First Impressions

When Web-Op moved into its first offices, the Falcon’s Roost was right across the road, having been there for about 200 years.  A death in the owners closed it for several months, and it re-opened with a decidedly less dank and bar-like atmosphere.

Much of the small dividers, and all the booze bottles went, and now there’s a few small posters of aviation fairs, and an endless movie of small aircraft being projected on the wall.  It’s a more welcoming place than the original Roost, but it seemed to be as short-staffed as ever.  Only 4 in our party, a fairly empty room, and we still had to wait for a menu.

The Menu

The Roost has also scaled back their menu– many of the Mexican dishes and breakfast items are away, leaving a few American standards and a custom burger or two.  It still seems like a very old menu, where nobody wants to offend anyone, so they make two cuisines.

Food

I chose the patty melt.  It was my favorite at the old Roost, and it seemed largely the same– big patty, onions, sort-of rye bread.  While I had to get it re-cooked (it was initially a bit raw, for hamburger– scary!)  the finished meal was fresh and crunchy, with very home-style french fries.  It was reasonably priced– about 7.50– for an American style diner.

Service

While the service was slow, they were attentive and polite when we sent back stuff.  It’s all we can hope for, realistically.   They also did better after the order was made.  Our orders were correct, and came together.

Conclusion

The Falcon’s Roost fills in a local niche:  reasonably-priced food not even an 85-year-old would fear, but still more vital than the Iowa Cafe.  I hope they can thrive with their new layout and target market.

First Impressions

I had the sense this place was trying for the wholesome-meets-sports-bar vibe with the chalkboard wall of specials and the cutesy casino theme.  The overall space is fairly cramped, with a sit-down bar and many small corners packed with tables.

While our party of ten was seated quickly, it seemed like no real accomodations were made for parties over six or so.

The Menu

While much of Lucky Lou’s selections seemed conventional American, there seemed to be a lot of gaps on the menu.  All the sandwiches seemed to follow a basic theme, and there were few entrees.  A large focus was on burgers, and much of the lunch menu was soup-and-small-entree offers.  However, the narrowness in some sections was compromised with exotic appetizers, suggesting sports bar again:  meat skewers and fried zucchini were tried by the others eating today.

Food

I chose the fish special.  It was three large, freshly-fried filets, served with a red-cabbage coleslaw and a vegetable selection.  I asked for the steamed vegetables, as a fat balancer, and was saddened to see broccoli only.  It was topped, for no aim save to make it fatty, with shaved cheese, but was otherwise fine.

Another diner ordered a salad, which was the size of a satellite dish; the main aim of the restaurant seems to be to overwhelm with size, not inexpensive offers.  The lunch special (walleye) was over $12.  It might work in Lou’s fancy Chandler area, but I’m a Mesa hick.

Service

Our orders came out erratically, but the service was fairly fast.  Drinks didn’t seem to be intensely monitored, but on a cold, rainy day, who wants more Coke?

Conclusion

While Lucky Lou’s doesn’t offer much to email home for now, it could improve easily– a little wider menu, a little healthier menu, and it would draw more easily.

In the search for the best Mexican food in the valley my girlfriend Abbe and I recently tried Carbajal’s on Baseline road between Ellsworth and Crimson. I thought the place was named after the boxer Michael Carbajal with all the celebrity restaurants popping up here in the valley - but apparently its been in business for over 15 years and seems unrelated.

The restaurant is tucked into a small plaza on the corner of Crismon and Baseline that is also host to a Basha’s. From the outside it looks like a small take out only place, but there is a small dining area as well. The menu is moderately priced for Mexican food and the service is pretty good. They offer fairly standard fare for the genre but everything I’ve tried so far has been excellent. The portions tend to be on the small side (especially for a giant gringo like me) but everything is infused with great flavor and an authentic taste. I recommend the fajitas although many reviews suggest the rellenos. Overall I recommend it.

First Impressions

Mi Amigo’s has moved up in the appearance department-  less frills and random decor, more of a tidy, moderately expensive place.

However, once we were seated, the impression failed.  A laminated, child-proof menu, and crude tortilla chips, made of a half-tortilla each, didn’t make the grade. (more…)

First Impressions

Silke’s is crammed next to a closed WaMu branch beside a likely soon-closed Basha’s.  It formerly held Florodino’s, a low-end Italian place, and some of the general look– leather booths, nicely done up tables– seems left behind. The walls have a small scattering of Cracker Barrel style doodads, making Silke’s seem a little higher up-market than other American places.
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Second Impressions

It seems Hot Dogs and More has become our default “penalty choice” when alternatives aren’t given.  It’s still a narrow location stuffed with local business’ advertising cards.

As a self-service location, our orders were taken reasonably quickly, but we simply can’t seat 8 in one group.

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First Impressions

They spent a lot of money furnishing Flancer’s.  Framed vintage posters and large plasma televisions dominate the walls, and nicely finished wooden tables and fresh booths fill the room.  However, it was still difficult to find a seat for eight; we were wedged into a booth really best meant for six.

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First Impressions

Wasn’t this place Monte Cello’s last week?  Or a Mexican place a year ago?  A lot of places have come and gone from this location in the Target centre at Brown and Power.

The inside is much more elaborately decorated than you’d expect from the strip-mall surroundings:  tiled floors, faux-finish internal walls, and formica tables to look like marble.  Even the necessary LCD TVs were out of the way and looked tasteful.

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Today we went to Pisa Pizza Ristorante, and it was absolutely delicious. Instead of digging into the separate pasta dishes, we decided to eat a few pizzas as a group. We also had a couple of great appetizers. The one that sticks out in my mind is the plate of bruschetta. The juicy tomatoes were mixed with a cheese that made for a perfect start. We received our food in a timely matter, and always had full glasses.

During our stay, we heard more than once that the pizza at Pisa Pizza was perfect for when you wanted a pizza dish with a little bit of something extra or different. That’s exactly what we got. Pisa Pizza was the perfect cure for the unoriginal pizza you find at other pizza parlors. I would recommend Pisa Pizza Ristorante to those looking for a pizza dish upgrade.

Today we ended up at a new Italian restaurant called Pisa Pizza located in Mesa. Upon entering there is a seating area lined with a wall that separates it from the main dining section. As you proceed to your table you are surrounded by what looks like a small Italian town with murals and fake windows. The restaurant was very clean and the service was fast.

Being a group of 8 we ordered three 18″ pizzas. One was a three cheese with peperoni, another was their “special pizza” which was composed of meats and vegetables, and the last one was pizza Ala vodka. We also ordered three bruschetta portions to start. The appetizers were amazing. The bruschetta tasted very fresh and had a unique tomato/cheese mix. The pizza was great as well. I only tried the three cheese and the Ala Vodka. Both had different seasonings and awesome thin crust.(they offer pizza in both thin and thick crust)

Overall the service was extremely friendly and even gave us complimentary garlic knots to start. Our waitress asked us on a scale of 1-5 what we thought. I would have to give them a 4. All ingredients were tasty and not overly greasy or stuffed with too much garlic. I would recommend Pisa Pizza for take out or to eat at the restaurant.