A few weeks back we all headed out to Jason’s Deli for Bills birthday lunch. While none of us had been to Jason’s Deli before, but we had all heard good things. I am a pretty big fan of Dilly’s Deli so I was excited to see if they had a contender on their hands.

When we arrived I noticed a lot of people walking around outside eating ice cream. I just figured that there was an ice cream shop near by and it just so happened to be the place to be on a Thursday afternoon. Perhaps people were heading to the ice cream shop after getting some Jason’s Deli? I couldn’t say for sure but I was intrigued. (more…)

First Impressions

Jason’s opened a few years ago in the “newer” strip mall at Stapley and Baseline roads.  It’s stuck into a small cluster of mobile-phone stores and coffee bars adjacent to the strip-mall proper.  The inside was overstuffed with many tiny tables, obscuring a clear path through the self-service facilities and making the place seem mildly– but not offensively– unclean. (more…)

Without a doubt in my mind Native New Yorker has the best wings in Arizona. I was once a fan of the wings served at Buffalo Wild Wings, but those feelings sailed away when I entered Native New Yorker. There are a number of different TVs set up in the room that allows everyone to watch the nights games without having to change positions. They let us change the channel to watch the Olympic tryouts. Overall, I would say that our server was good. She kept our drinks filled, and she was ready to do what it took to help us enjoy our meal.

Recommendation

Native New Yorker would be a great place to take you family, friends, or girlfriend to have a good meal in a relaxed environmnet. It is nice enough to take your girlfriend on a date, but it also allows you to relax, sit back, and watch a little ESPN.

Its surprising that for the past year we have been writing food reviews and not once have we went out for wings. Well this all changed last week as we headed down to Native New Yorker. Now being from Ohio I am a little partial to Buffalo Wild Wings, as the company was started in Kent, Ohio - not too far from where I grew up. For quite some time while living in Ohio it was a regular activity to head down to BW3 on Tuesdays for all of special deals. It was a place where you knew everyone there, had good food and an even better time. To say the least BW3 will forever be my favorite place for chicken wings. However Native New Yorker might not be too far off.. (more…)

Coming from an Italian family, I am always on the look out for new places to eat that offer a good home cooked Italian meal. I have lived in Arizona for about 25 years now and there have been very few Italian places that I would consider being authentic except for the restaurant my wife and I tried tonight.

Giovanni’s Little Italy located in Gilbert, on Gilbert Road just north of Guadalupe, was a delightful surprise. From the outside it looked like a busy take out place, but there is a cosey little dining room just inside that gives you a great view of the kitchen. There are only a couple of tables in the cafe style room so it is a great place to bring the family or that special someone for a nice time to dine and talk.  The atmosphere is casual with the setting of a New York style Italian cafe (did I mention the owners are from up state New York) that is warm and friendly.

Service

As soon as my wife and I walked in the door we were greeted with smiles by the counter staff and seated our selves. Our waitress quickly took our drink orders and progressed to the salad and fresh bread quickly. Mimi (part owner) and all of her staff (family) stopped by the table to bring refills and just to see if we needed anything, it made us feel really welcomed.

Menu and The Meal

The menu offers a variety of pastas, hot or cold subs, hot or cold paninis, pizzas, calzones, salads, appetizers, and different choices of wings. Oh, and don’t forget cannoli for desert. Every item on the menu was at a good price, another plus for families. I had the baked ziti which is a fairly simple dish but can be poorly made with too much sauce or over doing it on the cheese. In this case, I enjoyed every bite. The sauce was had just the right amount of spices and did not drowned the pasta. The ziti it self was cooked well and not over baked. To top it off, the layer of mozzarella cheese was great! However, the topper to my meal was the meatball. I do not say this about too many people’s cooking, but I have never had a meatball that tasted like my mom’s homemade meatballs. Excellent!

My Recommendation  

I would have to say that my family and I will be back! The service was great, the food came quickly and was good Italian comfort food, and the atmosphere was enjoyable. Most of all, were can you get a good Italian home cooked meal for two people under thirty dollars? I did notice that Giovanni’s has good lunch specials, their full menu is offered as take out, and they catering too. The owners Giovanni and Mimi Baglio would love to have you there. Click here to check out their website. I know we will be back.

Atmosphere 4 Starts

Service 5 Stars

Food 4 Stars

Total of 13 out of 15 Stars!

Last week we all headed down to the Gecko Grill in Gilbert for lunch. Until that point I had never heard of Gecko Grill but immediately I conjured up the vision of a Dos Gringos or and Iguana Macks style restaurant/bar simply from the name. This didn’t bother me as I have enjoyed eating at Dos Gringos and Iguana Macks, maybe I preferred the atmosphere over the food but either way I had a good time. Needless to say I was expecting something along these lines however I was completely wrong.

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This is a great restaurant to take your family or friends for a casual, affordable Mexican dish. This is a place that serves authentic Mexican food without the risk of being sick all night. It isn’t a nice sit down restaurant, but it also isn’t a fast food Mexican restaurant cooking who know what. The staff was made up of mostly teenagers which made the atmosphere in the restaurant relaxed and easy to carry on a conversation.

I started off filling up with their chips and salsa. They brought out red salsa, green salsa, and bean dip with a refillable tray of chips. Our waiter kept on the ball and kept more loaded baskets of chips coming. He also did a good job of refilling our drinks.

I ordered their Grande Burrito which turned out to be very good. It was very large, and I only ate about half of it because I filled up on chips and salsa before my meal arrived.

Recommendation

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to have an affordable, good portioned, Mexican dish without having to go to a 24 hour fast food Mexican restaurant that might be serving dog meat.

Many of my friends have talked very highly of the Gecko Grill in Gilbert as a great place for a good mexican lunch. So when our food crew chose the infamous lunch destination, I was  excited to try it out.

My First Impression

“Wow, this place is busy,” is what came to my mind first as I walked into the waiting area. Then I realized that the waiting area is only designed for two people. Traffic  in and out seemed to be a little chaotic but the wait  time was not very long for such a large party. The hostess was quick to seat us and bring out menus. If you like eating at a small but busy Mexican style cafe, than this is the perfect place for you. There are many colorful southwest decorations on the walls, with straw covered booths around the sides for more private dining. I must say that the place was very busy wilt only a couple of tables left empty.

The Food

I was impressed with the variety of many traditional Mexican dishes and finger foods along with South Western BBQ plates. Though, with small restaurants like this, I always question the authenticity of their “Traditional Mexican Food.” I ordered the South Western Burrito Lunch Special which I thought was reasonably priced at $5.99. There were many other menu items and specials to choose from as well.

I began my meal with free bottomless fresh chips and a couple of salsa and bean dipping choices  The salsa was definitely store bought and out of the bottle which provided an comfortable familiar taste. My South West Burrito came served on a small plate with garnish. the buritto wrapped  with a combination of diced grilled seasoned chicken marinated in a mild red sauce, Spanish rice, south west stile corn, Charo beans, and a good crisp bead of lettuce, sour cream, and cheese. I liked the tastes and the textures of this burrito. However, I did not taste the South West in the South West Burrito. What I ate was a good and hearty burrito that had mild spices giving it a good taste for anyone to enjoy that is fearful of heartburn from hot foods. I have never had corn in a burrito before, but it added a sweet taste that was enjoyable.  The sour cream and cheese did not cancel out any of the other ingredients flavors which so many Mexican restaurants tend to do. I was good “gringo” style Mexican food at a good value.

Service

Our server was prompt and very friendly through the entire meal. There was a matter of having an extra meal sent to us that no one ordered from our party, but that happens to busy lunch cafe sometimes. Even though the service staff seemed to be young teens, our meals came quick and hot without complaints. The general atmosphere seemed to be that everyone was having a good time.

Gecko Grill I would say is a good place to get a filling meal with your friends and family in a casual environment.  The prices are decent for the amount and quality of food you receive with prompt and friendly service.

Ratings    1 to 5 Stars

Atmosphere: 3 Stars

Food: 3 Stars

Service: 3 Stars

9 out of a possible 15 Stars

I decided to head out to the new San Tan Mall in Gilbert Arizona. I had heard good things about the restaurant Cantina Laredo from a few friends. I also heard it was a bit pricy but decided to try it anyway. We got there at about 7 and we were seated immediately. The place didn’t seem to busy. There was a good atmosphere and the hostess and our waiter were both very nice. They were quick to answer any questions we had about the menu. The special there is their guacamole dip. We started with some of that along with their chips and salsa. They bring out two avocados and some fresh ingredients like onions, tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, etc. to mix in with the avocados to make a great tasting fresh guacamole dip. I would definitely recommend this dip. The chips and salsa was also very good. They had two salsas. Both a bit different but very delicious.

I decided to go with a meal that came with three different types of enchiladas. My Fiance decided to just go with a bean and cheese burro. The enchiladas were very good. All were a bit different and had a great taste. The meal came to a little over 30 dollars. I didn’t find it that expensive.

This was a very nice restaurant and a good atmosphere. The cost is reasonable for what you get. The food is excellent and the service was great. Next time you are in the san tan mall area stop by and give it a try. I’m sure you will be impressed.

First Impression:
Oasian Noodle Bar is a Southeast Asian cuisine restaurant. Located on the north west corner of Val Vista and Baseline Rd. Like most restaurants in the valley, it is located within a small strip mall. The inside is decorated quite similar to Pei Wei restaurants. Smooth modern looking chairs that accompany smooth modern looking tables. Bright yellows and deep reds surely keep your appetite moving and your mind thinking.

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