried Rice and ate all but a few grains of rice. Each order came with a cookie that was pretty good!

If you haven't caught on here Chino Bandido is about an interesting fusion of Chinese and Mexican cooking. It is a humble place a you may guess by the tin foil serving plates but it is popular and has gotten a bunch of awards not to mention Guy Fieri's seal of approval. Line up and order at the counter and your food arrives at your table. It is humble cafeteria style but no one seems to mind.

Communal cafeteria style

Lined up out the door when we arrived

No time to level up the accolades. Does this drive you crazy too?

A unique place and unique, decidedly unfancy, tasty food. Inexpensive and quick. Who could ask for more?

Lo-Lo's Chicken and Waffles - Phoenix , Arizona

So, if you are staying in Phoenix and you have never strolled through Scottsdale, you have to go at least once. There is a kind of cool touristy historic old town with some interesting souvenirs to be had as well as assorted western gear and art and so on. We were delighted by a western show in the park by Johnny Hotshot. He demonstrated his lariat, bull whip and six shooter skills accompanied by a hilarious patter. The man is a decent entertainer and was very careful to instill some gun safety in his young audience members !

All that touristing around made us very hungry and  I have to tell you that I couldn't have been more excited as the plan was to go to Lo-Lo's Chicken and Waffles! I have been wanting to go to this place ever since I first visited Phoenix a few years ago but it just never worked out. Now here we are!

There are 5 locations of Lo-Lo's and I don't know about the others but this one is modern and comfortable. The sound track was hip even if it was a little loud and the servers were friendly and seemed to be willing to help each other out (as well as us).

Chicken and Waffles

The waffles here are spectacular! They are on the thin side so more crispy and less doughy with a nice hint of cinnamon making them the perfect vehicle for syrup...and chicken. And really good fried chicken too! Crunchy with a moist interior. We ate a lot of it!

Three Pieces Southern Fried Chicken with two sides

We ate it with Collard Greens, Mac and Cheese and Corn Muffins. Marie and I were smart enough to share an entree this time which made it just right. I loved the greens. They had just a hint of al dente (I now its a pasta term) and were not too soft. And the mac and cheese was very rich and creamy!

Three Pieces Smothered Fried Chicken with two sides

We ate it smothered with Rice and Gravy and Potato Salad. And we ate it as fingers with Rice and Gravy and Fries. For the record,there were 6 of us having this late lunch.

Three Pieces Chicken Fingers with two sides

And the menu here offers a lot of choices. Obviously, we did not get to the catfish, red fish, biscuits, grits or desserts... I know that if I lived near here that I would soon need to have Dr. Nowzaradan on the speed dial (not so funny...I know that obesity is not a joke). Let's just say the food is rich and delicious and the atmosphere welcoming!