Orange Table Cafe

I'll be brief. This place is delightful. The only bad things I can say about Orange Table are that we had to wait for 5 minutes for an orange table, and our server forgot to bring my fruit. But by the time we realized it was missing, I was so high on pancakes that I didn't care at all about the fruit, which was probably just melons and grapes anyway. Orange Table has, by far, the best, fluffiest, most beautiful and delicious pancakes I've ever encountered in my 22 years. I wish I could tell you how much they cost, but I forgot to write it down and they don't have a website. They should really get a website. I remember thinking that the prices were very reasonable.

Because Cerrin got a new job, we changed our dinner to brunch, from Monday to Saturday. It worked out quite perfectly because we'd been talking about visiting Orange Table, but it's closed Monday nights. It's a small place, with cozy orange walls and a mini living room waiting area. The art on the wall is colorful and graphic-y and they've got an outdoor patio with several tables and room for dogs as well. It's an absolutely, well, delightful place to spend a Saturday morning with a couple of great friends.

Cerrin ordered some sophistimicated bagel sandwich with brie and fruit, which she seemed to enjoy. Lauren and I split those pancakes I mentioned earlier (Buttermilk with maple syrup) and the Two Egg Meal, which comes complete with two eggs your style, tasty home fries, 4 pieces of really great and hearty toast and (allegedly) a bowl of fresh fruit (or your choice of breakfast meat if you prefer flesh to fruit.) Everything was delicious and just the right size. And by just the right size, I mean we ate everything but couldn't exactly stand up completely afterward.

I highly recommend that you pay a visit, it's a great value, and I'm not even one of those breakfast food people. It's a little hard to find: park in the lot to the west of the Scottsdale Museum for Contemporary Art and wander eastward, it's hiding there somewhere between a wig store and Indian food.



Orange Table Cafe
7373 E. Scottsdale Mall Suite 6
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 424-6819

The Cornish Pasty Co.

A little bit ago, we decided to revisit the Cornish Pasty Co. a restaurant I am quite familiar with and one that Jocie and Lauren have tried once before. This place is tucked away on the corner of Hardy and University in Tempe serving a unique cuisine to us Arizonians. Pasty, pronounced Pas-tee, is quite difficult to describe without giving the wrong impression. It’s like a calzone, but with a flakey chicken pot pie crust, but with large amounts of filling options. There are the signature pasties that are cheaper in price and more traditional in filling. There are premium pasties that are slightly more expensive. Then there is the entire vegetarian menu taking recipes from both the signature and premium options.

When walking in for the first time, you’ll be surprised at how tiny this place is. The bar area provides a large portion of the seating along with somewhere around ten tables, only of which three that are large enough for more than two people. This is definitely not the place to take a large party. The restaurant is in the shape of a hallway and all the action happens behind the bar. All of it. The cooking, prepping, washing, all the workers do their job in a very tight space, but it certainly makes conversation and entertainment plentiful when sitting at the bar (where we sat due to the lack of tables large enough to seat three).

I decided on the Tikka Masala, a spicy pasty filled with veggie chicken (the most realistic fake chicken I’ve ever had), bell peppers, and potatoes seasoned with Indian spices. The traditional Indian dish wrapped in the flaky crust makes a surprisingly delicious combination. Jocie tried the Veggie Sheppard’s pie (reminiscent of a traditional chicken pot pie) stuffed with veggie ground meat, mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, carrots, grilled onions, and peas. It is definitely one the of the safer choices on the menu, but delivers a comforting home-style cooking flavor. Lauren went with the Rosemary Chicken which consisted of roasted red potatoes, brie cheese, chicken, roasted red bell pepper, and rosemary spices. This combination of ingredients tends to be for those who enjoy a blend of stronger or more sophisticated flavors.

The food was heavy, filing, and scrumptious. These pasties don’t look large, but from $6-10 can potentially provide a couple meals depending on if you go home with leftovers. We personally could not finish more than half.

Although we couldn’t find room for dessert, they had a menu consisting of two different dessert pasties (a peanut butter and jelly and an apple cinnamon), a banafee pie (a traditional English pie of banana, caramel, and whipped cream), as well as a strawberry meringue.

I will have to say, watch out for the service. This place has a tendency to be packed and it is pretty easy to be forgotten there. Luckily, it is a small space so someone is bound to notice or ask if you need something. In this instance, we were left waiting to pay for quite a while even though it was slow because the server was chatting with the oven cook.

Dining at the Cornish Pasty Co. is truly an interesting experience that you won’t find in any other restaurant. The place is small and very intimate, providing a great hanging out atmosphere for small groups that are in no hurry. The food is large, excellent, and filing. And even though we did not drink, Irish Car Bombs are always $3, there is a selection of beers on tap, many beers in the bottle, along with a few different types of whiskey for cocktails or shots.

Cornish Pasty Co
960 W University Dr
Tempe, AZ, 85281
(480) 894-6261

Mandala Tearoom

The quaint teahouse/restaurant's website starts by saying "Welcome to the mandala tearoom experience," and an experience it definitely was.

Tucked away in the windy side roads of Old Town Scottsdale, the Mandala Tearoom is like that amazing store you window shop at constantly but never buy anything from because even though you love its combination of style and personality, you feel you could never make it work.

Except at the Tearoom, an all vegan, contemporary decorated shop, you can make it work and you should; all you have to do is sit at the fabulously arranged tables, eat the great food, drink tea from its famed selection and absorb the chic scenery.

This week we had a few special guests: Brandon, his visiting friend Vince and Jimmy.

We were all disappointed to hear that they were out of the Creamsicle herbal tea, but I know Cerrin enjoyed her hibiscus tea, and Vince was enlightened by his Zen Awareness Elixir. Teta and Jimmy opted for imported beers.

Cerrin's nacho appetizer-turned-entree, Totopos de casa mandala, looked amazing and tasted pretty darn good as well.

I was left confused with the Creamy Tahini dressing on my side salad which, beware, comes full of beet chunks, but the Ziti al forno Jocie and I split was honestly one of the best ziti dishes I've ever had, full of flavor, spices and not dry at all, which can be common in these baked veggie pasta dishes.

Teta and Jimmy were ordering twins again with the South sandwich, a black bean, corn and rice patty with lettuce and tomato and a side of house slaw (looking like a bread pudding type situation). It was left on touched on both of their plates.

Our skepticism of vegan desserts from past experiences with a rather strange flan deterred us from choosing a dessert, but Cerrin did snatch up a slice of carrot cake to go; the second week in a row she's satisfied her sweet tooth without us.

With an adjacent apothecary, a book shelved wall lined with decorations and teas, walls covered in Indian paintings and a perfect depth of lighting, the restaurant experience was as rich and enjoyable as the food and the service.


Mandala Tearoom
7027 East 5th Avenue
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-423-3411

Delux Burger

I'm not going to lie, we've got a real credibility issue on this one-- all reviews by herbivores of restaurants with "burger" in their names should probably be taken with a serious grain of salt. If you want to know more about the burger for which Delux is known, talk to Lauren. All I heard her say about her Classic Burger ($9) was that it was tasty, a little rare and somewhat "soggy." Please follow up with her for details.

So Delux is one of those moderny-hip places with unisex bathrooms and $3 cupcakes. My immediate impression was positive (despite a subtly strange and unidentifiable smell.) The dining room is small and crowded, with a large seating bar dividing the room, 6 4-top tables on one side and the real bar on the other. The lighting is low with neon blue and green accents, mirrors, and candles-- nothing too innovative, but pleasantly cool.

Don't be fooled by the huge bludgeony menus, the food selection is rather small, especially for vegetarian types, and especially in comparison to the menu of drinks. I ordered the Tomato Mozzarella Salad ($9) which entails, quite literally, 5 slices of tomato and 5 slices of fresh mozzarella drizzled with some sort of balsamic vinegar. Unexceptional at best. Neither the tomato nor the cheese had much flavor, and I found myself forcing down the 4th set of slices. Fortunately, it seems that my three comrades had much better meals than I did (Turns out I'm really good at finding and purchasing the weakest entree on any menu.) Lauren, Cerrin and Teta reported good things about their Classic Burger, Grilled Vegetable Panini ($8), and Beet Salad ($9), respectively.

My highlight: the french fries. I'm a real sucker for fries and Delux has a lot to offer here. Patrons can order standard fries, or sweet potato fries, or a mix of both, to be enjoyed with ketchup and aioli sauce. Full orders and half-orders are available, and the best part is that the fries are served in a squirrel-sized shopping cart. Why? Who knows! But its adorable and definitely adds to the overall fry experience.

We didn't stay for dessert, partly because we were full, but mostly because our server clearly wanted to turn our table, understandably. The service was great, but my sweet tooth doesn't appreciate being handed the check without any mention of dessert. If he would have offered the dessert menu, I'm fairly certain that I would have purchased one of those overpriced cupcakes.

Well, anyway. In short, I probably won't return to Delux Burger by my own volition, which, if anything, is an argument for meat eaters to check this place out. And don't forget to order the fries.

Delux Burger
3146 E. Camelback Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85016
602-522-2288
www.deluxburger.com

La Grande Orange is Certianly Grande

On the corner of 40th street and Campbell in Phoenix is the scrumptious La Grande Orange Pizzeria. Tucked away in a neighborhood, away from busy intersections and strip malls, sets the mood for this cozy and welcoming restaurant, that was packed full on a Monday night (always a good sign when customers are abundant on a “dead“ restaurant night).

I do believe Jocie’s first words when walking in was “this place is so cool,” emphasis on the word so. That might not sound like much, but from someone that has a keen sense of design and décor, it certainly is a compliment. The actual size of the restaurant is rather small, but does offer table, booth, or bar seating. One large table in the center of the restaurant holds all the serving utensils and dishware, complete with a decorative vase. Yellows, blues, and greens, fill the space with color. The adorable lamps gave off an amber glow which made everyone’s skin look fantastic. In addition to the look of the restaurant, the soundtrack consisted of fun, laid back tunes that were very enjoyable. All around La Grande Orange creates a warm and inviting atmosphere for their guests.

So how does the food stack up to the look of the place? Right away Lauren commented on the smell of baking pizza, quite a delightful treat for the senses. The menu is small but consists of classic salads and pizzas as well as unique items like the LGO “chop” (lettuce, spinach, bacon, picholine olives, tomatoes, artichokes, herbed goat cheese, pine nuts, raisins, with vinaigrette) and roasted corn pizza (goat cheese, corn, roasted tomatoes, and basil).

There were only three of us at dinner this week, so we decided to share two of the pizzas. The margherita (a classic cheese, tomato and basil) came to our table looking a little shiny from the grease. Because this particular pizza does not have sauce, the extra cheese made it a little on the heavy side, but tasty nonetheless. I was very impressed with our avocado pizza. Although the avocado had similar ingredients, the variation made a huge difference. This pizza had the tomato, basil, and cheese, but also a slice of avocado on each piece, marinara sauce, and sprinkled with lemon juice. It was a wonderful blend of flavors for the tongue to enjoy.

Each pizza at La Grande Orange is 12 inches with eight slices, ranging anywhere from $11-14. Two pizzas between the three of us girls was more than enough, and we ended up taking almost an entire pizza home. Other items on the menu include a couple of appetizers and burgers.

And if nothing on the pizzeria’s menu is what you desire, salads, sushi, sandwiches, wine, baked goods and an assortment of other food items and knick-knacks are available next door at La Grande Orange Grocery. An adorable gelato shop is another dessert option, connected to the pizzeria itself, offering traditional flavors like pistachio and strawberry, or something more daring like catrino (almond and lingberry).

All in all, I do believe this corner of 40th street and Campbell has a superb combination of eating options that deliver atmosphere and taste. I encourage many to come and try the flavors of La Grande Orange. If you do, be aware. Bring $3 for valet parking, carpool, or wait in line for a parking spot. This bustling combination of grocery, pizzeria, and gelato make finding a parking spot complicated. Thankfully there is hired staff to help out the process and point out the options, but this tucked away location with limited parking is just one sacrifice made to complete the impressive package of La Grande Orange.

La Grande Orange
4410 N 40th st.
Phoenix, Az 85018
602-840-7777

My Florist

Let me say this. I was no My Florist virgin; I had stopped in many times for dessert particularly after First Friday evenings, but I had never eaten a full My Florist meal.

I choose it as the site of my birthday dinner celebration with the friends. We were minus one (Laura, she was relaxing for a weekend in Rocky Point) and plus one (Joe as the only boy).

The atmosphere was supreme, as it usually is, and the pianist began to play just as we were brought our drinks. It couldn't have made me happier, as the live piano music and the genuine smile on the pianist's face are the two main reasons I love this restaurant. Our nice-sized round wooden table was accented with the dull and intimate lighting of a small candle, which I used to melt my straw with later, and I was thoroughly engrossed with the seeing eye yellow lab lying obediently on the ground next to his owner at the bar.

We decided against an appetizer, although Jocie ordered one for her meal, the Willo Chips and Salsa with jalepeno jack cheese.

My Chicken Salad Sandwich, with green apple and celery chunks tucked in, was tasty on My Florist's signature sunflower bread and the petite salad was light and simple. Teta also enjoyed the same selection... shocking I know, as she announced that she was no longer a vegetarian, among other things, after she ordered it.

Joe raved about his Cafe Clubhouse sandwich pressed with spinach and provolone, though I did not try it, and Cerrin managed to tackle the Oh My salad with a complex mix of candied walnuts, feta cheese and baja dressing.

There was nothing standout, spectacular about the food; it was good, but not great. The desserts were another story.

Being that it was my birthday and I'm a chocoholic I ordered the amazing Molten Chocolate Cake a la mode and we asked for their signature coffee creme brulee. The mixture of the oozing, steaming hot chocolate with the cool fresh vanilla ice cream was the perfect match and the hint of coffee flavor in the perfected creme brullee recipe was delightful.

The nice blend of piano classics like Phantom of the Opera medleys and Beatles' tunes invigorated by current Alicia Keys and New Republic hits made the evening an all around success.

My Florist
534 W. McDowell Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85003
602-254-0333